Sermon: "Ready or Not, Here I Come!"

"Ready or Not, Here I Come!"
Matthew 24:36-44

Opening Prayer: "O Christ of Bethlehem, we bring to you our dead-end dreams and splintered hopes. In this time of reflection on your word, bring forth your star of truth. Amen."

A popular story repeated by every preacher worthy of laughing at him/herself is of the man who fell asleep during the sermon. The preacher tries in vain to wake the man up - pounding on the pulpit, raising his voice - to no avail. Finally the preacher calls an usher and whispers to her, "Go wake that man up." The usher replies loud enough for all to hear: "Wake him up yourself, you put him to sleep!"

The message of Advent is “Wake up – the Lord is coming!” Advent is a season when we are challenged to consider our "readiness" - when we measure how ready we are - when we make some new resolves about some things we might do different to better prepare ourselves for his coming – better able to experience the living Jesus.

Jesus had been discussing with his disciples the coming days - his immediate concern being that they be prepared for the events that he knew were about to unfold in Jerusalem. The disciples asked him to give them a clearer description of this end of the age and his believed to be associated coming again. And so, he did. He described for them this rather frightening picture of wars and earthquakes and famines and rejection and persecution. And then, he stopped. He didn’t name an exact time when all of these things would take place. Instead, he announced, as the first verse in the Gospel reading we're considering put it, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”

Then Jesus drew a parallel between the experience of Noah and the experience that was going to be theirs - and ours. Noah was told there was going to be a flood and that he should make preparation for it - that he should build an ark while the sun was still shining - while everyone else was living life paying attention to their daily living needs without any eye on the future. And Jesus reportedly said: "Just as Noah had to prepare for the flood without knowing when exactly the rains were going to begin so must you prepare for my future coming even though you do not know when it is going to happen."

The New International Version states it this way: "So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." Or, to use a saying from our childhood game of hide and seek: "Ready or not, here I come!"

Now, there is a sense in which the words can be regarded as a warning about the future. But my sense is that Christ's real intent was to turn our attention off of a fear of the future and put it on how we are to live today. The intent of the idea behind a belief in a second coming is to produce hope, not fear - expectancy, not reluctance - an excitedness, not an anxiousness. Jesus stops short of giving us an exact roadmap because the end will take care of itself - nothing we do or don't do will bring his anticipated return any sooner or later. Knowing when it will happen will only give us excuses not to live as God desires until the last moment. Our role is not to try and figure it out but only to believe in it and to make ourselves ready for it.

Advent is about "readiness" - it's about "getting ready," "keeping watch," "staying awake." It's not about "worrying," "stewing," or "fretting," about things we cannot control. It's not about instilling in us a fear about the future. If we are ready, then Jesus' words "Here I come" will be words that produce hope in us - excitement in us - anticipation in us - a fervor for his coming.

It's easy for some to take the cataclysmic, frightening events of nature or between nations and hypothesize that they represent the end. Too often the result is inactivity, a paralysis from good and the peace of God. It's in the face of such troubles that we are called to do the essential work of proclaiming God's forgiving mercy, joyfully sharing our gifts, talents, skills, and wealth with all people, especially the poor.

Down the corridors of history we hear Jesus shout to us every Advent season: "Ready or not, here I come!" Every year it's good for our souls to ponder: "Am I ready?" I would like to suggest to you that the answer comes not just from being able to rattle off/repeat/regurgitate some neatly packaged set of beliefs - some sort of correct theology - important and vital as it is for us to pursue a clear understanding about what it is we believe. But the answer of whether we are ready or not is best gleaned from how we are interacting with those around us in this world. For in those interactions is the evidence of our relationship with God.

In a sermon I read a few years ago, the preacher observed: “The temptation is to dismiss these words from Matthew. After all, how do they pertain to us? Written at a time when the early church had bet its life on Jesus’ return, these seem odd words to hear on (a) Sunday of Advent. We are busy preparing the crèche for a baby, but Matthew appears to be announcing Jesus’ second coming. And it isn’t just an odd lesson, but a frightening one. In a season when we seek assurance, Matthew’s words are enough to scare us half to death. These words compare the coming of God’s promised one to the death and devastation of the flood during Noah’s time. We are looking forward to being reunited with family and friends while this lesson speaks of untimely separation and unpredictable departure. And then, in the event our Advent and Christmas sensibilities are not offended completely, the coming of Jesus is compared to a thief who breaks into a house at an unexpected hour. Matthew doesn’t know much about the holidays.” (1)

Perhaps it’s a different Christmas we have in mind than the one the author of Matthew had. Perhaps we have forgotten the original reason of the season was not the birth of the Savior of the world, but a way to celebrate the winter solstice – to bring some fun to the drudgery of winter. Perhaps we should quit trying to make the rest of society responsible for our not keeping our reinterpretation of the reason for the season central to our experience!

Let me state my sermon within the sermon more pointedly: we need to calm down when the government or the mall or the school doesn’t display a crèche. We are the ones who have tagged onto society’s festival – the community’s celebration – and just because we were the dominant faith for awhile and quite effectively imbued the ancient holiday/party with new meanings, that doesn’t mean that the holiday is all ours - all about us and our Savior and our meanings. It is our responsibility to display crèches and talk about the meaning of angels and shepherds and kings and Christmas trees and giving for us. Society has its reasons and history and we can take part in those aspects we are comfortable with, but we need to take responsibility for our own use of the season and quit demanding that other entities do it for us.

O.K., now that that’s off my chest, let’s get back to where I was trying to go with the idea that perhaps it’s a different Christmas we have to get prepared for. If we are to prepare ourselves for Christmas, we are going to have to remember that it is an entirely different holiday than the one that can be satisfied when all the decorations have been hung and the shopping completed. “Advent and Christmas are compromised badly when we focus too much on what is under the tree and too little on who is in the stable. The coming of Christmas is not the same as the coming of the Lord.” (2)

I’m guessing that many of you are like me whenever someone starts using words like ‘coming of the Lord.’ It’s really too bad we feel so uncomfortable. It’s my belief that some have done a terrible disservice to the scriptural understanding of the concept. Some have the idea that it’s all about preparing for a time when Jesus is going to come again riding in on a cloud from the heavens. They spend so much time speculating about it that they forget about his first arrival and that the point of that story is that God-is-with-us, now. And that God, Emmanuel - the God of the incarnation, not the God who has been with us or will be with us – but the God who-is-with-us wants us to do something with who we are and his presence in our lives in this world now. (3)

Then, you see, the question “Are you ready for Christmas?” becomes quite a bit more challenging. “To be ready for Christmas in the biblical story does not involve relaxation, but upheaval. We know that the coming of the Lord will challenge priorities and prejudices. We know that the kind of world for which we long cannot be accomplished without confrontation and change. We know that kind of messiah, no doubt, will ask a lot of us. Are we ready for that kind of Christmas?” (4)

Ours is not a messiah that came riding in on a warhorse. He is not a political figure with power granted him because of his position or to whom he was born. Our messiah sort of “slipped in the back door through the unlikely entrance of a stable, accompanied by poor parents and smelly animals.” (5)

There’s no question that it’s easier to celebrate the secular holiday of this time of year than the coming of the Lord which is our understanding of the season. Jesus is more than someone we offer personal devotion. While he was not a politician, his mission has a political nature to it – that is, he came in a real way to establish God’s ways as the rule of humankind. (6) “The messiah did not come to bless our prejudices and to look the other way from our indiscretions. No, the messiah came to lift up the humble and bring down the proud, to call people away from division and into community, to calm fears and instill courage, and to evoke our compassion for the hurting and left-out of the world. And we know changes like that are going to be painful because most of us have something invested in keeping things as they are.

“Christmas has a comfortable ring to it, but the coming of the Lord stretches and pulls and gnaws at us. Christmas will allow for family gatherings by the fireplace, but the coming of the Lord will call us to see every person on the planet as part of the family. Christmas will save us from the messiness of a troubled world; the coming of the Lord will save us from ourselves and push us to transform the messiness so that we can have real peace with ourselves and each other.” (7)

I’m afraid the author of Matthew was right – God doesn’t want people to suffer or be in pain or sorrow; and so, we’d better stay awake for those times when God might put it in our heads that we should do something about a situation in our community or world – when God might decide that it’s time to interfere with the way things are and insert God’s will. “We do not know the hour or the day, but we shouldn’t be too surprised if some voice calls us to an even greater generosity on behalf of the suffering of the world. We shouldn’t be too taken aback if we are tapped on the shoulder and directed toward some worthwhile community project that needs our support. We shouldn’t be too startled if we begin noticing things that just aren’t right and go to work to change them to benefit other people. We shouldn’t be too alarmed if we find ourselves being led to develop a deeper spiritual center for our lives.” (8)

“’Tis the season to stay awake.” A minister was standing in a check-out line one day when he noticed an eight or nine-year-old boy in front of him looking over the candy display – you know, the one that sits there challenging our wills to stay on our diets. The minister could sort of tell that this was a really important purchase for the young man. His tongue was pressed out against his lips. He appeared to be in deep thought. One has to be careful you know to choose the right one when one only has one choice.
The minister said, “I remember thinking: ‘Good choice!’ when he picked up the Baby Ruth and laid it on the counter to pay for it.”

The cashier rang it up and told him how much it was. The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a bunch of pennies, nickels and a single dime and plopped them on the counter. The cashier gave him one of those looks and started counting. Then he looked up and said, “You’re twelve cents short. You need another twelve cents.” The boy’s shoulders dropped. His face dropped. He went from grinning to groaning in less than a second.

Just as the cashier started to tell the boy to put the candy bar back, the minister reached into his pocket and put twelve cents on the counter. The boy’s face lit up like Christmas. He said, “Thanks, Mister.” And he took off. Then he stopped and he turned around and came back and he asked, “Hey, mister, you wanna bite?”

The minister grinned and said, “No thanks. You go ahead and eat it.”

Then the boy looked at the minister real carefully as if he was studying him. Finally he asked: “How come? How come you did that?” Before the minister could answer, the boy got a look of recognition on his face. “Oh,” he said, “I know you, you’re that preacher, aren’t you? Jesus made you do it, didn’t he?”

The minister was glad he didn’t get out what he was going to say. Rather, he simply replied to the boy, “Yes, he did.”

Then the boy said, “I sure like Jesus. And I’m glad Jesus makes nice people like you. Bye.” And out the door the boy ran.

The minister finished his account of the episode by noting: “I don’t know who touched whom more. I do know that I’ve never gotten that much pleasure out of twelve cents since or before. I didn’t do anything special, but with God’s love and twelve cents I was able to touch a little boy’s life and bring glory to God simply by obeying Christ’s command to ‘love our neighbors as ourselves.’” (9)

If only we could look at every experience that comes our way and every person who crosses our path as a potential encounter with Jesus Christ, we would be ready for his coming. Jesus Christ’s announcement of his return is not to create an anxiousness in us – it is not intended to cause us to spend time worrying about when it’s going to happen. Rather, it’s an invitation to live with him every day. “’Tis the season to stay awake.”  "Ready or not, here I come!" are words that should fill us with hope – should cause us to look forward to those events and days when we will have the opportunity to recognize Christ among us and perhaps be ones through whom others will come to know him. Our attitude toward Christ’s second coming should be more like the attitude we have when we think about Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. It should be one of hope, excitement, and joy rather than fear. “Stay awake” then. "Ready or not, he's coming." Amen.

1. William B. Kincaid, III, “How Unexpected Can Christmas Be?” And Then Came the Angel (Lima, Ohio: CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 1998), 0-7880-1245-2.
2. Fred Craddock, et al., Preaching Through the Christian Year A (Philadelphia: Trinity Press International, 1992), p. 9.
3. Johnny Dean, “Get Ready, Get Set...Wait!” Collected Sermons (1999), 0-0000-0000-01.
4. Kincaid.
5. Ibid.
6. Paul J. Achtemeier, General Editor, Harper’s Bible Dictionary (San Francisco: Harper, 1985), p. 630.
7. Kincaid.
8. Ibid.
9. Billy Strayhorn, Parables, Etc.

Sermon: "Thanksgiving - A Holy Place and a Holy Time"

Thanksgiving: "A Holy Place – A Holy Time"
Isaiah 65:17-25

The Pilgrims had a feast with the Indians – that’s the story we recall at Thanksgiving. It's certainly not the whole story about the interaction between the two races before or after the much needed shared meal. Many of us grew up reenacting a glorified or sanitized version of what the meal was really like. Admittedly, that's the way history first gets retold - from the perspective of the victor, whether their cause or methodology was good or bad or a mixture of both. Later perspectives sometimes allow us to more honestly reflect on behaviors and actions of prior generations and warrant our repentance on behalf of our ancestors. That has certainly been the case when it comes to our treatment of our native American brothers and sisters. So, this is simply an introductory apology for now approaching this significant day primarily from the perspective of my white ancestors in hopes of encouraging a more inclusive experience today.

There's no question that at least one of the reasons those early settlers left England was because of their religion. Can you imagine what it would be like to uproot your family and leave everything familiar in order to practice your faith? While those Pilgrims were unaware of everything they were going to face when they boarded the Mayflower, they had to know they would probably never return to their homeland and extended families.

The trip across the Atlantic was rougher than they expected. It took longer than they anticipated and thus their supplies ran dangerously low. Imagine being confined to a small area along with 100 others for that long of a time. It was their faith that got them through it.

It was a difficult first winter. The New World was harsher and colder than what they were used to. Over half of the 100 died. It was tempting to give up. Again, it was their faith that got them through.

It was out of want, you see, not abundance that they and their new Indian neighbors got together to give thanks. It was a holy place and a holy time when they gathered on that first Thanksgiving. (1)

John Witherspoon was the President of the College of New Jersey at Princeton and a Presbyterian minister during the colonial days. He was the only active clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence. One of the stories told about him supposedly happened as a result of an unexpected visit by a neighbor. The neighbor burst through Witherspoon’s door, totally out of breath, and rather dramatically proceeded to share with him the details of his ride from Rocky Hill to Princeton. For some reason, his horse bolted. As a result the buggy he was riding in was smashed and he barely escaped with his life. He asked Witherspoon to pray with him to thank God for having escaped death.
Witherspoon supposedly did so, but only after he was said to have offered: “I can tell you a far more remarkable providence than that. I have driven over that very same road hundreds of times. My horse never ran away. My buggy never was smashed. I was never hurt.”

Any of the rest of you suddenly as convicted as me of having to acknowledge it as an accurate account of our journey through life as well? How often when things haven’t gone so well for me have I been tempted to shake my fist at the heavens and cry out to God, “Why me?” Or, to exclaim, “Thank God!” when I have felt fortunate that things turned out better than I could have or should have expected. It’s curious isn’t it, how sparse our offering of thanks is when things are going very well most of the time in our lives. (2)

A young woman by the name of Terry accepted a new job in California. It meant she had to move over 2,000 miles away from her family. Oh, she loved the change in many ways, but, there were those times when she really missed her family. When Thanksgiving drew near that first year she realized that she would not be able to go home. It would be the first time she would not be able to be with her family on Thanksgiving.

Knowing that most of her coworkers would be with their families and that the mall would be closed she realized that she was going to be alone unless she did something. She read in the local newspaper about an area church that was offering a free meal to people who were struggling with financial issues or in need and so she contacted the church to see if she could help serve.

She was excited when she arrived at the church. She knew she was still going to miss her family, but at least she was not going to be alone. While she was serving meals she had the opportunity to strike up several conversations with some of the people. She often sat down to talk with the children and their parents. She was really touched by their stories and realized how fortunate she was.

When the day was done, she returned to her apartment and she called her parents to share with them how wonderful the day had been. The next week, the pastor of the church called her and thanked her for her help. He said that several people stopped and told him how much they appreciated being able to talk with someone as well as having a meal. They mentioned that most of the time no one bothered with them and they really appreciated someone that cared enough to talk with them. (3)

Many communities and churches sponsor such opportunities in our day. I've had the privilege of helping for several years in a community one and in one organized by a local church. This year I will again be a diner at such an event because I can no longer "make the rounds" and talk to people or do the serving. If there's such an event near you, I encourage you to sign up to help and eat a meal with some neighbors this week. Some who gather will be in need financially, some will be in need emotionally, some will be dealing with other personal issues, some will be present because they have no other place to go and others will be present just because they want to be part of a community meal because it feels a whole lot more like what that first Thanksgiving was like – a holy place – a holy time.

And then the word of God as the prophet Isaiah heard it makes its way back into our minds: “No more weeping or cries of distress – no more infants dieing after only a few days of life or adults before they have lived a complete life – no more homelessness – no more starving – no more laboring in vain – no more bearing children into a world of suffering – no more waiting for God to answer our cries – wolves and lambs will eat together - lions will eat the fruit of the earth instead of other animals – hurting and destruction will not exist on all of God’s holy mountain.”

What a difference these words are from much of what Isaiah offered. Much of the time Isaiah talked about the terrible things that were going to happen. This portion of Isaiah’s work proclaims that all of those terrible things will someday come to an end – that God’s intent for Israel is for something better – that there will be a new reality:

• new heavens and a new earth, nature and social structures would be aligned with God’s purpose;
• a city of rejoicing will replace Jerusalem’s memory scarred with pain and weeping;
• people will realize their full potential – an end will come for infant mortality and short lifespans;
• social justice will become a reality: Israel had suffered loss of property and other losses as an oppressed people throughout their history. This dream of God’s was that justice would be the new order, not just for Israel but for all people – God’s vision is that the new experience would be that people would be able to do honest work and not have it “stolen” by corrupt governments or unscrupulous people – the whole idea of the wolf and lamb feeding together, peacefully, speaks of an end to oppression. (4)

Do you ever find yourself hoping, dreaming for such a reality? Have you ever prayed that such a day would come to pass? What would such a day look like in our day – in our minds? What painful realities of this day would come to an end? How about politicians getting together to do what is right – what is socially just – instead of slinging mud at one another and making decisions based on personal political survival? What about a group of world leaders sitting down for dinner at a fast food restaurant and talking about the weather and asking questions about each other’s loved ones, instead of having to be concerned about their corner of the world? How about no more divorces – no more child abuse – no more sudden deaths – no more flooding or hurricanes or forest fires or ... dreams? Is Isaiah crazy to offer this dream as something he has discerned God promising? Can this dream really become a reality? Will there ever really be a holy place – a holy time?

The bishops of a national denomination gathered in Kansas City. A west coast bishop returned and held a meeting with his staff for the purpose of sharing what he heard at the gathering. His sharing really became energetic when he started talking about the three major speakers. He told his staff: “One of the speakers teaches Bible at one of our seminaries. She did an excellent job of tracing all the currents of biblical research that have brought us to the present. She gave an excellent review of the recent and not so recent past in biblical studies.”

“A second speaker was a theologian,” he continued. “He did much the same thing as the biblical teacher. He reminded us of our heritage. He talked about the giants of theology in the early 20th century. He outlined the major streams of theology that have brought us to our present state.”

When the bishop began to talk about the third speaker’s presentation he became even more animated. “The third speaker,” he said, “was an incredibly gifted lay woman who works in the field of applied science. She is a member of our denomination and a product of one of our church colleges. The things she told us about the nature of science today were mind-boggling. It’s a field that is changing with incredible speed. The average length of time of a job in her field is three years. The average length of time of a company in the field is seven years. On the one hand, she said, that is scary. On the other hand, however, this is probably the most exciting time to be alive that humankind has ever known. Things are changing. There are grand new opportunities. We can change our future!”

When the bishop was finished reviewing the three speakers he grew more serious and reflective as he offered: “I found it interesting that our church’s leaders talked to us mostly about the past while she talked to us mostly of the future. And that’s not all. She not only talked about the future but she made it clear that science has moved far beyond the point of thinking that God is to be factored out of any intelligent equation. As we move to a new future, she said that the spiritual issues were of absolutely vital concern. And you have the answers here, she said to us. We look to you. We need you. Help us provide the spiritual sustenance the world needs as we move toward a new tomorrow.”

The bishop left no doubt that he was greatly impressed with this woman scientist. He relayed to his staff that he had an additional chance to talk with this woman near the end of the five days they were together and she said in addition to what she had shared with the whole group: “that she had been very carefully observing our group over our five days together. And she was impressed. ‘These are wonderful leaders,’ she told me. ‘As a group you are incredibly bright and talented. I’ve never heard any group that is so knowledgeable of the kind of issues you discuss with each other. I’ve been listening in on your conversations and I am thankful that my church has such dedicated leaders. But,’ she said, ‘everything you talk about is in the past. It’s the past that you are so expert in discussing. It’s the church’s past that you are so knowledgeable of. But I don’t think I’ve heard anyone discuss the future. Where is your church going in this exciting time? What kind of new future are you going to create? Surely in the church you have language to talk about the future. Surely you have language in the Bible which can hold out a vision of hope for a new world.’” (5)

“For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. No more weeping or cries of distress – no more infants dieing after only a few days of life or adults before they have lived a complete life – no more homelessness – no more starving – no more laboring in vain – no more bearing children into a world of suffering – no more waiting for God to answer our cries – wolves and lambs will eat together - lions will eat off the land rather than other animals – hurting and destruction will not exist on all of God’s holy mountain.”

Thanksgiving meals are being held in local churches and communities all over! All sorts of people join in preparing it, serving it, eating it, and communing with one another! Local churches offer rooms in their building for community groups intent on improving people’s lives! Holy places – holy times: not the whole vision to be sure, but glimpses of it – shadows of it – a portion of it indeed. Enough to provide us hope and motivate us to pursue it even more ways? That is my hope and dream.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

1. Emphasis, November/December, 2007, p. 39.
2. Ibid., p. 38.
3. Ibid.
4. www.gbod.org/worship/articles, Preaching Helps for the Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, Year C – November 18, 2007.
5. Richard A. Jensen, Lectionary Tales for the Pulpit (Lima, Ohio: CSS Publishing, 1994), 0-7880-0081-0.

"Thanksgiving Thoughts"

"Thanksgiving Thoughts"

I thought I'd share a few of the Thanksgiving related illustrations I've used in sermons and other talks. I'm not promising much of theological or spiritual worth, but a little humor and some words for thought food - nutritional value questionable. It may end up being more than one blog post - whether that's good or bad will be up to you to decide.

(This one's really old, but then many of them may well be.)
A food editor of a large newspaper received a phone call one day from a lady who wanted to know: "How long should I roast a 22 pound turkey?"
The food editor said, "Just a minute," and turned to look at a chart on the wall to be sure of the information she was going to share.
The woman on the other end of the line said, "Thank you," and hung up. Yummmmmmmm!!

A four-year-old little girl was asked how she liked her thanksgiving dinner. She responded: "Well, I didn't like the turkey much, but I sure liked the bread it ate."

A customer at a local restaurant was asked by the waiter: "How did you find your turkey, sir?"
The diner replied: "By sheer accident. I happened to move a slice of pickle and there it was."

When Rudyard Kipling was one of the more popular writers of his time, it was reported that he received 10 shillings for every word he wrote. Some students at Oxford University were less impressed with his success than they should have been and sent Kipling 10 shillings with a request that he send them, "one of your best words."
He cabled back: "Thanks!"

When a little boy returned from a birthday party, his mother asked him, "Bobby, did you thank the mother of your friend for the party?"
The little boy's response was: "Well, I was going to, but a girl ahead of me said, 'Thank you,' and the lady told her not to mention it, so I didn't."

Winston Churchill loved to tell the story of the little boy who fell off a pier into deep water. An older sailor, heedless of the great danger to himself, dove into the stormy water, struggled with the boy, and finally, exhausted, brought to safety.
Two days later the boy's mother came with him to the same pier seeking the sailor who rescued her son. Finding him, she asked: "You dove into the ocean to bring my boy out?"
The old sailor said, "I did."
The mother then quickly demanded: "Then where's his hat?"

The late W. L. Stidger told about a teacher he had while in school. She had gone out of her way to interest him in the poet Tennyson. It was his habit to write letters at Thanksgiving to persons who had influenced him. One year he decided to write this former teacher. The letter was forwarded from town to town until it finally reached her. Dr. Stidger received the following reply:
"My dear Willie: I am an old lady in my eighties. I am ill and I cannot leave my room. Your letter came like a ray of bright sun, illuminating my dark day and my even darker life. You will be interested to know that, after fifty years of teaching, yours was the first letter of thanks I ever received from a former student. You lifted the clouds for me."

The weather people had predicted heavy rains for many days. After a few days it began to flood. Rescue teams were sent out to tell people to evacuate their homes. One gentleman, noted for his piety, refused to go with the rescue team that came to take him by car to higher ground. "The Lord will take care of me," he said with conviction.
Soon the water began covering his front yard. This time the would-be rescuers came in a motor boat. "The Lord will take care of me," he announced.
A day later the house was filled with water and the man was stranded on his roof. Again a rescue team came - this time in a helicopter. "The Lord will rescue me," he said declining their help.
Soon the water was up over the man's waist even on top of the house. He was getting worried. "Lord," he prayed with great earnestness, "when are you going to rescue me?"
The Lord replied, "What do you mean when am I going to rescue you? I've already tried three times."

In Vermont a farmer was sitting on the porch with his wife. He was beginning to realize how much she meant to him. It was about time! They had lived together forty-two years and she had helped to everything, willingly.
One day as they sat there together on the porch, he said, "Wife, you've been such a wonderful woman that there are times I can hardly keep from telling you."

A farmer was invited to dine with a city friend. Before partaking of the meal, the farmer bowed his head and silently thanked God for the food.
His host said: "You are old-fashioned, I see. I never pray before meals."
The farmer said: "I always give thanks to God before I eat the good things God has so graciously provided. There are some creatures on my farm, however, who never pray for their meals."
"Ah," said the host, "they are with it, up-to-date and enlightened. Who are they?"
The farmer replied, "My pigs!"

An innocent-looking old lady cashed her check at the supermarket. She thanked the cashier, saying: "I just didn't know what I was going to do since the bank stopped cashing my checks."

Four high school boys decided to skip classes one bright, warm spring morning. (Ah, please come back soon bright, warm spring mornings!) Probably a few of us remember those kind of days when we were in high school. We probably also remember the feelings we had when we decided to finally head to school.
As this story goes, the boys returned after lunch and explained to their teacher that their car had had a flat tire on the way to school. They were extremely grateful when their teacher seemingly smiled understandingly.
The teacher rather pleasantly said: "You boys missed a test this morning. Please take your seats apart from one another and get out a piece of paper and a pencil."  
After the boys had done as she instructed, she continued with: "This is a make-up test. I'm only going to ask you one question. If all your answers are the same, you will all get an A. If not, you will all get an F. Ready? Which tire was flat?"

THANKSGIVING GRACE
O, heavenly Creator,
We thank You for the food
And remember the hungry;
We thank You for health
and remember the sick;
We thank You for friends
and remember the friendless;
We thank You for freedom
and remember the enslaved
May these remembrances stir us to serve
that your gifts to us may be used for others.
AMEN.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Sermon: "The King of Grace"

"The King of Grace"
Luke 23:33-43

Advent is just around the corner. The season that prepares we Christians for our Christmas holiday - that day when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the recognition that God is one with us and lives among us - is not far behind. The first Sunday of Advent marks the beginning of a new year on the church calendar. The Sunday before is the last Sunday of the Christian year and on this Sunday we ponder and reaffirm our understanding of Jesus Christ as King. One of the scripture passages on which we base our idea of Jesus as King is the text according to Luke 23:33-43.

There were three of them there - hanging on crosses - charged with breaking the law and being found guilty. They were considered criminals - convicts - that's what their crucifixions were meant to declare to all who watched that day and those who heard about it in that day or would hear about it down through the centuries.

Leaders of the community scoffed at Jesus - soldiers mocked him - there was a sign above his head declaring the charge of treason leveled against him because the phrase "King of the Jews" had been used by some who followed him. And then, there was the apparent insult spoken by one of those hanging on one of the crosses beside him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”

We're not really sure why he said what he said - whether he was trying to win sympathy from Jesus or the authorities, or whether he was just that mean and callous. What we do know is that the other convict wasn't on the same page as he rebuked his cross-mate by querying: “Don’t you fear God since we are under the same sentence? We are being punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” And then, perhaps pleadingly, perhaps even sure he didn't merit what he was requesting, he affirmed his faith by stating that he wanted to be with Jesus from then on wherever that was going to be: "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

And the King - the ruler of eternity - the one who holds the keys to the kingdom - answered the man's simple confession and statement of faith with: “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” And with those words, he asserted even in the closing moments of his physical life who he was and what he was about - the King of Grace!

Now, there are several things in this story about the exchange between a couple of real criminals and Jesus that reveal some significant truths about the Christian journey of faith. The first one is: there’s a life-changing quality involved on the journey. When we face the reality of who we are and then encounter the grace of God, there's a rush that flows through us that turns us around - that changes the negative attitudes we feel about ourselves into these hopeful, life-giving ones. When we become aware, as the repentant criminal on the cross did, it's like being birthed again - being given a new lease, a new perspective on life. Some even refer to what happens as being born again.  
Another important tenet of the Christian journey of faith experience that this closing vignette of Jesus and the criminals should awaken in us is that Jesus cares about us - about all of us sinners. Although, it probably was done as a sick joke or was intended to be insulting or was an accident of fate, Jesus being hung on a cross between two criminals/sinners couldn’t be a better witness of the message he’d lived his life proclaiming both with his words and deeds: sinners are worthy of my time - my attention - forgiveness - grace - we are important. Wherever Jesus went he sought sinners/outcasts/disadvantaged/sick out and ate with them - and talked with them. He who was dying for sinners was also dying with them. The persons chosen to die with Jesus that day were criminals - were like those to whom Jesus came to minister/like those with whom he was often observed  - the outcasts - the prostitutes - the thieves - the tax collectors.

Another significant idea this encounter between Jesus and the criminals invites us to ponder is that it’s never too late. While hanging from a cross - with life oozing out of him - while drawing closer to death with every breath - a thief’s future was changed from hell to heaven - from death to eternal life - from a life of sin to a life in God’s kingdom with Jesus - all in the length of time it took the man to make the simple request: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” As long as a person’s heart beats, Christ’s invitation stands and his arms remain ready to welcome us home. Even when all of life’s opportunities seem to have been used up, salvation is still available.

Salvation is available even for those who have no time left to lead a new and better life - even the robber while he hung on the cross - even the drug addict after he has plunged the needle of death into his arm - even those who rise from their beds of adultery. It is never too late to turn to the avenue of God offered by Jesus Christ. It is indeed one of the most important messages we should remember from this story near the end of Jesus’ life. Jesus is the king of grace.

And then there’s the idea captured by popular seminary executive, Leonard Sweet, in this excerpt from one of his sermons: “This criminal delivers what is arguably Christianity’s first sermon, a speech from the cross in which this outcast understands things the disciples could not yet comprehend.

“The disciples never could figure out how a messiah could be rejected and executed. This outcast gets it: the bandit understands that precisely because Jesus is on the cross, he is the messiah. It wasn’t the disciples who ‘got it.’ It wasn’t Jesus’ family who ‘got it.’ It was this ‘criminal’, this outsider, who ‘got it’ and gave witness to whom Jesus was when everyone else had deserted, double-crossed, and derided him, and then gone into hiding.” (1)

The kingdom of God includes those who have been excluded in this world - it includes people most of us religious types don’t expect to see around God’s throne - it includes the most unlikely among us, and yeah, there’s a good chance they are even better able to hear the message - more ready, more willing than many of us more religious types.

Important/significant as all the things I’ve just mentioned are, over the years this text has created within my heart and mind other thoughts and questions. And one of the things I’ve come to believe about questions that pop into my heart and mind is that I should pay attention to them because God just might have some other things to say to me through them.

In an article in a former church’s newsletter several years ago there was an article by a couple of United Methodist missionary friends serving in one of the former USSR countries. Two children from the neighborhood around the church they were serving showed up at the church’s door. The adults sitting around the makeshift communion table looked up when the twelve-year-old boy wearing a wrinkled baseball cap and his nine-year-old sister made their entrance.

One of the women recognized them as two of the children who had been at the previous week’s craft and story time. She greeted them by name and went up to them and said, “I’m really sorry but the next children’s time isn’t until next week.” It wasn’t until she’d spoken the words that she noticed the dirty tears in the eyes of the boy. And so she quickly queried, “What’s wrong?” As she gently felt his forehead with the back of her hand, she added, “Aren’t you feeling well?”

And then the boy’s little sister began to cry also. Another woman got up from her place at the table and offered her a tissue and caressed her back. The two children said nothing. When they were invited to have some cookies they took off their dark, oversized coats. The rest of the church’s people made a place at the table for them and then offered them some lukewarm tea and biscuits to go with the cookies they were already enjoying.

Finally, the brother quietly said to the woman, “My mother said she might send us to a children’s home.” With that, they both began to cry again. And then the brother continued with, “She says we’re bad children.”

The woman who knew him quickly said, “You are good children. Why, just last week you helped some of the younger children here learn how to use scissors, remember?” Another woman added, “You made that little paper dog for my daughter last month.” The boy smiled appreciatively. One of the men brought over a margarine container with some bits of crayon in it and turned over his sheets of paper. The two children colored several of the pages and seemed unfazed when the meeting gradually returned to other issues. They sat there for over an hour, coloring quietly.

As the tea cups were being wiped out, one of the women turned to the children and said, “Maybe we could come visit you and your mother?” The boy gave the group an unsure look. “It’s all right,” the woman reassured him, “we visit other children in their homes. It’s part of what we do as a church.” The boy said, “All right. That will be O.K. I’ll tell my mother that the church people want to come over.” (2)

The questions that keep coming into my mind when I read Luke’s account of the exchange between the thief and Jesus are ones like: “Are there persons who want or need to ask Jesus to remember them around me, around us?” “Are there ways I/we/ churches can help persons believe it’s alright for them to ask Jesus to remember them?” “How can we help one another and others ask Jesus to remember us in the midst of feelings of hopelessness, in the midst of pain?” “Are there persons crying to be remembered? - Persons in need of knowing they are loved by God, by Jesus the Christ?” “Are there ways we can help persons cry out to be remembered?” “Are there ways we can help others know the good news of Christ’s response?” “How about the times when I know I need to be reminded by Jesus that I’m apart of his kingdom?” “And what about those times when I know I’m messing up and I need to, with the confidence of the thief on the cross, cry out for Jesus to remember me?” “Do I let people know often enough and do I hear it often enough in my own heart and soul - that Jesus Christ is the King of grace.”

Friends, the church is the living, physical body of Christ - the resurrected body of Christ. We are Jesus Christ for one another and for those in need of him beyond our local, community fellowships. Those children went to the building and to the people because of what they already knew about the place and the people. Their coming to the door of that church was their way of asking Jesus if he would remember them - of their sense of need for what he offered - of their sense that the church would understand their pain and help them. The people who made up that missional body of Christ shared with the children with their gentle touches and their cookies and the crayons and the paper and their words of affirmation and their offer to come to their homes, the good news that they were accepted, loved, a part of God’s kingdom. The people around the table witnessed of the presence of the kingdom by their desire - their willingness - to be with those in need of being heard.

We, as the present physical body of Christ, are the ones who are equipped to hear the cries of those who need to be remembered - we are the ones who are equipped to offer the good news of God’s unconditional love, God’s grace. We witness of the openness of God’s kingdom by our acceptance of those who come to our doors. When we United Methodists say that we have "Open doors, open minds and open hearts" it has to be more than a catchy PR campaign slogan. As we minister to one another - so must we minister to others. And as we minister and offer grace we will help persons experience the king of grace, our Savior, Jesus Christ.


1. Leonard Sweet, "Homiletics."          
2. Worthington United Methodist Church Newsletter, 1998.

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"It's Just Not Fair!"

"It's Not Fair!"

Well, I thought I was going to shoot off several more sermons before I posted anything personal. Then, Tuesday happened!

November is National Caregiver Month - you know, one of the three million special designated days by our consumerist and capitalist society to entice us to part with some of our money so that the economy might thrive. But, since I'm a personal recipient of the  wonderful work performed by a caregiver, my lovely, sensitive, patient, and kind wife, I felt it important that I do or buy something for her to thank her for her caregiving as well as her being my wife.

So, since I can no longer drive myself to stores and am becoming more and more reluctant to shop in mall stores - something I enjoyed doing in the past and wasn't too bad at I might add (don't ask Dorothy though) - I have become an online shopper. I did so almost exclusively last Christmas and probably will do the same this year. Having it dropped off at the house could be a little more challenging this year though.

Anyway, one of our favorite shops in Amish country is Wendell-August, a metalcrafting industry based in Pennsylvania. We have visited the store almost every time we've gone on a trip to the Holmes county area. Like so many retail stores they have an online presence and I am on their email list. I receive two or three notices every week.

I've been tempted on numerous occasions to purchase Dorothy a gift from there - in fact, have a few times. But, the week before last one of those emails came from Wendell-August at the same time I was considering getting something for Dorothy, you know, for National Caregiver Month. The offer was for three Polar Bear themed Christmas tree ornaments - you do all remember we met at Ohio Northern University, mascot Polar Bears, right?

Well, the package was shipped USPS and arrived last Tuesday. I saw the USPS employee drop the package at the front door and ring the bell, but since I couldn't open the door, Dorothy had to. When she brought the box in and looked quizzically at me I told her it was for her and she should open it. She did. I had requested a personal message be included from me thanking her for being a wonderful caregiver and wife. After looking several times we finally located the note.

That's when the tears started to flow that caused me to change my next blog post. First, they formed in Dorothy's eyes as she told me she loved me. Then water formed in my eyes and out of my mouth was uttered that "It's just not fair" lament. It's hard enough for me to speak because of this evil disease, but when crying it's almost impossible for me to get words out or to be understood. We talked through our tears the best we could. The tears were both for the love we share and the destruction of ways of relating to one another, our kids and grandkids, and the world.

I just can't help feeling sorry for myself - for us - once in awhile. I know it's not a lament unique to our situation. I know most people who experience serious illnesses or tragedies feel the same way - that there are lots of circumstances in life that are unfair. I also know that there's no reason I should expect things to work in my favor all the time. I know that I'm no better than the next person when it comes to what has to be faced/experienced in life. When I say "It's just not fair" it's not directed at God and some divine plan. It's really not directed at anything or anyone. I recognize the randomness of life - the luck of the draw - that evil/tragedies/illnesses just happen.

I guess when I lament "It's just not fair" it's because sometimes I need to "Give Wings to Thoughts" - words to feelings - voice to pain. Perhaps it's a form of prayer - a reminding my comforter, God, that I need help dealing with this very real life-changer.

Sermon: "Be Not Deceived!"

Be Not Deceived
II Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17

Thessalonica was another one of those strategically located ancient cities to which Paul had the good fortune of visiting and in which he had the good fortune of being able to establish a church. Its main street linked Rome with the East. (1) It was a center for the trading of goods that came from both the East and the West.

One bible scholar offers this observation: “It is impossible to overstress the importance of the arrival of Christianity in Thessalonica. If Christianity was settled in Thessalonica it was bound to spread East along the Egnatian Road until all Asia was conquered, and West until it stormed even the city of Rome. The coming of Christianity to Thessalonica was a crucial day in the making of Christianity into a world religion.” (2)

The story of Paul’s visit to Thessalonica is told in the 17th chapter of the book of Acts. One of the things we learn is that he was only there for approximately three weeks - but, wow the result of his visit was phenomenal! He drew such a following that some of the leaders of the more established religions were upset and tried to silence him. Paul’s followers smuggled him out of the city fearing for his life. Paul refused to change his preaching though, getting into trouble again in the next community. He finally ended up in Athens.

While in Athens, Paul had some time to think about some of the places he had visited. He became concerned about how short his stay in Thessalonica had been. His concern was whether he’d been there long enough to really establish an alive and active community of believers. He wondered if the seeds of Christianity had taken root and thus would enable Christianity to grow and spread throughout the Roman Empire. Basically, Thessalonica was a test case for Paul to determine whether it was possible to start new churches by only being in an area for a short period of time or whether it was going to be necessary for him or others to settle in for several months or years. (3) Paul was truly anxious to hear what was going on in Thessalonica.

And so, very shortly after he and his young mentee, Timothy, were reunited, Paul sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to evaluate the situation. Some of what Timothy discovered when he returned was good news. The Thessalonians still held Paul in high regard. They were hanging in there. They were continuing to be faithful. Paul was pleased to hear these things.

However, Timothy also discovered a few disturbing things. Apparently Paul and the others had been so persuasive when they talked about the return of Christ, that when a rumor developed that Christ had already returned, some of the followers freaked out. (4) Some of them stopped working. Others abandoned all their ordinary activities to await the second coming. A sort of hysterical sense of expectancy took over their decision-making. Some were concerned about what was going to happen to those who had died before the second coming happened. Some were alarmed by the fact, since Paul had said that the faithful would be “caught up in the clouds. . . (to) be with the Lord forever” (4:17), that thought the airlift had already taken place and they were – heaven forbid! – left behind! They didn’t know how to handle not being among the chosen, the saved, after Paul had so successfully convinced them they were.

Bible scholars believe that some of the things Paul wrote in his first letter when he was trying to warn them about how suddenly the Day of the Lord would come – you know, the “like a thief in the night” comment – well, such comments were probably partially to blame for the Thessalonians’ hysterical reaction.

Some believe that second letter to the Thessalonians may not have been written by Paul. They hypothesize that the letter may have been a later attempt by the early church to clarify some of the things followers might have misunderstood in Paul's initial letter. (5) (Marcus Borg points out that it was not unusual for people to use someone else's name to give validity for a writing in that day. Borg is of the belief that the intent by the Paul-pretender was to soften the radicalness of Paul's theology.) The author or authors, Paul or someone using Paul's name, spent some of the space in the second letter giving advice, but the primary intent was to calm the Thessalonicans down and probably other Christians who'd read Paul's initial letter to the Thessalonicans. Church leaders wanted to encourage followers to wait – not in excited idleness – but in patience and daily attendance to the work they had to do. And they did this by explaining some of the signs that must come before the second coming. Church leaders tried to reassure followers that the second coming had not happened and that they should “get a grip” on things. Basically, they said to them, “If you haven’t seen these things, then Christ has not come back. Quit worrying about when Christ is coming back and get back to work and being faithful.” (6) "Do not be deceived about these things! Christ’s return will happen after the rebellion which will reveal who the lawless one is, the one who is destined for destruction.”

I would add that it's good advice for us in our day as well. We likewise need to guard against being deceived. We are not to worry about when it’s going to happen – ours is to simply remain faithful. We have nothing to fear if we are living faithful lives. Jesus himself instructed us not to waste our time trying to figure out when it’s going to happen, but to spend our time remaining true to our calling. Don’t be deceived by the doomsayers – those who want you to give into despair and hopelessness about the world and the possibilities for it. Be faithful and spread the good news – offer forgiveness, tell others about the grace of God and the rest will take care of itself.

The author using the authority of Paul's name went on in this second letter to affirm – compliment – the Thessalonians for their faithfulness and, some believe, to provide a synopsis of what it takes to live a Christian life. He began by pointing out that the Christian life begins with God’s calling us. He put it this way: “…because God chose you from the beginning,” and “for this he called you…” The idea was that it is God’s initiative that starts us on the journey of faith. It is God’s seeking a relationship of love with us that first moves us to respond. We are first of all a called people.

Whoever wrote the second letter then lifted up the importance – the necessity – of our doing something in order for a continuing development of faith. As one commentator explained it: “The Christian is not called to dream, but to fight; he is not called to stand still, but to climb. She is called not only to the greatest privilege in the world, but also to the greatest task in the world.” (7) A measure of our being faithful is our acting – doing – serving – witnessing – helping.

When the Jewish people were about the task of restoring the temple, a delegation of them went to the prophet Zechariah and asked if they should continue to “mourn and fast in the fifth month.” Zechariah reminded them of the time before the exile when people fasted and ate more for themselves than for God. He reminded them that the worship that is pleasing to God is different than fasting or feasting – important and helpful as they might be for one’s personal faith development when done with the right motivation. Worship that is pleasing to God is that which brings us into a relationship with God – not that which is directed toward making us feel good, have a good time or enriching our personal inner spiritual journey (perhaps a good and cautionary word for what some of us do in worship in our day).

Then Zechariah spoke for God and said: “Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy each to his brother and sister, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless or motherless, the sojourner, or the poor; and let none of you devise evil against his or her brother or sister in your heart.” The call on our lives to be faithful is the call to worship God by showing kindness and mercy, not oppressing the less fortunate, not breeding evil thoughts in our minds or hearts.

Well, the author of II Thessalonians went on in his letter to suggest a couple of things he thought would also help us as we try to be faithful. He mentioned the importance of keeping close to us good and godly people – that we should surround ourselves and be taught and guided by people of faith. God speaks to us through those to whom God has already spoken. We’ve heard it many times before, “A saint is a person who makes it easier for others to believe in God.” Some do it by what they say – some by what they write – most, by what and who they are. When we meet them we sense that we have been in the presence of God.

A second thing Paul suggested would be helpful to us on this journey of trying to be faithful is a recognition on our part that God hasn’t called us to this journey to leave us sink or swim on our own. The same God who calls us and gives us the task to perform or the life to live out, also provides for us the strength to do it – in fact, does it with us. We don’t have to rely on our own puny resources to do battle with the struggles of life – God is with us. When Paul was up against things in Corinth, he had a vision by night, and in it the Lord said to him, “Be not afraid…for I am with you.” (8) We need to hear and believe that for ourselves today. God is still with us. Our trust must be in God not in whomever our elected officials are, nor our military, nor our economy, nor our families. It is a resolve to believe that it is in God we trust that will keep us faithful.

When we move into the third chapter of II Thessalonians we read words that reveal that Paul requested that his new brothers and sisters in the faith keep praying for him and Silas and Timothy. Can you imagine what that request meant to those struggling Thessalonians – to hear a man they deeply admired ask them, who had so messed up the message – who were such babies in the faith – who well recognized their own weakness – to pray for him? To be faithful includes seeking the prayers of others for ourselves and recognizing the role of our intercessory praying for our own faith development. What a novel idea – praying for one another and allowing others to pray for us. It will keep us from being deceived by those who would have us worry too much about when it’s all going to come down.

I'm praying for you and I trust I am in your prayers as well! Peace be with you, brothers and sisters!


1.  William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible Series: The Letters to the Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1959), p. 213.
2.  Ibid.
3.  Ibid.
4.  “SF/HF,” Homiletics, November – December, 2004, p. 11.
5.  Marcus J. Borg & John Dominic Crossan, The First Paul (New York: HarperCollins e-books, 2009) p. 22/291.
6.  Ibid.
7.  The Daily Study Bible Series, p. 248.
8.  Ibid., p. 249.

Sermon: "A Vision Born of God's Gifts"

A VISION BORN OF GOD’S GIFTS
Joel 2:23-32

The Bible is a library - a library with 66 books in it - 39 in the Old Testament dealing with the beginnings and history of the Jewish people and 27 in the New Testament dealing with the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the early history of the church. In this library there are books of law such as Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy (we refer to them as a group as the Torah or Pentateuch, the five books of law) - and there are books of history such as Joshua, Judges, I & II Samuel, I & II Kings in the Old Testament and the book of Acts in the New Testament - and there are books of poetry such as Ecclesiastes and the Psalms - and there are books that are letters, many of them written by the hand of Paul to local churches in places like Rome and Corinth and Thessalonica - and there are books about the end of time - like Daniel and Revelations - and finally, there are books of prophecy, “major” ones like Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel and “minor” ones like Hosea, Obadiah, Malachi, Habbakuk and yes, the book of Joel. There are twelve “minor” ones and they are referred to as “minor”, not because they are less important, but, rather, because of their length - they are all somewhat short. The book of Joel, for example, is just three chapters long. It is from Joel that we glean a message for the communities of faith with/in which we associate.

While Bible scholars are not sure when the prophet Joel lived and made the prophetic observations recorded in the book there seems to be no doubt about what it was Joel wanted those who heard him to hear. The people of Judah had become quite prosperous - they had achieved some national success and as is so often the case when a people become well off, they began to feel pretty good about themselves and their abilities to take care of themselves. Some would say that’s human nature, even though we know full well that we are dependent upon nature and each other in thousands of ways, when things are going well it’s our nature to succumb to the illusion that we are self-made, self-sustained - that we can take care of our own lives and do as we wish. And, when we humans are guilty of such an attitude, God is taken for granted. And when God is taken for granted, people turn to self-centeredness and idolatry. Joel believed that was what was going on in his community of faith.

And then the locusts came. While locusts causing problems weren’t an uncommon experience in that part of the world, it had been awhile since they’d experienced the problem and one of the apparent magnitude of this one was unprecedented. Those who have witnessed an army of locusts in action note that the way Joel described it was pretty accurate and the best depiction they know of. Listen to some of Joel’s descriptive words and phrases: “A nation has invaded my land, powerful and without number; it has the teeth of a lion, the fangs of a lioness. It has laid waste my vines and ruined my fig trees. It has stripped off their bark and thrown it away, leaving their branches white.” “Grain offerings and drink offerings are cut off from the house of the Lord.” “The fields are ruined, the ground is dried up; the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, the oil fails. Despair, you farmers, wail, you vine growers; grieve for the wheat and the barley, because the harvest of the field is destroyed.” “The seeds are shriveled beneath the clods. The storehouses are in ruins;” “Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was of old nor ever will be in ages to come. Before them fire devours, behind them a flame blazes. Before them the land is like the garden of Eden, behind them, a desert waste - nothing escapes them. They have the appearance of horses; they gallop along like cavalry. With a noise like that of chariots they leap over the mountaintops, like a crackling fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army drawn up for battle. At the sight of them, nations are in anguish; every face turns pale. They charge like warriors; they scale walls like soldiers.” “They rush upon the city; they run along the wall. They climb into the houses; like thieves they enter through the windows. Before them the earth shakes, the sky trembles, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine.”

Get the picture? The land of Judah was a mess! The locusts had stripped the land of all vegetation thus causing a famine. It was so devastating that all levels of society were affected. Joel saw more than an act of nature in the movement through the land of the powerful locusts though. He saw it as a symbol of the utter destruction of the coming day of judgment, or, “day of the Lord.” Joel felt, like some of the other prophets before him, that the “day of the Lord” was not going to be a time when God would destroy all Israel’s enemies and restore Israel to power as Israel hoped would be the case, but, instead it would be a day of judgment against Israel just as much as against its enemies. Joel perceived that because God’s people had been messing up, been taking God for granted, become believers in the self-sufficiency fallacy, that God was going to punish them right along with their enemies. As far as Joel was concerned the “day of judgment” was not a day that should be being looked forward to by his people because it was going to be a very severe day - a day not unlike the current day of destruction caused by the mass of locusts.

Some claim the locust plague itself was God’s judgment, like some in our own day sometimes mistakenly try to claim with both disasters of nature like earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes, and disasters of human design like the terrorist attacks and changes in the economy and accidents. While there’s no question that Joel saw the hand of God in the plague, it was as a symbolic warning that greater judgment was coming unless the people repented. His was a word that warned his people that they were not immune from the judgment of God simply because of their chosen status.

But Joel’s prophecy wasn’t just about the judgment of God that was sure to come. His people had experienced an unbelievable blow to their view of themselves - their prosperity was severely threatened - they were a scared lot. Joel’s people were so shaken by the natural catastrophe that had befallen them that their ability to visualize a better future was greatly impaired. Joel knew that what they now needed was a word of encouragement - a word of hope. And he provided it by reminding his people of the graciousness and mercifulness of God. Verses 12 and 13 of chapter 2 marks the shift from the word of warning to this word of hope: “‘Even now,’ declares the Lord, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.’ Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for (God) is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and (God) relents from sending calamity.” “Repent,” cried out Joel, “and our compassionate and forgiving God will change his mind and save us yet.”

And what will the result be of that repentance? At last we’re ready to hear the selected reading. I’d like to begin though with a few of the verses of chapter 2 that come before that reading: “The Lord will reply to them: ‘I am sending you grain, new wine and oil, enough to satisfy you fully; never again will I make you an object of scorn to the nations.” “Be not afraid, O land; be glad and rejoice. Surely the Lord has done great things. Be not afraid, O wild animals, for the open pastures are becoming green. The trees are bearing their fruit; the fig tree and the vine yield their riches.”

And now, the selected text: “Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten - the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm - my great army that I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed. Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed. And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men and women will dream dreams, your young men and women will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the survivors whom the Lord calls.”

Through Joel, God assured his people that all would be as it once was if they did indeed turn from their idolatrous ways, confess the wrongness of the attitude that they could make it on their own, and petition Him with acts of recognition that they had sinned. Specifically in this portion of scripture, Joel claimed God said that appropriate rain for the seasons will be provided, enough crops to fill the threshing floors and new wine and oil for the vats will be provided - plenty to eat. And then, in addition to all these gifts to supply their physical needs, Joel reported that God said he would bestow his spirit on all people - young and old, rich and poor - and the result will be that those who receive the Spirit will be able to prophecy and dream dreams and see visions.

I think the words in the book of Joel are relevant for us in our day. As I read the book of Joel and what others have to say about what they believe Joel’s timeless message is, I can’t help but think about the history of many once thriving churches who've lost their prestige. This passage invites us to dream a bit, maybe envision somewhat, if their future might possibly be different. Right now, I'm remembering several downtown, central city churches. They had everything - lots of people, wonderful facilities, a choir everyone who was wanted to be a member of, plenty of money, influence - if you were going to be a leader in the community it was important that you be seen there. Growth was easy in those days - when someone moved to town and asked about which churches they should visit, business associates, community leaders, neighbors all sent the newcomers to the influential church usually in the heart of the city. Center city churches didn't have to do much of anything in order to have people flock through their doors. It was the place to be - the church to belong to - they didn’t have to tell their story to get people to try them and they didn’t. As long as the community was growing, so were these churches. Additions were necessary to meet the needs of the expanding membership and activities - the membership was made up of so many people who worked and who were used to working by making decisions and delegating to others that staff was added to get the work of the church done. The pews were full and so were the classrooms. They were successful and although I doubt that anyone ever really said it out loud, their behavior certainly reflected it: “we don’t need to go to God for direction or advise or for God’s design for our future, for we must already be doing it right. Just look at how successful we are.”

And then things began to change - downtown was no longer perceived as the center of things - other churches were closer to where population centers were, where new people to the area were moving to. Downtown or uptown churches had competition but many of them had become flabby and not used to turning to God for direction. They thought if they just worked a little harder, called people who were already on the rolls to be a little more accountable, they would overcome their plight - the loss of influence and members. Over the years some of them were fortunate to still have the resources to fulfill their mission - that is, to make disciples for Jesus Christ. Some might be tempted to rationalize that God continued to bless them with resources of money and facilities, but many floundered in their attempts to do what it was theirs to do. And they floundered, I think Joel would say, because they thought for too long that they could turn it around on their own, with their own self-will, work ethic. "After all," they thought, "we’re a bunch of pretty intelligent people, we know how to analyze. We’ll just try harder."

Now, hear me when I confess that I know I was personally guilty of what I’m accusing these churches corporately of. I’ll admit to you that I was discouraged with worship and Sunday School attendance figures and said to myself at more than one church, “If I just work a little harder, get the right staff together, a few more members here or there, we’ll get back to being the church we were. If we just get the right ad created, the right exciting, inviting program, people will flock again to our doors and enough money will come in that we won’t have to rely on money from other sources.”

Have I painted a depressing enough picture? Need to hear something a little more encouraging? I believe there's reason to hope, but, it won't happen because of hard work alone. God continues to make available gifts for us to use and new vision of how to use the gifts provided. Our role is to repent of our tendency to believe that we can do it alone - that we can will our way out of tough situations - that we can see what needs to be done without God’s help. The mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ - individual churches envision unique ways of living it out and proclaiming it. I think one of the recent ways several churches have rediscovered to fulfill that mission is the biblical idea that every member is a minister.

In Rick Warren’s book The Purpose-Driven Church he describes the role of the church as that of catching the waves God builds. “Surfing is the art of riding waves that God builds,” he writes. He continues with, “God makes the waves; surfers just ride them. No surfer tries to create waves. If the waves aren’t there, you just don’t surf that day! On the other hand, when surfers see a good wave, they make the most of it, even if that means surfing in the middle of a storm. Our job as church leaders, like experienced surfers, is to recognize a wave of God’s Spirit and ride it. It is not our responsibility to make waves but to recognize how God is working in the world and join (God) in the endeavor.” (1)

There's hope for every local church. God is doing some amazing things all around us and among us and through us and can do even more as we utilize the gifts and passions within our corporate body and our individual bodies. The gifts and passions God puts in our hearts, guts and being births visions of new ministries that will bring healing to our churches, families, communities, and society. We need to constantly remember that our vision for ministries is born from God’s gifts to us and we will only be successful if we keep in our hearts and minds that we can’t do it alone, that we need God’s guidance, inspiration. And whenever we forget it, let us remember to repent of our sin of independence and human pride. Be hopeful, people of God, God is in charge!

(This is another sermon I prepared prior to my adequately and appropriately footnoting. I'm sure much of the interpretation of Joel was derived from a not recorded source.)

1. Rick Warren, The Purpose-Driven Church (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995), pp. 20-21 e-book.