God of hope, God of now.

Romans 5:1-5

Holy Trinity Sunday

In Walter Taylor’s book, “The Secular Age,” he describes secularism as a loss of transcendence.

You see, people don’t expect God to be a part of their lives or world. It happens even to us believers. 

That’s why the assignment I offered last week proved so difficult. We’ve become caught up in looking to the concrete, the things we can touch and feel and see that surround us, as well as the culture we live in to bring meaning to our lives. We’re out of touch with prophetic imagination, we struggle with letting our faith bring definition to our days. We see with earthbound eyes rather than seeing through God’s lenses.

But our material accomplishments end up leaving us in the lurch. We’re left wondering if what we see is TRULY what we get; and lost and confused when what we see leaves us searching for more, for the next big thing to come along. Remember the excitement when you saw the first bag phone, then came the cell phone, and finally today the smartphone. It’s become commonplace, a necessary tool for many of us. And yet having one doesn’t leave us feeling any more connected than when we had to wear down our finger dialing the rotary phone. Dare I say we might even feel less connected, more isolated?

And because the material world doesn’t satisfy us, we wonder what significance our daily occupations, relationships, and even lives have. Walter Taylor asserts that many of us succumb to the haunting suspicion that “what previously satisfied us, gave us a sense of solidity, seems not really to match up, not to deserve what we put into it.

Or in other words, with the loss of transcendence, the ability to let God define our lives, we lose meaning and, worse yet, we lose hope.

So then where do we go? What do we do?...

Paul reminds us today that we are justified by faith; that we receive peace and grace and glory through Christ. Which sounds neat and tidy, pleasant to our ears, but then Paul continues: “we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”

And Paul, struck blind on the road, knows this hope so very well. This is the very Paul led by God while blind to Ananias who had the power of God to restore Paul’s sight. This is the very Paul who when thrown into prison alone and in chains used the opportunity to open the hearts of his guards. This is the very Paul who when relegated to a distant island wrote letters that led so many to repent, turning toward God, many for the very first time.

So not only is our hope and our meaning rooted in the promises of our God in heaven, but our hope is also found in the trials and struggles of our life here on earth. But how can this be?

It’s because God greatest revelation to us came in the form of the struggles and suffering of a man hung on a tree. And if we lift up the suffering and pain of Jesus to be holy, then how can we possibly look at our own struggles and difficulties and pain as anything else but holy as well?

Now be careful here. I’m not saying that God ever wants us to struggle and suffer in our lives. God did not cause the F-5 tornado in Oklahoma any more than God caused Jesus to die. God does not take joy in our suffering. God does, however, promise to be with us in our suffering, and also promises to use our suffering whenever possible for the greater good.

And then the even bigger promise comes then in Romans 6:5, “For if we are united with Christ in a death like his (or suffering, or pain), then surely we are united with him in a resurrection like his.” Our suffering is redeemed in the cross of Christ.

So as God didn’t abandon Jesus Christ is his darkest hour, and God does not abandon us either. No tear shed goes unnoticed by God. No cry for mercy is unheard by God. No frustration or hurt or loss is unimportant to God. No tragedy – personal, communal, national, or global – is ignored by God, which means that God is present in our suffering and dignifies it by God’s presence.

And because the Father made his true self known in the very concrete form of Jesus here on earth including his suffering, then we today can also look for God in the concrete, the everyday, the ordinary: in our relationships, in our jobs, our hobbies, our volunteer efforts. These are the places to see God at work. And God blesses this, promising to use anything done for the good of a neighbor to extend God’s love and concern to all God’s beloved creation.

So many have wondered this week where God is in Oklahoma? The truth is that you don’t have to look very hard. Because God is working through the rescue workers, God is comforting those who grieve, God is encouraging those who are helping rebuild lives, God is leading those who are designing and planning to alleviate such disasters in the future.

And God is present with us in our struggles, God rejoices in our triumphs, encourages us to care for one another and receive other’s care as well, using us and even our daily routines to care for the people and the world that God cares for so much.

So, I challenge you again. Where do you see God at work in our lives and in the lives around you? Don’t make it difficult. Don’t look for some deep theological concept. Just look around and see God. See God in what the people around you do. And don’t be shy, see God in what YOU do. Only then can we truly know the presence of God not just in a building, but everywhere.

Keep your eyes open. Don’t just look at the at those things you can touch and feel, look for God working through those things you can touch and feel, creation, people, even yourself. Only then can we truly experience God in our lives, in the here and now wherever we might be. Keep your eyes open.

Amen.

Pentecost TODAY!

Acts 2:1-21; John 14:8-17, 25-27

The Day of Pentecost, May 19, 2013

Pentecost. The third of the great festival days in the church year. Third in many ways…

There is no Pentecost Tree, no baby church lying in the manger. We don’t have a song of the 12 days of Pentecost. Of course this year there are exactly 200 days of Pentecost—and you thought “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” was a tedious song!

Yes, Christmas has a decorated tree, a jolly elf named Santa, eight tiny reindeer, and lots of presents.

Easter has lilies and bunnies and chocolate. Easter egg hunts and bonnets and pretty dresses.

If it’s lucky, Pentecost has the geranium. Kinda’ scraggly, smells like moth balls.

Pentecost is definitely third. But it shouldn’t be.

So how is your knowledge of Pentecost?

Did you know that the day of Pentecost is often noted as the birthday of the church? That on that day the Holy Spirit lit a fire inside not just those who were seen with tongues of flame over them but so many others present in the Judeo-Christian community that day?

You probably know the most famous line of the Pentecost story. It still makes me giggle when I hear that line, “We’re not drunk as you suppose.” But what a scene that must have been, to see those tongues of fire and hear the rushing of the wind. And it’s been said that to those people that day it was not a jumbled, cacophonous message, but rather very clear and easily understood.

So the day of Pentecost seems to be just another history lesson for us. But if we imagine Pentecost to take place on only that one day 2000 years ago, we are left scratching our heads and wondering what all the excitement is about.

Or in other words, when it comes to Pentecost, 

SO WHAT?

Good question.

Pentecost isn’t a one day, one-time only event. In the book of Acts there are numerous Pentecosts, many times when the Holy Spirit is poured out. 

There’s the time when Philip was sent by an angel down the wilderness road, then was sent by the Spirit to the eunuch to interpret scripture, and finally convinced by the eunuch to baptize him, Philip then snatched away by the Lord to another place, leaving the eunuch to proclaim the good news.

Or there’s the story of Saul, persecutor and murderer of many Christians, struck blind by the Lord only to have Ananias lay hands of him for the scales to fall from his eyes. Soon he was preaching the Christian gospel, the one he had fought against, now being known as Paul, the great missionary and epistle writer.

But pastor, it still sounds like a history lesson.

So then there are the great monasteries of the Middle Ages, the Reformation, the Great Awakenings!

Still history.

There’s the rebirth of the church in the form of the ELCA, getting ready to celebrate the 25^th anniversary of the great coming together as people of God!

Well, closer, but not quite touching us personally.

It’s the taking of a chance. A small group meeting in a community center every Sunday dreaming of a future that reached out and touched many in Sherwood and other nearby areas.

It’s the people willing to take the risk of building a beacon on this very site 11 years ago calling out to the community the joy of the gospel of the Lord.

Still sounds like history?

It’s the faith of five young men named Louis, Conner, Zach, Hunter, and Andrew renewing the promises others made on their behalf in baptism now proclaiming the baptismal faith in their own words.

That’s so two weeks ago.

But Pentecost really isn’t just 2000 years ago. And it’s not just points in history. In fact, Pentecost is never over!

Because Jesus makes this amazing promise to his disciples: even if the disciples struggle with Jesus’ words, they can believe because of the works they have seen him do. And then he goes on to say, “Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these.”

Did you hear that? We who believe in Jesus will do greater works than he! Feeding, preaching, healing, giving life to the dead. 

Well, I know you all heard that, so maybe the real question is, “Do you believe that?” Let me confess here: I don’t always believe that. Often that sounds too far-fetched, impossible, beyond my understanding. And I’m guessing I’m not alone—you probably struggle in the same way.

But the Spirit is active in our lives. Active in the continuing ministry of Christ the King. And if we open our eyes we can see it all over.

We can see it in the bright eyes of our children as we tell them the story of Jesus, bringing the Spirit to life inside ourselves as well.

We rediscover it in the baptism of Ivy, a fresh reminder that the promises she heard today are promises for us as well.

We find it in the coming together to have some fun on the golf course in the process of feeding hungry children. In the camaraderie of a penny war with our sister church in Combined Locks (I hear they’re gaining on us!).

We hear it in the joyous music of the Gospel Singers, having a great deal of fun in the work of praising the Lord and leading us in our worship.

It comes through the ministry of Rez-a-Wreck, as another person gains access to transportation to be able to care for their family.

It’s amazing where you might find a new Pentecost. And it doesn’t have to be a big event! Chances are there won’t be tongues of flame (although the meat ministry might have a few!). It’s a pretty good bet there won’t be speaking in tongues, although one tongue (English) may help shine the light. You don’t even need a big crowd.

Many Pentecosts are quiet, simple, one to one activities. The sitting with someone when they’re in the midst of a horrible time in life. The praying with someone struggling with aches and pains, mental, emotional, and physical, bringing them just a little peace. A quiet moment in the midst of the busyness of this world.

So go ahead this week and email me (link to email) or write it down when you recognize the Spirit active in your lives. And really do this, keep your eyes open. That way, this message this morning isn’t coming to its end. Instead, it’s just at its beginning. I pray that I’m overwhelmed with your responses, or at the very least you’re overwhelmed by what you discover.

Just keep your eyes open.

Amen.

More than a Mother's Day gift

Luke 24:44-53, Acts 1:1-11

Ascension Sunday: May 12, 2013

Happy Mothers’ Day! I can’t really imagine how Mother’s Day and the Ascension go together. So we’ll stick with the Ascension for now.

We can only imagine as to what the Ascension of Jesus must have been like. I can imagine myself somehow trying to jump and pull him back down to earth. After all, I probably still have a few questions I would like answers to: “Where are you going Jesus?” “What do we do next?” “Could you explain your miracles just one more time?”

But he had to go. If he had stayed the Holy Spirit could not have done her work. The church would not have been able to grow, stunted by the physical presence of God. You see, faith is the belief in something that is not seen. So there would be no need for true faith if Jesus had simply stayed on earth. Without faith, the Holy Spirit is worthless as she brings the gift of faith to us.

Because Christ ascended to heaven the disciples—which includes us—are now empowered to do the work of God here on earth guided by the Holy Spirit. We have been gifted with the Holy Spirit so that we can aim toward obeying Jesus’ command to love God and to love one another. Through that same Holy Spirit we are then led to grow as people of faith, using the gifts and time God has given us to advance God’s kingdom here on earth.

So then Jesus leaves our midst so that we can grow.

Maybe there is a connection between Mothers’ Day and Ascension after all!

Jesus spent his last few years on earth teaching and showing the disciples what his love was all about. The lessons Jesus gave to them were to show them how to continue after they were no longer physically together. And the moms in our lives have done the same things. Teaching us the skills and traits we will need for a successful life as an adult away from home.

Jesus loved, taught lessons, even scolded when necessary. He used real life examples to show both the strengths and weaknesses of human life. And moms do that too… do your homework, clean your room, don’t tease your sister, or one of my personal favorites—if everyone was jumping off a bridge would you do that too?

But of course the Ascension does far more for us than just show us who we are. It also shows us who Jesus is, opening our eyes to the knowledge that Jesus is truly God. And even better, for the first time we now can see God as more than being   beyond time and space, something greater than all-powerful, majestic, sovereign, and eternal. As Jesus returns to the Father we can now realize a God who knows loneliness, betrayal, thirst, rejection, and even death.

No longer can God be portrayed as completely detached from the human experience. Jesus offers us a God who is vulnerable and even approachable. So that when we turn to God in distress, peril, or despair; we turn to a God who knows intimately the pain of the human condition. We have a God that assures us that affliction will not have the final word because the risen and ascended Christ will intercede for us; nothing can separate us from his love.

Today Jesus tells his followers—US!—that repentance and forgiveness are to be proclaimed in his name to all nations! This is not idle chit-chat, not a command, not even marching orders. It is a promise to us that now we have the power to do that. No longer is there only one voice on earth to proclaim good news to the people but now all who call upon his name are empowered and equipped with the power to proclaim God’s forgiveness for all who believe, to declare God’s mercy and goodness for the world, to share God’s love for all right where we are.

And to put the icing on the cake, the cherry on top, Jesus does one final act. He blesses the disciples. His very final act is to lift up his hands and bless us. And during his ascension the blessing continues, it’s the very last vision the world has of Jesus. And he continues to bless us right through this very moment and beyond. We continue in these blessings, they are all around us in the people and places God has placed in our midst. And so it goes.

When Jesus left the disciples didn’t hang their heads and feel woe for Jesus leaving them. Because they realized the promise that Jesus wasn’t leaving them alone. They fully understood their new sense of mission to be “little Christs” as Martin Luther would later write, recognizing that they are now servants of all, carrying a message far more precious than the most expensive jewels, far sweeter than the most splendid perfume, and far more satisfying than the richest of foods.

And we too, because of Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension, can rejoice in the very same way. WE know we aren’t left alone, WE are today’s little Christs with a message we can deliver in a multitude of ways that sounds sweeter than the most beautiful symphony. The Holy Spirit empowers us to share that marvelous message of Christ’s sacrifice for us. And by telling the story we then fulfill the proclamation to all nations, one friend, one family member, one neighbor at a time.

And so Christ really did have to return to the Father. Because then we receive a gift not just for moms but for all of us here today. It’s a gift tastier than the finest chocolate, more fragrant than the best perfume, more lovely than the most beautiful of roses. It’s the gift of the Holy Spirit. And for that gift and all the other gifts we receive daily from our Creator…

Thanks be to God!

An Abundance of Peace

John 14:23-29

The Sixth Sunday of Easter: May 5, 2013

Affirmation of Baptism

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.

It’s a strange world we live in. Yes, it’s the world God created, but we humans have left our own indelible and mark on it as well. So when Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you,” we can’t help but look around and wonder where, when, and how we find this peace.

The disconnect comes when despite our best intentions, we try and define peace on our own terms rather than God’s terms. How do we as the United States maintain peace? We stockpile our own offensive weapons of mass destruction while doing everything we can to destroy others. If this doesn’t work we create a defensive scheme to knock down anything that is lobbed toward us.

Or in other words, we build up so much power that nobody and nothing will ever mess with us. Sure, it mostly works, despite a few notable exceptions along the way. But it’s definitely not God’s way.

God gives us all an abundant life. But our definition of abundance doesn’t always match God’s pure abundance. Often we hear the word abundance and can’t help but think of fancy cars and opulent houses; we inevitably imagine a large bank account and all the trimmings of earthly success.

However, God’s abundance, promises so much more even though the immediate result may look the opposite. In Matthew we hear, “Whoever finds their life will lose it; whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

It turns out that earthly abundance practically guarantees insecurity and fear and anything but peace. A recent Boston College study revealed these very real fears of the most rich and famous:

• ·       One respondent reported he wouldn't feel financially secure until he had at least $1 billion in the bank. How are you doing on that quest?
• ·       Other wealthy people report feeling that they have lost the right to complain about anything, for fear of sounding — or being — ungrateful.
• ·       Some respondents are parents worry that their children will become trust-fund brats if their inheritances are too large — or will be forever resentful if those inheritances (or parts of them) are instead bequeathed to charity.
• ·       The respondents also confide that they feel their outside relationships have been altered by, and have in some cases become contingent on, their wealth. "Very few people know the level of my wealth, and if they did, in most cases I believe it would change our relationship," writes one respondent. Another says, "I start to wonder how many people we know would cut us off if they didn't think they could get something from us."

·       "Wealth can be a barrier to connecting with other people," writes the spouse of a tech wizard who cashed in to the tune of $80 million. Rich people often feel they can't share the stresses in their lives, for fear someone will say, "Yeah, wouldn't I like to have your problems." It can get awkward when the check comes at a restaurant and there's hesitation over who will pay.

·       Many express relief that their kids' education was assured, but are concerned that money might rob them of ambition. Having money "runs the danger of giving them a perverted view of the world," one respondent writes. Another worries, "Money could mess them up — give them a sense of entitlement, prevent them from developing a strong sense of empathy and compassion."

Somewhat ironically, this study was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions.

So… Hunter, Louis, Andrew, Zach, and Conner: where does this leave you?

Where does this leave us? It does offer some questions:

Is it OK to work toward making a good living, to be comfortable in life? Of course it is. If we truly believe that all things are gifts from God then we are certainly welcome to enjoy the gifts we are given.

But do those things bring real peace? Without a doubt, the answer is “NO!” The real peace comes from non-monetary sources. Real peace isn’t even found in that sound wave machine that helps get people to sleep. And it certainly isn’t found in staying one step ahead of the neighbors. This gift is so great that apostle Paul said that it is “beyond all understanding.” It’s nothing we can buy or earn, but rather simply a gift from God—the gift of faith.

We can’t earn it? We can’t buy it? The idea is so countercultural, so far outside our capitalistic thinking that it’s hard to wrap your head around it. We’ve even coined phrases like, “God helps those who help themselves,” to try and help prove God’s love for our work ethic. Yet that phrase is found nowhere in the Bible. And remember, Jesus chastised Martha for being a busybody, and praised Mary for doing nothing else than listening to him.

So you might be wondering, “Pastor, we don’t have to do good things to earn God’s favor?” Not in the least. We do good deeds because we have the peace of living in God’s favor. Within this gift of faith are motivated to praise and thank God and to do God’s work on earth. Not because we have to, not making sure we’ve done “enough” to earn our spot in heaven. But instead, we can’t help but love others—which is obeying Jesus’ command--in reaction to the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Each one of you  in your own way spoke to the use of prayer in your faith statements as something mostly used when things are tough or when the pressure is on. And dare I suggest we all have that tendency?

God invites us to live every moment as prayer. So even in the most normal and plain of times we can thank God for the normalcy of the day. We can thank God that we are not hungry or homeless or in trouble. We can praise God for the everyday ho-hum lives that we often take for granted, because in that normalcy there are so many blessings that we need to learn to see:

• -      The friend who doesn’t turn on you even when you mistakenly accused him.
• -      The grace of the teacher when your dog actually did eat your homework.
• -      The parents who despite you calling them unfair provide for your needs.

And the list goes on and on.

Even when we’re not noticing, God is by our side. Even when we don’t consciously pray, God still hears our needs and desires. Even when we don’t take the opportunity to share the gospel, God still works through our deeds and actions to show the world a better way, God’s way. The Holy Spirit shows us that way and moves us to respond to God’s love and mercy for us. And together in the Spirit we can do amazing things.

So, today we join the confirmands in reaffirming the promises made on our behalf when we were baptized. When you hear those words of affirmation, say them for yourselves as well, to live among God’s faithful people, to hear God’s word and share in the Lord’s Supper, to proclaim the good news of Christ through word and deed, to serve all people—following the example of Jesus, to strive for justice and peace in all the earth.

All of this is made possible by the peace of God which exceeds all understanding, made available to us through the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ.

Please pray with me:

Stir up in each person here the gift of your Holy Spirit, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, the spirit of joy in your presence, both now and forever. Amen.