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HUPC Sermon January 10, 2021
Rev. Rupert B. Harris, guest preacher
Mark 1: 4-11
BEGINNING WITH BAPTISM
Jesus was thirty years old when he was baptized. He left home in Nazareth and walked miles to join the throngs at the Jordan River, where John was proclaiming preparing the way of the Lord. In the purposes of God, it was time for Jesus to take up his work. His baptism was the opening of the door to his public ministry. Martin Luther says about this: The Baptism of Jesus is the beginning of the New Testament. The Lord here assumes his office. It is his inauguration.
Mark 1: 4-11
John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
I invite you today to experience the power of the Holy Spirit which once blew across the face of the deep at creation and was there hovering over the waters of the Jordan and is here in our midst this morning through the renewing of baptism and the sharing of the Lord’s Supper. Come stand in the stream of the Spirit, let the joy and hope of Christ's life and ministry and death and resurrection and coming again, touch you and your children and your children's children in the new year and years to come.
1. Baptism is essentially something God does.
In baptism, God comes and says, "This is my beloved child, with whom I am well pleased." That comes first. Then we, the church, respond with water and vows of faith. We promise that we will raise this child or receive this adult as one who already belongs to God.
The great theological strength of the baptism of an infant is the way it demonstrates the unconditional love of God. It expresses the divine Yes which precedes anything we can possibly do to deserve or earn it. God doesn't wait for us to come looking, but seeks us first. No one would say that the baby has found God; God found the baby. No one would say that the baby has chosen God; God does the choosing. God makes the commitment which matters. It is not our weak hold on God that will win the day; it is God's strong grasp upon us.
That is why I have said no when adults ask whether they can be baptized a second time. They tell me that God has become real to them as adults in a way that was not possible when they were baptized as infants. Would I baptize them again to demonstrate this?
My answer is no, because baptism says that God chooses us, not that we chose God. There is nothing we can do to make God choose us. If as adults we experience renewal in our faith, that is evidence that God's choice is working in our lives. Yes, let us reaffirm our baptism. But God's faithfulness needs no renewal. God's commitment to us, active in baptism, never ends.
2. Baptism is a life-long event.
Baptism is proleptic, it points beyond itself and anticipates the future. Like a rosebud, baptism needs time to unfold, to open up for its full beauty and design to be seen. Ulrich Zwingli liked to compare baptism to the monk's cowl which was given to the young novice who joins the order. He is already considered a monk when he accepts the cowl and the life of the monastic community. But the novice must grow into the cowl; it is cut large to fit the monk he will become.
We grow into our baptism over a lifetime. It is cut large and requires us to develop in our faith and understanding. Baptism is more than something God does. It requires a response. God's Yes requires the answering yes from each of us. You hear the yes in the vows at baptism to turn from sin and to turn to Jesus Christ. And as John Calvin said, that turning “does not take place in one moment or one day or one year; but through continual and sometimes even slow advances."
A group of Roman Catholic and Protestant seminary professors was having lunch together and the discussion turned to how to interpret the first chapter of Genesis. Some of the Protestants were arguing for a literal six-day creation. Finally, one Catholic scholar threw her hands up in despair and exclaimed, "Don't you people realize that God likes to do things slowly?"
The work of baptism goes slowly, one day, one decision at a time. Sometimes it seems as if nothing is happening. But the important thing is that God's work of shaping us has already begun and nothing is going to stop it. At every step of the baptism journey, the invitation to us is: Commit as much as you understand of yourself
to as much as you know of God in Jesus Christ.
I will invite us today to speak the vows again, reaffirming our baptism. It is a way to remind us of the lifelong stretch of our baptism. God works slowly over the years to bring about the effects baptism is meant to produce in our lives, as long as we remember and are willing.
3. Baptism involves us in the life of a local congregation.
One of the sorrows in my life is that none of our grandchildren are baptized. I have been asked both by our son and daughter to baptize their children, but my answer has been, "No. You are not involved in the life of a congregation. Become active in a congregation and ask them to baptize your child."
During baptism, the congregation makes a vow, promising to guide and nurture those who are baptized "by word and deed, with love and prayer, encouraging them to know and follow Christ and to be faithful members of his church." The best way for that to happen is to involve the one baptized in the ongoing educational, worshipping, and serving life of the local congregation. God's extraordinary work takes place in some ordinary places.
All of the Christian education, children's program, church school, fellowship events, pageants, youth meetings, retreats, worship services, sermons, sacraments are the church's continuing work of baptism. And children and youth must be fully present, full participants in all of the church's life.
How did you learn to be part of your family? How did you learn family traditions and stories and values in order to pass them on? You learned by spending time together, by talking, listening, eating, being given responsibility, being included. So, too, in the family of God, we learn by participation, by being here, week after week, year after year.
I'm concerned about raising children in our culture today. Without the anchor of the Christian faith, we and our children are adrift in a great ocean of moral and ethical relativity, tossed about by the winds and currents of prevailing opinion. If that it is all we pass along to the next generation, it is to say to them: "We have nothing to give you, no values, no story, no claim upon your life, no identity, no destiny. You're on your own!"
Rather, let us embrace children and adults at the baptismal font and continue to embrace them over a lifetime, and claim: "This one is ours. This one belongs to God. God has big plans for this one. We will name this one `Christian' and teach him/her what that means."
Baptism points us to the persons we are becoming. It says to us:
You have great things to do and be.
You are the beloved daughter/son of God.
Already. Live worthy of that and don't forget you are joined
to Christ through his Body, the Church.
Remember you are baptized!
Let us pray:
God of grace and courage and new life, help us today to renew the vows of baptism spoken over us and by us. Help those who are baptized to know you and to trust you to fulfill your purpose in their lives. Make us ready to obey your will and to serve you with joy, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Rev. Rupert B. Harris, guest preacher
Mark 1: 4-11
BEGINNING WITH BAPTISM
Jesus was thirty years old when he was baptized. He left home in Nazareth and walked miles to join the throngs at the Jordan River, where John was proclaiming preparing the way of the Lord. In the purposes of God, it was time for Jesus to take up his work. His baptism was the opening of the door to his public ministry. Martin Luther says about this: The Baptism of Jesus is the beginning of the New Testament. The Lord here assumes his office. It is his inauguration.
Mark 1: 4-11
John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
I invite you today to experience the power of the Holy Spirit which once blew across the face of the deep at creation and was there hovering over the waters of the Jordan and is here in our midst this morning through the renewing of baptism and the sharing of the Lord’s Supper. Come stand in the stream of the Spirit, let the joy and hope of Christ's life and ministry and death and resurrection and coming again, touch you and your children and your children's children in the new year and years to come.
1. Baptism is essentially something God does.
In baptism, God comes and says, "This is my beloved child, with whom I am well pleased." That comes first. Then we, the church, respond with water and vows of faith. We promise that we will raise this child or receive this adult as one who already belongs to God.
The great theological strength of the baptism of an infant is the way it demonstrates the unconditional love of God. It expresses the divine Yes which precedes anything we can possibly do to deserve or earn it. God doesn't wait for us to come looking, but seeks us first. No one would say that the baby has found God; God found the baby. No one would say that the baby has chosen God; God does the choosing. God makes the commitment which matters. It is not our weak hold on God that will win the day; it is God's strong grasp upon us.
That is why I have said no when adults ask whether they can be baptized a second time. They tell me that God has become real to them as adults in a way that was not possible when they were baptized as infants. Would I baptize them again to demonstrate this?
My answer is no, because baptism says that God chooses us, not that we chose God. There is nothing we can do to make God choose us. If as adults we experience renewal in our faith, that is evidence that God's choice is working in our lives. Yes, let us reaffirm our baptism. But God's faithfulness needs no renewal. God's commitment to us, active in baptism, never ends.
2. Baptism is a life-long event.
Baptism is proleptic, it points beyond itself and anticipates the future. Like a rosebud, baptism needs time to unfold, to open up for its full beauty and design to be seen. Ulrich Zwingli liked to compare baptism to the monk's cowl which was given to the young novice who joins the order. He is already considered a monk when he accepts the cowl and the life of the monastic community. But the novice must grow into the cowl; it is cut large to fit the monk he will become.
We grow into our baptism over a lifetime. It is cut large and requires us to develop in our faith and understanding. Baptism is more than something God does. It requires a response. God's Yes requires the answering yes from each of us. You hear the yes in the vows at baptism to turn from sin and to turn to Jesus Christ. And as John Calvin said, that turning “does not take place in one moment or one day or one year; but through continual and sometimes even slow advances."
A group of Roman Catholic and Protestant seminary professors was having lunch together and the discussion turned to how to interpret the first chapter of Genesis. Some of the Protestants were arguing for a literal six-day creation. Finally, one Catholic scholar threw her hands up in despair and exclaimed, "Don't you people realize that God likes to do things slowly?"
The work of baptism goes slowly, one day, one decision at a time. Sometimes it seems as if nothing is happening. But the important thing is that God's work of shaping us has already begun and nothing is going to stop it. At every step of the baptism journey, the invitation to us is: Commit as much as you understand of yourself
to as much as you know of God in Jesus Christ.
I will invite us today to speak the vows again, reaffirming our baptism. It is a way to remind us of the lifelong stretch of our baptism. God works slowly over the years to bring about the effects baptism is meant to produce in our lives, as long as we remember and are willing.
3. Baptism involves us in the life of a local congregation.
One of the sorrows in my life is that none of our grandchildren are baptized. I have been asked both by our son and daughter to baptize their children, but my answer has been, "No. You are not involved in the life of a congregation. Become active in a congregation and ask them to baptize your child."
During baptism, the congregation makes a vow, promising to guide and nurture those who are baptized "by word and deed, with love and prayer, encouraging them to know and follow Christ and to be faithful members of his church." The best way for that to happen is to involve the one baptized in the ongoing educational, worshipping, and serving life of the local congregation. God's extraordinary work takes place in some ordinary places.
All of the Christian education, children's program, church school, fellowship events, pageants, youth meetings, retreats, worship services, sermons, sacraments are the church's continuing work of baptism. And children and youth must be fully present, full participants in all of the church's life.
How did you learn to be part of your family? How did you learn family traditions and stories and values in order to pass them on? You learned by spending time together, by talking, listening, eating, being given responsibility, being included. So, too, in the family of God, we learn by participation, by being here, week after week, year after year.
I'm concerned about raising children in our culture today. Without the anchor of the Christian faith, we and our children are adrift in a great ocean of moral and ethical relativity, tossed about by the winds and currents of prevailing opinion. If that it is all we pass along to the next generation, it is to say to them: "We have nothing to give you, no values, no story, no claim upon your life, no identity, no destiny. You're on your own!"
Rather, let us embrace children and adults at the baptismal font and continue to embrace them over a lifetime, and claim: "This one is ours. This one belongs to God. God has big plans for this one. We will name this one `Christian' and teach him/her what that means."
Baptism points us to the persons we are becoming. It says to us:
You have great things to do and be.
You are the beloved daughter/son of God.
Already. Live worthy of that and don't forget you are joined
to Christ through his Body, the Church.
Remember you are baptized!
Let us pray:
God of grace and courage and new life, help us today to renew the vows of baptism spoken over us and by us. Help those who are baptized to know you and to trust you to fulfill your purpose in their lives. Make us ready to obey your will and to serve you with joy, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Elder Barbara G. Wheeler
September 6, 2020
Given via Zoom during joint worship with The Hebron United Presbyterian
and Rensselaerville Presbyterian Churches
Luke 10:25-37
DO LIKEWISE
The Presbyterian Church in Rensselaerville, open only in the summer, has a different preacher each week. To create the kind of continuity you in Hebron enjoy by having the same pastor with you, Sunday after Sunday, the church’s Session chooses a theme for the summer that all the preachers are asked to address. This summer’s theme is “Who is my neighbor?”
The first passage that sprung to mind when I was told the theme was the one you just heard, the parable of the Good Samaritan, which people think is the best summary of Jesus' teaching about love of neighbor. When I told my husband I had selected that passage, however, he said, "Good luck. It's been done." So I have decided to hedge my bets with some scripture that hasn't been done very much, Psalm 82, an unusual account of what happens when the Lord Yahweh has a meeting with some other gods:
God has taken his place in the divine council;
in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:
"How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality
to the wicked?
Give justice to the weak and the orphan;
maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute.
Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
[You] have neither knowledge nor understanding,
[you] walk around in darkness;
all the foundations of the earth are shaken.”
I say, "You are gods, children of the Most High,
all of you;
nevertheless, you shall die like mortals,
and fall like any prince."
Rise up, O God, judge the earth;
for all the nations belong to you!
* * * * *
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself."
The most memorable sermon I ever heard on these famous lines was preached not in a church, but in a hotel ballroom; not by a minister, but by a politician; and not to a congregation like Hebron or Rensselaerville, but to a very hostile crowd. The occasion was the National Prayer Breakfast, which despite its inclusive-sounding name is a conservative Christian event, organized by and for members of congress, other officials and their guests—several thousand persons who gather annually at the Washington Hilton. The speaker was President Clinton, not at all popular with most of this audience, some of whom, in the year before, had tried and failed to have him impeached. Clinton's sermon was just two sentences. "We are the most powerful nation in the world," he said, "enjoying the longest period of prosperity in our history. Now the question for religious people like us is: Who is our neighbor, and what does it mean to love him?"
For just a moment, the President had everyone's complete attention. You could tell from the sudden silence that replaced the murmuring that had started when he got up to speak. Like the lawyer in the parable who was testing Jesus and then found himself hearing the scripture he was forced to quote, we all, enemies as well as supporters of the president, knew that the word of God for us had just been spoken: "Who is our neighbor, and what does it mean to love him?"
And then—you could almost hear this—the wheels began to spin in each of our heads. Love your neighbor: ever since those words first became part of God's word, they seem to have tripped off the same process in everyone who hears them: calculation. What's my obligation, I found myself asking, just as the lawyer asked Jesus. Under the terms of this neighbor law, what will eternal life cost me? How much do I—do we as a church and a country—have to love, or more to the point, how little can we love and still get by? And our neighbor, who is that? The word means "near one" in both English and Greek. Who is near enough to count, and who is so far away that God can't possibly expect us to care for them?
My guess is that everyone in that ballroom, Republicans and Democrats alike, fell into this age-old pattern, each of us grasping for a limited definitions of "love" and "neighbor." The President led the way. His list included struggling middle class families and friendly foreign countries. He never mentioned the poor or immigrants or countries really close by like Cuba—then as now those were politically unpopular causes. His list and all of our lists were abbreviated for a reason: given how much we owe our neighbors under this commandment—to love them as ourselves, as if they were just like us—it’s best not to have too many.
If the problem of neighbor selection was a challenge then, it is logarithmically greater this year. In today’s world, swept by a pandemic and massive social upheaval at the same time, there is no end of human need. Friends and family are fearful or depressed or both. Thousands of our near neighbors and millions in this country are hungry; some are homeless or afraid they soon may be. Essential workers beg for protection so that they can do their important work. Minorities plead for equal treatment. In some other parts of the world, conditions are much worse. Yemen, Lebanon, India—some of the most severe humanitarian crises that aid workers have ever seen. Surely God does not hold us accountable for all of it!
Who are our neighbors, and what does it mean to love them?
When people of faith are faced with hard questions like these, we turn to the Bible. In this case, though, the Bible makes our problem worse. Scripture defines neighbor very broadly. In Leviticus, "love your neighbor" applies not only to fellow Israelites also foreigners who live in Israel: "Love the alien as yourself," it says, "because you were once an alien." The Samaritan parable raises the stakes still higher. Samaritans and Judean Jews were feuding religious cousins. They generally hated each other. Yet the Samaritan helps his Jewish enemy.
So foreigners are neighbors. Enemies are neighbors. Scriptures that define our obligations to others will not help us pare down our lists. We know this, so "religious people like us," to use the President's effective rhetoric, religious people have a subtle way of coping with the gap between our short lists of neighbors and the long ones scripture requires. Love of neighbor is important, we remind ourselves, but it is the second commandment, not the first, which tells us to use all our strength to love God. Not our good deeds, but our total faith in God comes first. Maybe we place our whole trust in God and worship God alone, a merciful God may hear and understand our inability to love others as much as ourselves, will forgive our failures, and let us inherit eternal life.
This escape hatch from the neighbor requirement doesn’t work ether. The unmistakable lesson of that strange Psalm 82 is that there is no love of God, no true faith, apart from love of neighbor. God has taken his place...in the midst of the gods. Gods? What is going on here? Don’t all Christians and Jews believe in one true God? And yet in this psalm, God stands up in the middle of a council of the gods, a sort of divine united nations-- [God, Yahweh stands up] and has a fit, thunders judgment on the other gods: How long will you go on judging unjustly and showing partiality to the wicked? For their failures of compassion and justice, Yahweh condemns them: You...gods ...shall die like mortals.
Why is this in the Bible? Some think that it's a fossil, a left-over from the time before Israel fully recognized that its God, Yahweh, was not only the best of the Canaanite gods but the only one. I think there is a more plausible reason. The psalm belongs in the Bible because the gods of the nations have not gone away. Their kind of power, to give or withhold the necessities of life, is still wielded today. Who's got it? We do. Those of us gathered in the Hilton ballroom, those of us gathered in this Zoom meeting, citizens of what is still the richest and most powerful country in the world, we are the gods of the nations. By our decisions, we can save, or ruin, the lives of so many people, in our communities, in our country, all over the world.
No doubt the gods had good excuses for ruling unjustly, just as we do: the problems of the poor and oppressed are complicated. We don't know how to solve them. Yahweh was unmoved by the gods' claims of impotence. Those who have the resources to make a difference also have the power to do it: "Give justice to the weak and the orphan, [Yahweh says]…[to] the lowly and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked."
Well then: if we can’t make a short list of neighbors, or substitute love of God for love of others, how shall we, like the lawyer, inherit eternal life? Here’s a hint: As many times as we hear the story of the Good Samaritan, we always forget how it ends. Jesus rejects every attempt to define, and thus limit, the scope of our responsibility for others. Who is the neighbor? Not the man beaten by robbers. The neighbor, Jesus forces the lawyer to admit, is the "the one who shows mercy." We have met the neighbor, and he, she is us. A neighbor is one who has some resources and spends them to relieve misery without counting the cost. Many in our communities, in our country and around the world live in misery. There is no avoiding the lesson here. If we as Christians, if we in this country, want to live the kind of life that lasts, generosity is the way to get it.
Scripture does not provide a foreign aid plan, an immigration policy, a detailed design for social programs at home or even an outline for our church’s charitable efforts. But it does tell us what is required for us to live with God and with others. What God wants, what God makes possible by warming our hearts, is open-handed justice for those who have been deprived of their share of rights and their share of the goods of the earth. What we must do to inherit eternal life and what we must do to insure this society’s future with integrity is one and the same thing: We must love justice and mercy with everything we have got. As God has come close to us, we must draw near, come close to anyone, any personal or national friend or foe who needs our help.
Who is the neighbor? The one who shows mercy, said Jesus.
Now, Jesus said, go and do likewise.
May you be blessed, and your heart find inspiration and courage to go and do likewise, as you listen and watch The PCUSA Peacemaking Virtual Choir sing the hymn, "This Is My Song".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1pOkb9G2Ds
September 6, 2020
Given via Zoom during joint worship with The Hebron United Presbyterian
and Rensselaerville Presbyterian Churches
Luke 10:25-37
DO LIKEWISE
The Presbyterian Church in Rensselaerville, open only in the summer, has a different preacher each week. To create the kind of continuity you in Hebron enjoy by having the same pastor with you, Sunday after Sunday, the church’s Session chooses a theme for the summer that all the preachers are asked to address. This summer’s theme is “Who is my neighbor?”
The first passage that sprung to mind when I was told the theme was the one you just heard, the parable of the Good Samaritan, which people think is the best summary of Jesus' teaching about love of neighbor. When I told my husband I had selected that passage, however, he said, "Good luck. It's been done." So I have decided to hedge my bets with some scripture that hasn't been done very much, Psalm 82, an unusual account of what happens when the Lord Yahweh has a meeting with some other gods:
God has taken his place in the divine council;
in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:
"How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality
to the wicked?
Give justice to the weak and the orphan;
maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute.
Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
[You] have neither knowledge nor understanding,
[you] walk around in darkness;
all the foundations of the earth are shaken.”
I say, "You are gods, children of the Most High,
all of you;
nevertheless, you shall die like mortals,
and fall like any prince."
Rise up, O God, judge the earth;
for all the nations belong to you!
* * * * *
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself."
The most memorable sermon I ever heard on these famous lines was preached not in a church, but in a hotel ballroom; not by a minister, but by a politician; and not to a congregation like Hebron or Rensselaerville, but to a very hostile crowd. The occasion was the National Prayer Breakfast, which despite its inclusive-sounding name is a conservative Christian event, organized by and for members of congress, other officials and their guests—several thousand persons who gather annually at the Washington Hilton. The speaker was President Clinton, not at all popular with most of this audience, some of whom, in the year before, had tried and failed to have him impeached. Clinton's sermon was just two sentences. "We are the most powerful nation in the world," he said, "enjoying the longest period of prosperity in our history. Now the question for religious people like us is: Who is our neighbor, and what does it mean to love him?"
For just a moment, the President had everyone's complete attention. You could tell from the sudden silence that replaced the murmuring that had started when he got up to speak. Like the lawyer in the parable who was testing Jesus and then found himself hearing the scripture he was forced to quote, we all, enemies as well as supporters of the president, knew that the word of God for us had just been spoken: "Who is our neighbor, and what does it mean to love him?"
And then—you could almost hear this—the wheels began to spin in each of our heads. Love your neighbor: ever since those words first became part of God's word, they seem to have tripped off the same process in everyone who hears them: calculation. What's my obligation, I found myself asking, just as the lawyer asked Jesus. Under the terms of this neighbor law, what will eternal life cost me? How much do I—do we as a church and a country—have to love, or more to the point, how little can we love and still get by? And our neighbor, who is that? The word means "near one" in both English and Greek. Who is near enough to count, and who is so far away that God can't possibly expect us to care for them?
My guess is that everyone in that ballroom, Republicans and Democrats alike, fell into this age-old pattern, each of us grasping for a limited definitions of "love" and "neighbor." The President led the way. His list included struggling middle class families and friendly foreign countries. He never mentioned the poor or immigrants or countries really close by like Cuba—then as now those were politically unpopular causes. His list and all of our lists were abbreviated for a reason: given how much we owe our neighbors under this commandment—to love them as ourselves, as if they were just like us—it’s best not to have too many.
If the problem of neighbor selection was a challenge then, it is logarithmically greater this year. In today’s world, swept by a pandemic and massive social upheaval at the same time, there is no end of human need. Friends and family are fearful or depressed or both. Thousands of our near neighbors and millions in this country are hungry; some are homeless or afraid they soon may be. Essential workers beg for protection so that they can do their important work. Minorities plead for equal treatment. In some other parts of the world, conditions are much worse. Yemen, Lebanon, India—some of the most severe humanitarian crises that aid workers have ever seen. Surely God does not hold us accountable for all of it!
Who are our neighbors, and what does it mean to love them?
When people of faith are faced with hard questions like these, we turn to the Bible. In this case, though, the Bible makes our problem worse. Scripture defines neighbor very broadly. In Leviticus, "love your neighbor" applies not only to fellow Israelites also foreigners who live in Israel: "Love the alien as yourself," it says, "because you were once an alien." The Samaritan parable raises the stakes still higher. Samaritans and Judean Jews were feuding religious cousins. They generally hated each other. Yet the Samaritan helps his Jewish enemy.
So foreigners are neighbors. Enemies are neighbors. Scriptures that define our obligations to others will not help us pare down our lists. We know this, so "religious people like us," to use the President's effective rhetoric, religious people have a subtle way of coping with the gap between our short lists of neighbors and the long ones scripture requires. Love of neighbor is important, we remind ourselves, but it is the second commandment, not the first, which tells us to use all our strength to love God. Not our good deeds, but our total faith in God comes first. Maybe we place our whole trust in God and worship God alone, a merciful God may hear and understand our inability to love others as much as ourselves, will forgive our failures, and let us inherit eternal life.
This escape hatch from the neighbor requirement doesn’t work ether. The unmistakable lesson of that strange Psalm 82 is that there is no love of God, no true faith, apart from love of neighbor. God has taken his place...in the midst of the gods. Gods? What is going on here? Don’t all Christians and Jews believe in one true God? And yet in this psalm, God stands up in the middle of a council of the gods, a sort of divine united nations-- [God, Yahweh stands up] and has a fit, thunders judgment on the other gods: How long will you go on judging unjustly and showing partiality to the wicked? For their failures of compassion and justice, Yahweh condemns them: You...gods ...shall die like mortals.
Why is this in the Bible? Some think that it's a fossil, a left-over from the time before Israel fully recognized that its God, Yahweh, was not only the best of the Canaanite gods but the only one. I think there is a more plausible reason. The psalm belongs in the Bible because the gods of the nations have not gone away. Their kind of power, to give or withhold the necessities of life, is still wielded today. Who's got it? We do. Those of us gathered in the Hilton ballroom, those of us gathered in this Zoom meeting, citizens of what is still the richest and most powerful country in the world, we are the gods of the nations. By our decisions, we can save, or ruin, the lives of so many people, in our communities, in our country, all over the world.
No doubt the gods had good excuses for ruling unjustly, just as we do: the problems of the poor and oppressed are complicated. We don't know how to solve them. Yahweh was unmoved by the gods' claims of impotence. Those who have the resources to make a difference also have the power to do it: "Give justice to the weak and the orphan, [Yahweh says]…[to] the lowly and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked."
Well then: if we can’t make a short list of neighbors, or substitute love of God for love of others, how shall we, like the lawyer, inherit eternal life? Here’s a hint: As many times as we hear the story of the Good Samaritan, we always forget how it ends. Jesus rejects every attempt to define, and thus limit, the scope of our responsibility for others. Who is the neighbor? Not the man beaten by robbers. The neighbor, Jesus forces the lawyer to admit, is the "the one who shows mercy." We have met the neighbor, and he, she is us. A neighbor is one who has some resources and spends them to relieve misery without counting the cost. Many in our communities, in our country and around the world live in misery. There is no avoiding the lesson here. If we as Christians, if we in this country, want to live the kind of life that lasts, generosity is the way to get it.
Scripture does not provide a foreign aid plan, an immigration policy, a detailed design for social programs at home or even an outline for our church’s charitable efforts. But it does tell us what is required for us to live with God and with others. What God wants, what God makes possible by warming our hearts, is open-handed justice for those who have been deprived of their share of rights and their share of the goods of the earth. What we must do to inherit eternal life and what we must do to insure this society’s future with integrity is one and the same thing: We must love justice and mercy with everything we have got. As God has come close to us, we must draw near, come close to anyone, any personal or national friend or foe who needs our help.
Who is the neighbor? The one who shows mercy, said Jesus.
Now, Jesus said, go and do likewise.
May you be blessed, and your heart find inspiration and courage to go and do likewise, as you listen and watch The PCUSA Peacemaking Virtual Choir sing the hymn, "This Is My Song".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1pOkb9G2Ds
HUPC Sermon 8.30.2020
Rev. Laura L. Mitchell
Psalm 26:1-8 Vindicate me, Lord, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered. Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness. I do not sit with the deceitful, nor do I associate with hypocrites. I abhor the assembly of evildoers and refuse to sit with the wicked. I wash my hands in innocence, and go about your altar, Lord, proclaiming aloud your praise and telling of all your wonderful deeds. Lord, I love the house where you live, the place where your glory dwells.
Romans 12:9-21
The verses we’ll read from Paul’s letter to the Romans this morning, are in a sense call story... an invitation to the hard work of authentic discipleship. Some Bible versions, including the NRSV from which I will be reading, title this section of chapter 12, “Marks of the True Christian”, but I’d like to combine that with the NIV’s title, simply, “Love.” The mark of the true Christian is genuine love. In Romans, Paul reminds us that we are not followers of the way of the world, but rather part of the body of Christ, made in God’s image of pure love, and so we are to do our best to look and act that way. Through Paul’s words, Jesus tells us who and how we are to be, “You are my disciples and here are your instructions; let your love be genuine…” The writer of this morning’s Psalm declares that he or she has led a blameless life… were they to ponder their obedience to Paul’s list of imperatives we are about to hear, would they still be so confident? How about me? You? What Paul, what God, is calling us to, is not an easy way of being… so let’s listen to God’s word from Romans. I will read slowly leaving pauses for us to ponder our own ease or dis-ease in conforming to this way of Jesus.
(READ SLOWLY)
Romans 12:9-21 Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Next Sunday begins the Presbyterian Church’s “Season of Peace” spanning five Sundays and culminating on October 4th, with the Peace and Global Witness Offering and celebration of World Communion Sunday. During these weeks we’ll acknowledge the intense challenge before us to live in love and peace with one another. Though not a liturgical season like Advent or Lent, the PCUSA website tells us that the “Season of Peace is a four-week pilgrimage designed to deepen the pursuit of peace for congregations, families, and individuals. This season is a time of encouragement, challenge, inspiration, and education”[1] biblically grounded in Jesus’ call for his disciples to be peacemakers, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9) …words from Matthew which are both comfort and challenge. The path of peace is something we both follow and forge”[2] not just for a season, but all our days. We are spending intentional time focusing on the peace of Christ, how we are to be his peacemakers, and truly make his way our way too.
I hope that our slow reading of the Roman’s passage this morning allowed us time to consider the serious demands of our call to Christian discipleship, what I consider in its simplest form as a call… to love, specifically to be imitators of Jesus’ love. Paul’s words in Romans 12 on love, are the perfect forward to the work we will do in these weeks before World Communion Sunday and in our lives beyond.
Love… As many of you know, I find it nearly impossible to love camping and My husband Phill's and my trip home from Minnesota clinched it for me. Pulling into Sandusky, Ohio after a long day, I was looking forward to setting up our tent and getting a good night’s sleep. What was the chance that toxic smoke would be blowing our way from asphalt shingle factory across the street? And getting another campsite at 8:00 in the evening during a pandemic? Impossible! So, we drove through the night pulling into truck stops for a few hours of sleep curled up on the front seats of our Subaru. No, I don’t love camping, but on the other hand, there are people and places I do find so very easy to love and Dan is going to scroll through a few photos now… (we looked at photos of my family as well as the scenic photos included on this page). I love the calming Hebron hills, impressive peaks of the Olympic Peninsula, peaceful Adirondack mountains and soothing Lake George waters. But that sort of love pales in comparison to the love I hold for my beloved family… Phill, Andrea, Megan, Heather, Bryan, Josef, and Alexander…. my dear sisters and their families. But, is my love genuine… for all people? Do I, as far as it depends upon me, live peaceably with all? Could I be swept away in a sea of anger? Am I, are we able to be faithful to Jesus’ call to live in love and peace? Maybe… if we lived in perfect circumstances, but we don’t and neither did the people of the church in Rome to whom Paul wrote. They lived under persecution and were expected to worship the Roman Emperor as well God! But their trouble didn’t end there, conflicts and division also plagued the early church in Rome from within-- clashes between Christians of Jewish and Gentile origins. They were not living in harmony, they struggled to show the genuine love Paul describes.
And we? There seems an endless list of opportunities for disagreement, side taking, protesting… and I dare say we have come to a boiling point on certain issues that have got to be faced… injustices that have to be remedied, justice that needs to be carried out… decisions and changes that must be made. Take your pick--- the virus, opening, closing churches, schools, businesses, the economy, climate, race, violence, guns, gender, presidential campaign… add to the mix natural disasters. We are hot with opinion… and I dare say we each know that WE are right and they are wrong… phew… (please note sarcasm). Are you tired yet? I know I am. Maybe Paul’s audience was too. And so, he does his best to reorient them in the midst of their chaos. For it is easy to love when we all agree, think alike, have the same favorite candidate and views on politics, social issues, and religion… but that uniformity is not where they were and not where we are right now. So, how are we to love in this climate? New Testament professor, Dr. Israel Kamudzandu, suggests that “love is an art as one can learn, grow, and be taught to love. However, in many Christian circles, love is a lost art needed to be relearned.”[3] I agree that we need a course in the art of love now more than ever, for the true test for us is to be able to love across, within, and through crises, division, clashes. It’s tough to love in hard times, Paul knew it, the first Christians knew it, Jesus knew it then and knows it is still so hard for us today. Emotional love, that which we have for those dear to us, is easy. But, blessing, living in harmony, associating, weeping, rejoicing with, loving our enemy seems an impossible task… there is no magic bullet, no five easy steps to loving those who oppose or even persecute us, but let’s face it, that is what Jesus is asking us to do.
Dr. Kamudzandu, goes on to wisely say, “Therefore, the love we are called to live out is not an emotional one, but one that comes from the transforming and spiritual rebirth of our minds, souls, and hearts. It is practical love in that it is experienced by both the self and the other; it is love lived out in ways that always cherishes others. This love seeks justice, forgiveness, reconciliation, and peace.” And while we may be able to begin to put this kind of love in practice with those we hold dear, I honestly admit to you that this call to loving in our current political/social climate is an enormous challenge for me and I would guess for you right now. I leave you with these thoughts. We are, each and every one of us broken, imperfect human beings, we are also each and every one of us created and loved by God; all of us invited to the table of grace and love next week as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. It is not my table or yours, it belongs to Love with a capital “L”, it is Jesus’ table. As we take the bread and cup we do so with our Savior and with each other, despite all differences, clashes, and strong opinions. This sacred act of cleansing, blessing, remembering, hoping, forgiving, is Jesus’ example for us… knowing our betrayal, Jesus accepts, loves, cancels our sins, and carries us in our weakness. May reconciliation begin, relationships be renewed across divides as we, in those moments of communion, lay down our swords, anger, pride, selfishness, arrogance… (But wait, I really am right, I’m sure of it….) Maybe…. But healing will only happen when we:
trade our self-assuredness for humility and take up the actions of love…
being decent to and respectful of one another,
listening deeply to God’s spirit and to our fellow human beings,
accepting our differences,
considering the other’s sorrow, anger, brokeness, hurt, fear
joining in weeping and rejoicing with our brothers and sisters.
Jesus knows we won’t get it right in our lifetime, but He wants us to sign up for his course in loving our neighbor, even our enemy as Jesus has and always will love us. THAT is how we will get through these times. THAT is how we will grow in faith. THAT is how they will know we belong to Christ… when we lead with love!
Let us pray. God we thank you for an intentional season of peace and call to love. Help us to remember and believe that genuine love and peace are possible. As national and world news threaten to overcome us, lift us out of discouragement and give us courage to overcome evil with good… both the evil out there and the evil that exists in our own hearts and minds. Merciful God, trusting your loving Spirit to be with us, we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
[1] https://specialofferings.pcusa.org/resource/season-peace/
[2] Ibid.
[3] https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=4566
Rev. Laura L. Mitchell
Psalm 26:1-8 Vindicate me, Lord, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered. Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness. I do not sit with the deceitful, nor do I associate with hypocrites. I abhor the assembly of evildoers and refuse to sit with the wicked. I wash my hands in innocence, and go about your altar, Lord, proclaiming aloud your praise and telling of all your wonderful deeds. Lord, I love the house where you live, the place where your glory dwells.
Romans 12:9-21
The verses we’ll read from Paul’s letter to the Romans this morning, are in a sense call story... an invitation to the hard work of authentic discipleship. Some Bible versions, including the NRSV from which I will be reading, title this section of chapter 12, “Marks of the True Christian”, but I’d like to combine that with the NIV’s title, simply, “Love.” The mark of the true Christian is genuine love. In Romans, Paul reminds us that we are not followers of the way of the world, but rather part of the body of Christ, made in God’s image of pure love, and so we are to do our best to look and act that way. Through Paul’s words, Jesus tells us who and how we are to be, “You are my disciples and here are your instructions; let your love be genuine…” The writer of this morning’s Psalm declares that he or she has led a blameless life… were they to ponder their obedience to Paul’s list of imperatives we are about to hear, would they still be so confident? How about me? You? What Paul, what God, is calling us to, is not an easy way of being… so let’s listen to God’s word from Romans. I will read slowly leaving pauses for us to ponder our own ease or dis-ease in conforming to this way of Jesus.
(READ SLOWLY)
Romans 12:9-21 Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Next Sunday begins the Presbyterian Church’s “Season of Peace” spanning five Sundays and culminating on October 4th, with the Peace and Global Witness Offering and celebration of World Communion Sunday. During these weeks we’ll acknowledge the intense challenge before us to live in love and peace with one another. Though not a liturgical season like Advent or Lent, the PCUSA website tells us that the “Season of Peace is a four-week pilgrimage designed to deepen the pursuit of peace for congregations, families, and individuals. This season is a time of encouragement, challenge, inspiration, and education”[1] biblically grounded in Jesus’ call for his disciples to be peacemakers, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9) …words from Matthew which are both comfort and challenge. The path of peace is something we both follow and forge”[2] not just for a season, but all our days. We are spending intentional time focusing on the peace of Christ, how we are to be his peacemakers, and truly make his way our way too.
I hope that our slow reading of the Roman’s passage this morning allowed us time to consider the serious demands of our call to Christian discipleship, what I consider in its simplest form as a call… to love, specifically to be imitators of Jesus’ love. Paul’s words in Romans 12 on love, are the perfect forward to the work we will do in these weeks before World Communion Sunday and in our lives beyond.
Love… As many of you know, I find it nearly impossible to love camping and My husband Phill's and my trip home from Minnesota clinched it for me. Pulling into Sandusky, Ohio after a long day, I was looking forward to setting up our tent and getting a good night’s sleep. What was the chance that toxic smoke would be blowing our way from asphalt shingle factory across the street? And getting another campsite at 8:00 in the evening during a pandemic? Impossible! So, we drove through the night pulling into truck stops for a few hours of sleep curled up on the front seats of our Subaru. No, I don’t love camping, but on the other hand, there are people and places I do find so very easy to love and Dan is going to scroll through a few photos now… (we looked at photos of my family as well as the scenic photos included on this page). I love the calming Hebron hills, impressive peaks of the Olympic Peninsula, peaceful Adirondack mountains and soothing Lake George waters. But that sort of love pales in comparison to the love I hold for my beloved family… Phill, Andrea, Megan, Heather, Bryan, Josef, and Alexander…. my dear sisters and their families. But, is my love genuine… for all people? Do I, as far as it depends upon me, live peaceably with all? Could I be swept away in a sea of anger? Am I, are we able to be faithful to Jesus’ call to live in love and peace? Maybe… if we lived in perfect circumstances, but we don’t and neither did the people of the church in Rome to whom Paul wrote. They lived under persecution and were expected to worship the Roman Emperor as well God! But their trouble didn’t end there, conflicts and division also plagued the early church in Rome from within-- clashes between Christians of Jewish and Gentile origins. They were not living in harmony, they struggled to show the genuine love Paul describes.
And we? There seems an endless list of opportunities for disagreement, side taking, protesting… and I dare say we have come to a boiling point on certain issues that have got to be faced… injustices that have to be remedied, justice that needs to be carried out… decisions and changes that must be made. Take your pick--- the virus, opening, closing churches, schools, businesses, the economy, climate, race, violence, guns, gender, presidential campaign… add to the mix natural disasters. We are hot with opinion… and I dare say we each know that WE are right and they are wrong… phew… (please note sarcasm). Are you tired yet? I know I am. Maybe Paul’s audience was too. And so, he does his best to reorient them in the midst of their chaos. For it is easy to love when we all agree, think alike, have the same favorite candidate and views on politics, social issues, and religion… but that uniformity is not where they were and not where we are right now. So, how are we to love in this climate? New Testament professor, Dr. Israel Kamudzandu, suggests that “love is an art as one can learn, grow, and be taught to love. However, in many Christian circles, love is a lost art needed to be relearned.”[3] I agree that we need a course in the art of love now more than ever, for the true test for us is to be able to love across, within, and through crises, division, clashes. It’s tough to love in hard times, Paul knew it, the first Christians knew it, Jesus knew it then and knows it is still so hard for us today. Emotional love, that which we have for those dear to us, is easy. But, blessing, living in harmony, associating, weeping, rejoicing with, loving our enemy seems an impossible task… there is no magic bullet, no five easy steps to loving those who oppose or even persecute us, but let’s face it, that is what Jesus is asking us to do.
Dr. Kamudzandu, goes on to wisely say, “Therefore, the love we are called to live out is not an emotional one, but one that comes from the transforming and spiritual rebirth of our minds, souls, and hearts. It is practical love in that it is experienced by both the self and the other; it is love lived out in ways that always cherishes others. This love seeks justice, forgiveness, reconciliation, and peace.” And while we may be able to begin to put this kind of love in practice with those we hold dear, I honestly admit to you that this call to loving in our current political/social climate is an enormous challenge for me and I would guess for you right now. I leave you with these thoughts. We are, each and every one of us broken, imperfect human beings, we are also each and every one of us created and loved by God; all of us invited to the table of grace and love next week as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. It is not my table or yours, it belongs to Love with a capital “L”, it is Jesus’ table. As we take the bread and cup we do so with our Savior and with each other, despite all differences, clashes, and strong opinions. This sacred act of cleansing, blessing, remembering, hoping, forgiving, is Jesus’ example for us… knowing our betrayal, Jesus accepts, loves, cancels our sins, and carries us in our weakness. May reconciliation begin, relationships be renewed across divides as we, in those moments of communion, lay down our swords, anger, pride, selfishness, arrogance… (But wait, I really am right, I’m sure of it….) Maybe…. But healing will only happen when we:
trade our self-assuredness for humility and take up the actions of love…
being decent to and respectful of one another,
listening deeply to God’s spirit and to our fellow human beings,
accepting our differences,
considering the other’s sorrow, anger, brokeness, hurt, fear
joining in weeping and rejoicing with our brothers and sisters.
Jesus knows we won’t get it right in our lifetime, but He wants us to sign up for his course in loving our neighbor, even our enemy as Jesus has and always will love us. THAT is how we will get through these times. THAT is how we will grow in faith. THAT is how they will know we belong to Christ… when we lead with love!
Let us pray. God we thank you for an intentional season of peace and call to love. Help us to remember and believe that genuine love and peace are possible. As national and world news threaten to overcome us, lift us out of discouragement and give us courage to overcome evil with good… both the evil out there and the evil that exists in our own hearts and minds. Merciful God, trusting your loving Spirit to be with us, we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
[1] https://specialofferings.pcusa.org/resource/season-peace/
[2] Ibid.
[3] https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=4566
HUPC Sermon 7.26.2020
Rev. Laura L. Mitchell
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
Romans 8:26-39 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.
What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The word of the Lord, thanks be to God!
************************************************************************
What were summer days like in your childhood? As a small child I recall wonderful long summer days riding high on our swing set, running through the lawn sprinkler, and the popular clothes-pinning playing cards to our bicycle spokes, making that marvelous clickety-clack sound as we rode. We made our own popsicles and occasionally were allowed to spend our allowance to get a cone from the ice cream truck that came down our street. Living in suburban Niskayuna, we played in the street- four square, jump rope, and hopscotch. On sweltering afternoons we’d take a break to sit in front of the box fan and play board games like “Go To The Head of The Class”, “Tiddlywinks”, or “Mousetrap”! As we grew up, there were fun times at someone’s pool or the lake. I spent countless hours sweating in summer ballet classes. I had not so delightful summer jobs like babysitting and chamber-maiding at Lake George resorts. When marriage and children came along, we continued the traditions and summer fun with them. Summer was awesome and I’m feeling pretty nostalgic for those lazy, hazy days of year’s past right now. Hopefully we have all carved out some fun, rest, and relaxation this infamous summer 2020. But maybe you are feeling like me, pining not only for the bygone days of childhood, but for what feels like the “olden days” of just a few months ago. I feel like Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz” finding herself with a new appreciation of Kansas, clicks her ruby slippers together, repeating, “There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home…” But no wishing for “what was” is going to change the sad portions of the “what is” of today.
This morning’s letter from Saint Paul is to the congregation in Rome, a large city and the center for politics and government. Its culture tolerated most religion. The Roman authorities didn’t care what god you worshipped as long as you included worshipping the emperor himself. And that was a problem… for both Christians and Jews who worshipped one God, the Lord their God, alone. While intense persecution came against the Jews and Christians living in Rome, quarrels and disagreements erupted between the house churches… what does it look like to follow Jesus? Were Christians required to keep Jewish traditions and laws? While Paul’s letters did not hold back corrective teaching and scolding, he also wanted to encourage, comfort, offer hope, and strength to the early Christian communities to whom he wrote, for he himself knew what it was like to suffer frustration from his own human weakness, as well as painful persecution and imprisonment. Life was hard for Jesus’ followers, traveling missionaries, and those new churches formed in the ancient world. Many were despised and some suffered physically because of their faith… but life was also hard, because… it was life. Our ancient ancestors were men, women, and children, old and young, not so very different than we. They knew sickness, hunger, financial woes, anger, bitterness, political, religious, and social disagreements and the ravages of hatred and war. Like us they worried… about loved ones and mourned the deaths of parents, siblings, spouses, and children.
Life was very hard... life is still hard today. Our prayer requests are many and our prayer chain list is long. We all ache for our world, nation, community, and family to live in peace, health, and harmony. Life is hard. We are battling the double viruses of Covid-19 and the sorrow of viral racial injustice and inequality that persists in our country today. Our hearts go out to those who are peacefully protesting, those on the frontlines treating Covid-19 patients, researchers who are laboring day and night for treatment and vaccine. We need to be in prayer for leaders and teachers, parents and students as they agonize over the best plan for school for the fall. Phew… unless we have totally cut our selves off from the news, we know that it’s really, really rough out there right now. Compound that with the ordinary and not so ordinary stresses, sorrows, and struggles of life… Romans 8 meet us in the midst of life’s troubles, from comparatively minor everyday annoyances to the unbelievably, indescribably painful, when we have absolutely no idea how or what to pray, when we are too weak to lift our feet from the ground, barely able to take a breath on our own. I suspect that is in the very midst trial that some of you find yourselves today, or maybe it was yesterday, or maybe it will be tomorrow. Both Psalm 121 and Romans 8, are full of life rings like those thrown to the drowning… From Psalm 121- “I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, He will not let your foot slip— The Lord will keep you from all harm” From Romans 8- “The spirit helps us in our weakness and pleads on our behalf… God works all things together for good… If God is for us, who is against us? Who shall separate us from God’s love? Suffering, hardship, famine, danger, or sword? No: in all these things we are completely victorious… neither death, life, angels, rulers, the present or future, nor powers, height, nor depth, absolutely nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Can you catch one of those life rings and hold on? Do they assure you of God’s love? Or when some well-meaning person, like your pastor, utters them, are you tempted to respond… “Don’t give me platitudes… don’t tell me that in the middle of my pain, God is working my mess together for something good!” We need to honor such brutally honest responses… I have no doubt that God does! Life is hard and Paul knew it. So, please tell me about God weaving all things, even awful things, together for good? Good in the midst of the worst of life? Good that comes even when we are angry at God? Good that persists no matter how hard we might try to run from God’s presence? Good that cannot be shaken no matter how hard life may be? Good that remains faithful while grief threatens to overwhelm?
The good… the good is that in this hard life, is the truth that God is there…. always there…. The good is that in our most broken state, nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ and thankfully there is nothing we can do to change that! No pandemic, political wars, or racism, national disaster, missing our loved ones, or anger, or doubt, stubbornness, nor even disbelief can separate us from God’s love. May the impossibility of being separated from God’s love give us strength for these days, hope for tomorrow, courage to hold fast to what is good and boldness to partner in changing that which is not. Life is hard… we know it, some incredibly more so than others. Yet… life is also good--- we remember it as so from days and years and summers long past. With the Spirit’s help to open eyes and hearts, we can see life’s goodness today and God promises us we will know goodness tomorrow.
Let us pray. Loving God who clings to us in our sorrow and dances with us in our joy, we thank you for the gift of your Spirit who prays for us when our own lips cannot. It is easy to say we will trust your promises when life is smooth, but when pain and sorrow meet us, we will need your help to remember and trust the truth that nothing can separate us from your love. We pray all this as witnesses to your everlasting love for us. Give us the right words, the courage and boldness to share this good news, and the willingness to believe for those for whom it is just too hard right now. Leaning into your loving promises, we pray in Jesus name. Amen.
May your spirit be lifted by this beautiful hymn (link below), giving you good courage to endure your struggles and also to partner with Jesus in healing evil and hate.
"Goodness if Stronger Than Evil"
Based on words from Bishop Desmond Tutu's African Prayer Book:Victory is Ours
Goodness is stronger than evil;
Love is stronger than hate;
Light is stronger than darkness;
Life is stronger than death;
Victory is ours through Him who loves us.
Music from John Bell.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1ydJ4JTEYw
Rev. Laura L. Mitchell
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
Romans 8:26-39 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.
What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The word of the Lord, thanks be to God!
************************************************************************
What were summer days like in your childhood? As a small child I recall wonderful long summer days riding high on our swing set, running through the lawn sprinkler, and the popular clothes-pinning playing cards to our bicycle spokes, making that marvelous clickety-clack sound as we rode. We made our own popsicles and occasionally were allowed to spend our allowance to get a cone from the ice cream truck that came down our street. Living in suburban Niskayuna, we played in the street- four square, jump rope, and hopscotch. On sweltering afternoons we’d take a break to sit in front of the box fan and play board games like “Go To The Head of The Class”, “Tiddlywinks”, or “Mousetrap”! As we grew up, there were fun times at someone’s pool or the lake. I spent countless hours sweating in summer ballet classes. I had not so delightful summer jobs like babysitting and chamber-maiding at Lake George resorts. When marriage and children came along, we continued the traditions and summer fun with them. Summer was awesome and I’m feeling pretty nostalgic for those lazy, hazy days of year’s past right now. Hopefully we have all carved out some fun, rest, and relaxation this infamous summer 2020. But maybe you are feeling like me, pining not only for the bygone days of childhood, but for what feels like the “olden days” of just a few months ago. I feel like Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz” finding herself with a new appreciation of Kansas, clicks her ruby slippers together, repeating, “There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home…” But no wishing for “what was” is going to change the sad portions of the “what is” of today.
This morning’s letter from Saint Paul is to the congregation in Rome, a large city and the center for politics and government. Its culture tolerated most religion. The Roman authorities didn’t care what god you worshipped as long as you included worshipping the emperor himself. And that was a problem… for both Christians and Jews who worshipped one God, the Lord their God, alone. While intense persecution came against the Jews and Christians living in Rome, quarrels and disagreements erupted between the house churches… what does it look like to follow Jesus? Were Christians required to keep Jewish traditions and laws? While Paul’s letters did not hold back corrective teaching and scolding, he also wanted to encourage, comfort, offer hope, and strength to the early Christian communities to whom he wrote, for he himself knew what it was like to suffer frustration from his own human weakness, as well as painful persecution and imprisonment. Life was hard for Jesus’ followers, traveling missionaries, and those new churches formed in the ancient world. Many were despised and some suffered physically because of their faith… but life was also hard, because… it was life. Our ancient ancestors were men, women, and children, old and young, not so very different than we. They knew sickness, hunger, financial woes, anger, bitterness, political, religious, and social disagreements and the ravages of hatred and war. Like us they worried… about loved ones and mourned the deaths of parents, siblings, spouses, and children.
Life was very hard... life is still hard today. Our prayer requests are many and our prayer chain list is long. We all ache for our world, nation, community, and family to live in peace, health, and harmony. Life is hard. We are battling the double viruses of Covid-19 and the sorrow of viral racial injustice and inequality that persists in our country today. Our hearts go out to those who are peacefully protesting, those on the frontlines treating Covid-19 patients, researchers who are laboring day and night for treatment and vaccine. We need to be in prayer for leaders and teachers, parents and students as they agonize over the best plan for school for the fall. Phew… unless we have totally cut our selves off from the news, we know that it’s really, really rough out there right now. Compound that with the ordinary and not so ordinary stresses, sorrows, and struggles of life… Romans 8 meet us in the midst of life’s troubles, from comparatively minor everyday annoyances to the unbelievably, indescribably painful, when we have absolutely no idea how or what to pray, when we are too weak to lift our feet from the ground, barely able to take a breath on our own. I suspect that is in the very midst trial that some of you find yourselves today, or maybe it was yesterday, or maybe it will be tomorrow. Both Psalm 121 and Romans 8, are full of life rings like those thrown to the drowning… From Psalm 121- “I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, He will not let your foot slip— The Lord will keep you from all harm” From Romans 8- “The spirit helps us in our weakness and pleads on our behalf… God works all things together for good… If God is for us, who is against us? Who shall separate us from God’s love? Suffering, hardship, famine, danger, or sword? No: in all these things we are completely victorious… neither death, life, angels, rulers, the present or future, nor powers, height, nor depth, absolutely nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Can you catch one of those life rings and hold on? Do they assure you of God’s love? Or when some well-meaning person, like your pastor, utters them, are you tempted to respond… “Don’t give me platitudes… don’t tell me that in the middle of my pain, God is working my mess together for something good!” We need to honor such brutally honest responses… I have no doubt that God does! Life is hard and Paul knew it. So, please tell me about God weaving all things, even awful things, together for good? Good in the midst of the worst of life? Good that comes even when we are angry at God? Good that persists no matter how hard we might try to run from God’s presence? Good that cannot be shaken no matter how hard life may be? Good that remains faithful while grief threatens to overwhelm?
The good… the good is that in this hard life, is the truth that God is there…. always there…. The good is that in our most broken state, nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ and thankfully there is nothing we can do to change that! No pandemic, political wars, or racism, national disaster, missing our loved ones, or anger, or doubt, stubbornness, nor even disbelief can separate us from God’s love. May the impossibility of being separated from God’s love give us strength for these days, hope for tomorrow, courage to hold fast to what is good and boldness to partner in changing that which is not. Life is hard… we know it, some incredibly more so than others. Yet… life is also good--- we remember it as so from days and years and summers long past. With the Spirit’s help to open eyes and hearts, we can see life’s goodness today and God promises us we will know goodness tomorrow.
Let us pray. Loving God who clings to us in our sorrow and dances with us in our joy, we thank you for the gift of your Spirit who prays for us when our own lips cannot. It is easy to say we will trust your promises when life is smooth, but when pain and sorrow meet us, we will need your help to remember and trust the truth that nothing can separate us from your love. We pray all this as witnesses to your everlasting love for us. Give us the right words, the courage and boldness to share this good news, and the willingness to believe for those for whom it is just too hard right now. Leaning into your loving promises, we pray in Jesus name. Amen.
May your spirit be lifted by this beautiful hymn (link below), giving you good courage to endure your struggles and also to partner with Jesus in healing evil and hate.
"Goodness if Stronger Than Evil"
Based on words from Bishop Desmond Tutu's African Prayer Book:Victory is Ours
Goodness is stronger than evil;
Love is stronger than hate;
Light is stronger than darkness;
Life is stronger than death;
Victory is ours through Him who loves us.
Music from John Bell.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1ydJ4JTEYw
HUPC Sermon
16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
7.19.2020
Rev. Laura L. Mitchell
Genesis 28:10-19a (below)
Psalm 86:11-17 Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart to revere your name. I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. O God, the insolent rise up against me; a band of ruffians seeks my life, and they do not set you before them. But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant; save the child of your serving girl. Show me a sign of your favor, so that those who hate me may see it and be put to shame, because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me. ************************************************
How cool would it have been to have had twins?! Double the fun…. But also double the mess, diapers, and energy to chase after them once they’re on the move. I know those of you with twins know firsthand and I’m sure are laughing right now!
This morning’s focus scripture lesson is a portion of the epic tale of the brothers Jacob and Esau. Our verses are prefaced by the story of the birth of this set of twin boys to Isaac and Rebekah. Sadly, trouble lay ahead and Rebekah may have sensed it when in her womb she felt their battling begin. The first born is Esau, red and hairy, followed by Jacob, whose hand gripped Esau’s heel as if saying, “Get back in here, I want to be the firstborn son!” As the boys grew, Esau became a skilled hunter, and his father favored him because of his fondness for wild game. Jacob, his mother’s favorite, became a quiet man, spending time cooking and living in the tents. The boys’ prenatal sibling rivalry rears its ugly head again in their adulthood. Still longing for the position of firstborn, scheming and jealous, Jacob steals Esau’s birthright, and then some years later, with the help of Mom, he robs Esau of their dying father’s blessing meant for his firstborn son. This was a big deal! Birthright meant status in the family and inheritance. Father’s deathbed blessing was given once. Words of blessing now spoken could neither be reversed or changed. Enraged, Esau threatened, “When the days of mourning for my father are over, then I will kill my brother Jacob.” Hearing of Esau’s plan, Rebekah resumes the ruse, fooling Isaac into blessing Jacob again and sending him away to the land of his Uncle Laban to find a wife. Let’s read now God’s word, from Genesis 28:11-19a, as the story of Jacob continues.
Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the Lord stood beside him and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He called that place Bethel... The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
“Jacob left Beersheba…” No, I would say Jacob ran, fled, hightailed it out of Dodge to escape his brother Esau’s hatred and death threat. Undoubtedly exhausted, Jacob settled in for the night and, having left home with nothing, he resorts to taking a stone as his pillow. Imagining Jacob’s thoughts as he lay under the stars, I wonder, were they filled with fear… relief… pride… regret? I know that I wouldn’t be too excited about entering into the dark of that first night away, all alone. Not only might Esau be in pursuit… surely God was not pleased with Jacob’s lies and conspiracies! It must have been out of sheer exhaustion that Jacob was able to lay his head on a stone and fall asleep… but not into nightmares, but rather into a dream of another blessing, this time God’s, for Jacob! Waking from his slumber, Jacob's first words were, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it!”
“… the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it!” Alone, in a strange place, fleeing his brother and his past, with nothing but a stone for a pillow, Jacob was... blessed!... by the dream, God’s promises, and his new awareness of the wondrous presence of God… with even him, Jacob, in all his sinfulness. He continues, “How awesome is this very ordinary place. This… this is none other than the house of God, the gate of heaven!” And so, the place was named Bethel, meaning house of God. Oh, how we want to gather at our Bethels…. Our house of God… this one here in West Hebron, yours wherever you are. It has been too long. And yet, if God was with that rascally twin Jacob, despite his despicable behavior, no matter his meager surroundings out in the wilderness, I tell you, God is with you, and with each of us right now, exactly where we are this morning. “Surely the Lord is in this place… in our living room, kitchen, bedroom, or den... Yet, have we been aware of God’s presence? Or have we missed out on one of the strange blessings of this time away? For if Jacob could rise from his stone pillow, look around in the night, recalling his blessed dream and current frightening circumstances and call his surroundings, Bethel… house of God, how about us?
Friends, out of unforeseen and troubling circumstances, your homes have become what Jacob called, awesome, and named Bethel! As we meet this morning you are sitting in the house of God, your own Bethel. Where else have your Bethels been in these past four months? In the woods or in your car as you go on a nature drive? In your garden or on your porch? On Facetime or phone call with family, friends, grandchildren? Jacob was found by God, in the midst of his suffering, at his lowest, as he no longer felt any sense of control! God searched him out, not to condemn, but to bless and to be with.
Some of us are at our lowest right now. We feel we have lost control of life. Others are finding an unexpected sense of peace in our time away. All of us are sought by God, when it feels all we have for a pillow is a cold, hard, stone. We want to go back to the familiar and normal, but God is offering blessing in our wilderness. Your home is God’s home. Your table Jesus’ sacred table. Surely the Lord is in your place, my place, all our places… oh that the Spirit would raise our awareness to the closeness of heaven and earth, in elaborate cathedrals and in simple church sanctuaries, but also in cozy living rooms, corn fields, streams, and mountain tops. Early in the morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up for a pillar, anointing it as a holy reminder of God’s powerful, loving presence with him. He did not want to forget what he had been given. He wanted others to see the stone and also know that this simple place was the house of God… a place of worship, holy presence, and promise. Beloved, one day we will be looking back upon these months and Sundays apart. They will become a memory. How will we commemorate these times? What will our memorial stones look like… of our time when our homes became Bethel? Will the history we write for future generations be one recalling misery and strife… or one of hope, dreams, and miraculous change for good? Yes, what will your memorial stone to the loving, faithful presence of God in these days look like? Will folks recall your encouragement and generosity? Will you leave behind a journal of memories and God moments, or a sand bucket filled with reminders of God? Could you write of blessings and sorrows in a poem or song? Will you photograph or make a painting of your home communion table? Yes, what will we leave behind for the generations to come and as a symbol of thanksgiving to God in these days?
I know one thing that I do not want to leave behind as a memorial stone- that I woke up from this pandemic… these days of time away and home worship and realized that surely God was in my home all along and I was not aware of it! That my home was all along… my Bethel, house of God.
Let us pray. Precious Lord, like Jacob, we find ourselves in a strange place. Running from enemies of virus and our own sinfulness, we cower in the darkness wondering about our fate and where you are in these days. While we long to a return to normal, may that longing never cause us to miss your faithful presence right where we are. Never before and possibly, hopefully never again will we be able to share Sunday worship and communion from our homes. We’d never have chosen these days and yet, how can we deny the richness of being able to call our homes, house of God, our own Bethel where you are as present with us as you were with our ancient ancestors in faith. Lord may your spirit inspire us to erect memorial stones, pillars of gratitude for who you are and how you have sustained us in these distressing times. We pray in the name of God, Father, Spirit, Son. Amen.
INVITATION:
I hope you will send me a photo/painting/sketch of your memorial stone, or your sacred space, or your home communion table, your Bethel. Our plan is to put them to music in a video. Please email them to westhebronunitedpresbyterianchurch.com
May you find hope and peace in this hymn, "Christ Be Our Light"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJq3bhdgQoc
HUPC Sermon
7.12.2020
15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Rev. Laura L. Mitchell
Isaiah 55:10-13 (NRSV)
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it
without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn bush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever.”
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 (NRSV, below)
How many of you are either farmers, grew up on a farm, or have a vegetable or flower garden? I am guessing most, if not all. In first century Palestine, all except the exceedingly rich worked the soil and tended animals. Everyone would have been familiar with sowing seed. They would have known what it was like to search out fertile soil, with hope for a fruitful harvest. Their method for sowing seed was hand sowing, actually walking the field and casting seed, which would fall to the ground to be plowed in afterward, often landing upon rocks or stubborn thorns. Though we wise 21st century farmers and gardeners may think our first century ancestors foolish, Jesus has much to teach us in this first of his parables in the gospel of Matthew. Let us listen now to God’s word as Jesus preaches the parable of the sower, seed, soil, and fruitful harvest! (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23)
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!”
“Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
I am not in any way a serious gardener like my sister, Sharon! I manage to keep my houseplants alive so when my daughters sent me a 5’ Meyer Lemon tree for Mother’s Day I was worried! We brought it over to our camp where it was doing quite well until we left for a few days. I was horrified to see on our return that chipmunks had eaten nearly all of the beautiful blossoms and therefore our summer lemon harvest….! Serious gardeners might have anticipated rascally rodents! They’d also take time to check pH, soil composition, choose the right seeds, check drainage, add fertilizer and look out for pests.
Now Jesus had been teaching, preaching, healing, and gathering a following of disciples, inviting them and those who gathered around, to a life of faith. Though many had gathered around, only some listened, and certainly not all followed. Matthew pondered, why only some, but not all, chose to follow Jesus? The parable’s interpretation, possibly added later on by Mark, then Matthew and Luke, seems helpful in clearing up our confusion. That said, I do wonder if we take the explanation too literally, rigidly—overly simplifying why some folks believe and follow Jesus, and why "they"… others do not. So, here goes: The supposed four kinds of people- one kind follows faithfully, three do not. “Soil-less path” people hear, but do not understand and the seed, which is the word of God, is quickly snatched up by hungry birds. “Rocky soil” people hear and receive the word with joy, but the roots of their faith are shallow and when life as a disciple gets rough, they fall away. The “thorny, bramble-filled soil” people hear the word, may try to follow, but the worries of life and worldly lures quickly choke the seed, they are fruitless, and they too fail to follow. Then there are the "good soil" people, they hear, they listen, they understand, they follow, they grow and become faithful disciples—good Christians. And so we are taught that we are to be those kinds of people, the "good soil" folks who listen and learn, grow in faith, share the gospel and so on. But isn’t there more to this wonderful story than assuming, labeling, and worrying about what kind of soil I am, or you are? Isn’t there more to the story than thinking we can be sure of why one follows and another not?
Jesus begins with these words, “A farmer went out to sow his seeds…” This parable’s about soil, seeds, and harvest, but first and foremost…it is about the sower. In another sermon we might talk about how we are sowers of God’s word, but this morning we’ll understand the sower as God, Jesus, Holy Spirit!
While you and I carefully plan and prepare our gardens using modern methods and tools, God is still a first century farmer. God is going about with a huge bag of the best, most expensive seed and God is throwing it far and wide. What is God doing? Might he be labeled a poor businessman, wastefully throwing seed where anyone could see that it will not grow? God extravagantly casts seed farther than the eye can see and did not quit sowing seed when she observed a dry path, rocky soil, or tangled brambles. In fact, God didn’t avoid those areas. God joyfully threw seed everywhere! And lots of it! If a rough patch didn’t produce a fruitful crop this season, well there would be another season to come and another and another.
Ground changes, and so thankfully so do human hearts. Have you known what it’s like to speak to someone and have your words fall on un-listening ears? Have you offered an invitation to be told, “Oh sorry I am too busy today”? Have you shared how Jesus makes a difference in your life and received confused looks or condescending remarks? Did you give up or slink away discouraged after one effort? Maybe… or maybe not. Well, again and again, God threw lots of seed that didn’t produce; some not sprouting... some sadly withering on the vine! Will we give up on others or on ourselves, because of rocks, weeds, or thorns that clutter our lives or the lives of those for whom we pray?
Stuff gets in the way, discouragement, anger, frustration, pride, possessions, our normally over scheduled lives, so that even we, who call ourselves Jesus followers, don’t follow or bear fruit as we could… Yet, I boldly ask, is there anywhere or anyone who is outside God’s reach, beyond his throw, beyond redeeming, beyond God’s loving care? Nowhere in this parable does it say that God does not sow again on the path, rock, or thorn-bush. Nowhere does it say that God does not give another chance. Nowhere does it say that God sows only once. What it does say is that God sows and the seeds have fallen everywhere, including the not so good and the very good, fertile, productive soil. Ground changes, conditions for growth change, even rocks can help a narcissus bulb to bloom… and God knows that so well. What looks like an impossible field today, will at least produce some growth… and with hope and care, may one day be rich for planting.
God’s vision for the world just might include rocky, less than perfect places. Instead of hastily accepting a rigid interpretation of the soils, what if we were to pray for their transformation? What if, instead of labeling the other, we took a close look at our own hearts and intentions? Because, dear friends, sometimes I am that path- allowing evil to gobble up my trust in God. Sometimes I am rocky, shallow soil— feeling ready to quit when the going gets tough. Sometimes I am tangled in thorns, feeling my faith choked out of me as I am tempted by worldly lures, or when I allow countless worries to outweigh the wonder of God’s all encompassing, amazingly grace filled, persistent love.
This is a joyful, hopeful, good news filled parable. Yes, there are different kinds of soil… quickly associated with different kinds of people or hearts or minds or ears. But there is only one kind of God and our God is extravagant, God throws lots of good news around… God throws it everywhere. And the “good soil” that we long to be? It has hasn’t been perfectly plowed, prepared, pH tested. The soil that produces this miracle crop… is dirt. God’s love grows in simple dirt. God lets the seed drop on all kinds of soil and the Holy Spirit does its work.
Matthew presented this parable in an attempt to explain why some folks follow and others do not. We still wonder that today… But if we profess our trust in God, so also must we entrust God with the sowing… having faith that I will, each of you will, “they” will… one day, be that fertile, faithful soil whose roots grow deep and who in thanksgiving for the grace given us in our rocky, thorny seasons, will reflect God’s grace and extravagant sower heart to others in this field of life.
Never be stingy with your love, God isn’t. Never give up hope for the world, God’s hope is abundant. Never label or limit others or yourself, God is persistent. There will be another season for planting, other opportunities to share God’s love! We are disciples, we are laborers, field workers, farm hands, and God… is God, let that be so.
So we read this wonderful story with joy! For the parable’s ending is such good news. We know that some seed has not produced, some has been eaten, some has been scorched, some choked, but despite those obstacles, it is not just a seven-fold good harvest, it is not a ten-fold abundant harvest, it is not even a thirty-fold harvest that would feed a village for an entire year. No, this harvest, which seemed to be sown wastefully with seed thrown haphazardly everywhere, this is a one hundred-fold harvest—a miracle harvest, on which the sower could retire to a villa on the Sea of Galilee! The sower is not retiring, but will sow again and again and again, because God so loved the world! Oh, and my Meyer Lemon tree? The few blossoms the chipmunks missed have produced tiny little green baby lemons and I am thrilled!
“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” So, let us hold onto hope in these terribly challenging days, let us hold onto hope for every surface, every human heart upon which the seed falls. Remember who is doing the sowing, God whom Isaiah quotes, “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn bush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever.”
Let us pray. Loving, extravagant, sower God. We thank you that you continue to sow seed on every surface so that there is hope for all of us. In our dry, rocky, thorny seasons remind us of your grace and by your Holy Spirit make us once again fertile soil. Watching you throw your seed generously, may we too have generous joyful, not judgmental hearts. May our roots be planted in you alone and may we trust in your loving care as we grow. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
A beautiful hymn we purchased for this morning's worship:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=Tion0Do8fXk
“Jesus You Are Here” (tune and lyrics by Greg Sheer)
“On my longest day, in my darkest night, Jesus, please be near.
On my longest day, in my darkest night, Jesus, you are here.
You are with me, you are with me every hour of every day.
You are with me, you are with me,
Jesus, you are here. Jesus, you are here.”
7.12.2020
15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Rev. Laura L. Mitchell
Isaiah 55:10-13 (NRSV)
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it
without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn bush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever.”
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 (NRSV, below)
How many of you are either farmers, grew up on a farm, or have a vegetable or flower garden? I am guessing most, if not all. In first century Palestine, all except the exceedingly rich worked the soil and tended animals. Everyone would have been familiar with sowing seed. They would have known what it was like to search out fertile soil, with hope for a fruitful harvest. Their method for sowing seed was hand sowing, actually walking the field and casting seed, which would fall to the ground to be plowed in afterward, often landing upon rocks or stubborn thorns. Though we wise 21st century farmers and gardeners may think our first century ancestors foolish, Jesus has much to teach us in this first of his parables in the gospel of Matthew. Let us listen now to God’s word as Jesus preaches the parable of the sower, seed, soil, and fruitful harvest! (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23)
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!”
“Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
I am not in any way a serious gardener like my sister, Sharon! I manage to keep my houseplants alive so when my daughters sent me a 5’ Meyer Lemon tree for Mother’s Day I was worried! We brought it over to our camp where it was doing quite well until we left for a few days. I was horrified to see on our return that chipmunks had eaten nearly all of the beautiful blossoms and therefore our summer lemon harvest….! Serious gardeners might have anticipated rascally rodents! They’d also take time to check pH, soil composition, choose the right seeds, check drainage, add fertilizer and look out for pests.
Now Jesus had been teaching, preaching, healing, and gathering a following of disciples, inviting them and those who gathered around, to a life of faith. Though many had gathered around, only some listened, and certainly not all followed. Matthew pondered, why only some, but not all, chose to follow Jesus? The parable’s interpretation, possibly added later on by Mark, then Matthew and Luke, seems helpful in clearing up our confusion. That said, I do wonder if we take the explanation too literally, rigidly—overly simplifying why some folks believe and follow Jesus, and why "they"… others do not. So, here goes: The supposed four kinds of people- one kind follows faithfully, three do not. “Soil-less path” people hear, but do not understand and the seed, which is the word of God, is quickly snatched up by hungry birds. “Rocky soil” people hear and receive the word with joy, but the roots of their faith are shallow and when life as a disciple gets rough, they fall away. The “thorny, bramble-filled soil” people hear the word, may try to follow, but the worries of life and worldly lures quickly choke the seed, they are fruitless, and they too fail to follow. Then there are the "good soil" people, they hear, they listen, they understand, they follow, they grow and become faithful disciples—good Christians. And so we are taught that we are to be those kinds of people, the "good soil" folks who listen and learn, grow in faith, share the gospel and so on. But isn’t there more to this wonderful story than assuming, labeling, and worrying about what kind of soil I am, or you are? Isn’t there more to the story than thinking we can be sure of why one follows and another not?
Jesus begins with these words, “A farmer went out to sow his seeds…” This parable’s about soil, seeds, and harvest, but first and foremost…it is about the sower. In another sermon we might talk about how we are sowers of God’s word, but this morning we’ll understand the sower as God, Jesus, Holy Spirit!
While you and I carefully plan and prepare our gardens using modern methods and tools, God is still a first century farmer. God is going about with a huge bag of the best, most expensive seed and God is throwing it far and wide. What is God doing? Might he be labeled a poor businessman, wastefully throwing seed where anyone could see that it will not grow? God extravagantly casts seed farther than the eye can see and did not quit sowing seed when she observed a dry path, rocky soil, or tangled brambles. In fact, God didn’t avoid those areas. God joyfully threw seed everywhere! And lots of it! If a rough patch didn’t produce a fruitful crop this season, well there would be another season to come and another and another.
Ground changes, and so thankfully so do human hearts. Have you known what it’s like to speak to someone and have your words fall on un-listening ears? Have you offered an invitation to be told, “Oh sorry I am too busy today”? Have you shared how Jesus makes a difference in your life and received confused looks or condescending remarks? Did you give up or slink away discouraged after one effort? Maybe… or maybe not. Well, again and again, God threw lots of seed that didn’t produce; some not sprouting... some sadly withering on the vine! Will we give up on others or on ourselves, because of rocks, weeds, or thorns that clutter our lives or the lives of those for whom we pray?
Stuff gets in the way, discouragement, anger, frustration, pride, possessions, our normally over scheduled lives, so that even we, who call ourselves Jesus followers, don’t follow or bear fruit as we could… Yet, I boldly ask, is there anywhere or anyone who is outside God’s reach, beyond his throw, beyond redeeming, beyond God’s loving care? Nowhere in this parable does it say that God does not sow again on the path, rock, or thorn-bush. Nowhere does it say that God does not give another chance. Nowhere does it say that God sows only once. What it does say is that God sows and the seeds have fallen everywhere, including the not so good and the very good, fertile, productive soil. Ground changes, conditions for growth change, even rocks can help a narcissus bulb to bloom… and God knows that so well. What looks like an impossible field today, will at least produce some growth… and with hope and care, may one day be rich for planting.
God’s vision for the world just might include rocky, less than perfect places. Instead of hastily accepting a rigid interpretation of the soils, what if we were to pray for their transformation? What if, instead of labeling the other, we took a close look at our own hearts and intentions? Because, dear friends, sometimes I am that path- allowing evil to gobble up my trust in God. Sometimes I am rocky, shallow soil— feeling ready to quit when the going gets tough. Sometimes I am tangled in thorns, feeling my faith choked out of me as I am tempted by worldly lures, or when I allow countless worries to outweigh the wonder of God’s all encompassing, amazingly grace filled, persistent love.
This is a joyful, hopeful, good news filled parable. Yes, there are different kinds of soil… quickly associated with different kinds of people or hearts or minds or ears. But there is only one kind of God and our God is extravagant, God throws lots of good news around… God throws it everywhere. And the “good soil” that we long to be? It has hasn’t been perfectly plowed, prepared, pH tested. The soil that produces this miracle crop… is dirt. God’s love grows in simple dirt. God lets the seed drop on all kinds of soil and the Holy Spirit does its work.
Matthew presented this parable in an attempt to explain why some folks follow and others do not. We still wonder that today… But if we profess our trust in God, so also must we entrust God with the sowing… having faith that I will, each of you will, “they” will… one day, be that fertile, faithful soil whose roots grow deep and who in thanksgiving for the grace given us in our rocky, thorny seasons, will reflect God’s grace and extravagant sower heart to others in this field of life.
Never be stingy with your love, God isn’t. Never give up hope for the world, God’s hope is abundant. Never label or limit others or yourself, God is persistent. There will be another season for planting, other opportunities to share God’s love! We are disciples, we are laborers, field workers, farm hands, and God… is God, let that be so.
So we read this wonderful story with joy! For the parable’s ending is such good news. We know that some seed has not produced, some has been eaten, some has been scorched, some choked, but despite those obstacles, it is not just a seven-fold good harvest, it is not a ten-fold abundant harvest, it is not even a thirty-fold harvest that would feed a village for an entire year. No, this harvest, which seemed to be sown wastefully with seed thrown haphazardly everywhere, this is a one hundred-fold harvest—a miracle harvest, on which the sower could retire to a villa on the Sea of Galilee! The sower is not retiring, but will sow again and again and again, because God so loved the world! Oh, and my Meyer Lemon tree? The few blossoms the chipmunks missed have produced tiny little green baby lemons and I am thrilled!
“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” So, let us hold onto hope in these terribly challenging days, let us hold onto hope for every surface, every human heart upon which the seed falls. Remember who is doing the sowing, God whom Isaiah quotes, “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn bush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever.”
Let us pray. Loving, extravagant, sower God. We thank you that you continue to sow seed on every surface so that there is hope for all of us. In our dry, rocky, thorny seasons remind us of your grace and by your Holy Spirit make us once again fertile soil. Watching you throw your seed generously, may we too have generous joyful, not judgmental hearts. May our roots be planted in you alone and may we trust in your loving care as we grow. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
A beautiful hymn we purchased for this morning's worship:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=Tion0Do8fXk
“Jesus You Are Here” (tune and lyrics by Greg Sheer)
“On my longest day, in my darkest night, Jesus, please be near.
On my longest day, in my darkest night, Jesus, you are here.
You are with me, you are with me every hour of every day.
You are with me, you are with me,
Jesus, you are here. Jesus, you are here.”
HUPC Sermon
14th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Rev. Laura L. Mitchell
Sunday July 5, 2020
Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
Have you ever been thrown into a really challenging job with no experience, and little or no training? You would think that a three-year master’s degree would prepare one to be a pastor. Princeton Seminary provided an excellent education, my professors amazing, still so much of what I do today has been learned both with your help, and alone in the trenches. Following a crash course, Jesus sent his disciples out on their own telling them to, “go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Proclaim the good news, cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons….” Whoa, cast out demons! “Oh, and don’t expect payment, but do expect rejection!” Matthew tells us that after the twelve left on their maiden mission, Jesus set out on his own to “teach and proclaim his message in their cities.” (Matthew 11:1)
“But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”
At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God!
Do you join me in feeling as though the month of March threw us into an experience for which we could never have been prepared? Yet we value our independence and fortitude, our “we can do it” confidence to plow through all obstacles unscathed, but in therapist’s lingo we’re asked, “And how is that working for you?” Not only do most of us resist help, but we also fail to truly listen, instead often misunderstanding those around us—their experiences, their views, their fears and worries, hopes and dreams. “No one understands me,” we lamented as teenagers! Might Jesus have wanted to say the same? Lack of understanding abounds in this text. It seems nearly an entire generation—not just the young… not only the old, were confused and failed to respond as they should. When someone played the flute, as in a wedding celebration, no one was moved to celebrate and dance. When others mourned, as at a funeral, they failed to share in the other’s tears and sorrow. Though they thought themselves educated and successful, the people were arrogantly missing the message that was right in front of their eyes. Indeed, Jesus prayed that day, “I thank you God, Lord of heaven and earth because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants…” Somehow it is the humble, the broken, the outcast and marginalized, the text’s so called “infants” of this world and generation, who understand what God is offering… who follow the way of Jesus. The wise rejected Jesus’ forerunner, John the Baptist, because of his wild looks and refusal of good food and drink. Neither would the intelligent have anything to do with Jesus, the one who enjoyed a feast with an abundance of wine, sharing his table with the outcasts of the world! Yes, the ones society esteemed didn’t "get it" and those on the margins… did!. Jesus was inviting his generation, Matthew’s, and now ours, to take a hard look at what we value… who we revere… on whom we depend… and how we will either listen to or reject Jesus and his message of love.
While we celebrate our dear nation’s independence this weekend we should do so humbly, for we are pretty broken right now. Though I would like to think myself the eternal optimist, I admit that I have never felt our country so deeply and vehemently divided, by politics, religion, race. I am profoundly disturbed and mourn the unity the title of this great country calls us to, The United, not divided, States of America! For those of you who came to worship joyfully playing your flute, please let me join in your happiness and dance with you! For those of you who came troubled over the woes of our country and world, or struggling in your own personal suffering, I offer my tears mingled with yours. For those of you who have come frustrated, angry, and defensive, I understand. These words from Matthew are as hard to hear as are these days hard to take. So how will we respond, what are we to do? I’m not pointing fingers right or left, north or south, but will instead, pray for humility, opening my own conscience to the Spirit’s examination, and inviting us all to do the same this special weekend. For in 1 John 1:8, we hear this familiar call to confession, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive only ourselves, and the truth is not is us!” In other words, if I refuse to take a hard look at my participation in the woes of the world then I am only lying to myself…. God sees my deeds, knows my heart and mind. Jesus presents a hard teaching and there are a precious few who are exempt from its lessons! May we have the opportunity this morning to say, "Thank you, God for opening our eyes to see and our ears to hear!"
Jesus’ final words in our gospel lesson are those I longed to focus on this morning, words I have used countless times at funerals, with the bereft, the worn out, discouraged and fearful, the frustrated, angry and torn, Though words of invitation, they cannot be seen as optional! To the weak and broken, the abused and outcast, to the strong and seemingly powerful, the clear minded and confused, to individuals, parents, children, and families, communities and nations, Jesus says, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Too many turned away, confused by John. Too many chose not to follow, misunderstanding and confounded by Jesus. Though acknowledging their neediness, they clung… as do we, to personal opinion, pride, and defective human wisdom. May we be counted among the infants… laying down pride and prejudice and taking on justice, mercy, humility, and love. Beloved in Christ, trouble isn’t going away, but we have a Savior who is offering to make these days a little easier, sharing the load, lightening our burden, giving rest and strength right now, for the hard days ahead. But when we yield to him, he’ll also begin sometimes painful work of remolding our hearts into the shape of love… love for him and for our neighbors, every single one. He’s offering this gift for our sake and for the sake of the world.
Though in this mixed up, troubled time we feel thrown in, ill prepared to be Jesus’ voice, we are not. “Come… come to me weary ones. Bring along your burdens and I will give you rest. Learn not from the world, but from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart and leaning on me you will find, not only rest for your souls, but the courage to serve me. My yoke is custom made and fits you just right! See, it feels lighter, easier, because I am sharing your load.” There’s the gift… the rest, true wisdom, path, and strength… right in front of our eyes! Lord in your mercy, for your sake, our sake, and the sake of the world, may we be your beloved generation who recognizes you, goes to you, loves you and follows you with all our heart and soul, mind and strength!
Let us pray. O God, of strength and gentle embrace, break all barriers that keep us from trusting you completely. Clear our minds of confusion that tempts us to lean on our own strength. O Jesus, may we finally understand that your arms are an open invitation, yet essential refuge for rest. In your comfort, may our brokenness be healed, and anger defused, giving us ears that hear the cries of those who mourn, and eyes to see you in the face of every other. O Spirit, give us courage to be your disciples in a world starved for your good news! In the name of Jesus our refuge and strength we pray. Amen.
14th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Rev. Laura L. Mitchell
Sunday July 5, 2020
Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
Have you ever been thrown into a really challenging job with no experience, and little or no training? You would think that a three-year master’s degree would prepare one to be a pastor. Princeton Seminary provided an excellent education, my professors amazing, still so much of what I do today has been learned both with your help, and alone in the trenches. Following a crash course, Jesus sent his disciples out on their own telling them to, “go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Proclaim the good news, cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons….” Whoa, cast out demons! “Oh, and don’t expect payment, but do expect rejection!” Matthew tells us that after the twelve left on their maiden mission, Jesus set out on his own to “teach and proclaim his message in their cities.” (Matthew 11:1)
“But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”
At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God!
Do you join me in feeling as though the month of March threw us into an experience for which we could never have been prepared? Yet we value our independence and fortitude, our “we can do it” confidence to plow through all obstacles unscathed, but in therapist’s lingo we’re asked, “And how is that working for you?” Not only do most of us resist help, but we also fail to truly listen, instead often misunderstanding those around us—their experiences, their views, their fears and worries, hopes and dreams. “No one understands me,” we lamented as teenagers! Might Jesus have wanted to say the same? Lack of understanding abounds in this text. It seems nearly an entire generation—not just the young… not only the old, were confused and failed to respond as they should. When someone played the flute, as in a wedding celebration, no one was moved to celebrate and dance. When others mourned, as at a funeral, they failed to share in the other’s tears and sorrow. Though they thought themselves educated and successful, the people were arrogantly missing the message that was right in front of their eyes. Indeed, Jesus prayed that day, “I thank you God, Lord of heaven and earth because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants…” Somehow it is the humble, the broken, the outcast and marginalized, the text’s so called “infants” of this world and generation, who understand what God is offering… who follow the way of Jesus. The wise rejected Jesus’ forerunner, John the Baptist, because of his wild looks and refusal of good food and drink. Neither would the intelligent have anything to do with Jesus, the one who enjoyed a feast with an abundance of wine, sharing his table with the outcasts of the world! Yes, the ones society esteemed didn’t "get it" and those on the margins… did!. Jesus was inviting his generation, Matthew’s, and now ours, to take a hard look at what we value… who we revere… on whom we depend… and how we will either listen to or reject Jesus and his message of love.
While we celebrate our dear nation’s independence this weekend we should do so humbly, for we are pretty broken right now. Though I would like to think myself the eternal optimist, I admit that I have never felt our country so deeply and vehemently divided, by politics, religion, race. I am profoundly disturbed and mourn the unity the title of this great country calls us to, The United, not divided, States of America! For those of you who came to worship joyfully playing your flute, please let me join in your happiness and dance with you! For those of you who came troubled over the woes of our country and world, or struggling in your own personal suffering, I offer my tears mingled with yours. For those of you who have come frustrated, angry, and defensive, I understand. These words from Matthew are as hard to hear as are these days hard to take. So how will we respond, what are we to do? I’m not pointing fingers right or left, north or south, but will instead, pray for humility, opening my own conscience to the Spirit’s examination, and inviting us all to do the same this special weekend. For in 1 John 1:8, we hear this familiar call to confession, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive only ourselves, and the truth is not is us!” In other words, if I refuse to take a hard look at my participation in the woes of the world then I am only lying to myself…. God sees my deeds, knows my heart and mind. Jesus presents a hard teaching and there are a precious few who are exempt from its lessons! May we have the opportunity this morning to say, "Thank you, God for opening our eyes to see and our ears to hear!"
Jesus’ final words in our gospel lesson are those I longed to focus on this morning, words I have used countless times at funerals, with the bereft, the worn out, discouraged and fearful, the frustrated, angry and torn, Though words of invitation, they cannot be seen as optional! To the weak and broken, the abused and outcast, to the strong and seemingly powerful, the clear minded and confused, to individuals, parents, children, and families, communities and nations, Jesus says, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Too many turned away, confused by John. Too many chose not to follow, misunderstanding and confounded by Jesus. Though acknowledging their neediness, they clung… as do we, to personal opinion, pride, and defective human wisdom. May we be counted among the infants… laying down pride and prejudice and taking on justice, mercy, humility, and love. Beloved in Christ, trouble isn’t going away, but we have a Savior who is offering to make these days a little easier, sharing the load, lightening our burden, giving rest and strength right now, for the hard days ahead. But when we yield to him, he’ll also begin sometimes painful work of remolding our hearts into the shape of love… love for him and for our neighbors, every single one. He’s offering this gift for our sake and for the sake of the world.
Though in this mixed up, troubled time we feel thrown in, ill prepared to be Jesus’ voice, we are not. “Come… come to me weary ones. Bring along your burdens and I will give you rest. Learn not from the world, but from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart and leaning on me you will find, not only rest for your souls, but the courage to serve me. My yoke is custom made and fits you just right! See, it feels lighter, easier, because I am sharing your load.” There’s the gift… the rest, true wisdom, path, and strength… right in front of our eyes! Lord in your mercy, for your sake, our sake, and the sake of the world, may we be your beloved generation who recognizes you, goes to you, loves you and follows you with all our heart and soul, mind and strength!
Let us pray. O God, of strength and gentle embrace, break all barriers that keep us from trusting you completely. Clear our minds of confusion that tempts us to lean on our own strength. O Jesus, may we finally understand that your arms are an open invitation, yet essential refuge for rest. In your comfort, may our brokenness be healed, and anger defused, giving us ears that hear the cries of those who mourn, and eyes to see you in the face of every other. O Spirit, give us courage to be your disciples in a world starved for your good news! In the name of Jesus our refuge and strength we pray. Amen.
HUPC Sermon
13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Rev. Laura L. Mitchell
6.28.2020
The exiled people of God had been waiting for good news and words of hope for a very long time and the prophet, Hananiah offers it to them as he prophesied their release from captivity and return of their king.
But the prophet Jeremiah challenges the other prophet and his message…
Jeremiah 28:5-9
“Then the prophet Jeremiah replied to the prophet Hananiah before the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord. He said, “Amen! May the Lord do so! May the Lord fulfill the words you have prophesied by bringing the articles of the Lord’s house and all the exiles back to this place from Babylon. Nevertheless, listen to what I have to say in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people: From early times the prophets who preceded you and me have prophesied war, disaster and plague against many countries and great kingdoms. But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the Lord only if his prediction comes true.”
False prophet…! Jeremiah accuses his contemporary, Hananiah! False prophet! Week after week, humble pastors fall to their knees praying their sermon is a message from God, a message of truth, and not one merely rooted pride or wishful thinking. That seems to be Hananiah’s sin… he has offered the exiled people of God, wishful thinking, some longed-for hope, while Jeremiah insists that it is not yet theirs to hold. In exile, Hananiah and the Israelites had been listening to Jeremiah’s words of doom and gloom for over 40 years! Didn’t they deserve to hear some good news for a change? Can we blame Hananiah for wanting to preach a word of peace, hope for a quick and easy end of captivity and return of their former king? We wonder, did this accused false prophet believe his own message or was he himself just so desperate for encouraging news that he would knowingly share a lie with the people of God? We cannot know his intention. Maybe he had invented his prophesy or had truly believed the words he uttered were from the Lord. Jeremiah, confidently challenged him, “You have not been sent by God, Hananiah, and you are allowing the people to trust in a lie!” To be sure, Hananiah’s message did not pass the test of a prophet’s word: it did not come true… instead, Jeremiah reports that poor Hananiah was dead within the year, fulfilling a word of the Lord Jeremiah had spoken himself.
Makes a pastor shudder… are the words I utter from the Lord? Do they reflect my own desires, or both? If the message is too harsh, we do not want to hear it… can I not soften it a bit for the listeners? Praying that the words we share are pleasing to God is a heavy yoke for a prophet, a message bearer, to wear… and we are to share them boldly, with passion!
This week I was thinking a lot about our high school graduates and about when I met each of them. I wondered about their hopes, their worries, their dreams. I thought of them leaving behind childhoods and looking forward to hopeful futures, guided by their passions!
I thought of how they may be true prophets in their circles of friends, families, and communities. For in a sense, we are all prophets to those around us… bearers, spokespersons… our words and deeds having the potential to influence others more than we may ever have thought! Prophets are all around us and it may be hard to distinguish the true from the false! Like poor Hananiah, we may not know whether we are speaking God’s truth, or sharing our own desires- speaking and acting out of old habits and long held, possibly worn out ideals!
Brandon, Hannah, Jacob, and Kaia have shared their plans and we see in them their passions- for firefighting, caring for the health and well-being of others, skillfully operating heavy machinery, and teaching young children especially those with special needs. As each of our young people enter the world, and as each of us, young and old, encounter and interact with others, we are, and will be, seen and heard! Others listen to us! They watch what we do and how we act! So, what are we to say? What are we to do? How are we to know, with confidence, that we are fulfilling God’s desires- that we are speaking and acting in ways that please and glorify God? Are we following Micah’s formula for faithfulness- “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God”?
Of course, I could never, would never proclaim, with any degree of certainty, that my messages are directly from the Lord week after week. I hope they are… I pray they are… and yet, I am human and so surely my own selfish desires and beliefs sneak their way into my messages! So, I ask one more time, what are we to do? Please be patient with me as, once again, I turn to my current devotional companion, John Philip Newell, who in Monday morning’s opening prayer asked God, “Release in me the freedom of your Spirit, that I may be bridled by nothing but love, that I may be bridled only by love.” [1]“That I may be bridled only by love.”
I dare say that many, if not most, of you are quite familiar with a bridle… tack for a horse that includes a halter with browband, reins, and a bit that goes into the horse’s mouth. The bridle allows the rider to guide and control; the horse responding to the lift and pull of the reins. The well-trained horse senses the slightest tug and acts in accordance to the handler’s desires and not his own.
So maybe it is there that we find hope. Might it be through this metaphor that we are able to find our authentic, God given prophet’s voice by asking ourselves, “To what am I bridled? Am I bridled to pride, worry, anger, fear, envy, judgment, arrogance?” Though not exclusively harmful, “Am I bridled to money, status, possessions, political or theological doctrine? What or who is guiding my thoughts, words, decisions and deeds?”
Newell is suggesting that the Spirit of truth will be released in us when we are bridled by one thing only… love. Beloved, oh that it would be love alone that would guide, lead, halt, inspire, encourage, and motivate us. If we are bridled only by love, the love of God and love for one another, love for creation and every other living being... if love is our guide, our lead, our inmost inspiration… if it is love that is rooted most deeply within us, it is then, I humbly say, that we may, in confidence, dare to open our mouths and speak… using our hands, hearts, and minds, living out our vocations trusting that God is working through us!
Let’s write these words down on a piece of paper to carry close to our hearts, praying them, speaking them aloud, “May I be bridled by nothing but love, that I may be bridled only by love!” (2)Then from our knees, in prayer, from places of hope and humility, we may dare to be God’s prophets in this troubled, yet beautiful and resilient world. Oh, that these words written, and now humbly spoken in love, may give us courage to share the good news of the love of God in Jesus Christ for all of creation… giving us courage for new beginnings… giving us courage to let go of the worn out… giving us courage to speak, to act, to be God’s people… God’s prophets. Daunting? Yes, but not nearly so much when we truly allow love to guide us….
Bridled by love alone!
Let us pray.
O God, author of love, and all that is pure and good, we give you thanks for true prophets in every age who humbly and boldly proclaim you word, courageously acting and speaking in ways that glorify your name and please your heart. O Spirit, use each and every one of our lives to bear your good news. O Jesus, speak through us words of challenge and hope. May all that we think, say, and do be guided by your love. May Spirit free us to love, bridled only by love. This we pray in the name of Jesus, whose life and love we are called to share. Amen.
May your heart be moved by this beautiful hymn:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPPHNoMYVkk
(Praise, I will praise you, Lord (Je louerai l'Eternel)
Author: Claude Frayssé; Translator: Kenneth I. Morse (1989)
Tune: JE LOUERAI L'ÉTERNEL
[1] J. Phillip Newell, Celtic Benediction: Morning and Night Prayer, (Grand Rapids Michigan, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2000)
(2) ibid.
13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Rev. Laura L. Mitchell
6.28.2020
The exiled people of God had been waiting for good news and words of hope for a very long time and the prophet, Hananiah offers it to them as he prophesied their release from captivity and return of their king.
But the prophet Jeremiah challenges the other prophet and his message…
Jeremiah 28:5-9
“Then the prophet Jeremiah replied to the prophet Hananiah before the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord. He said, “Amen! May the Lord do so! May the Lord fulfill the words you have prophesied by bringing the articles of the Lord’s house and all the exiles back to this place from Babylon. Nevertheless, listen to what I have to say in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people: From early times the prophets who preceded you and me have prophesied war, disaster and plague against many countries and great kingdoms. But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the Lord only if his prediction comes true.”
False prophet…! Jeremiah accuses his contemporary, Hananiah! False prophet! Week after week, humble pastors fall to their knees praying their sermon is a message from God, a message of truth, and not one merely rooted pride or wishful thinking. That seems to be Hananiah’s sin… he has offered the exiled people of God, wishful thinking, some longed-for hope, while Jeremiah insists that it is not yet theirs to hold. In exile, Hananiah and the Israelites had been listening to Jeremiah’s words of doom and gloom for over 40 years! Didn’t they deserve to hear some good news for a change? Can we blame Hananiah for wanting to preach a word of peace, hope for a quick and easy end of captivity and return of their former king? We wonder, did this accused false prophet believe his own message or was he himself just so desperate for encouraging news that he would knowingly share a lie with the people of God? We cannot know his intention. Maybe he had invented his prophesy or had truly believed the words he uttered were from the Lord. Jeremiah, confidently challenged him, “You have not been sent by God, Hananiah, and you are allowing the people to trust in a lie!” To be sure, Hananiah’s message did not pass the test of a prophet’s word: it did not come true… instead, Jeremiah reports that poor Hananiah was dead within the year, fulfilling a word of the Lord Jeremiah had spoken himself.
Makes a pastor shudder… are the words I utter from the Lord? Do they reflect my own desires, or both? If the message is too harsh, we do not want to hear it… can I not soften it a bit for the listeners? Praying that the words we share are pleasing to God is a heavy yoke for a prophet, a message bearer, to wear… and we are to share them boldly, with passion!
This week I was thinking a lot about our high school graduates and about when I met each of them. I wondered about their hopes, their worries, their dreams. I thought of them leaving behind childhoods and looking forward to hopeful futures, guided by their passions!
I thought of how they may be true prophets in their circles of friends, families, and communities. For in a sense, we are all prophets to those around us… bearers, spokespersons… our words and deeds having the potential to influence others more than we may ever have thought! Prophets are all around us and it may be hard to distinguish the true from the false! Like poor Hananiah, we may not know whether we are speaking God’s truth, or sharing our own desires- speaking and acting out of old habits and long held, possibly worn out ideals!
Brandon, Hannah, Jacob, and Kaia have shared their plans and we see in them their passions- for firefighting, caring for the health and well-being of others, skillfully operating heavy machinery, and teaching young children especially those with special needs. As each of our young people enter the world, and as each of us, young and old, encounter and interact with others, we are, and will be, seen and heard! Others listen to us! They watch what we do and how we act! So, what are we to say? What are we to do? How are we to know, with confidence, that we are fulfilling God’s desires- that we are speaking and acting in ways that please and glorify God? Are we following Micah’s formula for faithfulness- “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God”?
Of course, I could never, would never proclaim, with any degree of certainty, that my messages are directly from the Lord week after week. I hope they are… I pray they are… and yet, I am human and so surely my own selfish desires and beliefs sneak their way into my messages! So, I ask one more time, what are we to do? Please be patient with me as, once again, I turn to my current devotional companion, John Philip Newell, who in Monday morning’s opening prayer asked God, “Release in me the freedom of your Spirit, that I may be bridled by nothing but love, that I may be bridled only by love.” [1]“That I may be bridled only by love.”
I dare say that many, if not most, of you are quite familiar with a bridle… tack for a horse that includes a halter with browband, reins, and a bit that goes into the horse’s mouth. The bridle allows the rider to guide and control; the horse responding to the lift and pull of the reins. The well-trained horse senses the slightest tug and acts in accordance to the handler’s desires and not his own.
So maybe it is there that we find hope. Might it be through this metaphor that we are able to find our authentic, God given prophet’s voice by asking ourselves, “To what am I bridled? Am I bridled to pride, worry, anger, fear, envy, judgment, arrogance?” Though not exclusively harmful, “Am I bridled to money, status, possessions, political or theological doctrine? What or who is guiding my thoughts, words, decisions and deeds?”
Newell is suggesting that the Spirit of truth will be released in us when we are bridled by one thing only… love. Beloved, oh that it would be love alone that would guide, lead, halt, inspire, encourage, and motivate us. If we are bridled only by love, the love of God and love for one another, love for creation and every other living being... if love is our guide, our lead, our inmost inspiration… if it is love that is rooted most deeply within us, it is then, I humbly say, that we may, in confidence, dare to open our mouths and speak… using our hands, hearts, and minds, living out our vocations trusting that God is working through us!
Let’s write these words down on a piece of paper to carry close to our hearts, praying them, speaking them aloud, “May I be bridled by nothing but love, that I may be bridled only by love!” (2)Then from our knees, in prayer, from places of hope and humility, we may dare to be God’s prophets in this troubled, yet beautiful and resilient world. Oh, that these words written, and now humbly spoken in love, may give us courage to share the good news of the love of God in Jesus Christ for all of creation… giving us courage for new beginnings… giving us courage to let go of the worn out… giving us courage to speak, to act, to be God’s people… God’s prophets. Daunting? Yes, but not nearly so much when we truly allow love to guide us….
Bridled by love alone!
Let us pray.
O God, author of love, and all that is pure and good, we give you thanks for true prophets in every age who humbly and boldly proclaim you word, courageously acting and speaking in ways that glorify your name and please your heart. O Spirit, use each and every one of our lives to bear your good news. O Jesus, speak through us words of challenge and hope. May all that we think, say, and do be guided by your love. May Spirit free us to love, bridled only by love. This we pray in the name of Jesus, whose life and love we are called to share. Amen.
May your heart be moved by this beautiful hymn:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPPHNoMYVkk
(Praise, I will praise you, Lord (Je louerai l'Eternel)
Author: Claude Frayssé; Translator: Kenneth I. Morse (1989)
Tune: JE LOUERAI L'ÉTERNEL
[1] J. Phillip Newell, Celtic Benediction: Morning and Night Prayer, (Grand Rapids Michigan, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2000)
(2) ibid.
Many thanks to Rev. Rupert Harris, guest preacher.
Sunday June 21, 2020
12th Sunday in Ordinary Time
"GOD AT WORK"
Jeremiah 18:1-12
Matthew 10: 32-39
I am going to read two tough passages now. One from the prophet Jeremiah about clay which is stubborn in the potter’s hand and resistant to the potter’s design. Another from the Lord Jesus who declares his judgment on followers who are not what they are meant to be. Not worthy of me, Jesus says, again and again. A fearful test of character announced by both Jeremiah and Jesus. Get ready. We are in serious trouble, as God’s people, when we refuse to let divine grace have its way with us. Yet our God is a God of surprises – new things can happen, if we allow.
Jeremiah 18:1-12 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel. If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it. “Now therefore say to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, ‘This is what the Lord says: Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways, each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions.’ But they will reply, ‘It’s no use. We will continue with our own plans; we will all follow the stubbornness of our evil hearts.’”
Matthew 10: 32-39 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn
“‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
What did Jeremiah see that day when he went down to the potter’s house to watch the potter working at his wheel? Much the same as I saw a number of years ago when I went to watch a potter at her work. She was making a pitcher for me to take back to church to use at Communion. What I saw that morning was the creative interplay of potter, wheel, and clay. The clay was gray and moist, a shapeless mound on the wheel. The wheel was a disc turned by an electric motor. The potter wore her work clothes: a tee-shirt, blue jeans, barrettes in her hair to keep it tidy. She sat on a low stool, her lap covered with a towel, her hands shaping the mound of clay as the wheel turned. Several things stood out about the scene. How concentrated her attention was, how much strength from her shoulders and arms was required to mold the clay, yet how quiet her hands were giving it form. Gently, sensitively, she extended the clay up away from the wheel, pushing it back down, drawing it up again, opening up its interior to shape the wall of the pitcher, curving it out, giving it form, one hand inside, the other outside, pushing against the clay and the turning wheel. Then it happened, just as in the Bible story. Suddenly the pitcher was askew, its top distorted, and she pushed it all back down into a lump of clay. A thing of beauty which had emerged from the clay was gone back to clay. But the wheel still turned, the clay was still in the potter's hands. And before you knew it, the pitcher grew again under her touch and this time it was finished. And there it was: a vessel as seemed good to (the potter). Later I asked her how much clay was wasted. “How much clay do you discard? "None," she replied. "I never throw any clay away. As long as it hasn't been fired, I can use it again and again!"
Twenty-six hundred years have passed since the day Jeremiah watched the potter. Not much has changed since then in the making of pottery. We can appreciate what this passage says and what it meant. To Jeremiah, God was the potter, the wheel the changing circumstances of daily life, and the clay - God's people. The analogy speaks of God's sovereign purpose in the whirling events of life and of the freedom of the clay to resist or respond to that purpose. Almost sixty years ago, I took a course on Jeremiah from Professor Howard Kuist at Princeton Seminary. I still remember the day he taught us this 18th chapter. He stood at the front of the class, gesturing with his hands. He said: "God still works the same way, using opposing forces or creative tension." Pushing his hands together, Dr. Kuist said, "Like the potter, God uses pressure on the inside and pressure on the outside." That describes our experience pretty well, doesn't it? The way God works with us. Pressure on the inside and pressure on the outside. God working on the inside, shaping what needs to happen within us, for us to develop as a whole person or as a people. God working on the outside, shaping what needs to happen in the world, through the work we all can do.
Every one of us has a “good work” to do in life, the kind of things mentioned in obituaries, things celebrated at funerals. What is not generally known, maybe only to a few, those closest to us, is the work which God has been doing over a lifetime within us. Quietly, patiently at times. At other times, pushing, poking, stretching us, working against our resistance, pitting his purpose and will against ours. I remember that I asked the potter that day whether she would describe the clay as being stubborn or resistant. She said yes, depending on how it was prepared, whether it was moist enough or contained impurities. The clay talks back, indicating whether it will conform to the potter’s design or rather go its own way. Pressure on the inside, pressure on the outside. Opposition and encouragement. Judgment and love. We think of them as opposites, but actually they are complementary. God's love is relentless in opposing our stubborn deformity. Call it tough love, God's resistance or opposition to our willfulness. God will not have it any other way. God is the implacable force against all that opposes his will and purpose.
Recent events in Minneapolis and Atlanta have shocked the nation into realization of its failure to deal with racism. Cruel deaths at the hands of the police once again confront Americans with four centuries of abuse and violence toward African-Americans. Hard questions once again are raised with no satisfactory answers. Can we not see the hand of God poised over the situation, wanting to form something better out of stubborn, resistant clay, waiting for voices of resolve and the demand for justice to be raised above a culture of denial, waiting for those with authority to use it to affirm and protect precious lives, lives which matter? If God’s hand is poised, waiting, there is still time to act. Yes, judgment may mean the destruction of what is, so God can form what should be. That may well be where we are headed in our country.
But there is another possibility, rooted in the grace and mercy of God. If we can, as Jeremiah implores, if we can turn from evil, if we can amend our ways and doings, we will find we are in the loving hands of the God who does not give up on us, the God who can do amazing things, even with our mistakes and failures. Faith is the bridge between a world which is in God’s hands and a world which is ruined in ours! "Can I not do with you, O house of Israel, just as the potter has done? Just like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand. The word of the Lord." Pressure on the inside, pressure on the outside. The creative tension of God’s judgment and mercy. Opposition and encouragement. Opposition to the stubborn resistance the clay puts up against change, and encouragement, lifting where the clay is pliable, willing to be drawn out, reshaped. God at work. And we are meant to work as well. God allows us our part in shaping the future, when we are willing to turn, to amend our ways, to submit to the potter’s touch.
Probably the most important work you and I will ever do is to decide to submit to God’s purpose for us when we come to know it. Early in the 20th century, Adelaide Pollard sat in a worship service, heartbroken that her prayers were not being answered. She was a talented teacher and writer but above all she wanted to serve as a missionary in Africa. The necessary funds could not be raised and sadly she had to cancel her plans. During the service, the story from Jeremiah 18 was read, of the potter reworking the vessel into something better. And the thought came to her that though she was experiencing opposition to her plans, God was still at work in her life. She understood that the delay was really the love of God wanting to raise her to its own likeness, wanting to fashion her into a fit vessel, "till all shall see Christ, only, always living in me,” as Pollard wrote in her well loved hymn. God’s “No” was actually “Not yet.” The potter said, "I never discard the clay."
We are dealing with a God who does not abandon us, but keeps picking up the pieces, refashioning us, continuing the work. And the potter reworked it into another vessel, as seemed good to him. There is the breadth of the gospel in that. God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son . . . The Word became clay and dwelt among us.
Let us pray: O God, mighty are the works of your hand. You formed all that is. You formed the stars and seas and worlds. And you formed us for yourself. Break down the walls we build against you. Purify and refashion and remake what is not yours. Get rid of all that will not conform to your will. Put an end to it, till in your searching you may find nothing in us that is not Christ. In his name we ask it. Amen.
Sunday June 21, 2020
12th Sunday in Ordinary Time
"GOD AT WORK"
Jeremiah 18:1-12
Matthew 10: 32-39
I am going to read two tough passages now. One from the prophet Jeremiah about clay which is stubborn in the potter’s hand and resistant to the potter’s design. Another from the Lord Jesus who declares his judgment on followers who are not what they are meant to be. Not worthy of me, Jesus says, again and again. A fearful test of character announced by both Jeremiah and Jesus. Get ready. We are in serious trouble, as God’s people, when we refuse to let divine grace have its way with us. Yet our God is a God of surprises – new things can happen, if we allow.
Jeremiah 18:1-12 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel. If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it. “Now therefore say to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, ‘This is what the Lord says: Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways, each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions.’ But they will reply, ‘It’s no use. We will continue with our own plans; we will all follow the stubbornness of our evil hearts.’”
Matthew 10: 32-39 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn
“‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
What did Jeremiah see that day when he went down to the potter’s house to watch the potter working at his wheel? Much the same as I saw a number of years ago when I went to watch a potter at her work. She was making a pitcher for me to take back to church to use at Communion. What I saw that morning was the creative interplay of potter, wheel, and clay. The clay was gray and moist, a shapeless mound on the wheel. The wheel was a disc turned by an electric motor. The potter wore her work clothes: a tee-shirt, blue jeans, barrettes in her hair to keep it tidy. She sat on a low stool, her lap covered with a towel, her hands shaping the mound of clay as the wheel turned. Several things stood out about the scene. How concentrated her attention was, how much strength from her shoulders and arms was required to mold the clay, yet how quiet her hands were giving it form. Gently, sensitively, she extended the clay up away from the wheel, pushing it back down, drawing it up again, opening up its interior to shape the wall of the pitcher, curving it out, giving it form, one hand inside, the other outside, pushing against the clay and the turning wheel. Then it happened, just as in the Bible story. Suddenly the pitcher was askew, its top distorted, and she pushed it all back down into a lump of clay. A thing of beauty which had emerged from the clay was gone back to clay. But the wheel still turned, the clay was still in the potter's hands. And before you knew it, the pitcher grew again under her touch and this time it was finished. And there it was: a vessel as seemed good to (the potter). Later I asked her how much clay was wasted. “How much clay do you discard? "None," she replied. "I never throw any clay away. As long as it hasn't been fired, I can use it again and again!"
Twenty-six hundred years have passed since the day Jeremiah watched the potter. Not much has changed since then in the making of pottery. We can appreciate what this passage says and what it meant. To Jeremiah, God was the potter, the wheel the changing circumstances of daily life, and the clay - God's people. The analogy speaks of God's sovereign purpose in the whirling events of life and of the freedom of the clay to resist or respond to that purpose. Almost sixty years ago, I took a course on Jeremiah from Professor Howard Kuist at Princeton Seminary. I still remember the day he taught us this 18th chapter. He stood at the front of the class, gesturing with his hands. He said: "God still works the same way, using opposing forces or creative tension." Pushing his hands together, Dr. Kuist said, "Like the potter, God uses pressure on the inside and pressure on the outside." That describes our experience pretty well, doesn't it? The way God works with us. Pressure on the inside and pressure on the outside. God working on the inside, shaping what needs to happen within us, for us to develop as a whole person or as a people. God working on the outside, shaping what needs to happen in the world, through the work we all can do.
Every one of us has a “good work” to do in life, the kind of things mentioned in obituaries, things celebrated at funerals. What is not generally known, maybe only to a few, those closest to us, is the work which God has been doing over a lifetime within us. Quietly, patiently at times. At other times, pushing, poking, stretching us, working against our resistance, pitting his purpose and will against ours. I remember that I asked the potter that day whether she would describe the clay as being stubborn or resistant. She said yes, depending on how it was prepared, whether it was moist enough or contained impurities. The clay talks back, indicating whether it will conform to the potter’s design or rather go its own way. Pressure on the inside, pressure on the outside. Opposition and encouragement. Judgment and love. We think of them as opposites, but actually they are complementary. God's love is relentless in opposing our stubborn deformity. Call it tough love, God's resistance or opposition to our willfulness. God will not have it any other way. God is the implacable force against all that opposes his will and purpose.
Recent events in Minneapolis and Atlanta have shocked the nation into realization of its failure to deal with racism. Cruel deaths at the hands of the police once again confront Americans with four centuries of abuse and violence toward African-Americans. Hard questions once again are raised with no satisfactory answers. Can we not see the hand of God poised over the situation, wanting to form something better out of stubborn, resistant clay, waiting for voices of resolve and the demand for justice to be raised above a culture of denial, waiting for those with authority to use it to affirm and protect precious lives, lives which matter? If God’s hand is poised, waiting, there is still time to act. Yes, judgment may mean the destruction of what is, so God can form what should be. That may well be where we are headed in our country.
But there is another possibility, rooted in the grace and mercy of God. If we can, as Jeremiah implores, if we can turn from evil, if we can amend our ways and doings, we will find we are in the loving hands of the God who does not give up on us, the God who can do amazing things, even with our mistakes and failures. Faith is the bridge between a world which is in God’s hands and a world which is ruined in ours! "Can I not do with you, O house of Israel, just as the potter has done? Just like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand. The word of the Lord." Pressure on the inside, pressure on the outside. The creative tension of God’s judgment and mercy. Opposition and encouragement. Opposition to the stubborn resistance the clay puts up against change, and encouragement, lifting where the clay is pliable, willing to be drawn out, reshaped. God at work. And we are meant to work as well. God allows us our part in shaping the future, when we are willing to turn, to amend our ways, to submit to the potter’s touch.
Probably the most important work you and I will ever do is to decide to submit to God’s purpose for us when we come to know it. Early in the 20th century, Adelaide Pollard sat in a worship service, heartbroken that her prayers were not being answered. She was a talented teacher and writer but above all she wanted to serve as a missionary in Africa. The necessary funds could not be raised and sadly she had to cancel her plans. During the service, the story from Jeremiah 18 was read, of the potter reworking the vessel into something better. And the thought came to her that though she was experiencing opposition to her plans, God was still at work in her life. She understood that the delay was really the love of God wanting to raise her to its own likeness, wanting to fashion her into a fit vessel, "till all shall see Christ, only, always living in me,” as Pollard wrote in her well loved hymn. God’s “No” was actually “Not yet.” The potter said, "I never discard the clay."
We are dealing with a God who does not abandon us, but keeps picking up the pieces, refashioning us, continuing the work. And the potter reworked it into another vessel, as seemed good to him. There is the breadth of the gospel in that. God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son . . . The Word became clay and dwelt among us.
Let us pray: O God, mighty are the works of your hand. You formed all that is. You formed the stars and seas and worlds. And you formed us for yourself. Break down the walls we build against you. Purify and refashion and remake what is not yours. Get rid of all that will not conform to your will. Put an end to it, till in your searching you may find nothing in us that is not Christ. In his name we ask it. Amen.
HUPC Sermon
Sunday June 14, 2020
11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Rev. Laura L. Mitchell
Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19
I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.
I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants.
Truly I am your servant, Lord; I serve you just as my mother did; you have freed me from my chains. I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the house of the Lord— in your midst, Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord.
*********************************************
In chapters before this morning’s lesson from the letter to the church in Rome, the apostle Paul reflects back on the faithfulness of God to God’s people- in promises made to Abraham showing how it was always God’s intention that all of creation be reconciled, made right with Creator- an assurance given to both Jew and Gentile. Paul argues that being made right with God, comes through faith, by God’s grace alone. Grace… something given freely to saint and sinner alike, not cheap, yet at no cost, given not in accordance to what we do, but by faith, and through the initiative and love of God in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Having never visited them, Paul writes his letter in order that they may grow in faith, be at peace with one another, and know that the promises, hope, and God-relationship that was given to Abraham and his descendant has been given to us all.
Romans 5:1-8 Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but 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. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.
Welcome back to the season of green paraments when the church is draped in green, our banner is green, and I wear a green stole. Removing the velvet communion table, pulpit, lectern cloths from storage, and changing them for church seasons, I notice their level of wear are in accordance to their frequency of use. In most pristine condition are the red, used only on Pentecost, white and purple are nearly a tie, and the green, used for the majority of the year, are lovingly worn... the velvet nap crushed here and there and the gold fringe with a few gaps like a youngster’s smile losing front teeth. Welcome to what, in the church year, is called Ordinary Time; the Sundays not set aside for a particular celebration or season. We keep the rhythm of time with clocks and calendars- years, months, days, hours, seconds. The time-keeping rhythm of Sundays for Christians is connected to our Jewish brother’s and sister’s practice of Sabbath-keeping. (Exodus 20:8-11). [1]
For the next 20 Sundays, until All Saints Sunday on November 1st, we are in Ordinary Time. I wonder if you join me in thinking, “but these days do not feel ordinary in any way!” Indeed, they feel anything but ordinary! We keep describing these days as “unprecedented”, and while they may be so, for us today, history recounts countless pandemics, plagues, social unrest, violence, and tremendous suffering. We could get caught in a depressing, downward spiral, of believing that the norm, what is “ordinary”, expected, every day, probable, to be anticipated… has become the suffering, sorrow, and strife surrounding us. There’s no doubt that we’ve all either known deep suffering personally or have lamented the suffering of a loved one or friend. Many in our own Hebron United family and community, currently face serious acute or chronic illness, financial troubles, marital or family discord, discrimination, mental illness, or addiction. Now, or in the past, you may have known what it is to experience real pain in body, mind, or spirit. So, I ask, what was your first response to Paul’s suggested sequence; “suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us”? While journeying with folks who are suffering pain, grief, anxiety, stress, I admit I have absolutely have never gone to this passage. I wouldn’t think to suggest, not even to myself… “Well, hang in there… your suffering is going to produce endurance, character, and hope!” Not helpful, Paul… or is it?
Like you, I have looked back upon experiences of hardship to realize that I did endure, that I learned something worthy of sharing with others, or that has, made me stronger. At times I’ve been able to cling to hope, because I have endured before… but even so… I don’t want to trivialize anyone’s heartache as there are times when suffering is senseless… suffering from which there seems to be no progression to the hope of which Paul proclaims! Looking at Paul’s words again, I agree with Rev. Dr. Janet Hunt who suggests we take notice of the “we” in Romans 5, "we are justified by faith, so that we have peace with God we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance…. character, and character… 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!” So much of the suffering of the world is communal, seen in the struggles of our brothers and sisters of color, of those who are different than we in color, race, ethnicity, religion, sexuality. So, what if we were to renew our commitment to the new commandment Jesus gave his disciples on the night of his arrest? The critical nature of Jesus’ request of his disciples is born witness that in, not once, but twice, first in John 13 and then in John 15, Jesus implores them, “This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you.” Loving… as Jesus loves us… Loving as we bear each other’s burdens- praying for, listening to, doing for, lifting up, lessening the load in solidarity with those who suffer individually or corporately. As well, in love, we are to confess our involvement in contributing to a problem, hopefully then putting our whole heart into making amends and helping to relieve the suffering of others.
Some time back, during this corona crisis, I suggested that we are not all in the same boat, as situations produce different experiences … we may be in the same storm, but in different boats. What if instead of bobbing the rough seas rowing solo against the wind, we were to lash our boats together, finding strength together, to weather the storm? Isn’t that what Jesus does for us, promising to be with us always, saying come to me all you who are weary? Isn’t that what we are to do as a community of faith? Hebron United and friends from afar, let us remember Paul's "we"---- when we act together, deeply caring for others, we will grow closer in character to Jesus, and we can claim and represent hope for those who are suffering.
Bear with me in what may seem a digression. I recently had the great honor and joy of presiding over the renewal of the marital promises first spoken between Kay and Bob Russell. On their 60th anniversary they renewed their vows before God to be loving and faithful to each other all the days of their lives… together vowing… to be loving and faithful to each other… to God who helped them not just to endure, but to grow and thrive over 60 years together! The Psalmist sings, “I love the Lord, who heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me? I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.”
Friends, these are not ordinary times… but in my optimism, while suffering will remain until Jesus comes again, I believe pain does not have to be the norm! These times in which we live are calling for self-examination and extraordinary loving care and compassion for others. It is time to renew our vows to the Lord, to love as he has always and will always love us. As we make promises to love, with the help of the Spirit, the peace of God grows in our hearts… Shouldering one another’s sufferings, we will endure together, grow in character together, knowing and sharing the hope that is found in God alone- in whom the world will one day know that the norm is not suffering, we will know that what is ordinary, our way of life… is one of faithfulness, love, peace, justice, unity, welcome and compassion. Do not give up, dear friends, for hope is ours. We can do this, because we are called by Christ to do so! And that, I proclaim, is both challenge and very Good News!
O Lord, you have heard our cries and pitied every groan. May your spirit enable us to come together in our love for you and one another, so that no heart need despair. We pray for the day when we will be able to look back and say, we endured our own suffering… and in love we helped our neighbor endure theirs. O Spirit, help us together to grow in faith, closer into the character of Christ so that we will know the hope poured into our hearts by our God of love. In the name of Jesus who chases all our grief away, we pray. Amen.
Hymns for the Week:
1) “This is My Father’s World” was written by Maltbie Davenport Babcock and was published after his death in 1901. It was originally written as a poem containing sixteen verses of four lines each. Franklin L. Sheppard set the poem to music in 1915 and selected three verses for the final hymn. Babcock, who was a (Presbyterian) minister from (upstate) Lockport, New York, would often take walks overlooking a cliff, where he would enjoy the view of beautiful Lake Ontario and the upstate New York scenery. As he prepared to leave for his walks he would often tell his wife that he was “going out to see my Father’s world.”
(https://www.thetabernaclechoir.org/articles)
May the truth that this is our Father's world give you hope:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byIpfEVxhs4
2) “I Love The Lord, Who Heard My Cry”
Together may we shoulder each others sufferings, loving one another as Christ has loved us:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV0ImDo05jU
With love in Christ,
Pastor Laura
[1] Keeping Time In Christ. The Presbyterian Planning Calendar 2019-2020
HUPC Sermon Trinity Sunday
June 7, 2020
Rev. Laura L. Mitchell
The apostle Paul wrote at least three letters to the church in Corinth, two of which are found in our biblical canon. The church’s membership included Jews and gentile converts, men and women, the powerful elite and socially humble. No wonder the little church knew tension, bitter factions, and division. Some among them were beginning to question the validity of Paul’s message. And so, the conclusion of his second letter to the church at Corinth alludes to the need for reconciliation, between Paul and the church… between the church members themselves. Let us listen now to God’s word from, 2 Corinthians 13:11-13, reading this week from “The Voice”.
“Finally, brothers and sisters, keep rejoicing and repair whatever is broken. Encourage each other, think as one, and live at peace; and God, the Author of love and peace, will remain with you. Greet each other with a holy kiss, as brothers and sisters. All the saints here with me send you their greeting. May the grace of the Lord Jesus the Anointed, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit remain with you all.”
The Word of the Lord! Thanks be to God!
I am grateful for the beautiful and profoundly needed message of comfort given to us last Sunday by Rev. John Barclay, as he reflected upon Psalm 23. But for almost two weeks now our country has been turned upside down in response to the death of George Floyd. Friends, I honestly did not know what to do. I didn’t know what to say to you or what not say. But my heart was and is convicted that as human beings and as the church of Jesus Christ, we need, somehow, to respond. So, I ask your grace, your compassion, your understanding as I speak, from my heart today, of a very sensitive and difficult issue.
In reading and contemplation, my mind recalled how, months ago, I became aware that some teens in our church, and in the Salem area community, had voiced strongly that while they acknowledged the seriousness of the current drug epidemic, their perception is that racism is one of, if not the biggest problem in our area. Wow! We may find that hard to believe, hard to swallow. Growing up in the sixties I remember well the prevalence of discrimination and racism. Phill and I witnessed blatant racism when our family lived in North Carolina in the late 80’s and early 90’s. But, certainly not here, not now… in our beautiful community… in 2020! Sadly, the teens of whom I speak bear witness… they hear it, see it, some having been victims of it.
None of us thinks ourselves racist, yet it is a problem of the soul of society. If I suggest that I am never part of it, that I never have a racist thought, then I am only fooling myself! When we think of racism we may think, big city, but it’s not just a big city problem. It is also a little town, rural community problem, not confined to southern states, but right here in the northeast! The corona virus crisis has caused enough stress and division without adding another layer of horror… Mr. Floyd’s violent death and the subsequent destruction of cities across our beautiful country. With you I am heartbroken, confused, frustrated, angry, worried, and feeling… well helpless. In my helplessness on Friday morning, I escaped to Merck Forest (pictured above, left) hiking alone for 2 ½ hours to Viewpoint. I sat silently, thinking, then not thinking, being with and then thanking God for a brief respite… and feeling the deepest peace I have felt in weeks. After taking photo after photo of God’s beautiful creation, I knew I had to go back, and on my hike down I realized that we need to… we have to, we must… hang on to hope that things can change and that somehow we might be a part of that change… to become an even more Christlike loving people… able to see with God’s eyes, able to love with God’s heart.
Yet I have no concrete answer… I’ve developed no plan. If I had an answer and a plan of how to rid our world, country, community, ourselves of racism and discrimination- in our thoughts, words, and deeds, I would write a book and I’d win the Nobel Peace Prize. No, I don’t have a plan, but God does… let’s give the prize to God and read the book… the one that calls us to do justice, love mercy, walk humbly, and love as Jesus has loved us…. All of us!
Martin Luther King, Jr. won the Nobel Peace Prize for his August 28, 1963 speech that began with these words, “I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character”.
And in his Nobel acceptance speech, he said, “I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality”. The members of the church in Corinth to whom Paul wrote were in turmoil, conflicted, divided, and in his letter, he expresses his frustrations. But at the end of Paul’s written speech to the Corinthians, he too airs his dream, that the people of the church at Corinth “repair whatever is broken. Encourage each other, think as one, and live at peace.” Paul wasn’t naïve, he knew they’d never be fully united, nor think exactly alike… but that is not what he asked of them. He did expect them to try… to try harder… to stretch themselves… to listen, to love, to seek reconciliation, to be the loving body of Christ they were called to be.
Hebron United, friends from afar, I have no doubt that Martin Luther King’s dream was written by God, given him by the Spirit. I stand here knowing the unfair privileges that come from merely being born white in this country, I have no idea what it is like to be otherwise. The problems we face are deep and complex… and though we have a long way to go, what if we were to claim King’s dream as our own? What if we were to honor our God of love and King’s brilliant work as we too refuse to accept that we are bound to racism? For we are not! There is hope! Seeds of our dream began right here when, in the midst of racial unrest, during the early 1960’s, the Hebron United Presbyterian Church made history, calling the Rev. Virgil Cruz as their new pastor. It was the first time in Presbyterian church history that a black man had been given the pastorate of an all-white church. Some of you worshipping with us this morning remember that historic time. I believe we as a faith community must do our humble best to bring King’s dream closer to fruition… in the process we’ll also pay tribute to the great courage and trust Pastor Cruz exemplified while standing in this very pulpit!
When I began, I suggested that racism is both a big city and rural, small town problem. Solutions don’t start exclusively big and at the top, they can take root in small towns and rural churches like you Hebron United! Just maybe the solution began in the peaceful, yet powerful gathering of over 100 folks of all ages and colors in quiet little Salem on Friday afternoon… 17 of whom are from this church… people speaking out against racism and for love! Car and truck horns honking in solidarity, people waving and smiling in support! Go Salem!! Let’s put that good news on front pages!
We have the challenge before us, as human beings, as disciples of Christ, to examine our own hearts, created good by our Triune God, to continue the good work we are doing, and to stretch ourselves… yes, to grow in faith and commitment to love one another as Christ has loved us… to be ever more so the face of unity, acceptance, diversity and unencumbered loving-welcome in our community. Echoing our mission statement, may we truly be seen as “a community sanctuary where all are welcomed, and none are judged!”
Thanks be to God! Thanks be to God for you.
Let us pray. O Father, Spirit, Son, our Holy Trinity of hopes and dreams, of peace and unity, thank you for sparking within us a desire and the courage to please you in all that we say, think, and do. God, thank you for forgiving us our sins and encouraging us, by Jesus’ example and the Spirit’s indwelling, to be partners in healing the hurt and anger of the world. We have no perfect plan, but you do. We sit before you offering all that we are so that you may make us, as individuals and as your body, agents of reconciliation and love for all people. With both sorrow-filled and hopeful hearts we pray for your world and in your name, O God of peace. Amen.
May the following sung prayer, bring you to a place of humility, renewed hope, and commitment to loving as Jesus has loved you:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E5e1TpEqb4
June 7, 2020
Rev. Laura L. Mitchell
The apostle Paul wrote at least three letters to the church in Corinth, two of which are found in our biblical canon. The church’s membership included Jews and gentile converts, men and women, the powerful elite and socially humble. No wonder the little church knew tension, bitter factions, and division. Some among them were beginning to question the validity of Paul’s message. And so, the conclusion of his second letter to the church at Corinth alludes to the need for reconciliation, between Paul and the church… between the church members themselves. Let us listen now to God’s word from, 2 Corinthians 13:11-13, reading this week from “The Voice”.
“Finally, brothers and sisters, keep rejoicing and repair whatever is broken. Encourage each other, think as one, and live at peace; and God, the Author of love and peace, will remain with you. Greet each other with a holy kiss, as brothers and sisters. All the saints here with me send you their greeting. May the grace of the Lord Jesus the Anointed, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit remain with you all.”
The Word of the Lord! Thanks be to God!
I am grateful for the beautiful and profoundly needed message of comfort given to us last Sunday by Rev. John Barclay, as he reflected upon Psalm 23. But for almost two weeks now our country has been turned upside down in response to the death of George Floyd. Friends, I honestly did not know what to do. I didn’t know what to say to you or what not say. But my heart was and is convicted that as human beings and as the church of Jesus Christ, we need, somehow, to respond. So, I ask your grace, your compassion, your understanding as I speak, from my heart today, of a very sensitive and difficult issue.
In reading and contemplation, my mind recalled how, months ago, I became aware that some teens in our church, and in the Salem area community, had voiced strongly that while they acknowledged the seriousness of the current drug epidemic, their perception is that racism is one of, if not the biggest problem in our area. Wow! We may find that hard to believe, hard to swallow. Growing up in the sixties I remember well the prevalence of discrimination and racism. Phill and I witnessed blatant racism when our family lived in North Carolina in the late 80’s and early 90’s. But, certainly not here, not now… in our beautiful community… in 2020! Sadly, the teens of whom I speak bear witness… they hear it, see it, some having been victims of it.
None of us thinks ourselves racist, yet it is a problem of the soul of society. If I suggest that I am never part of it, that I never have a racist thought, then I am only fooling myself! When we think of racism we may think, big city, but it’s not just a big city problem. It is also a little town, rural community problem, not confined to southern states, but right here in the northeast! The corona virus crisis has caused enough stress and division without adding another layer of horror… Mr. Floyd’s violent death and the subsequent destruction of cities across our beautiful country. With you I am heartbroken, confused, frustrated, angry, worried, and feeling… well helpless. In my helplessness on Friday morning, I escaped to Merck Forest (pictured above, left) hiking alone for 2 ½ hours to Viewpoint. I sat silently, thinking, then not thinking, being with and then thanking God for a brief respite… and feeling the deepest peace I have felt in weeks. After taking photo after photo of God’s beautiful creation, I knew I had to go back, and on my hike down I realized that we need to… we have to, we must… hang on to hope that things can change and that somehow we might be a part of that change… to become an even more Christlike loving people… able to see with God’s eyes, able to love with God’s heart.
Yet I have no concrete answer… I’ve developed no plan. If I had an answer and a plan of how to rid our world, country, community, ourselves of racism and discrimination- in our thoughts, words, and deeds, I would write a book and I’d win the Nobel Peace Prize. No, I don’t have a plan, but God does… let’s give the prize to God and read the book… the one that calls us to do justice, love mercy, walk humbly, and love as Jesus has loved us…. All of us!
Martin Luther King, Jr. won the Nobel Peace Prize for his August 28, 1963 speech that began with these words, “I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character”.
And in his Nobel acceptance speech, he said, “I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality”. The members of the church in Corinth to whom Paul wrote were in turmoil, conflicted, divided, and in his letter, he expresses his frustrations. But at the end of Paul’s written speech to the Corinthians, he too airs his dream, that the people of the church at Corinth “repair whatever is broken. Encourage each other, think as one, and live at peace.” Paul wasn’t naïve, he knew they’d never be fully united, nor think exactly alike… but that is not what he asked of them. He did expect them to try… to try harder… to stretch themselves… to listen, to love, to seek reconciliation, to be the loving body of Christ they were called to be.
Hebron United, friends from afar, I have no doubt that Martin Luther King’s dream was written by God, given him by the Spirit. I stand here knowing the unfair privileges that come from merely being born white in this country, I have no idea what it is like to be otherwise. The problems we face are deep and complex… and though we have a long way to go, what if we were to claim King’s dream as our own? What if we were to honor our God of love and King’s brilliant work as we too refuse to accept that we are bound to racism? For we are not! There is hope! Seeds of our dream began right here when, in the midst of racial unrest, during the early 1960’s, the Hebron United Presbyterian Church made history, calling the Rev. Virgil Cruz as their new pastor. It was the first time in Presbyterian church history that a black man had been given the pastorate of an all-white church. Some of you worshipping with us this morning remember that historic time. I believe we as a faith community must do our humble best to bring King’s dream closer to fruition… in the process we’ll also pay tribute to the great courage and trust Pastor Cruz exemplified while standing in this very pulpit!
When I began, I suggested that racism is both a big city and rural, small town problem. Solutions don’t start exclusively big and at the top, they can take root in small towns and rural churches like you Hebron United! Just maybe the solution began in the peaceful, yet powerful gathering of over 100 folks of all ages and colors in quiet little Salem on Friday afternoon… 17 of whom are from this church… people speaking out against racism and for love! Car and truck horns honking in solidarity, people waving and smiling in support! Go Salem!! Let’s put that good news on front pages!
We have the challenge before us, as human beings, as disciples of Christ, to examine our own hearts, created good by our Triune God, to continue the good work we are doing, and to stretch ourselves… yes, to grow in faith and commitment to love one another as Christ has loved us… to be ever more so the face of unity, acceptance, diversity and unencumbered loving-welcome in our community. Echoing our mission statement, may we truly be seen as “a community sanctuary where all are welcomed, and none are judged!”
Thanks be to God! Thanks be to God for you.
Let us pray. O Father, Spirit, Son, our Holy Trinity of hopes and dreams, of peace and unity, thank you for sparking within us a desire and the courage to please you in all that we say, think, and do. God, thank you for forgiving us our sins and encouraging us, by Jesus’ example and the Spirit’s indwelling, to be partners in healing the hurt and anger of the world. We have no perfect plan, but you do. We sit before you offering all that we are so that you may make us, as individuals and as your body, agents of reconciliation and love for all people. With both sorrow-filled and hopeful hearts we pray for your world and in your name, O God of peace. Amen.
May the following sung prayer, bring you to a place of humility, renewed hope, and commitment to loving as Jesus has loved you:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E5e1TpEqb4
Pentecost Sunday 5.31.2020
Many thanks to Rev. John Barclay, guest preacher.
"The Shepherd's Care is Enough"
Over the course of our lives, we all memorize many, many things. More than we realize, I suspect. I still know Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, which I memorized in the fourth grade. I’ve listened to the songs of Les Misérables so many times that I know most of the lyrics by heart when I listen now. I know the words to all the verses of “Amazing Grace” and many of the Christmas carols. I probably have more song lyrics than Bible verses in my memory banks. But I do have the 23rd Psalm memorized. And am really glad that I do.
There’s a reason why it’s one of the best-known poems in western literature, a good reason why it is commonly read at deathbeds and funerals and memorial services.
So let’s take a look at it this morning and see what it might say to us in our present circumstances. Let’s start at the beginning.
“The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.”
Whoa, stop right there! There’s a problem here. I can’t say that. Can you say “I shall not want”? I want lots of things. Right now, I want lots of things.
· I want this virus to go away
· I want all the people who have it now to recover.
· I want school not to be closed.
· As the parent of a high school senior, I want proms and senior awards recognitions, graduation parties and the graduation ceremony itself. I want all of that for the class of 2020.
· I want restaurants to open up again.
· I want to be able to have friends over for dinner.
· I want to be able to preach to you in your lovely sanctuary, and not virtually over a Zoom connection.
· I want everyone to go back to work, to be able to pay for their groceries, their mortgage, their rent, their medical care.
I want everything to go back to the way it used to be.
No, that’s not true. I want things to be better than they were.
· I want everyone to feel safe in their homes.
· I want no unnecessary police violence against people of color, and an end to racism.
· I want fewer people in prison.
· I want us to tackle the climate crisis with the same passion and energy and focus that we are bringing to the challenge of COVID-19.
I want a lot. Given all that, how can I say, “I shall not want”? I shall not have anydesires that fall outside the gifts of God? What God gives will be enough for me, for us? That is a statement of enormous confidence in the generosity of God. And this morning, I’m not sure I have that confidence.
On the other hand, the last few months have been a season of discovering that, in some ways, we do want less, and that we can get by with much less. Think of a few things that no longer seem all that important. Car trips, work clothes, pants. A small-town mayor in Maryland wrote in a Facebook post last month: “Please remember to put pants on before leaving the house to check your mailbox. You know who you are. This is your final warning.” I am wearing pants right now. Really, I am.
All kidding aside, this has been a season of discovering what matters, what is important, and as people of faith, to trust that God will provide the most important things to us. So that we can say with confidence,
“The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.”
How do we know that we can trust God to give us what we need? The rest of the psalm tries to answer that question. The psalm-writer tries to answer that question and invites us to take two journeys of imagination.
First, pretend you are sheep. I know that is a rather insulting suggestion because, yes, sheep are kind of dumb. They don’t know how to take care of themselves or even to come in out of the rain. Left to their own devices, they would soon be in trouble. Sheep need a shepherd. And that’s okay, because the Lord is a good shepherd; reliable, strong, and generous.
With this shepherd, there is plenty to eat (the pastures are green), plenty to drink (the water is still), and there are safe straight paths. Best of all, this shepherd restores our soul. I don’t know about you, but my soul could use a little restoring. Our collective soul could use a little restoring.
The poem shifts abruptly to a second journey of imagination. The psalm asks us to pretend that we are a stranger traveling through dangerous territory, through the valley of the shadow of death. Right now, that doesn’t require that much imagination. That’s a trip to the grocery store. Right now, a trip to the grocery store can feel like such a journey. I have almost started to call my local Hannaford the valley of the shadow of death.
Death is something we can usually ignore. We’ve gone through many a day without thinking about it, but not these days. Death is in the air we breathe. The news we consume. The subject of conversations we are having on walks, over Zoom. We are indeed walking through the valley of the shadow of death. Some of us more than others. Our hearts break for the families of those who have died, often alone, and for the patients and their family members in the hospital now. Family and friends cannot go and be there with them. Cannot advocate for their loved one. I wonder if these verses are comforting for them.
Note that the psalm doesn’t say “if” I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. There is no “if.” We all walk this valley sooner or later. We are walking together through a valley of loss. Together. Which means that we get to hear the rest of the psalm together.
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For thou art with me. That is a strong promise, a very strong promise. “I am with you,” God says. I know I’m not the only one who has thought about people dying in hospitals, alone. It’s sad and scary and unimaginable. They aren’t dying alone. Health care professionals are there with them, and that is not a small thing.
There is another important way in which people are not dying alone. God is with them. In a time where there is so much we do not know, in a time of so much uncertainty, there is one thing I know with absolute certainty. God is with them. God is with them.
God is with us. In and through all things, including this pandemic, and in these days of increasing racial violence and unrest. With us in this darkest of valleys. This psalm assures us that we are more cared for than we have ever imagined.
Throughout my years of active ministry, I was with innumerable people when their very lives were threatened, usually because of a critical illness. And so often during those times, I found myself saying aloud to them and to myself, “The Lord is my shepherd. The Lord is my shepherd . . .”
That’s how the psalm begins. But the Psalmist saves the best for last. “Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” A more accurate translation is: Goodness and mercy shall pursue me all the days of my life. God’s goodness, you see, is tracking us down. We are being chased by God’s powerful love.
Yes, we can indeed outrun that love of God. All we have to do is keep moving.
· Keep trusting in our own best efforts to make something of our lives.
· Keep trying to control the events and people around us.
· Keep carrying that burden because who will pick it up if you put it down?
Even in this time, we find ways to keep running. And if we continue to do
that, God’s goodness and mercy will never catch up with us. But if we want to be caught, if we want to be caught… all we have to do is stop. All we have to do is stop and God’s goodness and mercy will grab us, hold on to us, and never let us go.
My advice? Stop running. Stop. Let yourself be caught and embraced in the arms of the shepherd. Because in the arms of the shepherd, there is enough. Enough food. Enough drink. Enough comfort. Enough love, forevermore. In the arms of the shepherd, there is enough.
"The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want."
Thanks be to God. Amen.
Please enjoy this beautiful hymn:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwIZJpCCBIM
Many thanks to Rev. John Barclay, guest preacher.
"The Shepherd's Care is Enough"
Over the course of our lives, we all memorize many, many things. More than we realize, I suspect. I still know Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, which I memorized in the fourth grade. I’ve listened to the songs of Les Misérables so many times that I know most of the lyrics by heart when I listen now. I know the words to all the verses of “Amazing Grace” and many of the Christmas carols. I probably have more song lyrics than Bible verses in my memory banks. But I do have the 23rd Psalm memorized. And am really glad that I do.
There’s a reason why it’s one of the best-known poems in western literature, a good reason why it is commonly read at deathbeds and funerals and memorial services.
So let’s take a look at it this morning and see what it might say to us in our present circumstances. Let’s start at the beginning.
“The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.”
Whoa, stop right there! There’s a problem here. I can’t say that. Can you say “I shall not want”? I want lots of things. Right now, I want lots of things.
· I want this virus to go away
· I want all the people who have it now to recover.
· I want school not to be closed.
· As the parent of a high school senior, I want proms and senior awards recognitions, graduation parties and the graduation ceremony itself. I want all of that for the class of 2020.
· I want restaurants to open up again.
· I want to be able to have friends over for dinner.
· I want to be able to preach to you in your lovely sanctuary, and not virtually over a Zoom connection.
· I want everyone to go back to work, to be able to pay for their groceries, their mortgage, their rent, their medical care.
I want everything to go back to the way it used to be.
No, that’s not true. I want things to be better than they were.
· I want everyone to feel safe in their homes.
· I want no unnecessary police violence against people of color, and an end to racism.
· I want fewer people in prison.
· I want us to tackle the climate crisis with the same passion and energy and focus that we are bringing to the challenge of COVID-19.
I want a lot. Given all that, how can I say, “I shall not want”? I shall not have anydesires that fall outside the gifts of God? What God gives will be enough for me, for us? That is a statement of enormous confidence in the generosity of God. And this morning, I’m not sure I have that confidence.
On the other hand, the last few months have been a season of discovering that, in some ways, we do want less, and that we can get by with much less. Think of a few things that no longer seem all that important. Car trips, work clothes, pants. A small-town mayor in Maryland wrote in a Facebook post last month: “Please remember to put pants on before leaving the house to check your mailbox. You know who you are. This is your final warning.” I am wearing pants right now. Really, I am.
All kidding aside, this has been a season of discovering what matters, what is important, and as people of faith, to trust that God will provide the most important things to us. So that we can say with confidence,
“The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.”
How do we know that we can trust God to give us what we need? The rest of the psalm tries to answer that question. The psalm-writer tries to answer that question and invites us to take two journeys of imagination.
First, pretend you are sheep. I know that is a rather insulting suggestion because, yes, sheep are kind of dumb. They don’t know how to take care of themselves or even to come in out of the rain. Left to their own devices, they would soon be in trouble. Sheep need a shepherd. And that’s okay, because the Lord is a good shepherd; reliable, strong, and generous.
With this shepherd, there is plenty to eat (the pastures are green), plenty to drink (the water is still), and there are safe straight paths. Best of all, this shepherd restores our soul. I don’t know about you, but my soul could use a little restoring. Our collective soul could use a little restoring.
The poem shifts abruptly to a second journey of imagination. The psalm asks us to pretend that we are a stranger traveling through dangerous territory, through the valley of the shadow of death. Right now, that doesn’t require that much imagination. That’s a trip to the grocery store. Right now, a trip to the grocery store can feel like such a journey. I have almost started to call my local Hannaford the valley of the shadow of death.
Death is something we can usually ignore. We’ve gone through many a day without thinking about it, but not these days. Death is in the air we breathe. The news we consume. The subject of conversations we are having on walks, over Zoom. We are indeed walking through the valley of the shadow of death. Some of us more than others. Our hearts break for the families of those who have died, often alone, and for the patients and their family members in the hospital now. Family and friends cannot go and be there with them. Cannot advocate for their loved one. I wonder if these verses are comforting for them.
Note that the psalm doesn’t say “if” I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. There is no “if.” We all walk this valley sooner or later. We are walking together through a valley of loss. Together. Which means that we get to hear the rest of the psalm together.
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For thou art with me. That is a strong promise, a very strong promise. “I am with you,” God says. I know I’m not the only one who has thought about people dying in hospitals, alone. It’s sad and scary and unimaginable. They aren’t dying alone. Health care professionals are there with them, and that is not a small thing.
There is another important way in which people are not dying alone. God is with them. In a time where there is so much we do not know, in a time of so much uncertainty, there is one thing I know with absolute certainty. God is with them. God is with them.
God is with us. In and through all things, including this pandemic, and in these days of increasing racial violence and unrest. With us in this darkest of valleys. This psalm assures us that we are more cared for than we have ever imagined.
Throughout my years of active ministry, I was with innumerable people when their very lives were threatened, usually because of a critical illness. And so often during those times, I found myself saying aloud to them and to myself, “The Lord is my shepherd. The Lord is my shepherd . . .”
That’s how the psalm begins. But the Psalmist saves the best for last. “Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” A more accurate translation is: Goodness and mercy shall pursue me all the days of my life. God’s goodness, you see, is tracking us down. We are being chased by God’s powerful love.
Yes, we can indeed outrun that love of God. All we have to do is keep moving.
· Keep trusting in our own best efforts to make something of our lives.
· Keep trying to control the events and people around us.
· Keep carrying that burden because who will pick it up if you put it down?
Even in this time, we find ways to keep running. And if we continue to do
that, God’s goodness and mercy will never catch up with us. But if we want to be caught, if we want to be caught… all we have to do is stop. All we have to do is stop and God’s goodness and mercy will grab us, hold on to us, and never let us go.
My advice? Stop running. Stop. Let yourself be caught and embraced in the arms of the shepherd. Because in the arms of the shepherd, there is enough. Enough food. Enough drink. Enough comfort. Enough love, forevermore. In the arms of the shepherd, there is enough.
"The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want."
Thanks be to God. Amen.
Please enjoy this beautiful hymn:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwIZJpCCBIM
HUPC Sermon Easter 7A
5.24.2020
Rev. Laura L. Mitchell
Welcome to this Seventh and final Sunday in the season of Easter!
Let us once again proclaim the good news saying,
“Christ is Risen, He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!”
The season of Easter spans from Resurrection Sunday lasting the great 50 days until Pentecost, next Sunday May 31st! It is meant as a joyful time to celebrate the presence of the Risen Christ with us! And while each and every Sunday celebrates the Resurrection, it is in these great 50 days that we dress the church in white, hear stories of the appearances of Jesus to his disciples, and continue to sing to the glory of the resurrection! It is during these days that we remember that Jesus did not simply rise and disappear, but has ascended into heaven, leaving us, not orphaned, but with his promised presence in the Advocate, the Holy Spirit.
Jesus is alive, he is very much present with us, thanks be to God, and so it may seem oddly out of order, these last three weeks, that we have been listening to words Jesus spoken on the night of his arrest, on the eve of his crucifixion. He had gathered his disciples together, in love, warning them of what was to happen, urging them to remember his command to love one another, offering them his comfort, promising them his presence.
Remembering that so often that it is in final words that one expresses what is most important, this week we continue to listen to Jesus’ Farewell Discourse, as it comes to its completion in John 17. Let listen now to God’s word…
John 17:1-11
“After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.”
The Word of the Lord, thanks be to God!
Preaching in the midst of a global pandemic and shutdown is something for which no seminary could ever fully prepare its students. Pastors preach after earthquakes, fires, and hurricanes. I feel for and give thanks for those preaching in the wake of who 9/11. I can’t imagine what was it like for them and for those who preached through the years of our nation’s civil war and both world wars! This is our tenth Sunday on pause. Once again, from near and far, here we are… faithfully together again. Hopefully, even from our own living spaces, we are remembering what it feels like to gather for worship, to sing hymns, lift up prayers, and hear the word of God spoken and proclaimed. How grateful I am for your patience and words of encouragement. Still, I’ve had a strange sense, these10 Sundays, that I am continually preaching a funeral sermon, as each week I have felt a great longing to speak to our corporate grief and lead us into the healing, comfort, and hope found in God’s heart. I am also continually in awe of the way God’s ancient Word is apt in every age and how with the Spirit’s guidance our set lectionary cycles speak to us. where we are, year after year!
We know that it was to a group of weary, worried, wondering, anxious disciples that Jesus spoke last words read this morning. And while we find enjoyment in these gorgeous spring days and many are getting a rest from the busyness of life, like the disciples, many, many of us share in their weariness and worry. We are impatient and continually wonder how and when we’ll ever get back to something called “normal”? To that question… we hear either countless, questionable answers… or the frustrating, anxiety provoking silence of, “we just don’t know”. With the disciples we find ourselves mourning what was and what we hoped would be… And so scripture speaks-- Just before lifting his eyes heavenward in prayer, Jesus reminded them that very soon they would see him no longer… promised them that while they would weep and mourn… their grief would one day turn to joy. While the world would offer them trouble, he was offering them his peace.
Imagining myself in their place, oh how I empathize with the numbing confusion of deep sorrow… the anxiety of the age… their inability to accept, neither Jesus’ predictions, or his promises of joy, peace, and presence! Jesus had given and given and given… yet still, they needed more. So… with the disciples, we listen in… actually eavesdropping on Jesus! Knowing that they can hear him, Jesus prays aloud… he prays for himself and… he prays for them! Jesus is praying on the disciple’s behalf, but let us continue to listen as Jesus prays on, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message… I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message…”
Friends thousands of years ago, Jesus was praying for us! While there is no doubt that prayers offered by friends, family, even strangers have great power, and in them we find comfort, can we even begin to grasp the mystery and great gift that Jesus prayed for humanity then, and that he continues to pray for us today? And for what does he pray? Jesus prays for their protection, for our protection. He prays that they may be one… that we may be one, not all thinking, acting, or looking exactly alike, but, brought to unity as a diverse global family, that we may have the full measure of Jesus’ joy within us!
I urge you to read the entirety of Jesus’ prayer in John 17 and, imagining as you read that you too are listening in… hearing Jesus pray for us… for you! Imagine him praying for our endurance and our unity through these trying, divisive times! Jesus… God… Spirit, is praying for us right now! Listen… listen... and in listening may our hearts be comforted and transformed during these days at home. Our world, nation, communities, families to be healed and brought together united in love and compassion for all of God’s good creation! May the seed of God’s love deep within us, and our inner goodness grow and be made known as light in our darkness, bringing us out on the other side of this pandemic, as a more loving, compassionate, accepting, unified people! Because Jesus is praying for us, it can be so, if only we will let go, lay down our broken, false selves and listen… We have the capacity and resources to take this awful plague, and with the Spirit’s help, change our own hearts first and with humility, come together across divides… turning our own and the world’s grief into joy!
Friends, Jesus promises were then and are now, true, eternal, for all-- for his first disciples and for us. Hold on beloved, Jesus is praying!! In humility and awe, let us pray…
Dearest Jesus, we find ourselves in times of trouble and turmoil, come illumine our darkness so that we may see you in the face of others and in the beauty of creation. Help us to feel the loving encouragement of your Spirit within and all around us bringing us to an unexpected place of peace in the midst of chaos. O Holy One, heal our broken, anxious, grief-stricken hearts, so that listening deeply to you and to others, we may make your joy and ours complete in our unity. In awe of the wonder that you pray for us, Lord Jesus, we pray in your name. Amen.
May God Be With You Until We Meet Again!
May the hymn, linked below, singing this blessing touch your heart and give you strength in the days ahead:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQlv_xUYATg
5.24.2020
Rev. Laura L. Mitchell
Welcome to this Seventh and final Sunday in the season of Easter!
Let us once again proclaim the good news saying,
“Christ is Risen, He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!”
The season of Easter spans from Resurrection Sunday lasting the great 50 days until Pentecost, next Sunday May 31st! It is meant as a joyful time to celebrate the presence of the Risen Christ with us! And while each and every Sunday celebrates the Resurrection, it is in these great 50 days that we dress the church in white, hear stories of the appearances of Jesus to his disciples, and continue to sing to the glory of the resurrection! It is during these days that we remember that Jesus did not simply rise and disappear, but has ascended into heaven, leaving us, not orphaned, but with his promised presence in the Advocate, the Holy Spirit.
Jesus is alive, he is very much present with us, thanks be to God, and so it may seem oddly out of order, these last three weeks, that we have been listening to words Jesus spoken on the night of his arrest, on the eve of his crucifixion. He had gathered his disciples together, in love, warning them of what was to happen, urging them to remember his command to love one another, offering them his comfort, promising them his presence.
Remembering that so often that it is in final words that one expresses what is most important, this week we continue to listen to Jesus’ Farewell Discourse, as it comes to its completion in John 17. Let listen now to God’s word…
John 17:1-11
“After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.”
The Word of the Lord, thanks be to God!
Preaching in the midst of a global pandemic and shutdown is something for which no seminary could ever fully prepare its students. Pastors preach after earthquakes, fires, and hurricanes. I feel for and give thanks for those preaching in the wake of who 9/11. I can’t imagine what was it like for them and for those who preached through the years of our nation’s civil war and both world wars! This is our tenth Sunday on pause. Once again, from near and far, here we are… faithfully together again. Hopefully, even from our own living spaces, we are remembering what it feels like to gather for worship, to sing hymns, lift up prayers, and hear the word of God spoken and proclaimed. How grateful I am for your patience and words of encouragement. Still, I’ve had a strange sense, these10 Sundays, that I am continually preaching a funeral sermon, as each week I have felt a great longing to speak to our corporate grief and lead us into the healing, comfort, and hope found in God’s heart. I am also continually in awe of the way God’s ancient Word is apt in every age and how with the Spirit’s guidance our set lectionary cycles speak to us. where we are, year after year!
We know that it was to a group of weary, worried, wondering, anxious disciples that Jesus spoke last words read this morning. And while we find enjoyment in these gorgeous spring days and many are getting a rest from the busyness of life, like the disciples, many, many of us share in their weariness and worry. We are impatient and continually wonder how and when we’ll ever get back to something called “normal”? To that question… we hear either countless, questionable answers… or the frustrating, anxiety provoking silence of, “we just don’t know”. With the disciples we find ourselves mourning what was and what we hoped would be… And so scripture speaks-- Just before lifting his eyes heavenward in prayer, Jesus reminded them that very soon they would see him no longer… promised them that while they would weep and mourn… their grief would one day turn to joy. While the world would offer them trouble, he was offering them his peace.
Imagining myself in their place, oh how I empathize with the numbing confusion of deep sorrow… the anxiety of the age… their inability to accept, neither Jesus’ predictions, or his promises of joy, peace, and presence! Jesus had given and given and given… yet still, they needed more. So… with the disciples, we listen in… actually eavesdropping on Jesus! Knowing that they can hear him, Jesus prays aloud… he prays for himself and… he prays for them! Jesus is praying on the disciple’s behalf, but let us continue to listen as Jesus prays on, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message… I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message…”
Friends thousands of years ago, Jesus was praying for us! While there is no doubt that prayers offered by friends, family, even strangers have great power, and in them we find comfort, can we even begin to grasp the mystery and great gift that Jesus prayed for humanity then, and that he continues to pray for us today? And for what does he pray? Jesus prays for their protection, for our protection. He prays that they may be one… that we may be one, not all thinking, acting, or looking exactly alike, but, brought to unity as a diverse global family, that we may have the full measure of Jesus’ joy within us!
I urge you to read the entirety of Jesus’ prayer in John 17 and, imagining as you read that you too are listening in… hearing Jesus pray for us… for you! Imagine him praying for our endurance and our unity through these trying, divisive times! Jesus… God… Spirit, is praying for us right now! Listen… listen... and in listening may our hearts be comforted and transformed during these days at home. Our world, nation, communities, families to be healed and brought together united in love and compassion for all of God’s good creation! May the seed of God’s love deep within us, and our inner goodness grow and be made known as light in our darkness, bringing us out on the other side of this pandemic, as a more loving, compassionate, accepting, unified people! Because Jesus is praying for us, it can be so, if only we will let go, lay down our broken, false selves and listen… We have the capacity and resources to take this awful plague, and with the Spirit’s help, change our own hearts first and with humility, come together across divides… turning our own and the world’s grief into joy!
Friends, Jesus promises were then and are now, true, eternal, for all-- for his first disciples and for us. Hold on beloved, Jesus is praying!! In humility and awe, let us pray…
Dearest Jesus, we find ourselves in times of trouble and turmoil, come illumine our darkness so that we may see you in the face of others and in the beauty of creation. Help us to feel the loving encouragement of your Spirit within and all around us bringing us to an unexpected place of peace in the midst of chaos. O Holy One, heal our broken, anxious, grief-stricken hearts, so that listening deeply to you and to others, we may make your joy and ours complete in our unity. In awe of the wonder that you pray for us, Lord Jesus, we pray in your name. Amen.
May God Be With You Until We Meet Again!
May the hymn, linked below, singing this blessing touch your heart and give you strength in the days ahead:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQlv_xUYATg
HUPC Sermon Easter 6A
Rev. Laura L. Mitchell
5.17.2020
John 14:15-21
“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
*******************************************************************************
Could you use a laugh…. or to at least crack a smile this morning? Every once in a while, I like to offer a joke or two so, while not denying the sobriety of our current state, I offer a few funnies.
Q: Why do cows never have any money?
A: Because farmers milk them dry!
Q: What did the SNAIL say while riding on the turtle’s back?
A: Wheeeeeeeee
And finally…
“The young couple invited their aged pastor for Sunday dinner. While they were in the kitchen preparing the meal, the minister asked their son, “What’s for dinner?” “Goat,” the little boy replied. “Goat?” replied the startled pastor. “Are you sure about that?” “Oh, yes,” said the boy. “On the drive back from church I heard Mom say to Dad, ‘Remember, we’re having the old goat for dinner tonight.’ ”
Gosh it feels good to laugh and I have almost no doubt that Jesus and his disciples had to have shared a laugh or two, but that said, the corona virus and Jesus’ last days, were no laughing matter… This week’s scripture is part of what is called, Jesus’ “Farewell Discourse” or message given in John 13-17, a finale before his death— offering them comfort, hope, and a reprise of his teachings. Gathering His beloved disciples close, Jesus speaks to them of what He wants them to know, to remember, and who he wants them to be… He utters final words of comfort they’ll need to recall for courage and strength in the days ahead, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust in me.” We heard those words last week and as well the 16th Century priest and reformer, Martin Luther’s understanding of Jesus’ words-- what it looks
like to place our trust in God, “God is what you hang your heart upon” our hearts full of trouble and sorrow…. fear and confusion… hopes and dreams…
Final words are rarely about life bank accounts or accomplishments, more often than not, when we are fortunate enough to have them… we speak of love and relationship. Both are foremost in Jesus’ last words to His dear friends, “I am asking that you show your love for me in how you love others, that is my commandment…” Jesus words are filled with urgency as he goes on, promising the gift of the Spirit’s help and presence, with them and in them! Then he speaks words that jumped out and grabbed me this week, startling… begging our attention and response, “I will not leave you as orphans…” "I will not leave you as orphans", touched my heart in a powerful way, for there are times in our lives when we may feel orphaned… As many of you know, my Mom died in 1992 and Dad in 2014… after his death, my sisters and I looked at each other and realized, “We’re orphans.” What an odd, unsettling, feeling. The meaning of being a daughter was forever altered, as there was no longer even an elderly parent present to comfort us. "Who were we now that we had no one to call mom or dad? What had happened to the love and relationships we had known…?"
Surely the disciples had wondered the same, “Who will we be without Jesus by our side?” “Who are we now, after our beloved friend has died?” I would like to believe the following story to be true and hope that it may help us in our yearning…
“Soon after her brother was born, 4 year old Sachi began asking her parent to leave her alone with the new baby. They worried that she might feel jealous and possibly hurt him, so they said no. But she showed no signs of jealousy. She treated the baby with kindness and her pleas to be left alone with him became more urgent. They decided to allow it. Elated, she went into the baby's room and shut the door, but it opened a crack-- enough for her curious parents to peek in and listen. They saw little Sachi walk quietly up to her baby brother, put her face close to his and say quietly, "Baby, tell me what God feels like. I'm starting to forget."
Human beings lose sight of their first love… of God, of Jesus… therefore this sweet story-- a four year old longing to remember the love and relationship her baby brother still has with his creator. When our daughter holds baby Alexander in her arms, he gazes into her face with God given adoration. Close to Jesus’ love, Alexander’s love is pure and I dare say holy… He feels safe in momma’s arms. He is her’s… and just maybe his little baby heart and soul knows that he is, first of all, God’s beloved baby. What if we hadn’t forgotten-- what God feels like… God’s love… and who we are, hadn't forgotten the most important relationship and love? Challenges, like the one we are facing right now, this pandemic stay at home, seem to either define us, bringing us closer in love and relationship with God as we seek strength, meaning, and hope in the divine… or define us sadly, finding ourselves flailing and wondering who and whose we are? Will I allow bitter partisanship, fear, and doubt to define me? Is that who I want or should be? Or will I hang my heart upon and listen to the heartbeat, guidance, and comfort of the love of God? I suspect most of us will do both… some days entertaining despair and pessimism and, thanks be to God, other times finding blessed moments of remembering who we really are…
Oh how well Jesus knew his followers… how well he knows us, “I know you will need help along the way and so I am not leaving you orphans, I am leaving you with the gift of another advocate, helper, counselor, comforter, strength giver, encourager… I was your first Advocate, now in my absence, the Spirit, will be with you and in you…. the Spirit will be with you and in you.” In the gift of the Advocate, Jesus is promising to provide for their future… promising to comfort them in their present anxiety… promising to be with us right now in our anxiety and doubt…
Once upon a time, we were each that baby who had not forgotten what God feels like… had not forgotten who we are… and had known the presence of the Spirit of God within and all around us— God’s birthing gift of love and relationship. We have that same gift now as we go forward in these uncertain times. We are not orphans, we are children of God, loved and called to love. Not alone, but with the Spirit— sensed in stillness, the face of a loved one, the playfulness of a child… Friends, we belong to God… Jesus has commanded us to love as he has loved us… so we ask ourselves, who will we be… how will we both seek and display God’s love in and through this pandemic? An unusual opportunity lays before us… we are not lost, helpless orphans, for the Spirit is alive within us! Far stronger than the horror of these days is the beauty displayed in human love for one another… I want us each to look in the mirror… really, every morning, every evening… look… and remember, “I am not alone, the Spirit is with and within me. Who am I? I belong to God, have always and will always be! Who will I be? With the Spirit's help, even in these uncertain, terrible times, I can be at peace, I can be the loving disciple Jesus asks me to be!”
Let us pray. Lord God, some days we do forget who we are… we forget that we are yours, that we are not orphans. Though it is beyond our comprehension, help us to seek and lean on your Spirit who lives within and among us. Help us to long, like a little child, remembering back into our own infancy, what you felt like, so that we may live into who we are, not merely enduring these lonely, uncertain, tragic days, but growing in faith, love, and service to you, through them. In the name of God our father and mother, Jesus our teacher, brother, friend, and the Holy Spirit our counselor, helper, advocate, Amen.
Please enjoy the following hymn and music selection for a time of gratitude and reflection:
"God Is Here Today" (Text and Music: Javier Gacias; Translator: C. Michael Hawn; Arr: C. Michael Hawn and Arturo Gonzalez)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2sch31FnPQ
"Air" von Johann Sebastian Bach
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrVDATvUitA
Rev. Laura L. Mitchell
5.17.2020
John 14:15-21
“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
*******************************************************************************
Could you use a laugh…. or to at least crack a smile this morning? Every once in a while, I like to offer a joke or two so, while not denying the sobriety of our current state, I offer a few funnies.
Q: Why do cows never have any money?
A: Because farmers milk them dry!
Q: What did the SNAIL say while riding on the turtle’s back?
A: Wheeeeeeeee
And finally…
“The young couple invited their aged pastor for Sunday dinner. While they were in the kitchen preparing the meal, the minister asked their son, “What’s for dinner?” “Goat,” the little boy replied. “Goat?” replied the startled pastor. “Are you sure about that?” “Oh, yes,” said the boy. “On the drive back from church I heard Mom say to Dad, ‘Remember, we’re having the old goat for dinner tonight.’ ”
Gosh it feels good to laugh and I have almost no doubt that Jesus and his disciples had to have shared a laugh or two, but that said, the corona virus and Jesus’ last days, were no laughing matter… This week’s scripture is part of what is called, Jesus’ “Farewell Discourse” or message given in John 13-17, a finale before his death— offering them comfort, hope, and a reprise of his teachings. Gathering His beloved disciples close, Jesus speaks to them of what He wants them to know, to remember, and who he wants them to be… He utters final words of comfort they’ll need to recall for courage and strength in the days ahead, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust in me.” We heard those words last week and as well the 16th Century priest and reformer, Martin Luther’s understanding of Jesus’ words-- what it looks
like to place our trust in God, “God is what you hang your heart upon” our hearts full of trouble and sorrow…. fear and confusion… hopes and dreams…
Final words are rarely about life bank accounts or accomplishments, more often than not, when we are fortunate enough to have them… we speak of love and relationship. Both are foremost in Jesus’ last words to His dear friends, “I am asking that you show your love for me in how you love others, that is my commandment…” Jesus words are filled with urgency as he goes on, promising the gift of the Spirit’s help and presence, with them and in them! Then he speaks words that jumped out and grabbed me this week, startling… begging our attention and response, “I will not leave you as orphans…” "I will not leave you as orphans", touched my heart in a powerful way, for there are times in our lives when we may feel orphaned… As many of you know, my Mom died in 1992 and Dad in 2014… after his death, my sisters and I looked at each other and realized, “We’re orphans.” What an odd, unsettling, feeling. The meaning of being a daughter was forever altered, as there was no longer even an elderly parent present to comfort us. "Who were we now that we had no one to call mom or dad? What had happened to the love and relationships we had known…?"
Surely the disciples had wondered the same, “Who will we be without Jesus by our side?” “Who are we now, after our beloved friend has died?” I would like to believe the following story to be true and hope that it may help us in our yearning…
“Soon after her brother was born, 4 year old Sachi began asking her parent to leave her alone with the new baby. They worried that she might feel jealous and possibly hurt him, so they said no. But she showed no signs of jealousy. She treated the baby with kindness and her pleas to be left alone with him became more urgent. They decided to allow it. Elated, she went into the baby's room and shut the door, but it opened a crack-- enough for her curious parents to peek in and listen. They saw little Sachi walk quietly up to her baby brother, put her face close to his and say quietly, "Baby, tell me what God feels like. I'm starting to forget."
Human beings lose sight of their first love… of God, of Jesus… therefore this sweet story-- a four year old longing to remember the love and relationship her baby brother still has with his creator. When our daughter holds baby Alexander in her arms, he gazes into her face with God given adoration. Close to Jesus’ love, Alexander’s love is pure and I dare say holy… He feels safe in momma’s arms. He is her’s… and just maybe his little baby heart and soul knows that he is, first of all, God’s beloved baby. What if we hadn’t forgotten-- what God feels like… God’s love… and who we are, hadn't forgotten the most important relationship and love? Challenges, like the one we are facing right now, this pandemic stay at home, seem to either define us, bringing us closer in love and relationship with God as we seek strength, meaning, and hope in the divine… or define us sadly, finding ourselves flailing and wondering who and whose we are? Will I allow bitter partisanship, fear, and doubt to define me? Is that who I want or should be? Or will I hang my heart upon and listen to the heartbeat, guidance, and comfort of the love of God? I suspect most of us will do both… some days entertaining despair and pessimism and, thanks be to God, other times finding blessed moments of remembering who we really are…
Oh how well Jesus knew his followers… how well he knows us, “I know you will need help along the way and so I am not leaving you orphans, I am leaving you with the gift of another advocate, helper, counselor, comforter, strength giver, encourager… I was your first Advocate, now in my absence, the Spirit, will be with you and in you…. the Spirit will be with you and in you.” In the gift of the Advocate, Jesus is promising to provide for their future… promising to comfort them in their present anxiety… promising to be with us right now in our anxiety and doubt…
Once upon a time, we were each that baby who had not forgotten what God feels like… had not forgotten who we are… and had known the presence of the Spirit of God within and all around us— God’s birthing gift of love and relationship. We have that same gift now as we go forward in these uncertain times. We are not orphans, we are children of God, loved and called to love. Not alone, but with the Spirit— sensed in stillness, the face of a loved one, the playfulness of a child… Friends, we belong to God… Jesus has commanded us to love as he has loved us… so we ask ourselves, who will we be… how will we both seek and display God’s love in and through this pandemic? An unusual opportunity lays before us… we are not lost, helpless orphans, for the Spirit is alive within us! Far stronger than the horror of these days is the beauty displayed in human love for one another… I want us each to look in the mirror… really, every morning, every evening… look… and remember, “I am not alone, the Spirit is with and within me. Who am I? I belong to God, have always and will always be! Who will I be? With the Spirit's help, even in these uncertain, terrible times, I can be at peace, I can be the loving disciple Jesus asks me to be!”
Let us pray. Lord God, some days we do forget who we are… we forget that we are yours, that we are not orphans. Though it is beyond our comprehension, help us to seek and lean on your Spirit who lives within and among us. Help us to long, like a little child, remembering back into our own infancy, what you felt like, so that we may live into who we are, not merely enduring these lonely, uncertain, tragic days, but growing in faith, love, and service to you, through them. In the name of God our father and mother, Jesus our teacher, brother, friend, and the Holy Spirit our counselor, helper, advocate, Amen.
Please enjoy the following hymn and music selection for a time of gratitude and reflection:
"God Is Here Today" (Text and Music: Javier Gacias; Translator: C. Michael Hawn; Arr: C. Michael Hawn and Arturo Gonzalez)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2sch31FnPQ
"Air" von Johann Sebastian Bach
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrVDATvUitA
HUPC Sermon
Easter 5A
Rev. Laura L. Mitchell 5.10.2020
Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16
“In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God. My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me. Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.”
John 14:1-14
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”
***************************************************************************************
Life was about to throw the disciples a wicked curve ball… so Jesus said to them, “Do not let your hearts be troubled…!” Why? Why would their hearts become troubled? Well, maybe because Jesus, their teacher and traveling companion, dearest friend for the past three years… the one who healed, challenged authorities, preached and performed miracles… Jesus, whom they had grown to love, was acting strangely, saying disturbing things. Yes, life was about to throw them a wicked curve ball… and they weren’t ready despite Jesus’ repeated efforts to prepare them for his death. He would be with them only a little longer… and this time they could not follow… so he gave them a new commandment to love one another in order that the world would know they were his disciples… so that the world would see Jesus in them. In the next breath, Jesus was warning Peter, “I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”
It both exhausts and troubles my own heart imagining the disciples’ confusion and sorrow. Their anxiety was rooted in a growing, uneasy awareness that their time with Him was coming to a close… No wonder Thomas and Philip protested, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, how can we know the way? Lord, show us the Father? We don’t know him!” I am grateful for Thomases and Philips, the ones who aren’t afraid of looking “dumb” by asking the questions we all want to ask! Through their questions, they expressed the anxiety and looming sorrow that filled all of their hearts… “Please Jesus, don’t leave us.” They were frightened, terrified of finding themselves alone, lost without Him by their side.
While I love these verses from John 14 and have offered them many, many times at funerals or graveside, I’ve done so with caution… for in the midst of grief, fear, depression, illness, in the recognition that our mortal lives are not forever… in response to the daily stress, anxiety, and now the unknown and loneliness of this pandemic, I wonder how helpful or hurtful it is to hear, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Just trust, believe…” The Message Bible speaks, “Don’t let this throw you. You trust God, don’t you? Trust me.”
Pastors are taught to avoid platitudes or clichés that may belittle another’s emotional or physical state. Instead, listen, accept silence, encourage tears, even anger and lament! Empathize, folks are suffering… the disciples were suffering… Surely Jesus’ words aren’t cliché—but it seems to be in our human nature, to offer such expressions as “simply stop worrying, buck up, keep your chin up”—nervous, often well intentioned attempts to give comfort, while feeling ill at ease with another’s pain.
Many of our hearts are troubled these days… life was hard enough bearing our own personal struggles or those of our loved ones… we now find our troubles intensified as our divided nation and God’s beloved world navigates this confounding virus! How do we find the solace Jesus intended in these words from John’s gospel? Let us ponder this—Jesus’ words, “Do not let your hearts be troubled” do not from me, or a friend or relative, they come from the lips of God… our God in Christ Jesus. “Do not let your hearts be troubled” comes from the heart of Jesus who knew sorrow as He wept with Lazarus’ sisters, as He laid His hands on the sick, as He comforted the outcast and brought them back into the fold, as He predicted Judas’, Peter’s, and all of the disciples’ betrayals, and as He, Himself, was troubled in spirit. Jesus spoke those words of comfort and reassurance to His disciples knowing what would free their human hearts from trouble and knowing what will free ours. The world can offer no lasting consolation… only Jesus, “Trust, God. Trust, also in me… not in some unseen, unapproachable, incomprehensible concept… but in me, the one who lived and who lives now, in, around, and through you…” Oh, but how? How to trust? How to feel the relief Jesus longed for those words to bring?
16th Century priest and reformer, Martin Luther, develops what it looks like to trust God as he asked, “What does it mean to have a god? What is God?” His answer? God is what you hang your heart upon.[1] While hanging our troubled hearts on material things of the world offers little real comfort or lasting hope, I do implore you to keep up your counseling, talk to one another, take your medications for they too can be seen as gifts from God. Keep reading helpful books and attend Zoom groups. But Jesus is telling His beloved followers, above all else… to “hang your heart on God, hang your heart, with all that plagues it, hang your heart with all its doubts and fears, on me, for I am going… going to prepare a place for you. And that place is not a literal house in heaven, but oh so much better…” God’s house is about relationship right now, right here, today, and it is in this relationship that there is room for us… God takes time to care for our heartache…
At this point we are either saying, “Yes, that’s it! I get it!” or… still wondering what Jesus is trying to say… what your pastor is trying to say? So if we find ourselves as confused as the disciples, let us be patient, for even with Jesus in their very presence, his disciples felt lost and bewildered. That is why Jesus urges them to believe, to trust in Him. Incredulous, Jesus asks, “Have I been with you all this time Philip, and still you do not know me?” And Thomas confesses that he does not know the way… it is, into their context… to their troubled hearts that Jesus explains, “You do know God because you know me. You have seen God because you see me! You too, are close to the heart of God because that is where I am.” Just as sheep are kept close to the shepherd, Jesus is close to the heart of God… promising His long ago disciples, promising us today that we are included, that there is a place for each and every one of us… the Thomases and Philips included. Knowing that they and we would need a lot of help remembering and trusting that there is a very real God upon whom we can hang our troubled hearts… where we can hang the troubles of the world when we are at our wits end with how to make a difference or somehow get through the day… Words from the lips and heart of God, are never cliché, but have the power to bring lasting comfort, even in the worst of times and circumstances.
Friends, we too have been thrown a wicked, totally unexpected curve ball for which we could have never been prepared! But we have before us, through the very words of Jesus in John’s gospel, a beautiful, healing, strength-giving, hopeful image “hang our hearts upon God”… Jesus is inviting us to lean into him, to trust his way of love and compassion so that in and through times of heartache, we may rise to his challenge to continue following his way of love, to do what He had been doing, even greater things, in His name….
Let us pray. Lord Jesus you know well our troubled hearts aching in our own suffering as we witness the heartbreak of your world. We thank you for your patience with us as we struggle to understand your way. When we come face to face with more than we think we can handle, invite us again to hang our hearts on you, our God, who is not beyond our knowing, but is our Jesus who walked among humanity and who is forever with us, loving and guiding us through all our days. Embolden us in your name, to be encouragers, bearers of your peace, and to love others as you have loved us! We hang our hearts upon you, O God, our way, our truth, and our life. Amen.
Please enjoy this beautiful hymn sung this morning in worship:
"In the Bulb There is a Flower" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Gndx39q7QM
[1] Paul Lehman’s discussion in The Decalogue and a Human Future, (Grand Rapids: Eerdman’s, 1995).
Easter 5A
Rev. Laura L. Mitchell 5.10.2020
Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16
“In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God. My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me. Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.”
John 14:1-14
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”
***************************************************************************************
Life was about to throw the disciples a wicked curve ball… so Jesus said to them, “Do not let your hearts be troubled…!” Why? Why would their hearts become troubled? Well, maybe because Jesus, their teacher and traveling companion, dearest friend for the past three years… the one who healed, challenged authorities, preached and performed miracles… Jesus, whom they had grown to love, was acting strangely, saying disturbing things. Yes, life was about to throw them a wicked curve ball… and they weren’t ready despite Jesus’ repeated efforts to prepare them for his death. He would be with them only a little longer… and this time they could not follow… so he gave them a new commandment to love one another in order that the world would know they were his disciples… so that the world would see Jesus in them. In the next breath, Jesus was warning Peter, “I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”
It both exhausts and troubles my own heart imagining the disciples’ confusion and sorrow. Their anxiety was rooted in a growing, uneasy awareness that their time with Him was coming to a close… No wonder Thomas and Philip protested, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, how can we know the way? Lord, show us the Father? We don’t know him!” I am grateful for Thomases and Philips, the ones who aren’t afraid of looking “dumb” by asking the questions we all want to ask! Through their questions, they expressed the anxiety and looming sorrow that filled all of their hearts… “Please Jesus, don’t leave us.” They were frightened, terrified of finding themselves alone, lost without Him by their side.
While I love these verses from John 14 and have offered them many, many times at funerals or graveside, I’ve done so with caution… for in the midst of grief, fear, depression, illness, in the recognition that our mortal lives are not forever… in response to the daily stress, anxiety, and now the unknown and loneliness of this pandemic, I wonder how helpful or hurtful it is to hear, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Just trust, believe…” The Message Bible speaks, “Don’t let this throw you. You trust God, don’t you? Trust me.”
Pastors are taught to avoid platitudes or clichés that may belittle another’s emotional or physical state. Instead, listen, accept silence, encourage tears, even anger and lament! Empathize, folks are suffering… the disciples were suffering… Surely Jesus’ words aren’t cliché—but it seems to be in our human nature, to offer such expressions as “simply stop worrying, buck up, keep your chin up”—nervous, often well intentioned attempts to give comfort, while feeling ill at ease with another’s pain.
Many of our hearts are troubled these days… life was hard enough bearing our own personal struggles or those of our loved ones… we now find our troubles intensified as our divided nation and God’s beloved world navigates this confounding virus! How do we find the solace Jesus intended in these words from John’s gospel? Let us ponder this—Jesus’ words, “Do not let your hearts be troubled” do not from me, or a friend or relative, they come from the lips of God… our God in Christ Jesus. “Do not let your hearts be troubled” comes from the heart of Jesus who knew sorrow as He wept with Lazarus’ sisters, as He laid His hands on the sick, as He comforted the outcast and brought them back into the fold, as He predicted Judas’, Peter’s, and all of the disciples’ betrayals, and as He, Himself, was troubled in spirit. Jesus spoke those words of comfort and reassurance to His disciples knowing what would free their human hearts from trouble and knowing what will free ours. The world can offer no lasting consolation… only Jesus, “Trust, God. Trust, also in me… not in some unseen, unapproachable, incomprehensible concept… but in me, the one who lived and who lives now, in, around, and through you…” Oh, but how? How to trust? How to feel the relief Jesus longed for those words to bring?
16th Century priest and reformer, Martin Luther, develops what it looks like to trust God as he asked, “What does it mean to have a god? What is God?” His answer? God is what you hang your heart upon.[1] While hanging our troubled hearts on material things of the world offers little real comfort or lasting hope, I do implore you to keep up your counseling, talk to one another, take your medications for they too can be seen as gifts from God. Keep reading helpful books and attend Zoom groups. But Jesus is telling His beloved followers, above all else… to “hang your heart on God, hang your heart, with all that plagues it, hang your heart with all its doubts and fears, on me, for I am going… going to prepare a place for you. And that place is not a literal house in heaven, but oh so much better…” God’s house is about relationship right now, right here, today, and it is in this relationship that there is room for us… God takes time to care for our heartache…
At this point we are either saying, “Yes, that’s it! I get it!” or… still wondering what Jesus is trying to say… what your pastor is trying to say? So if we find ourselves as confused as the disciples, let us be patient, for even with Jesus in their very presence, his disciples felt lost and bewildered. That is why Jesus urges them to believe, to trust in Him. Incredulous, Jesus asks, “Have I been with you all this time Philip, and still you do not know me?” And Thomas confesses that he does not know the way… it is, into their context… to their troubled hearts that Jesus explains, “You do know God because you know me. You have seen God because you see me! You too, are close to the heart of God because that is where I am.” Just as sheep are kept close to the shepherd, Jesus is close to the heart of God… promising His long ago disciples, promising us today that we are included, that there is a place for each and every one of us… the Thomases and Philips included. Knowing that they and we would need a lot of help remembering and trusting that there is a very real God upon whom we can hang our troubled hearts… where we can hang the troubles of the world when we are at our wits end with how to make a difference or somehow get through the day… Words from the lips and heart of God, are never cliché, but have the power to bring lasting comfort, even in the worst of times and circumstances.
Friends, we too have been thrown a wicked, totally unexpected curve ball for which we could have never been prepared! But we have before us, through the very words of Jesus in John’s gospel, a beautiful, healing, strength-giving, hopeful image “hang our hearts upon God”… Jesus is inviting us to lean into him, to trust his way of love and compassion so that in and through times of heartache, we may rise to his challenge to continue following his way of love, to do what He had been doing, even greater things, in His name….
Let us pray. Lord Jesus you know well our troubled hearts aching in our own suffering as we witness the heartbreak of your world. We thank you for your patience with us as we struggle to understand your way. When we come face to face with more than we think we can handle, invite us again to hang our hearts on you, our God, who is not beyond our knowing, but is our Jesus who walked among humanity and who is forever with us, loving and guiding us through all our days. Embolden us in your name, to be encouragers, bearers of your peace, and to love others as you have loved us! We hang our hearts upon you, O God, our way, our truth, and our life. Amen.
Please enjoy this beautiful hymn sung this morning in worship:
"In the Bulb There is a Flower" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Gndx39q7QM
[1] Paul Lehman’s discussion in The Decalogue and a Human Future, (Grand Rapids: Eerdman’s, 1995).
Sunday May 3, 2020 Easter 4A
Guest speaker Diane Snyder, HUPC Director of Youth Ministry
Psalm 23 (RSV) "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever."
Acts 2:42-47 (NIV) "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."
*******************************************
Well, if that doesn’t sound foreign, I don’t know what does! Getting together daily, worshipping together, EATING MEALS together.... Oh wait, how about attending a Youth Ministry Forum where the main theme is...failure.
Failure. Yup, you heard me correctly. That’s what I spent a good deal of my day on Wednesday exploring, thinking about, and wrestling with. At first, I was honestly relieved. I was apprehensive going to the forum because I thought I might be one of the only leaders who has had a hard time knowing what to do in this moment. When I saw the word come across the screen, I immediately knew I was most certainly NOT alone. While failure might seem like an odd focus during any other time, I’m pretty confident that there are a few of you tuning in now that have NO trouble at all imagining why that theme was chosen specifically. Bear with me while I break down some of the concepts, as related to our scriptures today, of what I heard and am still digesting from Wednesday.
The first failure mentioned was the cross. What?! The cross as failure??? The cross was most certainly NOT a failure! Well, of course, what we believe, as Easter people, is that the cross was far from a failure. However, Jesus’ crucifixion could be considered a failure in terms of the injustice being served at that very specific time. Jesus was very clearly innocent as stated in many different ways throughout the gospels. It was also commonplace for innocent people to be crucified. Crucifixions were treated as spectacles for the general public to come and witness.
However, because of this clearly innocent man being crucified, it exposed many failures of the rulers and society of that time in how they treated each other in general. The crucifixion caused the disciples to live through that “Holy Saturday,” which is more of what feels like we are in now still. Easter has come, yes, but sometimes it just doesn’t FEEL like it. Pastor Laura has reminded us of how the disciples themselves may have felt...confused, desperate...even maybe failures themselves.
So now, this feeling of living still in the Holy Saturday at times, lays bare the failures of our own current society. Failures of ways to ensure that the food farmers are producing doesn’t go to waste, yet many of us are having to stand in lines for food around the world. Being told that there are limits on what we can get because the store hasn’t received enough. The failure of people to think of others first before purchasing protective equipment unnecessarily for themselves, inequities in medical care and access for people of color, the list could go on…
BUT, failure is not always a bad thing. Did you know that the failing at least 15% of the time is actually the “sweet spot” for learning. Students who were more of “B” students may have actually learned more than those “A” students because they were able to learn from their mistakes. Failure not only offers opportunity to learn, it offers vulnerability. The Latin root for the word failure is vulnerability. Right now, while it may sound like I have presented a scenario in which the world is failing (perhaps as it has been all along), the vulnerability that we are all experiencing as a result of these failures is creating in us all a SHARED VULNERABILITY, which ultimately leads to empathy. While feeling as if you’ve failed at something and are then made to feel vulnerable is uncomfortable, hard, and just plain stinks, it opens the door for true empathy for one another. This pandemic, while it is exposing the many places we as a society have failed each other, has certainly also leveled the playing field and opened many ways for us to see ourselves and our society in a different ways. So, if failure can be a teacher, which can lead to growth and change, how are we going to change together?
Well, the answer to that question requires A LOT of listening. That is what God seems to be asking us to do now more than ever. Silence, as was stated by one of the presenters this past Wednesday, seems to be God’s first language. It’s pretty impossible to hear someone else when you’re doing all the talking...or just too busy to really listen. Maybe God is inviting us to NOW, literally clear our lives out, give ourselves breathing room, and just listen. Listening has been the greatest gift I’ve been given out of the many “failures” of this moment. We are being given time to TRULY listen to what is going on in our world, listen to still small voice of God which is all around us, and look into the mirror that’s being held up to us through this pandemic with honesty.
Earlier this spring Pastor Laura put an insert into our bulletins, based off of her sermon, that reads, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8 followed by the question: What will my response to God look like this year? We were reminded in our first reading of God’s willingness to lead us. He is truly our Good Shepherd who sees us, listens to us, and certainly calls to us...if we are listening. He is willing to teach us and lead us through our failures, if we are willing to learn AND respond. We have certainly been humbled in these past weeks as privileged Americans. There are MANY in need all around us right now, are you seeing them and responding? Are you willing to share all of yourself for the sake of someone else right now? Sharing your emotions, your vulnerability, to show your own failures for the sake of growth and possibly even a “wonder or a sign,” as stated in our scripture from Acts, that might be seen by someone else and encourage them… or leave them with a sense of awe?
While Easter has come, and the joy of that beautiful morning may feel distant, please do not close your eyes or shut your ears to what God might be speaking to you, or showing you, during this very surely, historical moment. Just as the cross could be termed a failure, it was the most beautiful gift known to us. This time full of failures, can also be a gift if we are open to devoting ourselves to the apostles teaching and **virtual** fellowship, prayer, breaking of bread, and sharing our most vulnerable selves with each other. We will surely come out of this with tremendous growth and sincere hearts full of praise for God our Shepherd who can lead us beside still waters in the midst of our failures. It’s worth asking again, from a completely different perspective now, “What will your response to God look like this year?”
Let us pray: God our Shepherd, you promise to be with us, always and forever. No matter the darkest valleys or failures, your promise is steadfast and true. Help us to stay connected to you and to community. And may our actions and behaviors today be a source of encouragement for others to do the same. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Charge & Benediction: Failure is inevitable. We are all vulnerable right now, which does not have to be something to run and withdraw from. Instead, let us use this time to TRULY listen to God and continue considering what our response to Him will be through this difficult time.
Now, May God the Shepherd, bless us and keep us.
God the Redeemer, smile upon us and be gracious towards us.
God the Spirit, lead us in the path of wisdom and peace.
And all of God’s people say: Amen.*
*From D365.org
A beautiful hymn for you, for this time:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RF0DIpFOoBg
Guest speaker Diane Snyder, HUPC Director of Youth Ministry
Psalm 23 (RSV) "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever."
Acts 2:42-47 (NIV) "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."
*******************************************
Well, if that doesn’t sound foreign, I don’t know what does! Getting together daily, worshipping together, EATING MEALS together.... Oh wait, how about attending a Youth Ministry Forum where the main theme is...failure.
Failure. Yup, you heard me correctly. That’s what I spent a good deal of my day on Wednesday exploring, thinking about, and wrestling with. At first, I was honestly relieved. I was apprehensive going to the forum because I thought I might be one of the only leaders who has had a hard time knowing what to do in this moment. When I saw the word come across the screen, I immediately knew I was most certainly NOT alone. While failure might seem like an odd focus during any other time, I’m pretty confident that there are a few of you tuning in now that have NO trouble at all imagining why that theme was chosen specifically. Bear with me while I break down some of the concepts, as related to our scriptures today, of what I heard and am still digesting from Wednesday.
The first failure mentioned was the cross. What?! The cross as failure??? The cross was most certainly NOT a failure! Well, of course, what we believe, as Easter people, is that the cross was far from a failure. However, Jesus’ crucifixion could be considered a failure in terms of the injustice being served at that very specific time. Jesus was very clearly innocent as stated in many different ways throughout the gospels. It was also commonplace for innocent people to be crucified. Crucifixions were treated as spectacles for the general public to come and witness.
However, because of this clearly innocent man being crucified, it exposed many failures of the rulers and society of that time in how they treated each other in general. The crucifixion caused the disciples to live through that “Holy Saturday,” which is more of what feels like we are in now still. Easter has come, yes, but sometimes it just doesn’t FEEL like it. Pastor Laura has reminded us of how the disciples themselves may have felt...confused, desperate...even maybe failures themselves.
So now, this feeling of living still in the Holy Saturday at times, lays bare the failures of our own current society. Failures of ways to ensure that the food farmers are producing doesn’t go to waste, yet many of us are having to stand in lines for food around the world. Being told that there are limits on what we can get because the store hasn’t received enough. The failure of people to think of others first before purchasing protective equipment unnecessarily for themselves, inequities in medical care and access for people of color, the list could go on…
BUT, failure is not always a bad thing. Did you know that the failing at least 15% of the time is actually the “sweet spot” for learning. Students who were more of “B” students may have actually learned more than those “A” students because they were able to learn from their mistakes. Failure not only offers opportunity to learn, it offers vulnerability. The Latin root for the word failure is vulnerability. Right now, while it may sound like I have presented a scenario in which the world is failing (perhaps as it has been all along), the vulnerability that we are all experiencing as a result of these failures is creating in us all a SHARED VULNERABILITY, which ultimately leads to empathy. While feeling as if you’ve failed at something and are then made to feel vulnerable is uncomfortable, hard, and just plain stinks, it opens the door for true empathy for one another. This pandemic, while it is exposing the many places we as a society have failed each other, has certainly also leveled the playing field and opened many ways for us to see ourselves and our society in a different ways. So, if failure can be a teacher, which can lead to growth and change, how are we going to change together?
Well, the answer to that question requires A LOT of listening. That is what God seems to be asking us to do now more than ever. Silence, as was stated by one of the presenters this past Wednesday, seems to be God’s first language. It’s pretty impossible to hear someone else when you’re doing all the talking...or just too busy to really listen. Maybe God is inviting us to NOW, literally clear our lives out, give ourselves breathing room, and just listen. Listening has been the greatest gift I’ve been given out of the many “failures” of this moment. We are being given time to TRULY listen to what is going on in our world, listen to still small voice of God which is all around us, and look into the mirror that’s being held up to us through this pandemic with honesty.
Earlier this spring Pastor Laura put an insert into our bulletins, based off of her sermon, that reads, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8 followed by the question: What will my response to God look like this year? We were reminded in our first reading of God’s willingness to lead us. He is truly our Good Shepherd who sees us, listens to us, and certainly calls to us...if we are listening. He is willing to teach us and lead us through our failures, if we are willing to learn AND respond. We have certainly been humbled in these past weeks as privileged Americans. There are MANY in need all around us right now, are you seeing them and responding? Are you willing to share all of yourself for the sake of someone else right now? Sharing your emotions, your vulnerability, to show your own failures for the sake of growth and possibly even a “wonder or a sign,” as stated in our scripture from Acts, that might be seen by someone else and encourage them… or leave them with a sense of awe?
While Easter has come, and the joy of that beautiful morning may feel distant, please do not close your eyes or shut your ears to what God might be speaking to you, or showing you, during this very surely, historical moment. Just as the cross could be termed a failure, it was the most beautiful gift known to us. This time full of failures, can also be a gift if we are open to devoting ourselves to the apostles teaching and **virtual** fellowship, prayer, breaking of bread, and sharing our most vulnerable selves with each other. We will surely come out of this with tremendous growth and sincere hearts full of praise for God our Shepherd who can lead us beside still waters in the midst of our failures. It’s worth asking again, from a completely different perspective now, “What will your response to God look like this year?”
Let us pray: God our Shepherd, you promise to be with us, always and forever. No matter the darkest valleys or failures, your promise is steadfast and true. Help us to stay connected to you and to community. And may our actions and behaviors today be a source of encouragement for others to do the same. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Charge & Benediction: Failure is inevitable. We are all vulnerable right now, which does not have to be something to run and withdraw from. Instead, let us use this time to TRULY listen to God and continue considering what our response to Him will be through this difficult time.
Now, May God the Shepherd, bless us and keep us.
God the Redeemer, smile upon us and be gracious towards us.
God the Spirit, lead us in the path of wisdom and peace.
And all of God’s people say: Amen.*
*From D365.org
A beautiful hymn for you, for this time:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RF0DIpFOoBg
HUPC Sermon 4.26.2020
Easter 3A
Rev. Laura L. Mitchell
Luke 24:13-35
It’s the Third Sunday of Easter, fourth Sunday in April, sixth Sunday Zoom worship. Each week, I’ve asked myself, “Will this be the week that I won’t call attention to the virus, our captivity and stay at home orders in the sermon? Maybe just mention the pandemic in the prayers of the people? Surely the Sunday lectionary scripture won’t lend itself to our current situation again, will it? Oh yes, it has… I have been astounded and blessed how in the process of writing 400 Sunday sermons while here at HUPC, the Spirit gets me out of the way to speak through a scripture calendar put together, years ago, by an ecumenical group of church folks. Today, I continue to trust in the work of the Spirit.
It was the day of the resurrection, probably in the afternoon and two followers of Jesus, Cleopus and some say, his wife, were on their way to Emmaus.
"Listen" now to God’s Word from the Gospel of Luke 24:13-35.
Listen as if for the first time... Listen as if you are there… listen where you are right now.
“Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. As they came near the village to which they were going he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together.
They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.”
What a beautiful story, drawing us in from its first sentence, “Now on the same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking about all these things that had happened.”
First person narrative…
“We’d been walking for hours, my husband Cleopus and I… on our way to Emmaus, but you’ve never heard of it I’m sure. It’s not much of a town and if things hadn’t happened the way they did last Friday, well I would guess we’d still be in Jerusalem, with him… with Jesus. We were faithful followers, not counted as among his first twelve, but we knew him well, loved him, oh my, yes we did.
Back home is where the Emmaus Road would take us and my Cleopus has this dear way of just wanting to get somewhere without stopping for a rest or a even little refreshment… I say, well and good for him, but not only were my feet aching, so was my heart. At least our pace was slow for we were talking… and talking, as we had since Friday afternoon when we sat from a distance in stunned silence watching our beloved teacher, Jesus, suffer and die on a cross.
So the last thing I wanted was to engage a stranger in small talk… but oh my, he was bold… nosy, prying, asking us what we were talking about! Couldn’t he tell by our distraught faces we’d rather be left alone? Cleopus, never the shy one, lifted his downcast eyes and answered with a question of his own. “Are you the only one in Jerusalem who doesn’t know what happened to Jesus of Nazareth?” He told the stranger all about Jesus; who he was, what he had done, and what had been done to him. It had been three days since the skies went black on Friday afternoon. He was dead and buried in a garden tomb. Oh what hopes we had! Surely he was the one who would save Israel! But now is was the third day… and while our minds were just beginning to accept the reality of his death, some women in our group confused us, saying, “Jesus’ tomb is empty… a vision of angels told us he is alive!” Others went to look, but no one saw him.
Oh, how easy it is to look back and say how foolish we were! How is it that our eyes did could not have seen who he was, for as we walked together, he interpreted the scriptures to us, from Moses and the prophets, all pointing to himself, Jesus, prophesy fulfilled! However, as he spoke, it seemed to us that he knew everything… and we found ourselves no longer annoyed by his intrusion into our grief. Instead, longing for more time together, we invited him… no that's not right, we insisted that he stay with us for dinner! Sitting at the table, it was our guest who took the bread, blessed, broke it and gave it to us… then we knew, we knew, we knew who he was! He was no stranger, he was our Jesus! It was true, he had risen! It was the third day since his death- finally we remembered, he had told us, not once, but twice, that he would suffer, die and be raised on the third day! How foolish we were indeed. And as quickly as our eyes opened, he vanished! I turned to Cleopus and he to me, “Were not our hearts burning while he was talking to us on the road? There he was, right in front of us and we couldn’t see him!"
He had come to us in our deepest grief. When we needed him most, there he was… that was his way, always there in compassion and love. Oh my, did we feel silly imagining Jesus having some fun with us. In our human condition, he wanted us to believe, as best we could, that he had kept his promises.
Suddenly my feet no longer hurt, feeling light as a feather, Cleopus and I nearly ran all the way back to Jerusalem to tell the others and to share our joy!”
End first person narrative.
It is hard to believe that it has been over 5 weeks since session decided that we needed to stay home on Sunday mornings. But there is hope! Cases are down in NYC, we are, as they say, flattening the curve because we have done the unthinkable. We have stayed home from school, work, jobs, shopping, family gatherings, and from church in our beloved sanctuaries- staying home to worship together via Zoom. This unprecedented Lent and Easter season apart has not been easy. We are lonely, missing companionship… and we wonder when we'll be back to some sort of "normal"? What about our plans? Vacation Bible School? Graduations? Vacations? Family reunions? Funerals? We want to embrace friends, family, children and grandchildren. Most of us now know at least one person with the virus, maybe even one who has died. Abuse and domestic violence are up, some children desperately needing the safety of school.
It was into the walkers of the Emmaus’ Road’s most broken, grief stricken, disappointed state that Jesus appeared. Having lost hope, they were so overcome with sorrow that they could not see that it was Jesus walking along beside them. Yes, he wanted them to recognize him, but there is no condemnation in his voice as he patiently led them to revelation… as at Jesus birth, once again God came then and comes now into humanity unbidden, when least expected, when needed the most.
So we may be asking ourselves, “Why can’t I notice God around me? Why am I having such a hard time sensing Jesus presence?” Some days we intentionally look for and want to recognize Jesus traveling our broken road with us. Other days we sadly admit, in our distraction, we forget! Instead of inflicting self-condemnation, we need to be gentle with our selves during this pandemic. Jesus has endless patience and understands our human weakness and the toll stress places on us. In their grief, the disciples didn’t recognize him, in their anxiety they’d forgotten that the third day would bring the risen Christ, and even so Jesus continued to love and was forever patient with them.
Beloved let us trust Jesus’ compassion for us now. The presence of the holy is fleeting, often vanishing before our eyes and heart just as we begin to notice… but take heart, Jesus is with us as he was with our ancestors in faith… with us in the sacred words of scripture, the sacraments of bread and cup on our home communion tables, with us in both our joyful and our sorrowful experiences of this unwelcome time in captivity! He is holding us tightly, grieving our losses and pain, and offering us his healing embrace on our Emmaus Road. With the Spirit’s help, we too may be able to think back and say to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us?” We will know, in hindsight, that we had noticed the promised presence of the Holy Spirit in our midst… we had not lost hope! For me I think back and see Jesus with me in the little rainbow banner delivered to my door, in gifts of homemade bread and soup, ice cream sundaes, bananas and apples, in kind cards, and emails, texts, and phone calls. I recognize Jesus in late spring snows, bird songs, and warm sunshine on my face. I notice him in the strong, loving, patient hand of my husband and during Facetime with grandsons. In the heartache of grief, in times of patience and impatience, worry and trust, laughter and tears… he was, is, and always will be there.
With God's help, we will come through stronger in faith and when we return to Hebron United, or you to your own home church… to companions and friends gathered together, as on that first resurrection day, we will say with joy,
“The Lord is Risen indeed and though our eyes may have been clouded
with tears, Jesus presence has been with us our whole journey long!”
Thanks be to God.
Let us pray. O God, how grateful we are that you have chosen to come to us before we even know we need you. O Jesus, how grateful we are that when we fail to see you because of human fear, grief, or anxiety, you never fail to stay by our side. O Spirit, help us to see the Risen Jesus in the midst of this pandemic, picking up our brokenness, healing our stubbornness, renewing our hope in the midst of our helplessness. And may we respond from our homes with acts of compassion and kindness in the likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ. Pausing now, in silence, we open our hearts and our eyes to see your faithful, loving, healing, life giving presence with us now…
All this we pray, not for our sakes alone, but to your glory and for all of the worldwide family of God. In the name of our risen Lord we pray. Amen.
Please enjoy this beautiful anthem:
"How Beautiful"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_-remdGdeQ
Easter 3A
Rev. Laura L. Mitchell
Luke 24:13-35
It’s the Third Sunday of Easter, fourth Sunday in April, sixth Sunday Zoom worship. Each week, I’ve asked myself, “Will this be the week that I won’t call attention to the virus, our captivity and stay at home orders in the sermon? Maybe just mention the pandemic in the prayers of the people? Surely the Sunday lectionary scripture won’t lend itself to our current situation again, will it? Oh yes, it has… I have been astounded and blessed how in the process of writing 400 Sunday sermons while here at HUPC, the Spirit gets me out of the way to speak through a scripture calendar put together, years ago, by an ecumenical group of church folks. Today, I continue to trust in the work of the Spirit.
It was the day of the resurrection, probably in the afternoon and two followers of Jesus, Cleopus and some say, his wife, were on their way to Emmaus.
"Listen" now to God’s Word from the Gospel of Luke 24:13-35.
Listen as if for the first time... Listen as if you are there… listen where you are right now.
“Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. As they came near the village to which they were going he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together.
They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.”
What a beautiful story, drawing us in from its first sentence, “Now on the same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking about all these things that had happened.”
First person narrative…
“We’d been walking for hours, my husband Cleopus and I… on our way to Emmaus, but you’ve never heard of it I’m sure. It’s not much of a town and if things hadn’t happened the way they did last Friday, well I would guess we’d still be in Jerusalem, with him… with Jesus. We were faithful followers, not counted as among his first twelve, but we knew him well, loved him, oh my, yes we did.
Back home is where the Emmaus Road would take us and my Cleopus has this dear way of just wanting to get somewhere without stopping for a rest or a even little refreshment… I say, well and good for him, but not only were my feet aching, so was my heart. At least our pace was slow for we were talking… and talking, as we had since Friday afternoon when we sat from a distance in stunned silence watching our beloved teacher, Jesus, suffer and die on a cross.
So the last thing I wanted was to engage a stranger in small talk… but oh my, he was bold… nosy, prying, asking us what we were talking about! Couldn’t he tell by our distraught faces we’d rather be left alone? Cleopus, never the shy one, lifted his downcast eyes and answered with a question of his own. “Are you the only one in Jerusalem who doesn’t know what happened to Jesus of Nazareth?” He told the stranger all about Jesus; who he was, what he had done, and what had been done to him. It had been three days since the skies went black on Friday afternoon. He was dead and buried in a garden tomb. Oh what hopes we had! Surely he was the one who would save Israel! But now is was the third day… and while our minds were just beginning to accept the reality of his death, some women in our group confused us, saying, “Jesus’ tomb is empty… a vision of angels told us he is alive!” Others went to look, but no one saw him.
Oh, how easy it is to look back and say how foolish we were! How is it that our eyes did could not have seen who he was, for as we walked together, he interpreted the scriptures to us, from Moses and the prophets, all pointing to himself, Jesus, prophesy fulfilled! However, as he spoke, it seemed to us that he knew everything… and we found ourselves no longer annoyed by his intrusion into our grief. Instead, longing for more time together, we invited him… no that's not right, we insisted that he stay with us for dinner! Sitting at the table, it was our guest who took the bread, blessed, broke it and gave it to us… then we knew, we knew, we knew who he was! He was no stranger, he was our Jesus! It was true, he had risen! It was the third day since his death- finally we remembered, he had told us, not once, but twice, that he would suffer, die and be raised on the third day! How foolish we were indeed. And as quickly as our eyes opened, he vanished! I turned to Cleopus and he to me, “Were not our hearts burning while he was talking to us on the road? There he was, right in front of us and we couldn’t see him!"
He had come to us in our deepest grief. When we needed him most, there he was… that was his way, always there in compassion and love. Oh my, did we feel silly imagining Jesus having some fun with us. In our human condition, he wanted us to believe, as best we could, that he had kept his promises.
Suddenly my feet no longer hurt, feeling light as a feather, Cleopus and I nearly ran all the way back to Jerusalem to tell the others and to share our joy!”
End first person narrative.
It is hard to believe that it has been over 5 weeks since session decided that we needed to stay home on Sunday mornings. But there is hope! Cases are down in NYC, we are, as they say, flattening the curve because we have done the unthinkable. We have stayed home from school, work, jobs, shopping, family gatherings, and from church in our beloved sanctuaries- staying home to worship together via Zoom. This unprecedented Lent and Easter season apart has not been easy. We are lonely, missing companionship… and we wonder when we'll be back to some sort of "normal"? What about our plans? Vacation Bible School? Graduations? Vacations? Family reunions? Funerals? We want to embrace friends, family, children and grandchildren. Most of us now know at least one person with the virus, maybe even one who has died. Abuse and domestic violence are up, some children desperately needing the safety of school.
It was into the walkers of the Emmaus’ Road’s most broken, grief stricken, disappointed state that Jesus appeared. Having lost hope, they were so overcome with sorrow that they could not see that it was Jesus walking along beside them. Yes, he wanted them to recognize him, but there is no condemnation in his voice as he patiently led them to revelation… as at Jesus birth, once again God came then and comes now into humanity unbidden, when least expected, when needed the most.
So we may be asking ourselves, “Why can’t I notice God around me? Why am I having such a hard time sensing Jesus presence?” Some days we intentionally look for and want to recognize Jesus traveling our broken road with us. Other days we sadly admit, in our distraction, we forget! Instead of inflicting self-condemnation, we need to be gentle with our selves during this pandemic. Jesus has endless patience and understands our human weakness and the toll stress places on us. In their grief, the disciples didn’t recognize him, in their anxiety they’d forgotten that the third day would bring the risen Christ, and even so Jesus continued to love and was forever patient with them.
Beloved let us trust Jesus’ compassion for us now. The presence of the holy is fleeting, often vanishing before our eyes and heart just as we begin to notice… but take heart, Jesus is with us as he was with our ancestors in faith… with us in the sacred words of scripture, the sacraments of bread and cup on our home communion tables, with us in both our joyful and our sorrowful experiences of this unwelcome time in captivity! He is holding us tightly, grieving our losses and pain, and offering us his healing embrace on our Emmaus Road. With the Spirit’s help, we too may be able to think back and say to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us?” We will know, in hindsight, that we had noticed the promised presence of the Holy Spirit in our midst… we had not lost hope! For me I think back and see Jesus with me in the little rainbow banner delivered to my door, in gifts of homemade bread and soup, ice cream sundaes, bananas and apples, in kind cards, and emails, texts, and phone calls. I recognize Jesus in late spring snows, bird songs, and warm sunshine on my face. I notice him in the strong, loving, patient hand of my husband and during Facetime with grandsons. In the heartache of grief, in times of patience and impatience, worry and trust, laughter and tears… he was, is, and always will be there.
With God's help, we will come through stronger in faith and when we return to Hebron United, or you to your own home church… to companions and friends gathered together, as on that first resurrection day, we will say with joy,
“The Lord is Risen indeed and though our eyes may have been clouded
with tears, Jesus presence has been with us our whole journey long!”
Thanks be to God.
Let us pray. O God, how grateful we are that you have chosen to come to us before we even know we need you. O Jesus, how grateful we are that when we fail to see you because of human fear, grief, or anxiety, you never fail to stay by our side. O Spirit, help us to see the Risen Jesus in the midst of this pandemic, picking up our brokenness, healing our stubbornness, renewing our hope in the midst of our helplessness. And may we respond from our homes with acts of compassion and kindness in the likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ. Pausing now, in silence, we open our hearts and our eyes to see your faithful, loving, healing, life giving presence with us now…
All this we pray, not for our sakes alone, but to your glory and for all of the worldwide family of God. In the name of our risen Lord we pray. Amen.
Please enjoy this beautiful anthem:
"How Beautiful"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_-remdGdeQ
HUPC Sermon 4.19.2020
Rev. Laura L. Mitchell
John 20:19-31
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” Now Thomas (also known as the twin), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
****************************
Some days it feels as though we are stuck in a perpetual Lent, of waiting, wondering, and doing our best to hang on to hope… And on good days hope abounds, and even though we’ve had measurable snow this past week and the thermometer wanted to claim March instead of April, I greet you with, “Happy Easter,” this is the second Sunday of Easter! Lent 2020 is behind us, “Christ is Risen,” so we respond, “He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!” If “second Sunday of Easter” sounds confusing, let me explain with these words from the Presbyterian Church (USA) website, “Easter isn’t just a Sunday — it’s a season. One day out of 365 is hardly sufficient to celebrate the great mystery of our faith — that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. Accordingly, the season of Easter lasts seven weeks (a “week of weeks”), spanning the 50 days from the Sunday of the Resurrection to Pentecost Sunday and encompassing the festival of the Ascension of the Lord (into heaven). The season of Easter is intended to be a joyful time for celebrating the presence of the risen Christ in the church.”[1] In fact every Sunday, is what some call a “Little Easter,” as every first day of the week, the Lord’s Day is resurrection day!
With all that joy and enthusiasm, I now want to take a moment and ask you, “How are you doing?” Really… Are your hopeful moments, hours, days, outnumbering your blue days? Are you getting more rest or less? Are you facing our isolation with a light or heavy heart? What emotions are surfacing for you? New ones? Old ones you thought long gone? If you are like me, you find yourself on a roller coaster, some days coping quite well and other days, well, not so much. Whatever our physical, emotional, or spiritual state right now, as we sit in front of our computer screens or listen in on speaker phones, I want us to remember that we are not alone.
Now it may seem that I digress, but please bear with me. An awful lot of what is posted on Facebook is either silliness, irrelevant, untrue, or divisive, but the following posting from an anonymous author really touched me, WE ARE NOT IN THE SAME BOAT ... I heard we are all in the same boat, but it's not like that. We are in the same storm, but not in the same boat. Your ship could be shipwrecked and mine might not be. Or vice versa.” The author goes on, passionately pointing out different experiences of the same circumstances and I encourage you to look it up and read it in its entirety. This is Sunday number five since we entered into our common storm, and while not a hurricane, our storm has come with a name- the corona virus or Covid-19, and for now, we are behind closed doors much like Jesus’ disciples on that first Easter Sunday evening.
John tells us that they were frightened of the Jews… their fear stemming from the reality that, by association, what happened to Jesus, may very likely happen to them. Might they also have been afraid… of Jesus Himself? What if Jesus really had risen, come out of the tomb on his own? What if He was looking for them? What if He was angry? While filled with grief, shame and guilt, having betrayed their dearest friend, suddenly there he was… Jesus stands before them… bringing with him no condemnation, no judgment, instead offering them what they needed. In your mind’s eye, imagine Jesus… imagine the disciples’ response, for the gospel telling does not do the scene justice! The disciples had to have been terrified, shocked, stunned… yet I have no doubt Jesus is smiling, longing to allay their fears as he says calmly, simply, “Peace be with you!” Knowing they needed still more he offers, “Friends look, it’s me, believe me, see my hands and my side? Peace be with you!” It was THEN, that they believed and were able to rejoice!
Mary had come to understand early that morning as she had seen and finally recognized Jesus in the garden. She was the first and was able to shout with joy before the others, “I have seen the Lord!”
All of the disciples, except poor Thomas who was, well who knows where, saw Jesus face to face, on the first Easter evening! So, how unfair to expect Tom to believe without seeing. The disciples’ experiences in the hours and days after Jesus’ death were not Mary’s, and neither were her emotions, understanding, and blessed experience of the Risen Lord theirs. Mary, the disciples, Thomas… all found themselves in the same storm, but different boats.
Returning to the Facebook quote, it concludes like this, “So, friends, we are NOT in the same boat. We are going through a time when our perceptions and needs are completely different. Each of us will emerge, in our own way, from this storm. It is very important to see beyond what is seen at first glance. Not just looking, actually seeing. We are all on different ships during this storm experiencing a very different journey. Compassion is key. Let it be your guide.” Compassion is key… I would say Jesus wrote that, wouldn’t you? For that is what he gave his dear ones in extending his peace and gift of the Holy Spirit. They had weathered the same storm of Good Friday, but they were in different boats with different needs… and Jesus met them all.
You have signed in to worship this morning from your own boat and I pray, for this time, that you feel firmly anchored to Jesus and to each other across this pandemic divide. When you are smiling, when tears stain your cheeks, or new wrinkles threaten to set lines upon your forehead, imagine Jesus suddenly with you… really there with you in your room, in Your boat. Though he knows you so very well, ask him for what you need to get you through this storm… there is no badge to be earned by feigning bravery. When your boat finds calm seas, reach out in compassion to another who may be feeling tossed about or shipwrecked. We are truly in this together with Jesus, and at the risk of sounding trite, it is because of him, that we are Hebron United Strong! Our mission statement still rings true despite our current physical isolation, as we continue to, “feel called to be a community sanctuary for Hebron, our surrounding townships, and beyond our borders by offering opportunities for support, caring, learning, and outreach where all are welcome and none are judged.”
Friends, hold on to hope, for Jesus is nearer than our breath, nearer than we can ever hope or imagine. No locked door, no fear, no guilt, no shame, no doubt, no pandemic will ever be able to separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ.
****************************
Let us pray. Merciful God, on this Second Sunday of Easter, we want joy to fill our hearts, but some of us feel lost, in boats tossed about by emotions of sorrow, doubt, fear, loneliness, and anxiety. Thank you that just as you came through the locked doors hiding frightened disciples and offered them your peace, presence, and compassion, you have come to us, in whatever room or boat we find ourselves. How grateful we are, O Jesus, that you do not condemn our doubts and fears, our impatience and frustration, for you know our weakness and you offer not only forgiveness, but your hand extended in peace and unconditional love. O Spirit, as you breathed new life into the disciples and the first church, breathe new life and renewed hope into us who wait to be freed from the captivity of this virus to continue our work for you! In the meantime give us courage, compassion, and imagination to reach out safely to others who need encouragement and hope. And, anticipating the joyous day when all of our boats come quickly and safely home, we pray in your name; faithful and loving God, Father, Spirit, Son. Amen.
[1] https://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/worship/christianyear/season-easter/
Rev. Laura L. Mitchell
John 20:19-31
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” Now Thomas (also known as the twin), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
****************************
Some days it feels as though we are stuck in a perpetual Lent, of waiting, wondering, and doing our best to hang on to hope… And on good days hope abounds, and even though we’ve had measurable snow this past week and the thermometer wanted to claim March instead of April, I greet you with, “Happy Easter,” this is the second Sunday of Easter! Lent 2020 is behind us, “Christ is Risen,” so we respond, “He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!” If “second Sunday of Easter” sounds confusing, let me explain with these words from the Presbyterian Church (USA) website, “Easter isn’t just a Sunday — it’s a season. One day out of 365 is hardly sufficient to celebrate the great mystery of our faith — that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. Accordingly, the season of Easter lasts seven weeks (a “week of weeks”), spanning the 50 days from the Sunday of the Resurrection to Pentecost Sunday and encompassing the festival of the Ascension of the Lord (into heaven). The season of Easter is intended to be a joyful time for celebrating the presence of the risen Christ in the church.”[1] In fact every Sunday, is what some call a “Little Easter,” as every first day of the week, the Lord’s Day is resurrection day!
With all that joy and enthusiasm, I now want to take a moment and ask you, “How are you doing?” Really… Are your hopeful moments, hours, days, outnumbering your blue days? Are you getting more rest or less? Are you facing our isolation with a light or heavy heart? What emotions are surfacing for you? New ones? Old ones you thought long gone? If you are like me, you find yourself on a roller coaster, some days coping quite well and other days, well, not so much. Whatever our physical, emotional, or spiritual state right now, as we sit in front of our computer screens or listen in on speaker phones, I want us to remember that we are not alone.
Now it may seem that I digress, but please bear with me. An awful lot of what is posted on Facebook is either silliness, irrelevant, untrue, or divisive, but the following posting from an anonymous author really touched me, WE ARE NOT IN THE SAME BOAT ... I heard we are all in the same boat, but it's not like that. We are in the same storm, but not in the same boat. Your ship could be shipwrecked and mine might not be. Or vice versa.” The author goes on, passionately pointing out different experiences of the same circumstances and I encourage you to look it up and read it in its entirety. This is Sunday number five since we entered into our common storm, and while not a hurricane, our storm has come with a name- the corona virus or Covid-19, and for now, we are behind closed doors much like Jesus’ disciples on that first Easter Sunday evening.
John tells us that they were frightened of the Jews… their fear stemming from the reality that, by association, what happened to Jesus, may very likely happen to them. Might they also have been afraid… of Jesus Himself? What if Jesus really had risen, come out of the tomb on his own? What if He was looking for them? What if He was angry? While filled with grief, shame and guilt, having betrayed their dearest friend, suddenly there he was… Jesus stands before them… bringing with him no condemnation, no judgment, instead offering them what they needed. In your mind’s eye, imagine Jesus… imagine the disciples’ response, for the gospel telling does not do the scene justice! The disciples had to have been terrified, shocked, stunned… yet I have no doubt Jesus is smiling, longing to allay their fears as he says calmly, simply, “Peace be with you!” Knowing they needed still more he offers, “Friends look, it’s me, believe me, see my hands and my side? Peace be with you!” It was THEN, that they believed and were able to rejoice!
Mary had come to understand early that morning as she had seen and finally recognized Jesus in the garden. She was the first and was able to shout with joy before the others, “I have seen the Lord!”
All of the disciples, except poor Thomas who was, well who knows where, saw Jesus face to face, on the first Easter evening! So, how unfair to expect Tom to believe without seeing. The disciples’ experiences in the hours and days after Jesus’ death were not Mary’s, and neither were her emotions, understanding, and blessed experience of the Risen Lord theirs. Mary, the disciples, Thomas… all found themselves in the same storm, but different boats.
Returning to the Facebook quote, it concludes like this, “So, friends, we are NOT in the same boat. We are going through a time when our perceptions and needs are completely different. Each of us will emerge, in our own way, from this storm. It is very important to see beyond what is seen at first glance. Not just looking, actually seeing. We are all on different ships during this storm experiencing a very different journey. Compassion is key. Let it be your guide.” Compassion is key… I would say Jesus wrote that, wouldn’t you? For that is what he gave his dear ones in extending his peace and gift of the Holy Spirit. They had weathered the same storm of Good Friday, but they were in different boats with different needs… and Jesus met them all.
You have signed in to worship this morning from your own boat and I pray, for this time, that you feel firmly anchored to Jesus and to each other across this pandemic divide. When you are smiling, when tears stain your cheeks, or new wrinkles threaten to set lines upon your forehead, imagine Jesus suddenly with you… really there with you in your room, in Your boat. Though he knows you so very well, ask him for what you need to get you through this storm… there is no badge to be earned by feigning bravery. When your boat finds calm seas, reach out in compassion to another who may be feeling tossed about or shipwrecked. We are truly in this together with Jesus, and at the risk of sounding trite, it is because of him, that we are Hebron United Strong! Our mission statement still rings true despite our current physical isolation, as we continue to, “feel called to be a community sanctuary for Hebron, our surrounding townships, and beyond our borders by offering opportunities for support, caring, learning, and outreach where all are welcome and none are judged.”
Friends, hold on to hope, for Jesus is nearer than our breath, nearer than we can ever hope or imagine. No locked door, no fear, no guilt, no shame, no doubt, no pandemic will ever be able to separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ.
****************************
Let us pray. Merciful God, on this Second Sunday of Easter, we want joy to fill our hearts, but some of us feel lost, in boats tossed about by emotions of sorrow, doubt, fear, loneliness, and anxiety. Thank you that just as you came through the locked doors hiding frightened disciples and offered them your peace, presence, and compassion, you have come to us, in whatever room or boat we find ourselves. How grateful we are, O Jesus, that you do not condemn our doubts and fears, our impatience and frustration, for you know our weakness and you offer not only forgiveness, but your hand extended in peace and unconditional love. O Spirit, as you breathed new life into the disciples and the first church, breathe new life and renewed hope into us who wait to be freed from the captivity of this virus to continue our work for you! In the meantime give us courage, compassion, and imagination to reach out safely to others who need encouragement and hope. And, anticipating the joyous day when all of our boats come quickly and safely home, we pray in your name; faithful and loving God, Father, Spirit, Son. Amen.
[1] https://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/worship/christianyear/season-easter/
HUPC Sermon Easter April 12, 2020
Rev. Laura L. Mitchell
(photo taken this Easter Day morning at 6:00a.m. from the front porch of HUPC!)
John 20:1-18
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
The Word of the Lord, thanks be to God!
*******************************************************
Oh how we love Jesus miraculous birth story, of his birth to Mary on a starlit night… but this morning’s is truly the story of our faith. On Friday afternoon, when darkness came over the whole land, Jesus’ beloved followers sank into grief… Grief and mourning are well acquainted with insomnia, so we wonder if Mary slept at all since the ground was swept out from beneath her Friday afternoon, as she witnessed her dearest teacher and friend, Jesus, breathe His last. Oh, the irony, that the purest person hung on a cross between two common criminals. Those who watched knew a dark, terrifying afternoon, a lonely, heart wrenching night, one that brought no rest and if slumber found them, their dreams were surely nightmares… Tired of struggling to sleep Mary got up while it was still dark, took her lamp and went to Jesus’ tomb, her steps heavy with the sorrow that clung to her heart. Maybe comfort would come just being close to where He lay… maybe. But at first sight there is no consolation… the stone is rolled away, Jesus’ body is gone…. running to Peter and the other disciple, out breath from panic and exhaustion, she cries, “Peter, they have taken the Lord out of the tomb and I do not know where they have put Him!” Peter and the other disciple took off in a running race to see for themselves… Peering in the tomb, now they believe her… Jesus is indeed gone, the tomb is empty… the linen wrappings, left behind! I shake my head at the guys… for our passage tells us that they simply looked… and then went home… they are gone, and she, Mary, is left alone, weeping.
Now I have to tell you that this is my favorite Easter text of the four gospels. We know the story, but Mary doesn’t! I understand the annoyance Mary may have felt as two angels ask her the ridiculous question, “Woman, why are you crying?” First of all, they are angels and they don’t know her name is Mary? Did they have to call her, “woman”? Secondly, they’re angels, of course they knew why she was crying! But that is part of the build up of the story, the ending of which has not been revealed to Mary… not yet. Just having explained her tears, she turns to find another man, and he dares to ask her the same question, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” At least he has a modicum of empathy for her… maybe this man will help! As she expresses her anguish for the third time, I hear exhaustion… maybe more than a little exasperation in her voice, “Sir, if you have taken him, tell me… please tell me where you have put him… and I will get him.”
And then… finally… what we’ve been waiting for, the one thought to be a gardener, calls out to her, this time, not “woman”, instead he calls her by name, “Mary!” And she turns to him, her eyes and heart open, understanding now, who he is, what has happened and the meaning of what he had tried to tell them, “the Son of Man will be killed, but on the third day he will rise!” He did it! He is Risen from the dead… no murderous plot, no violent human hand could kill love, no tomb contain him! Is it any wonder Jesus had to insist she not hold on to him? With all her heart she longed to hold him close, never letting him out of sight again! Jesus insists, “Mary, go and tell the disciples…!” She goes… not walking, but once again running, ecstatic that it is she… Mary, who preaches the first Easter sermon, “I have seen the Lord! He is Risen from the dead!”
Jesus’ resurrection is astounding, miraculous, the Good News, central to our faith, the fulfillment of Jesus’ own prophecy, but there is more to come… this is not the end of the story. Yes, there is more to our story, for that is the kind of God we have. He is Risen, but let us not stop with the resurrection, Jesus isn’t done yet! He is going to ascend into heaven… not leaving them as weeping orphans, but promising them the Holy Spirit, promising that they will never be alone, never separated from his love, always with God, no matter what… In John 14 Jesus speaks these words of comfort, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
Oh, but we are troubled, we do weep... a lot these days. Oh that we could believe that truth, feel Jesus’ perfect peace in the midst of our current chaos… This Easter Day is unprecedented, and will be recalled by generations to come, they will tell the story of the year of the virus that prevented us from gathering in our sanctuaries on Easter morning… in the meantime, we live in angst, worrying, wondering, and weeping, longing to be together…
But… Mary’s weeping turned to joy… and that, I have no doubt, is what Jesus wants for us even on this 2020 resurrection day… that we can rejoice, lifting ourselves up and out of grief and fear, because Jesus has promised more… He has promised to be with us always… in New York City, Washington State, MN, TX, FL, PA, across our country and around the world. He is with us in hospitals, research facilities, nursing homes, and home schools, dear parents and kids. Death was not the end of Jesus’ story and this virus, our isolation from one another, is not going to be our end either! Out of a stone-cold, garden tomb rose the light, the word… the love of the world, Jesus lives… He really does… we can hold on to hope in spite of our tombs, our circumstances and the anguish of these days.
Let me tell you a little of the response of the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance whose programs witness to Jesus’ healing love… caring for communities affected by crisis and catastrophic events. PDA's brief three-word mission statement is, “Out of Chaos, Hope!” “Out of Chaos, Hope!” Beloved, that is what Jesus promised his disciples… that chaos and destruction, death and hopelessness, will not triumph… Jesus’ work is not done, his love will not end, his compassion is forever, we are held, given strength and courage to endure, even to thrive and grow through these days of exile…. we are not alone, we are in this together in Christ Jesus our Risen Lord and we can have hope, today, tomorrow and forever… that is our true story, our faith story that out of this and every chaos rises hope.
Thanks be to God. May we rejoice and tell the good news with Mary, “We have seen the Lord! Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed!”
et us pray.
Loving God, we admit our disappointment that we are not worshipping under one roof this morning, that family gatherings will be restricted to those with whom we live, but even as we utter those thoughts, O Holy Spirit help us to be grateful, to trust that worship, community, congregation and family love knows no boundaries. O Jesus, calm our fear, sooth anxiety, that we may proclaim to others the truth that you are not done, your work did not stop with the resurrection. Our work did not stop when we said we wanted to be your disciples. Thank you that the story of our faith continues as out of chaos, comes hope, for there is nothing, not death or tomb, nor virus or violence that can separate us from your love. That is the gift of Easter and the joy we share with Mary. In the name of God, Father, Spirit, Risen Son we pray. Amen.
Rev. Laura L. Mitchell
(photo taken this Easter Day morning at 6:00a.m. from the front porch of HUPC!)
John 20:1-18
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
The Word of the Lord, thanks be to God!
*******************************************************
Oh how we love Jesus miraculous birth story, of his birth to Mary on a starlit night… but this morning’s is truly the story of our faith. On Friday afternoon, when darkness came over the whole land, Jesus’ beloved followers sank into grief… Grief and mourning are well acquainted with insomnia, so we wonder if Mary slept at all since the ground was swept out from beneath her Friday afternoon, as she witnessed her dearest teacher and friend, Jesus, breathe His last. Oh, the irony, that the purest person hung on a cross between two common criminals. Those who watched knew a dark, terrifying afternoon, a lonely, heart wrenching night, one that brought no rest and if slumber found them, their dreams were surely nightmares… Tired of struggling to sleep Mary got up while it was still dark, took her lamp and went to Jesus’ tomb, her steps heavy with the sorrow that clung to her heart. Maybe comfort would come just being close to where He lay… maybe. But at first sight there is no consolation… the stone is rolled away, Jesus’ body is gone…. running to Peter and the other disciple, out breath from panic and exhaustion, she cries, “Peter, they have taken the Lord out of the tomb and I do not know where they have put Him!” Peter and the other disciple took off in a running race to see for themselves… Peering in the tomb, now they believe her… Jesus is indeed gone, the tomb is empty… the linen wrappings, left behind! I shake my head at the guys… for our passage tells us that they simply looked… and then went home… they are gone, and she, Mary, is left alone, weeping.
Now I have to tell you that this is my favorite Easter text of the four gospels. We know the story, but Mary doesn’t! I understand the annoyance Mary may have felt as two angels ask her the ridiculous question, “Woman, why are you crying?” First of all, they are angels and they don’t know her name is Mary? Did they have to call her, “woman”? Secondly, they’re angels, of course they knew why she was crying! But that is part of the build up of the story, the ending of which has not been revealed to Mary… not yet. Just having explained her tears, she turns to find another man, and he dares to ask her the same question, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” At least he has a modicum of empathy for her… maybe this man will help! As she expresses her anguish for the third time, I hear exhaustion… maybe more than a little exasperation in her voice, “Sir, if you have taken him, tell me… please tell me where you have put him… and I will get him.”
And then… finally… what we’ve been waiting for, the one thought to be a gardener, calls out to her, this time, not “woman”, instead he calls her by name, “Mary!” And she turns to him, her eyes and heart open, understanding now, who he is, what has happened and the meaning of what he had tried to tell them, “the Son of Man will be killed, but on the third day he will rise!” He did it! He is Risen from the dead… no murderous plot, no violent human hand could kill love, no tomb contain him! Is it any wonder Jesus had to insist she not hold on to him? With all her heart she longed to hold him close, never letting him out of sight again! Jesus insists, “Mary, go and tell the disciples…!” She goes… not walking, but once again running, ecstatic that it is she… Mary, who preaches the first Easter sermon, “I have seen the Lord! He is Risen from the dead!”
Jesus’ resurrection is astounding, miraculous, the Good News, central to our faith, the fulfillment of Jesus’ own prophecy, but there is more to come… this is not the end of the story. Yes, there is more to our story, for that is the kind of God we have. He is Risen, but let us not stop with the resurrection, Jesus isn’t done yet! He is going to ascend into heaven… not leaving them as weeping orphans, but promising them the Holy Spirit, promising that they will never be alone, never separated from his love, always with God, no matter what… In John 14 Jesus speaks these words of comfort, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
Oh, but we are troubled, we do weep... a lot these days. Oh that we could believe that truth, feel Jesus’ perfect peace in the midst of our current chaos… This Easter Day is unprecedented, and will be recalled by generations to come, they will tell the story of the year of the virus that prevented us from gathering in our sanctuaries on Easter morning… in the meantime, we live in angst, worrying, wondering, and weeping, longing to be together…
But… Mary’s weeping turned to joy… and that, I have no doubt, is what Jesus wants for us even on this 2020 resurrection day… that we can rejoice, lifting ourselves up and out of grief and fear, because Jesus has promised more… He has promised to be with us always… in New York City, Washington State, MN, TX, FL, PA, across our country and around the world. He is with us in hospitals, research facilities, nursing homes, and home schools, dear parents and kids. Death was not the end of Jesus’ story and this virus, our isolation from one another, is not going to be our end either! Out of a stone-cold, garden tomb rose the light, the word… the love of the world, Jesus lives… He really does… we can hold on to hope in spite of our tombs, our circumstances and the anguish of these days.
Let me tell you a little of the response of the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance whose programs witness to Jesus’ healing love… caring for communities affected by crisis and catastrophic events. PDA's brief three-word mission statement is, “Out of Chaos, Hope!” “Out of Chaos, Hope!” Beloved, that is what Jesus promised his disciples… that chaos and destruction, death and hopelessness, will not triumph… Jesus’ work is not done, his love will not end, his compassion is forever, we are held, given strength and courage to endure, even to thrive and grow through these days of exile…. we are not alone, we are in this together in Christ Jesus our Risen Lord and we can have hope, today, tomorrow and forever… that is our true story, our faith story that out of this and every chaos rises hope.
Thanks be to God. May we rejoice and tell the good news with Mary, “We have seen the Lord! Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed!”
et us pray.
Loving God, we admit our disappointment that we are not worshipping under one roof this morning, that family gatherings will be restricted to those with whom we live, but even as we utter those thoughts, O Holy Spirit help us to be grateful, to trust that worship, community, congregation and family love knows no boundaries. O Jesus, calm our fear, sooth anxiety, that we may proclaim to others the truth that you are not done, your work did not stop with the resurrection. Our work did not stop when we said we wanted to be your disciples. Thank you that the story of our faith continues as out of chaos, comes hope, for there is nothing, not death or tomb, nor virus or violence that can separate us from your love. That is the gift of Easter and the joy we share with Mary. In the name of God, Father, Spirit, Risen Son we pray. Amen.
HUPC Palm Sunday Reflection April 5, 2020
Rev. Laura L. Mitchell
Matthew 21:1-11When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,
“Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
”The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
****************************************************
I still keep a paper, planning calendar. This one is from the Presbyterian Church and includes helpful information like Sunday lectionary readings, holidays, special days in the Christian year, church office phone numbers, a mission map of the world, and the liturgical color calendar. I know… you are chomping at the bit for one, let me know and I will include you in next year’s order! For over eight years these calendars have also been my diary. I record home visits and meetings, weddings and funerals, lunches, conferences, and vacation days, prayer groups, choir practices, community events, dinners, book groups, and to do’s of all kinds. Were I to lose it, I would be in deep trouble. But… since the afternoon of Sunday March 15th, nearly every plan I had written into this calendar through the end of April has been crossed out. My plans, those I had chosen, and those chosen for me are… no longer. The same has happened for you, and we don’t know about May or June or even July. Sporting events, surgeries, graduations, even funerals are either postponed or even canceled, unprecedented times for all. Life has been upended from India to China, South Africa to America. As of April 3rd, a third of the global population was on lockdown!
There are still days when I wake up confused... this can’t be happening! But today, is Palm Sunday. Not canceled, not postponed! Palms were ordered, and thankfully they couldn’t be canceled. Nearly two hundred palms were either picked up or delivered and in the process we collected over three bins of non-perishables for our food pantries! Some of us chatted from safe social distances when you came by or I dropped off. Yes, Palm Sunday is here… and I want to imagine for a moment other years of joyful, noisy palm processions, remembering… children of all ages waving palms, singing loudly, palms strewn along the center aisle in the fashion of that Jerusalem road of years ago. I can almost hear Carl Flint’s trumpet, the choir singing and a piano/organ duet. There would be candles and communion, then coffee and cookies at a crowded Palm Sunday coffee hour at the manse. I’d like to stay in that dream a moment… of pre-corona virus days and plans. But life changed dramatically, and oh so quickly, in ways we never could have imagined. It would do the same for Jesus’ disciples. It was the time of the Passover so Jesus with his disciples readied themselves to make their pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Jesus had tried to prepare those he loved, telling them at least three times that this Holy Week would bring his suffering and death, but they either weren’t listening, didn’t understand, were in denial, or thought surely Jesus was mistaken. Jerusalem was packed… can we blame them for getting swept up in the enthusiasm? Spirits were high. They were on the top of the world and why wouldn’t they be… the throngs loved him and were shouting “Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord!” Jesus, their Messiah, their king, was finally getting the attention he deserved. But… something was not quite right… surfacing from the disciples’ memory come Jesus’ words confirming both that he is the Son of God, but also that this son would suffer and die at the hands of humanity… a bitter taste met the sweetness of this triumphant palm parade. Jesus knew the poignancy of the day… oh that their adoration could be authentic… oh to be spared the bitter cup that soon would be his. This is the irony of Palm Sunday, the tension between cheers of today and the jeers of Good Friday… of crowning glory and gory crucifixion… Gone were the disciples’ plans, hopes, and dreams and in their place lurked fear, doubt, sorrow, and loss… They hadn’t seen it coming. It wasn’t supposed to end this way.
We didn’t see this virus locomotive coming… But as on Good Friday when the disciples could no longer deny the reality of the cross, we find our selves in a whole new way of life that, that, for the good of all, we have to accept. Holy Week’s indecisive moods of triumph and tragedy struck us early in Lent. We try to stay hopeful, positive, looking for ways we can help others and we rejoice in good deeds around us. But oh, there are days it’s been tough to smile. We came into spring with all sorts of plans and expectations… weddings, graduations, proms, egg hunts, Palm Sunday and Easter… the way we’ve planned them… the way we’ve always enjoyed them… and we are disappointed... unsettled. We did not anticipate a spring-time pandemic, shortages of hospital beds, isolation, or the threats to livelihood and even life itself! It seems like a very bad dream.
But I want to tell you of a good dream. Many of you fondly recall that our dear Eleanor Randles, who died on March 25th at 99 years young. A few days ago I awoke actually remembering my dream... It was of Eleanor. There she was at her dining table… when I walked in she looked at me with love and concern as if she knew what was on my mind and in my heart… indeed all our hearts… so with a tender smile and calm voice she said so clearly and simply, “It’s going to be all right… it’s going to be all right.” It was not platitude or cliche, but rather offered as comfort, hope, and ultimately, as she knows well, the truth. Right now we can’t make plans… we don’t know who might get sick, or how we’ll fair financially, or when this is going to end.
After the excitement of the palm parade and before the joy of Easter morning, the disciples too were fraught with anxiety and fear… but on the other side of death would come resurrection and life, forgiveness and renewed hope! It was going to be all right. On the other side of their betrayal was born the first church, the faithful, gathering around the word and table in the midst of other sorrows and trials. But it was going to be all right.
Like them, we are going to come out on the other side of this crisis in triumph because we too are the church, the body of Christ gathered around His table! And into our unexpected mess comes Jesus. He stands at the bedside of the sick, weeps with those who grieve, holds up the weak and gives wisdom to, and enables the strong. This is the kind of king we welcome with Palm Sunday, Hosanna’s! This is the king we can trust, believing that everything really will be all right.
Loving and merciful God we long for the days when we could make and count on our plans, but on this Palm Sunday we also give you thanks for the opportunity to lay them aside and open our hearts to Jesus, who comes into our weakness, brokenness, our fear, and doubt. O Spirit, help us to trust that no matter the plans we have had to scrap, we will come out on the other side of crisis, for through and with you, everything is going to be all right. May we feel your peace when we believe this is true and even more in the moments when we do not. With hurting, worrying, yet grateful and even joy filled hearts we pray. Amen.
Rev. Laura L. Mitchell
Matthew 21:1-11When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,
“Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
”The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
****************************************************
I still keep a paper, planning calendar. This one is from the Presbyterian Church and includes helpful information like Sunday lectionary readings, holidays, special days in the Christian year, church office phone numbers, a mission map of the world, and the liturgical color calendar. I know… you are chomping at the bit for one, let me know and I will include you in next year’s order! For over eight years these calendars have also been my diary. I record home visits and meetings, weddings and funerals, lunches, conferences, and vacation days, prayer groups, choir practices, community events, dinners, book groups, and to do’s of all kinds. Were I to lose it, I would be in deep trouble. But… since the afternoon of Sunday March 15th, nearly every plan I had written into this calendar through the end of April has been crossed out. My plans, those I had chosen, and those chosen for me are… no longer. The same has happened for you, and we don’t know about May or June or even July. Sporting events, surgeries, graduations, even funerals are either postponed or even canceled, unprecedented times for all. Life has been upended from India to China, South Africa to America. As of April 3rd, a third of the global population was on lockdown!
There are still days when I wake up confused... this can’t be happening! But today, is Palm Sunday. Not canceled, not postponed! Palms were ordered, and thankfully they couldn’t be canceled. Nearly two hundred palms were either picked up or delivered and in the process we collected over three bins of non-perishables for our food pantries! Some of us chatted from safe social distances when you came by or I dropped off. Yes, Palm Sunday is here… and I want to imagine for a moment other years of joyful, noisy palm processions, remembering… children of all ages waving palms, singing loudly, palms strewn along the center aisle in the fashion of that Jerusalem road of years ago. I can almost hear Carl Flint’s trumpet, the choir singing and a piano/organ duet. There would be candles and communion, then coffee and cookies at a crowded Palm Sunday coffee hour at the manse. I’d like to stay in that dream a moment… of pre-corona virus days and plans. But life changed dramatically, and oh so quickly, in ways we never could have imagined. It would do the same for Jesus’ disciples. It was the time of the Passover so Jesus with his disciples readied themselves to make their pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Jesus had tried to prepare those he loved, telling them at least three times that this Holy Week would bring his suffering and death, but they either weren’t listening, didn’t understand, were in denial, or thought surely Jesus was mistaken. Jerusalem was packed… can we blame them for getting swept up in the enthusiasm? Spirits were high. They were on the top of the world and why wouldn’t they be… the throngs loved him and were shouting “Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord!” Jesus, their Messiah, their king, was finally getting the attention he deserved. But… something was not quite right… surfacing from the disciples’ memory come Jesus’ words confirming both that he is the Son of God, but also that this son would suffer and die at the hands of humanity… a bitter taste met the sweetness of this triumphant palm parade. Jesus knew the poignancy of the day… oh that their adoration could be authentic… oh to be spared the bitter cup that soon would be his. This is the irony of Palm Sunday, the tension between cheers of today and the jeers of Good Friday… of crowning glory and gory crucifixion… Gone were the disciples’ plans, hopes, and dreams and in their place lurked fear, doubt, sorrow, and loss… They hadn’t seen it coming. It wasn’t supposed to end this way.
We didn’t see this virus locomotive coming… But as on Good Friday when the disciples could no longer deny the reality of the cross, we find our selves in a whole new way of life that, that, for the good of all, we have to accept. Holy Week’s indecisive moods of triumph and tragedy struck us early in Lent. We try to stay hopeful, positive, looking for ways we can help others and we rejoice in good deeds around us. But oh, there are days it’s been tough to smile. We came into spring with all sorts of plans and expectations… weddings, graduations, proms, egg hunts, Palm Sunday and Easter… the way we’ve planned them… the way we’ve always enjoyed them… and we are disappointed... unsettled. We did not anticipate a spring-time pandemic, shortages of hospital beds, isolation, or the threats to livelihood and even life itself! It seems like a very bad dream.
But I want to tell you of a good dream. Many of you fondly recall that our dear Eleanor Randles, who died on March 25th at 99 years young. A few days ago I awoke actually remembering my dream... It was of Eleanor. There she was at her dining table… when I walked in she looked at me with love and concern as if she knew what was on my mind and in my heart… indeed all our hearts… so with a tender smile and calm voice she said so clearly and simply, “It’s going to be all right… it’s going to be all right.” It was not platitude or cliche, but rather offered as comfort, hope, and ultimately, as she knows well, the truth. Right now we can’t make plans… we don’t know who might get sick, or how we’ll fair financially, or when this is going to end.
After the excitement of the palm parade and before the joy of Easter morning, the disciples too were fraught with anxiety and fear… but on the other side of death would come resurrection and life, forgiveness and renewed hope! It was going to be all right. On the other side of their betrayal was born the first church, the faithful, gathering around the word and table in the midst of other sorrows and trials. But it was going to be all right.
Like them, we are going to come out on the other side of this crisis in triumph because we too are the church, the body of Christ gathered around His table! And into our unexpected mess comes Jesus. He stands at the bedside of the sick, weeps with those who grieve, holds up the weak and gives wisdom to, and enables the strong. This is the kind of king we welcome with Palm Sunday, Hosanna’s! This is the king we can trust, believing that everything really will be all right.
Loving and merciful God we long for the days when we could make and count on our plans, but on this Palm Sunday we also give you thanks for the opportunity to lay them aside and open our hearts to Jesus, who comes into our weakness, brokenness, our fear, and doubt. O Spirit, help us to trust that no matter the plans we have had to scrap, we will come out on the other side of crisis, for through and with you, everything is going to be all right. May we feel your peace when we believe this is true and even more in the moments when we do not. With hurting, worrying, yet grateful and even joy filled hearts we pray. Amen.
HUPC Sermon 3.29.2020 Rev. Laura L. Mitchell
Lent 5A Together in Exile: “Can These Bones Live?”
Ezekiel 37:1-14
The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.” So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.
Then he said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord.”
John 11:1-45 (Pastor Laura's paraphrase)
Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. So the sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.” But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. It has happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this. Though Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days. Finally, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.” But his disciples objected. “Rabbi, only a few days ago the people in Judea were trying to stone you. Are you going there again?” And he told them, “During the 12 hours of daylight people can walk safely, seeing because they have the light of this world. At night they may stumble because they have no light. Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, now I will go and wake him up.” “But Lord, Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!” They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping. “Friends, Lazarus is dead. For your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.” When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem, and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. When Martha heard Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask. “Martha, your brother will rise again. I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” “Yes, Lord, I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” Returning to her sister Mary, she told her, “The Teacher is here and wants to see you.” So Mary immediately went to him. When the people who were at the house consoling Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus’s grave to weep. So they followed her there. When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, he was deeply troubled. “Where have you put him?” They told him, “Lord, come and see.” Then Jesus wept. The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!” But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?” When Jesus arrived at the tomb, he told them, “Roll the stone aside.” But Martha, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days!” “Martha, didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me. Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands, feet, and face bound in grave cloths. Jesus called out, “Unwrap him and let him go!” Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen. The word of the Lord, thanks be to God!
***************************************
I wanted to cast these 5th Sunday in Lent passages aside when I saw them this week. I wanted to pack away Ezekiel’s bones and Lazarus’ tomb and grave cloths, believing they would only contribute to the sense of loss so many are experiencing right now. Adding to the angst of our isolation are the good-byes we are called say to two dear old souls, Bill and Eleanor, and to Sara’s mom, Stacy, who died too young at 59, but the story of their lives did not end there, thanks be to God, they have all joined the saints in light, the great cloud of witnesses with whom we join our voices as we sing and pray together.
And so we consent to going with Ezekiel and John’s gospel this morning, needing to hear their stories especially in this Lenten season when our own bones feel dry… our home sweet homes, sometimes all too cavern-like. Were these days a novel, I’d quickly flip to its final pages, eager to read a happy ending, or at least a redemptive conclusion that makes the tears worthwhile. Like that novel, we want to move quickly to the happy endings of this morning’s scripture passages, but we cannot… the Israelite’s exile lasted over 70 years, Ezekiel seeing the bleak reality of the people, laying like dry bones, seemingly lost, helpless, hopeless. And in John’s gospel, Jesus did not hold back, but told his disciples bluntly, “Lazarus is dead…” And for Martha and Mary, their brother’s 4-day entombment felt like… a lifetime. And though you may be right with me wanting to get to the good stuff… let’s wait, instead imagining for a moment that Ezekiel’s story had ended this way- After prophesying to a desert scattered with dry bones as far as the eye could see, there was suddenly a noise, a rattlin’ of bones coming together... ooooh how exciting, but wait… there was no breath in them, no real life. What if that were the ending of the story?
Or Lazarus, what if his story ended like this— Jesus had finally arrived to find his dear friend in the tomb for four days, the sisters Mary and Martha distraught, even angry with Jesus for not getting there sooner, when surely he could have. Their brother was dead… What if that were the ending of the story?
Or Good Friday—What if, after following this amazing God-man for three years, his disciples were left with only an empty cross and memories of the one they’d hoped had come to save them?
What if that were the ending of the story?
Or the story of our own exile days, our own desert, our own dry bones, our own tombs? Having no idea when the order to stay home will lift, we seem to be at the virus’ mercy, praying desperately for vaccine, treatment, and protection for loved ones. So we obey, staying home, trying to maintain some sense of normal in abnormal times.
But wait… let’s remember that on God’s command, Ezekiel speaks to the breath, for the winds to breathe upon the assembled bones that they may become fully alive! God asks, “Mortal, can these bones live?” And the prophet replies, “O Lord God, you know! You know they can and they will!” “O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord, let lungs expand with the life giving breath of God!” Suddenly they were on their feet, singing a new song, Israel not only resuscitated, but revived, reborn! And while still in the dry desert? They danced, having found their hope and their God once again!
What of the other stories? We know Lazarus lives and the sisters rejoice! And… Easter spoiler alert, we know that Jesus lives, no grave cloths or sealed tomb could ever hold back the love of God! Alleluia!
And our story? What of its happy ending? If you hear that this pandemic is part of “God’s plan”, some awful way to teach us a lesson… do not believe it! It’s a lie, our God does not work like that. God is grieving loss of life. God is in anguish over the emotional, physical, and financial strains upon human life. Into our sorrowful, global story, the Spirit of God is already breathing… Out of chaos and tragedy, with God’s help, humanity’s dry bones are already coming together. Even as we weep with those who weep, when we clear our eyes we see signs of new ways of being... ways we hope and pray will become permanent, new ways of life. And so, while praying fervently for those for whom the reality of poverty, abuse, hunger, mental illness, or addiction are exacerbated by this pandemic, we also hold on to hope, for their sakes and for ours. People are praying, families are together more than ever, they’re eating around the table rather than having to rush through McDonald’s. Kids are playing outdoors and with games on living room floors. Couples are walking, their dogs asking, “You need to go out again?” Singles are calling each other… on the telephone! Cards and letters are being sent snail mail! My own family has started a Whatsapp Lovell Clan group. We are laughing and sharing stories from New York to Washington state. Folks are sewing, baking for others, and appreciating nature. We are giving, doing errands for others, and planning gardens.
We'll continue to struggle… crying… lamenting… but… we're also finding moments of laughter in the midst of tragedy… for we continue hoping. Like the scripture stories I could have packed away for another time, this story will come to a conclusion… with joy and relief for many, but sadly for others, with sickness and sorrow.
Yet, as Easter people, we remember that death and sorrow will never have the final say… Like Ezekiel, we are led around the desert of dry bones, but it is the Spirit who leads and invites us to hear, to listen, and to know of God’s love and deepest desires for us. We were a fearful people when the story began just weeks ago… but now? With God’s help, on a good day we are releasing our fears, we are united in faith so that we are more than merely surviving! Our dry bones are noisy and rattlin’ with new life!
Hold on friends… God is redeeming us from the wilderness and the possibilities for good and lasting change are endless… Hear, listen, O people, for God is speaking,
“I will bring you back and you shall know that I am the Lord,
when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people, I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live!”
That is our ultimate and oh so good ending… And we shall live!
I close with this beautiful poem/prayer from Laura Kelly Fanucci,
When This is Over
When this is over, may we never again take for granted
A handshake with a stranger
Full shelves at the store,
Conversations with neighbors
A crowded theater,
Friday night out
The taste of communion,
A routine checkup
The school rush each morning
Coffee with a friend
The stadium roaring
Each deep breath
A boring Tuesday
Life itself.
When this ends may we find that we have become more like the people we wanted to be, we were called to be, we hoped to be. And may we stay that way — better for each other, because of the worst.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
HUPC Reflection March 22, 2020 Rev. Laura L. Mitchell
Together In Exile
Psalm 23 In the Revised Standard Version I learned as a child.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Comfort food…. I bet I can guess some of yours; mac and cheese, tomato or chicken noodle soup, preferably Mom’s or maybe even the Campbell’s variety to go with a grilled cheese sandwich on white bread. How about chicken and biscuits, meatloaf, mashed potatoes? When my sisters and I were kids I remember creamed chipped beef on toast. Do you see any common denominator? Carbs and fat! Research states that, “comfort foods actually fight stress by stemming the tide of stress-related hormones that are released when people are acutely exposed to stress.” Carbs and fats decrease feelings of stress, no wonder we crave them! Raise your hand if you have been experiencing stress this week? I know I ate more than my share of Irish Soda bread and corned beef and cabbage soup. But these foods, when they do their job, also find their name because they bring us back to a place of comfort… a time when we felt safe… our favorite food prepared by one who loved and cared for us when we were children. Psychologist Shira Gabriel writes, “As long we have positive association with the person who made that food then there's a good chance that you will be drawn to that dish during times of rejection or isolation. It can be understood as straight-up classical conditioning.” And there is no doubt we are drawn to our comfort foods in times of stress and anxiety. We need the familiar, the dependable… only mom’s macaroni and cheese recipe will do. And here we are, gathered over phone lines, radio-waves and cyber space, however that works… our first week worshipping apart… and it doesn’t feel very familiar at all.
Oh how I wish this were a bad dream… I miss all of you so much. I miss the chatter and the kids… choir and coffee hour. Of all times, we need the familiar right now. Church, at its best, is like our old, familiar, childhood, comfort food… church is one place we can rely on being loved and cared for… a place where we can laugh and cry… be fed spiritually, emotionally, and physically. It is a place of memories, both the joyful and the poignant. How quickly we miss what we can’t have. How ever strange and unwelcome this isolation from one another, we are wonderfully, oddly gathered virtually, and I pray you feel the love of your brothers and sisters in faith, bringing you at least momentary relief from your grief… for this experience is like grief… this grief, a temporary loss of something we hold dear- worshipping and enjoying one another’s company face-to-face, hug-to-hug… and so, like one suggested process of grief, we may find our selves in denial- “this can’t be happening” or maybe anger- “I want to blame someone or something” or bargaining- “can’t we just get together and keep our distance?” no we cannot… or a sense of depression- deep sadness, loneliness, longing for what was… but take heart we are going to be together again… I promise you… and what a celebration it will be! And finally, in the grief process… acceptance… with hope for the future… courage and strength that we can do this… that we will come back stronger… even more faithful!
In the meantime, we’ll crave the familiar comforts of what we may have taken for granted… family get-togethers, even going to work and, yes, coming to church. We’ll miss everyday things like shopping, movies, dinners out… who would ever thought our lives could be put on hold… just like that! Many folks, and I thank God for them, have shared unexpected blessings and simple joys found in the slowness of this unwanted exile… but most of us also admit to moments when we find ourselves in dire need for something that will bring us back to normalcy… we need comfort and relief from anxiety… What better medicine for our hearts than the Word of God. This fourth Sunday in Lent offers the gift of Psalm 23. I was so relieved to see it in the bulletin I had prepared way ahead for today, before we knew anything of the coronavirus, before we knew it would have such an impact on out lives. I would guess mnay of you memorized Psalm 23 as a child… in the King James Version or the Revised Standard Version I read this morning. The familiarity of this beloved passage is just what we need right now. It sooths our deep need to be loved, protected, provided for, and kept safe. It’s pastoral images of peace and comfort, its promise to guide us, its assurance that we are not alone in the dark valleys, and its hope for a future, have carried many millions through the desert wilderness better than any comfort food ever could…
Friends, I am going to read Psalm 23 again and I encourage you to choose to either read or recite, by memory, along with me, or to close your eyes and soak in the wonderful familiar comfort of these promises of God. Imagine yourself in green pastures… led beside still waters… See Jesus with you in your valleys, your fears and loneliness, so that you needn’t be afraid, his shepherd’s staff protecting you… A table of comfort food is laid out for you, Jesus’ hand anoints your forehead, marking you once again as his own. Goodness and mercy are chasing after you all the days of your life and forever more!
Reading slowly now… “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Beloved, we are in this together, with each other and our Good Shepherd. Return again and again to Psalm 23 or the countless other passages particularly familiar and comforting to us. (see some below) May they relieve you of fear, anxiety, grief and doubt, bringing you to a place of comfort, deep peace strength and great hope! Thanks be to God.
Let us pray. O God, our world has been turned upside down. We, who have had the privilege of living in safety and freedom, now find ourselves fearful and wondering when life will get back to normal. May the gifts of your word and love in this blessed psalm, the gift of worshipping together though physically apart, the gift of hope for a joyous reunion, carry us through these anxious days. O Spirit, remind us again and again that our Shepherd Jesus, is always present, our familiar, faithful comfort. Keep us faithful in prayer for one another and for our world. In the name of God, Father, Spirit, Son, we pray. Amen.
Scripture passages to bring you comfort:
Psalm 46:1-3 - "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging."
Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."
Psalm 94:19 "When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul."
Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
2 Thessalonians 3:16 "Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all."
John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."
Isaiah 41:10 "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Together In Exile
Psalm 23 In the Revised Standard Version I learned as a child.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Comfort food…. I bet I can guess some of yours; mac and cheese, tomato or chicken noodle soup, preferably Mom’s or maybe even the Campbell’s variety to go with a grilled cheese sandwich on white bread. How about chicken and biscuits, meatloaf, mashed potatoes? When my sisters and I were kids I remember creamed chipped beef on toast. Do you see any common denominator? Carbs and fat! Research states that, “comfort foods actually fight stress by stemming the tide of stress-related hormones that are released when people are acutely exposed to stress.” Carbs and fats decrease feelings of stress, no wonder we crave them! Raise your hand if you have been experiencing stress this week? I know I ate more than my share of Irish Soda bread and corned beef and cabbage soup. But these foods, when they do their job, also find their name because they bring us back to a place of comfort… a time when we felt safe… our favorite food prepared by one who loved and cared for us when we were children. Psychologist Shira Gabriel writes, “As long we have positive association with the person who made that food then there's a good chance that you will be drawn to that dish during times of rejection or isolation. It can be understood as straight-up classical conditioning.” And there is no doubt we are drawn to our comfort foods in times of stress and anxiety. We need the familiar, the dependable… only mom’s macaroni and cheese recipe will do. And here we are, gathered over phone lines, radio-waves and cyber space, however that works… our first week worshipping apart… and it doesn’t feel very familiar at all.
Oh how I wish this were a bad dream… I miss all of you so much. I miss the chatter and the kids… choir and coffee hour. Of all times, we need the familiar right now. Church, at its best, is like our old, familiar, childhood, comfort food… church is one place we can rely on being loved and cared for… a place where we can laugh and cry… be fed spiritually, emotionally, and physically. It is a place of memories, both the joyful and the poignant. How quickly we miss what we can’t have. How ever strange and unwelcome this isolation from one another, we are wonderfully, oddly gathered virtually, and I pray you feel the love of your brothers and sisters in faith, bringing you at least momentary relief from your grief… for this experience is like grief… this grief, a temporary loss of something we hold dear- worshipping and enjoying one another’s company face-to-face, hug-to-hug… and so, like one suggested process of grief, we may find our selves in denial- “this can’t be happening” or maybe anger- “I want to blame someone or something” or bargaining- “can’t we just get together and keep our distance?” no we cannot… or a sense of depression- deep sadness, loneliness, longing for what was… but take heart we are going to be together again… I promise you… and what a celebration it will be! And finally, in the grief process… acceptance… with hope for the future… courage and strength that we can do this… that we will come back stronger… even more faithful!
In the meantime, we’ll crave the familiar comforts of what we may have taken for granted… family get-togethers, even going to work and, yes, coming to church. We’ll miss everyday things like shopping, movies, dinners out… who would ever thought our lives could be put on hold… just like that! Many folks, and I thank God for them, have shared unexpected blessings and simple joys found in the slowness of this unwanted exile… but most of us also admit to moments when we find ourselves in dire need for something that will bring us back to normalcy… we need comfort and relief from anxiety… What better medicine for our hearts than the Word of God. This fourth Sunday in Lent offers the gift of Psalm 23. I was so relieved to see it in the bulletin I had prepared way ahead for today, before we knew anything of the coronavirus, before we knew it would have such an impact on out lives. I would guess mnay of you memorized Psalm 23 as a child… in the King James Version or the Revised Standard Version I read this morning. The familiarity of this beloved passage is just what we need right now. It sooths our deep need to be loved, protected, provided for, and kept safe. It’s pastoral images of peace and comfort, its promise to guide us, its assurance that we are not alone in the dark valleys, and its hope for a future, have carried many millions through the desert wilderness better than any comfort food ever could…
Friends, I am going to read Psalm 23 again and I encourage you to choose to either read or recite, by memory, along with me, or to close your eyes and soak in the wonderful familiar comfort of these promises of God. Imagine yourself in green pastures… led beside still waters… See Jesus with you in your valleys, your fears and loneliness, so that you needn’t be afraid, his shepherd’s staff protecting you… A table of comfort food is laid out for you, Jesus’ hand anoints your forehead, marking you once again as his own. Goodness and mercy are chasing after you all the days of your life and forever more!
Reading slowly now… “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Beloved, we are in this together, with each other and our Good Shepherd. Return again and again to Psalm 23 or the countless other passages particularly familiar and comforting to us. (see some below) May they relieve you of fear, anxiety, grief and doubt, bringing you to a place of comfort, deep peace strength and great hope! Thanks be to God.
Let us pray. O God, our world has been turned upside down. We, who have had the privilege of living in safety and freedom, now find ourselves fearful and wondering when life will get back to normal. May the gifts of your word and love in this blessed psalm, the gift of worshipping together though physically apart, the gift of hope for a joyous reunion, carry us through these anxious days. O Spirit, remind us again and again that our Shepherd Jesus, is always present, our familiar, faithful comfort. Keep us faithful in prayer for one another and for our world. In the name of God, Father, Spirit, Son, we pray. Amen.
Scripture passages to bring you comfort:
Psalm 46:1-3 - "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging."
Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."
Psalm 94:19 "When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul."
Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
2 Thessalonians 3:16 "Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all."
John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."
Isaiah 41:10 "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
HUPC Sermon 3.15.2020 Rev. Laura L. Mitchell
Exodus 17:1-7
John 4:5-30, 39-42
Lent is a varying landscape… one of wilderness- Jesus’ time of fasting, solitude and temptation in the desert. One of wind- Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus of the work of the Holy Spirit blowing where it will bringing us to a place of new birth. It is one of water- we meet Jesus and a Samaritan woman at the well of their ancestor Jacob.
It was no coincidence… on His way back from Jerusalem to Galilee, Jesus chose to stop at Jacob’s well in Samaria. He knew the political and religious tensions between the Jewish and Samaritan people… their opinions on which scriptures and texts were accepted, their beliefs about where they had to worship… the Jews found the Samaritans… undesirable. It was in the bright sun and heat of the day, that a Samaritan woman approached with her large jar…. one heavy when empty and very heavy when full of water! She came with no name, called only “a Samaritan Woman” but Jesus knows her well. She was wary of the Jewish man sitting next to their well, she knew it was unacceptable for her to meet privately with a man, but this Samaritan woman walked straight up to Jesus because she had to… had to get her water. And so begins the longest recorded conversation between Jesus and another human being, a Samaritan woman no less! It starts simply enough as He asks her for a drink of water. How surprising that He would want to receive a drink from her! Rather boldly she responds, “How can you ask me, a Samaritan woman for a drink of water?” Oh, to see Jesus’ face during this wonderful encounter… He already knows this woman’s deepest needs… He longs for her to receive a precious gift from Him. “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” She took Him literally at first, as had Nicodemus of being born again, and asked, “Please tell me, where can you get this living water?” Leading her toward understanding Jesus responds, “Everyone who drinks water from this well will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst… my water will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Still taking him literally, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” The unexpected and rather uncomfortable encounter is going surprisingly well. She’s hopeful that her courage will pay off, “I’ll get this miracle water, get away from this man, go home… never having to carry this heavy jug in the hot sun again!” But Jesus he knows her… so well, “Go… call your husband and come back.” “I have no husband.” “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband.” This, I suspect, is when fear crept in, doubts over her boldness, regret that she had ever begun this ridiculous conversation. Was he going to judge her, hate her, condemn her just as everyone else had? That is why she came in the afternoon sun… to avoid the nasty stares and comments of the other women who came in the cool of the morning. But Jesus is different… he is stating facts, not throwing stones. Indeed she may innocently have been widowed many times. Even her situation with the man not her husband does not receive incrimination from Jesus. She might have been in a Levirite marriage- a childless woman married to her dead husband’s brother only in order to produce an heir, often not technically considered the brother’s wife. Her situation is not sinful, but rather sad and tragic. Jesus wants her healed of pain and fear- from the past, present, and future. Her eyes are opened, “Sir I can see that you are a prophet.” He knows she is starting to get it, so he continues to reveal the truth to her. “Woman, believe me, a time is coming when you will worship God neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” Enlightened she proclaims, “I know that Messiah is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus clinches it, “I… the one speaking to you—I am he!” This is when it happens for her, the transformation, the healing, the receiving of the Living Water… that living water that quenches our deepest thirst, that fills our very soul. That great big, heavy, earthen water jar is laid down. She left it there at the feet of Jesus and she ran, her face filled with new joy, her mouth proclaiming a new truth! “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” This dear woman dared to approach Jesus, an unknown… there is no doubt she was afraid, but something must have spoken safety to her, and her courage did pay off. Friends, we are living in uncertain, stressful times. We’ve made a decision to be apart from one another for a few weeks… a strange, new, unwelcome territory. It is not what we want and right now it may feel like we are carrying the jar the woman joyously laid down. This decision was not entered into lightly and was approved with sorrow… and yet… just as Jesus taught us to love one another, I pray that you will know that it is out of deep love for all of you and for our community that we will worship separately from one another for a few weeks. This is hard to accept for a congregation who gathers together so faithfully week after week. We come no matter snow, sleet, or freezing rain. We come when it’s 30 below or 102 above! We come to sit shoulder to shoulder with friends old and new. We come because we depend upon Sunday morning worship to find solace from our fears and anxieties. We come to soak in God’s presence seeking respite from grief, nourishment so that we may deal with the worries of the world and now… we are being asked to stay home. This is unknown territory and it may feel frightening. So I ask us to walk to the well together… Jesus is waiting there to fill us with water that will sustain us in our absence from one another. “Drink of the water that I give and you will never be thirsty!” Please, let us join in hope that we will be reunited on Palm Sunday… a wonderful homecoming just in time to continue our walk with Jesus through Holy Week to the celebration and amazing joy of Easter morning. Do I dare say we have much to look forward to? Yes! And I will also dare to say that we may find unexpected blessings in these next few Sunday mornings… a different way of being together in spirit while sitting in our own homes. I will be posting my sermons/reflections on our website. It can be delivered to those of you without internet. Your bulletin includes devotions for the next three weeks and the lectionary scripture passages for Sundays. (See document below) As well I have printed suggested readings to help you through these days. Reach out to one another- make phone calls on Sunday mornings, have virtual coffee together, try Skype or Facetime, send cards. Try journaling and come back and share how God has spoken to you through this unique experience. Express your faith in art or poetry. Go for a prayer walk and get some fresh air. We are going to do more than survive this temporary interruption. I trust the surprises of the Spirit to help us grow in faith through it! Oh beloved ones, Jesus knows our disappointment, but will surely bless our decision to care not only for souls, but for bodies… our health and that of others so that we may continue to serve as his disciples. I shared the following passage from Deuteronomy 31 with the session when we met Saturday evening- As he was preparing Joshua to take over leading the people of God into the promised land, Moses “said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; God will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Jesus wants us to leave the heaviness of this decision at the foot of his cross and go home today with the assurance of his love, filled with living water that will never let us thirst, for he is with us always… while together and in these days apart. Thanks be to God. I close with this beautiful prayer from, Cameron Bellm, a writer and mom from Seattle:
May we who are merely inconvenienced remember those whose lives are at stake.
May we who have no risk factors remember those most vulnerable.
May we who have the luxury of working from home remember those who must choose between preserving their heath or making their rent.
May we who have the flexibility to care for our children when their schools close remember those who have no options.
May we who have to cancel our trips remember those who have no safe place to go.
May we who are losing our margin money in the tumult of the economic market remember those who have no margin at all.
May we who settle in for a quarantine at home remember those who have no home.
As fear grips our country, let us choose love.
During this time when we cannot physically wrap our arms around each other, let us yet find ways to be the loving embrace of God to our neighbors.
Amen.
Sundays Away
Readings for the 4th and 5th weeks in Lent:
Fourth Sunday in Lent—March 22 Fifth Sunday in Lent—March 29
1 Samuel 16:1–13, Psalm 23 Ezekiel 37:1–14, Psalm 130
Ephesians 5:8–14, John 9:1-41 Romans 8:6–11, John 11:1–45
Excerpt from “Five Ways To Be The Church When Church Is Canceled” March 13, 2020 Rev. Erin Wathen
There are many unknowns here. There is unprecedented territory ahead, and nobody can say how long it might last. So if it does come down to canceling services at your place, here are some things to remember, and some ways to keep “being the Church,” even when you can’t be in the church building.
1. Support your pastor and elders, and trustees and board members– whoever has to make the really hard decisions about whether and how to gather in times of uncertainty. There is no road map for this, and there is no one right answer. Trust that the folks who ultimately make the call spent some time in prayer, discernment, and very difficult conversations. Know that they heavily weighed consequences, including your disappointment, and ultimately did what they thought was the best thing for the wellbeing of the community. Thank them for having your best interests at heart, and then
2. Send in your offering. This may seem like a small thing in the grand scheme right now, but trust me. It matters that you continue to get your offering in, as long as you are fiscally able. (We may be offering online giving options.) Even the healthiest congregations can find themselves in the hole, and quick, after just a few Sundays of missed offerings. If you can’t give online, mail in a check, send a carrier pigeon, do what you have to do. Even if the building is empty, bills and salaries need to be paid; what’s more, you’re helping your church maintain mission commitments to the community in a time when that commitment is more important than ever.
3. Check on your neighbors. Your older neighbors, your neighbor on chemo, your neighbor whose kid relies on free school lunch, your neighbor who still has to go to work and could use help with childcare… Any time you help someone in your proximity, you are living out the values of your faith community. You are embodying what the whole gospel thing is about, which takes church out of the building and brings it to life for others. This is what we go to church to learn how to do– it is ‘for such a time as this’ that you have spent all those other Sundays in worship.
4. Pray for your church family. And send notes. Make phone calls. All the things that we do for shut-ins, do for each other now that we are all shut-ins, so to speak. We are one body, even when that body is not together in the flesh. There are plenty of ways to stay connected in spirit, and care for each others’ spiritual needs.
5. Practice Sabbath. For some, this shutdown of life as we know it is going to cause significant economic hardship. In the spirit of #3, care for your neighbor as best as you can. In the meantime, recognize if your own discomfort is just inconvenience, and keep that perspective. Recognize that downtime can be a gift– an imposed Sabbath of time to sit still and be with your family, without the usual rush of places to be and things to accomplish. Read together; prepare meals together (can you share with a neighbor? #3 and repeat); binge watch some Netflix together. When’s the last time everybody was home for this long? Talk about what you can learn from this season. Talk about your blessings. Play a game. Make something. Listen to music. It really doesn’t matter. Any of these things can be worshipful in their own way, if by ‘worship’ we mean rest and renewal by way of connecting with God and others.
Pastor Laura’s sermons will be posted to our website or delivered to your door if you do not have internet. Make sure we have your mailing and email addresses. https://www.westhebronunitedpresbyterianchurch.com/
I will also be posting on our Facebook Page and invite you to share too- https://www.facebook.com/westhebronupc/
Check out- an online and email devotional- https://d365.org/devotions/
Help for kids and parents at home- https://nesca-newton.com/making-the-most-of-covid-19-school-closures/ (NESCA (Neuropsychology & Education Services for Children & Adolescents)
Scripture passages to bring you comfort:
Psalm 46:1-3 - "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging."
Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."
Psalm 94:19 "When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul."
Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
2 Thessalonians 3:16 "Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all."
John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."
Isaiah 41:10 "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." An Irish Blessing
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
Please call, email, Facebook message, text, smoke signal, or Facetime me with your prayer requests, if you just want to talk, need a prayer, to vent or tell me a good joke, or if you have a God experience to share! I pray we can all keep hope in our hearts and a smile on our faces as best we can. I will be praying for you- parents, kids, youth, teachers, grandparents, couples, singles, those working from home and those going in!
With love in Christ, Pastor Laura <><
Exodus 17:1-7
John 4:5-30, 39-42
Lent is a varying landscape… one of wilderness- Jesus’ time of fasting, solitude and temptation in the desert. One of wind- Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus of the work of the Holy Spirit blowing where it will bringing us to a place of new birth. It is one of water- we meet Jesus and a Samaritan woman at the well of their ancestor Jacob.
It was no coincidence… on His way back from Jerusalem to Galilee, Jesus chose to stop at Jacob’s well in Samaria. He knew the political and religious tensions between the Jewish and Samaritan people… their opinions on which scriptures and texts were accepted, their beliefs about where they had to worship… the Jews found the Samaritans… undesirable. It was in the bright sun and heat of the day, that a Samaritan woman approached with her large jar…. one heavy when empty and very heavy when full of water! She came with no name, called only “a Samaritan Woman” but Jesus knows her well. She was wary of the Jewish man sitting next to their well, she knew it was unacceptable for her to meet privately with a man, but this Samaritan woman walked straight up to Jesus because she had to… had to get her water. And so begins the longest recorded conversation between Jesus and another human being, a Samaritan woman no less! It starts simply enough as He asks her for a drink of water. How surprising that He would want to receive a drink from her! Rather boldly she responds, “How can you ask me, a Samaritan woman for a drink of water?” Oh, to see Jesus’ face during this wonderful encounter… He already knows this woman’s deepest needs… He longs for her to receive a precious gift from Him. “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” She took Him literally at first, as had Nicodemus of being born again, and asked, “Please tell me, where can you get this living water?” Leading her toward understanding Jesus responds, “Everyone who drinks water from this well will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst… my water will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Still taking him literally, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” The unexpected and rather uncomfortable encounter is going surprisingly well. She’s hopeful that her courage will pay off, “I’ll get this miracle water, get away from this man, go home… never having to carry this heavy jug in the hot sun again!” But Jesus he knows her… so well, “Go… call your husband and come back.” “I have no husband.” “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband.” This, I suspect, is when fear crept in, doubts over her boldness, regret that she had ever begun this ridiculous conversation. Was he going to judge her, hate her, condemn her just as everyone else had? That is why she came in the afternoon sun… to avoid the nasty stares and comments of the other women who came in the cool of the morning. But Jesus is different… he is stating facts, not throwing stones. Indeed she may innocently have been widowed many times. Even her situation with the man not her husband does not receive incrimination from Jesus. She might have been in a Levirite marriage- a childless woman married to her dead husband’s brother only in order to produce an heir, often not technically considered the brother’s wife. Her situation is not sinful, but rather sad and tragic. Jesus wants her healed of pain and fear- from the past, present, and future. Her eyes are opened, “Sir I can see that you are a prophet.” He knows she is starting to get it, so he continues to reveal the truth to her. “Woman, believe me, a time is coming when you will worship God neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” Enlightened she proclaims, “I know that Messiah is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus clinches it, “I… the one speaking to you—I am he!” This is when it happens for her, the transformation, the healing, the receiving of the Living Water… that living water that quenches our deepest thirst, that fills our very soul. That great big, heavy, earthen water jar is laid down. She left it there at the feet of Jesus and she ran, her face filled with new joy, her mouth proclaiming a new truth! “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” This dear woman dared to approach Jesus, an unknown… there is no doubt she was afraid, but something must have spoken safety to her, and her courage did pay off. Friends, we are living in uncertain, stressful times. We’ve made a decision to be apart from one another for a few weeks… a strange, new, unwelcome territory. It is not what we want and right now it may feel like we are carrying the jar the woman joyously laid down. This decision was not entered into lightly and was approved with sorrow… and yet… just as Jesus taught us to love one another, I pray that you will know that it is out of deep love for all of you and for our community that we will worship separately from one another for a few weeks. This is hard to accept for a congregation who gathers together so faithfully week after week. We come no matter snow, sleet, or freezing rain. We come when it’s 30 below or 102 above! We come to sit shoulder to shoulder with friends old and new. We come because we depend upon Sunday morning worship to find solace from our fears and anxieties. We come to soak in God’s presence seeking respite from grief, nourishment so that we may deal with the worries of the world and now… we are being asked to stay home. This is unknown territory and it may feel frightening. So I ask us to walk to the well together… Jesus is waiting there to fill us with water that will sustain us in our absence from one another. “Drink of the water that I give and you will never be thirsty!” Please, let us join in hope that we will be reunited on Palm Sunday… a wonderful homecoming just in time to continue our walk with Jesus through Holy Week to the celebration and amazing joy of Easter morning. Do I dare say we have much to look forward to? Yes! And I will also dare to say that we may find unexpected blessings in these next few Sunday mornings… a different way of being together in spirit while sitting in our own homes. I will be posting my sermons/reflections on our website. It can be delivered to those of you without internet. Your bulletin includes devotions for the next three weeks and the lectionary scripture passages for Sundays. (See document below) As well I have printed suggested readings to help you through these days. Reach out to one another- make phone calls on Sunday mornings, have virtual coffee together, try Skype or Facetime, send cards. Try journaling and come back and share how God has spoken to you through this unique experience. Express your faith in art or poetry. Go for a prayer walk and get some fresh air. We are going to do more than survive this temporary interruption. I trust the surprises of the Spirit to help us grow in faith through it! Oh beloved ones, Jesus knows our disappointment, but will surely bless our decision to care not only for souls, but for bodies… our health and that of others so that we may continue to serve as his disciples. I shared the following passage from Deuteronomy 31 with the session when we met Saturday evening- As he was preparing Joshua to take over leading the people of God into the promised land, Moses “said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; God will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Jesus wants us to leave the heaviness of this decision at the foot of his cross and go home today with the assurance of his love, filled with living water that will never let us thirst, for he is with us always… while together and in these days apart. Thanks be to God. I close with this beautiful prayer from, Cameron Bellm, a writer and mom from Seattle:
May we who are merely inconvenienced remember those whose lives are at stake.
May we who have no risk factors remember those most vulnerable.
May we who have the luxury of working from home remember those who must choose between preserving their heath or making their rent.
May we who have the flexibility to care for our children when their schools close remember those who have no options.
May we who have to cancel our trips remember those who have no safe place to go.
May we who are losing our margin money in the tumult of the economic market remember those who have no margin at all.
May we who settle in for a quarantine at home remember those who have no home.
As fear grips our country, let us choose love.
During this time when we cannot physically wrap our arms around each other, let us yet find ways to be the loving embrace of God to our neighbors.
Amen.
Sundays Away
Readings for the 4th and 5th weeks in Lent:
Fourth Sunday in Lent—March 22 Fifth Sunday in Lent—March 29
1 Samuel 16:1–13, Psalm 23 Ezekiel 37:1–14, Psalm 130
Ephesians 5:8–14, John 9:1-41 Romans 8:6–11, John 11:1–45
Excerpt from “Five Ways To Be The Church When Church Is Canceled” March 13, 2020 Rev. Erin Wathen
There are many unknowns here. There is unprecedented territory ahead, and nobody can say how long it might last. So if it does come down to canceling services at your place, here are some things to remember, and some ways to keep “being the Church,” even when you can’t be in the church building.
1. Support your pastor and elders, and trustees and board members– whoever has to make the really hard decisions about whether and how to gather in times of uncertainty. There is no road map for this, and there is no one right answer. Trust that the folks who ultimately make the call spent some time in prayer, discernment, and very difficult conversations. Know that they heavily weighed consequences, including your disappointment, and ultimately did what they thought was the best thing for the wellbeing of the community. Thank them for having your best interests at heart, and then
2. Send in your offering. This may seem like a small thing in the grand scheme right now, but trust me. It matters that you continue to get your offering in, as long as you are fiscally able. (We may be offering online giving options.) Even the healthiest congregations can find themselves in the hole, and quick, after just a few Sundays of missed offerings. If you can’t give online, mail in a check, send a carrier pigeon, do what you have to do. Even if the building is empty, bills and salaries need to be paid; what’s more, you’re helping your church maintain mission commitments to the community in a time when that commitment is more important than ever.
3. Check on your neighbors. Your older neighbors, your neighbor on chemo, your neighbor whose kid relies on free school lunch, your neighbor who still has to go to work and could use help with childcare… Any time you help someone in your proximity, you are living out the values of your faith community. You are embodying what the whole gospel thing is about, which takes church out of the building and brings it to life for others. This is what we go to church to learn how to do– it is ‘for such a time as this’ that you have spent all those other Sundays in worship.
4. Pray for your church family. And send notes. Make phone calls. All the things that we do for shut-ins, do for each other now that we are all shut-ins, so to speak. We are one body, even when that body is not together in the flesh. There are plenty of ways to stay connected in spirit, and care for each others’ spiritual needs.
5. Practice Sabbath. For some, this shutdown of life as we know it is going to cause significant economic hardship. In the spirit of #3, care for your neighbor as best as you can. In the meantime, recognize if your own discomfort is just inconvenience, and keep that perspective. Recognize that downtime can be a gift– an imposed Sabbath of time to sit still and be with your family, without the usual rush of places to be and things to accomplish. Read together; prepare meals together (can you share with a neighbor? #3 and repeat); binge watch some Netflix together. When’s the last time everybody was home for this long? Talk about what you can learn from this season. Talk about your blessings. Play a game. Make something. Listen to music. It really doesn’t matter. Any of these things can be worshipful in their own way, if by ‘worship’ we mean rest and renewal by way of connecting with God and others.
Pastor Laura’s sermons will be posted to our website or delivered to your door if you do not have internet. Make sure we have your mailing and email addresses. https://www.westhebronunitedpresbyterianchurch.com/
I will also be posting on our Facebook Page and invite you to share too- https://www.facebook.com/westhebronupc/
Check out- an online and email devotional- https://d365.org/devotions/
Help for kids and parents at home- https://nesca-newton.com/making-the-most-of-covid-19-school-closures/ (NESCA (Neuropsychology & Education Services for Children & Adolescents)
Scripture passages to bring you comfort:
Psalm 46:1-3 - "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging."
Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."
Psalm 94:19 "When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul."
Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
2 Thessalonians 3:16 "Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all."
John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."
Isaiah 41:10 "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." An Irish Blessing
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
Please call, email, Facebook message, text, smoke signal, or Facetime me with your prayer requests, if you just want to talk, need a prayer, to vent or tell me a good joke, or if you have a God experience to share! I pray we can all keep hope in our hearts and a smile on our faces as best we can. I will be praying for you- parents, kids, youth, teachers, grandparents, couples, singles, those working from home and those going in!
With love in Christ, Pastor Laura <><
