I thought this was an amazing way to tell the story of the birth of Jesus.
In it they say, “Jesus has two dads, God and Joseph.” Which got me to thinking. Joseph was an adoptive parent, which if you think about it is pretty cool.
This is the text from my sermon last week, entitled “What is Your Legacy?” The Scripture passage is Deuteronomy 32:1-12. Here is the link to the audio (a little different from the manuscript.)
Here is the video we started with:
“Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land!”
I wonder if this speech is similar to the one that Moses gave to the Israelites shortly before his death?
This speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. occurred in Memphis shortly before he was killed by a sniper’s bullet.
I wonder if Martin Luther King, Jr., I wonder if Moses wishes they had been able to see the promise land, to actually get to the Promised Land. I know I would have, but Moses and MLK had great a legacy they had set the stage for those that came after them to cross the Jordan, to enter the Promised Land. There was and is work to be done but these men left us with tools in order to face the stress and fear of the journey.
Today, we continue our series, “Spiritual Courage in Economic Grief” and this morning we tackle questions of legacy. What legacy do we leave in our family, our community and our world? How do we invest ourselves in others?
As many of you know my wife is very pregnant with our second child. It could be any time now, we’re hoping for a couple of more weeks but we could get to meet our son any day, which is incredibly exciting and also pretty scary. As a husband and a parent, I’ve started to think about things in a different way, now it’s no longer only about my wants and needs but the needs of my wife and the needs of my children. Sometimes I have to sacrifice what I want to do so I can be there for my family.
I also have started thinking about what happens if I’m not here, what do I want my children to know deep within them that will help them in their own journey. With that in mind I found myself in the office of a life insurance agent as Heidi and I try to plan as best we can in case one of us isn’t there.
I think both of those things are important, being able to provide financially for those that come after me, for my children, but also emotionally, mentally, spiritually provide for them the knowledge that will hold them up in their own times of grief, the wisdom that will guide them and help them to become leaders in their tribes when they are called.
All of this has caused me to think about what legacy are we leaving, especially in the current context we find ourselves. What legacy is our denomination leaving, what legacy is First Presbyterian Church leaving, what legacy are you leaving?
Will the legacy of the Presbyterian Church USA be one of bickering over who can and cannot lead worship or be one that stands with the poor and those suffering from injustice? Certainly, we have a long history of responding to the needs of those in need but will we be able to let go of our institutions and bureaucracy when they have out lived their effectiveness?
Our denomination will die, that is a fact. As the psalmist says, “You turn us back to dust.” The beauty in that is we get a choice in how to live, we will be guided by fear holding on tightly to our structures and our system simply because we have always done it that way or will we live by love, trusting in the God, who is with us, has been with us, will be with us no matter what. The psalmist also says, “You sweep them away; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning; in the morning it flourishes and is renewed.”
In the morning it flourishes and is renewed. The hope and trust in the resurrection is what guides us to know that, it may not be easy, but it will be ok.
In this time of economic grief, in this time where it feels like we need to hold on more and more tightly to the stuff that is OURS, when it feels like we need to start developing strategies to shield ourselves and everyday on the news seems likes doomsday. It’s flat out terrifying.
It is precisely this time that we need to remember the story of Moses, the story of MLK, they had been to the mountaintop, they had seen the Promised Land and they knew, they trusted that we would get there.
If you remember the story of the Israelites, you know that under the leadership of Joshua they crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land, but unfortunately that was not the end of their struggle, they dealt with war, famine, exile, return, exile, and on and on, after they entered the Promised Land. It may not have been easy, but it will be ok.
I don’t know if MLK would believe we’ve crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land yet but I know he would believe there is work to be done. With unemployment at the highest level it’s been in generations, with corporations having record profits, with people taking to the streets to try and “Take Back America”, whether they be from the Tea Part or Occupy Wall Street, this certainly doesn’t sound to me like the land of milk and honey. It sounds to me like a land of pain and suffering, of miscommunication and anger, of hatred and fear.
I have a confession. I too have been to the mountaintop…literally; I have been to Mt Nebo, or at least where they believe it to be. I have looked out into the Promised Land and I have seen where we are going.
I have seen the Promised Land in the piles and piles of Kits for Kids that have filled this church year after year; I have seen the Promised Land in the hundreds of families who receive food baskets every year. I remember specifically three years ago. It was the first year we had a manger here in the front during Advent. The manger was overflowing with toys and coats and clothes. While we were distributing baskets, someone offered a coat to a child who was cold, then in what can only be described as holy chaos, the coats and toys and clothes were laid out, and those people receiving baskets also received a new coat, a toy for Christmas, a new outfit for school. No one took more than they needed and all left with smiles and warmth, both physically and spiritually. Was it what was intended? No. Was it what was expected? Certainly not. Was it what God had called us to in that moment? I believe so. Was it part of the legacy of this church? Yes.
I have seen the Promised Land in our students in the youth group; we are from 10 different countries, 5 high schools, 8 middle schools, including home schools and 3 churches. We have moved thousands of pounds of food in Los Angeles, we have ask questions about why things are the way they are and we have created space for all kids to express themselves to be vulnerable to shed tears to be real. I have watched a freshman sob while talking about his family situation to the group, while another freshman, his friend, with his arm around him gently holding him and letting him speak.
I have seen the Promised Land in our students who have for their whole lives been recipients of help become the givers of help. I have seen the joy in their eyes when they say, “I’ve never been able to help before, and this is awesome.”
I have seen the Promised Land in two of our college students who raised over $1,500 for an orphanage in Nicaragua in three days. I have seen the Promised Land in people welcoming each other and taking the time to listen to the answer to the question, “how are you doing?”
I have seen the Promised Land in the people that quietly give of their time, talents and money to organizations and causes they feel called to.
All these visions of the Promise Land lead me to the question. How will we as a congregation witness to the existence of a Promise Land, when it seems as if we are stuck in the wilderness?
Will we be guided by fear, seeking to maintain a death grip on the stuff that we have? A beautiful sanctuary, clean carpet, a big building
Will be open to what Jesus called the greatest commandment, “To love the Lord God with all your heart soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself.”
Will our legacy be that we died with the most stuff or will it be that we died, having lived our life sharing the spirit of wisdom with those around us? Reminding them that God loves them, no strings attached. Will be witness to the hope found in Jesus that it might not be easy but it will be ok? Will we leave a legacy on this town, on this denomination, on this world that we were faithful when it seemed impossible? Will we stand with those around us who are suffering, will we be a place for people to find refuge, will we lead the path through the wilderness of this time of economic grief, even when no one wants to follow and people are calling us to turn around? Will we have the strength, the courage, to continue to respond to God’s call to welcome all comers? When First Presbyterian Church is gone what will we have passed on to those around us? How will we show spiritual courage?
These are tough challenging questions. I think about them everyday I work with the young people of this town, hoping that I am able to impart some wisdom, hoping I am able to provide them with some tools to deal with their journey ahead.
A few years ago a sociological study came out examining the tendencies of the various generations in our world today.
The G.I. generation, those born around the turn of the 20th century, the Greatest Generation, those born around the end of the Depression, Baby Boomers, those born after World War II, Generation X, that’s my generation, those born between 1965 and 1980 and Millennials, those born between 1981 and 2001.
This study called the G.I. generation, a generation of builders, the Greatest Generation was a generation of maintainers, the Baby Boomers were a generation of destroyers, Generation X, my generation, were ignorers. In this study that means the Millennials are the next builders.
That means those people 10-30 years old are building things, they are building the structures that will be maintained by those who are being born today. These Millennials aren’t apathetic, they aren’t disconnected, they aren’t selfish any more than anyone else. They are becoming organized, they are doing work, they are building.
We see them on the news, in the streets, chanting, “We are the 99%!” We see them, returning to their faith, but not a faith based on platitudes and rhetoric, on big buildings and social status, but one based on living out your beliefs not just believing them. When I see these people when I hear their passion, and their commitment. It is a passion and commitment I see in you, in the faces in this congregation right here, right now. Young and old. I hear your stories I know your struggles; I know it’s scary. We have an opportunity to be the message of spiritual courage in the face of economic grief.
We have an opportunity to help; we have an opportunity to help this town, this denomination, this country build structures that will be based on faith and trust in something bigger than itself. We have an opportunity to model for them; we can be Moses to their Joshua.
It’s up to us.
It’s up to us to rally together, to hold on to one another, to listen to each other, to love one another…warts and all.
It’s up to us to provide the spirit of wisdom that will guide them to continue to risk in the face of fear, to love in the face of hate and to stand up when the world is telling them to be quiet.
Let us not be remembered by how long we are here, but how we were here.
And in the word’s of Dr. King, “Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land!”
May it be so.
Here is the text…mostly of the sermon I preached last Sunday at First Presbyterian Church–Bend, Oregon.
The scripture was Psalm 19:1-6 and Psalm 24:1-2. And if you don’t want to read…here’s the audio link
Also, let it be known that I learned I would be preaching this sermon about 3:00 PM on Saturday. Be nice!
The Picture of the World:
The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night-to-night declares knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.
The Mountains give voice to the majesty of God, etc.
Speechless when I see them.
Often when I am running with my dog Walker, I’m listening to music and I am struck by how blessed I am to live in this place and I am brought to tears as I see God’s voice to me in the beauty of my surroundings.
I look at this picture of the Earth God created and entrusted to us and I am struck at how small it is, relative to the entire universe that God created.
I am struck by the fact that we look at this Earth from above and see how small it is, yet when we see pictures from India or China or Arkansas or West Virginia it feels like a totally different world. A world we have no connection to, a people we have no connection to, an Earth we have no connection to.
This morning I have a question for you. When you see this picture and you think about your place on God’s Earth, do you feel connected?
Sometimes I wonder if we feel connected to the Earth, not in a symbiotic way not in a tree hugging way, not in a way that I hear trees screaming when they are cut down way, but in a way that I understand that my actions have an impact on the Earth in the same way that my actions have an impact on my relationships. I certainly think about how, what I do affect my relationship to my wife, to my daughter, to my loved ones but do I think about how it impacts God’s Earth?
Steven in a letter to the editor of the Bend Bulletin in 2007, quotes William Sloane Coffin saying, “The modern world, in the pursuit of progress, has unfortunately divorced creation from Creator.” He continues, “As modern civilization has supposedly advanced and progressed, a sense of wonder and awe, reverence and respect for creation has declined. And, unfortunately, our souls and the soul of the community we live in are the poorer for it.”
I want us to take some time to look at some pictures and see if we can reconnect the creation to the creator. See if we can re-introduce ourselves to the Creator through God’s Creation.
Slide Show
We see the pictures, they take my breath and I wonder. I wonder if like William Sloane Coffin suggested, we have lost our sense of the awesome majesty that is found all around us, whether in a scenic view of the mountains or in the thistles of a juniper tree. My question is what do you see when you look at them? Do you see something to be used for your own pleasure? Do you see something to be celebrated and explored? What do you see?
Theologian and ethicist, James Gustafson talks about the entirety of Creation in a way I had never heard before. He talks about it in terms that are challenging and shocking and I want to get some feedback from you. Gustafson says that humans are not the center of God’s creation but only one part of the larger make up of what God intended for God’s creation. How does that strike you, the thought that we are not the center of the universe, we are not God’s favorite, but part of the picture of God’s Earth and the fullness thereof?
I love that idea, partly because I am fairly confident, some say cocky, partly because humility is not what I would consider one of my strengths. I actually have a hat that says “It’s Hard to Be Humble When You’re From West Virginia.” But that’s a sermon for another day and if I get off track now there’s no hope.
The humility it takes to recognize that we are part of the story not the whole story changes my mindset when I think about how I interact with other beings and living things on this Earth.
Listen.
I’m not here to try to make you feel guilty, or to make you run out and buy a hybrid, or eat local or any of that stuff. I think there is plenty of trying to guilt you into caring about the Earth already out there. My hope is that we can get back to being in awe of God’s Creation.
On this Earth Care Sunday my hope is to invite you back into relationship with the Earth, invite you to remember how much God loves you and how you are part of God’s Creation just as the trees outside these windows are, just as the mountains we hike and ski and snowmobile and camp and play in, just as the rivers that we float and that give us electricity, just as every thing we come into contact with in God’s natural world.
My hope today is to remind us that, as the Psalmist said, “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it,”
I could probably wag my finger at you and say, “You’re not doing enough” but what would that solve? You’d probably just roll your eyes at me. Honestly, that’s probably what I would do if someone were trying to make me feel bad for not doing enough. I mean I care deeply about environmental issues, not because of their political nature but because I think it is one way that I can respond to God’s call to love my neighbor.
Today I want you to remember that God loves you, and hopefully you love God. I also hope that one of the ways that you express that love is through nurturing the Earth that God has surrounded us with. Today we have a special opportunity to love our neighbor and nurture our world.
Following the service members of the Green Team will be stationed at the main door and the side door. We have the opportunity to pick up around Bend High. Green Team Members will give you 2 bags, one for garbage and one for recyclables such as bottles and cans. You will also be given a glove or two just in case you don’t want to get TOO dirty. When you return you can bring the filled bags downstairs behind the church where the big garbage bins and the recycle bin are located. There will have someone there to show you where to put things.
May it be so.
Blessings,
Greg
Hey Youth, Parents and Partners,
The year is coming to a close and so are our weekly meetings. The last Senior High Monday night meeting will be Monday, May 30th, the last Middle School Wednesday night meeting will be Wednesday, May 25th.
Check out this link, the youth blog (bendfpyouth.wordpress.com) or the posters in the Commons area for Summer dates.
Middle School Mid-Week Gathering- Wednesday 5:30-7:30 at Trinity Episcopal Church (downtown) Come for dinner, games, small group and work projects. $3 for dinner.
Senior High Youth Gathering- Monday 6:00-8:00 at Common Table (downtown) Come for dinner, conversation, games and projects this week. $5 for dinner
More information on all gatherings: Pastor Greg Bolt, gbolt@bendfp.org
This Sunday is an opportunity to involve your family in a service project. Members of the congregation will be picking up trash in our neighborhood. We will head over to Bend High School after the 9 o’clock service and head down 9th street toward the circle after the 10:45 service. Doing service together as a family and then talking about why you do it is a great way to do faith formation @ home.
Here is a link to the May edition of Heartfelt http://www.thelogosministry.org/heartfelt.html
This on-line newsletter for parents focuses on teaching honor, courage and bravery this month.
Thought this was a good reminder: http://youtu.be/x4VgObInXHA
Also here is a word from www.fosterORadopt.com on the need for foster parents. Heidi and I are currently starting the process to become certified a foster parents, this is the beginning of our journey. Find out about why here
“As a community who cares for the wellbeing of our children, it is timely that we recognize that May Is National Foster Care Month. This month, and every day, we have an opportunity to support the children and youth who live in our homes, neighborhoods and our great city. There are foster parents in our community who take children in temporarily until they can be reunited with their families. These foster parents do it because they care, because they want to make a difference, and because they know every child deserves a safe and nurturing place to call home.
Many people aren’t aware that one of the State’s greatest needs is to find safe, loving and skilled homes who can care for children and youth with disabilities. Children and youth with disabilities who are also in the foster care system are one of the most vulnerable populations in the United States. Even so, little attention is paid to the unique challenges they face as they negotiate their way through multiple systems to adulthood. One of the best things we can do to serve these children and youth while they are in care is to connect them with families who are adequately prepared to care for them.
The ideal foster parent for a child with special needs has parented before and has experience in the medical, mental health and/or education fields. The traits most important for a foster parent of a child with special needs, however, are patience, understanding of diagnosed disabilities and the willingness and time to learn, make accommodations and access necessary resources. Could you be this foster parent?
Last year over 14,000 children in Oregon spent at least one day in foster care. You can make a difference for one. Learn more about becoming a foster parent today. Call 1-800- 331-0503 or visit www.fosterORadopt.com.”
Blessings,
Greg Bolt
Pastor for Youth and Their Families
First Presbyterian Church- Bend, OR
twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ggbolt16
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ggbolt16
email: ggbolt16@gmail.com
I know it’s been a while since I wrote an article but I wanted to take this time to catch everyone up on what’s been going on in my life. I first wanted to thank everyone for the love and support they have shown me over the last year and a half of becoming ordained and becoming a first time father. My daughter feels so at home within the walls of this church and in the arms of so many of you. The grace and love you have shown her warms my heart and calls me to be the best parent I can be. The gratitude I have for this community can not be overstated.
With that in mind I wanted to share with you some news. MY WIFE AND I ARE EXPECTING OUR SECOND CHILD!!! That’s right! Our due date is November 13, by that time Sophia will be 23 months old and I am sure that we will have our hands full. We will need all the help we can get to wrangle our already adventurous daughter and also dealing with a newborn. I can’t wait for what lies ahead.
I wanted to also take this time to tell you about something that has been on the hearts of both my wife and I for a long time. The thought of becoming foster parents, has been something that has tugged at us for a while now. In the past year there have been several moments when we have been asked if we had thought about it, received an email or in someway been confronted with the idea. I know that when that type of reoccurrence has happened in other facets of my life it’s always been God trying to tell me something.
So in that vain, my wife and met with a woman named Emily Leeson, who works with an organization called Boys & Girls Aid (boysandgirlsaid.org). She gave us some background about how we could become foster parents and about how we as pastors could spread awareness for the need for them. Right now, I know the need is great and I know that many of you are helping in many different ways so I am leery of an all out media blitz on the need for foster parents. I just wanted you to know that this is something that my wife and I are praying about, discerning, and starting the process to become foster parents. Who knows what will happen? I will keep you informed about what we are learning and how the process is going.
If you’d like to join us on this journey feel free to visit the Department of Health Services website fosteroradopt.com.
Blessings,
Greg
What’s up people?
This month’s Heartfelt Newsletter is out! This month is all about Supporting Critical Thinking, Imagination and Creativity. Check it out here http://www.thelogosministry.org/heartfelt.html.
Heartfelt is designed for busy families who want to grow body, mind and spirit, and who want to support and encouragement.
EASTER PANCAKE BREAKFAST! April 24 from 8:00 AM-12:30 PM in Heritage Hall! Come celebrate with the Youth as the winners of the baskets from the Los Angeles Market are announced. Let us thank you for all the support you have shown the youth and their missions.
I was reading some blogs the other day and came across the video about Facebook and Online Security that geared towards kids. I think it helps kids and adults think about how they interact online and who they interact with. Check it out here
I saw a couple more videos I thought you might find interesting or funny or something. These are really just entertaining more than anything else.
This one is a parody of the song “Friday” by Rebecca Black (if you haven’t heard of it ask your kids, they have) it’s called “Sunday”. Check it out here
Last one, only because I love peeps, you know those AWESOME marshmallow things you get at Easter. This is the story of Jesus told through peeps. Enjoy
Senior High Stuff
NICARAGUA INFORMATION IS HERE!!!! We are excited to announce that the applications for our trip to Nicaragua are here! Please, prayerfully consider joining us on this trip of a lifetime! If you need more information, please contact Greg or Click here for Information and Application
There is still time to sign up for the Los Angeles trip. The trip is from June 13-21! Greg needs your $100 deposit IMMEDIATELY. Scholarships Available. Click here for the form
Don’t forget this Monday we’re meet at Common Table at 6:00PM for dinner then we are headed to do some work for the Boys and Girls Club so wear stuff to work in!
Middle School Stuff
Parent’s Meeting Regarding Confirmation Sunday April 17! We would like to invite all 8th graders and their parents to an informational meeting, Sunday, April 17 in the Youth Center from 10:15-10:45 for a chance to learn more about this fantastic opportunity in the life of our young people. This year we will be meeting on Sunday afternoons from 12:00-2:00 (after the second service), we will begin Sunday, May 1, 2011 and conclude with Rites of Passage Sunday, June 5, 2011.
Don’t forget we are meeting Wednesday nights at 5:30 PM at Trinity Episcopal Church. This week we will be working in small groups and putting together backpacks for the Family Access Network.
Stuff Stuff
There will be a Darkness to Light training, child abuse awareness class, here at the church. 6 to 9 PM Childcare will be provided. The class is an excellent opportunity to learn how to be part of the solution in keeping our children safe. The Kids Center offers the training for $20 per person or $25 per couple to cover the cost of materials. Children’s Ministry can provide scholarship dollars as needed. You can sign-up at the church.
Also the Presbytery of the Cascades has great summer camping opportunities for the whole family. Check it our here campcascades.org
If you have any questions or would like to help out feel free to contact me!
Blessings,
Greg Bolt
Pastor for Youth and Their Families
First Presbyterian Church- Bend, OR
twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ggbolt16
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ggbolt16
email: ggbolt16@gmail.com
I am reading this book called “OMG: A Youth Ministry Handbook” edited by Kenda Creasy Dean. I’m only a couple of chapters in but I came across this quote that I wanted to get some feedback on. I wanted to see what you thought.
It is ironic that Christians, especially those born into a culture of plenty, buy into the scarcity myth: the fear that there is not enough to go around promotes gratuitous consumption at every level. Despite God’s lavish and prodigal grace, which has showered creation with resources that promote the flourishing of life, sin allows the suspicion of scarcity to supplant our awareness of God’s abundance. The scarcity myth destroys trust and leads people to hoard rather than share life-giving resources. Whether it is an Israelite squirreling away more than his share of manna or a teenager amassing more after-school activities than she can ever invest in, we humans have perfected the art of distrusting God’s providence. We try to protect ourselves against the future. It always backfires.
Given all the directions that our youth and parents are pulled in, I think this quote speaks to our need to trust that God WILL actually provide.
Blessings,
Greg
Rev. Tim Black wrote a post over on the Presbymergent blog about what the PC (USA) can gain from the emergent conversation and what the emergent conversation can gain from the PC (USA). I think he has some really good thoughts, I agree with him. Here’s the post:
There’s so much excitement going on in the Church right now. Too bad, just like in the media, that the stories that often get passed along have to do with the negatives–”society is degrading”; “homosexuals are taking over the church”; “we’ve got to save our children from this corrupt generation”. I live in Florida, which is a generous mix of cultures, politics, social stratospheres and the like. If you can think up some name for a church, we probably have it within a stone’s throw. What is easy to see is that there are many things that divide us, but as a Presbyterian, I’m always looking for ways that we are connected. Doing some community work to bring folks together has not been easy, especially when a few want to highlight the divides. I’m one of these who is pretty certain we’re going through a time of Reformation once again, and as Phyllis Tickle might say, it’s not just the church that’s reforming, but every aspect of human society. Everything is being brought into question and everything is on the table. The appeal of Emergence is evidence of this as well. If everyone were satisfied with the state of the Church, then there wouldn’t be such a movement of new ideas, questions and challenges. I think the Presbyterian Church (USA) is slow to change and transform. In some ways this has served us well, but when it comes to thinking about the future, we are either stuck in the present or trying to reclaim the past. We are tied to some methods and systems that are antiquated, and yet the traditions of our faith don’t necessarily need to be re-written. How can we learn from the emergent community how to let go and untie ourselves from the things that bind (imprison) us rather than seeing what might bind (unite) us together in the Spirit of Christ?
The Emergent church, at the same time, is asking questions to make us all a bit uncomfortable. In many ways I appreciate being dislodged from the “zone”, but I also wonder if we lose something of Jesus in the midst of our questioning of all things faith. What, within our tradition, is worth preserving? I see so many (mostly out of fear) trying to preserve a Church that simply cannot remain static any longer. In this regard, the emergent conversation has helped a great deal. But what the emergent church can probably gain from the PC(USA) is the idea that we are not set apart from one another, but we are willing to persevere through times of difference and disagreement. I’m extremely saddened by the congregations who leave the denomination because they don’t want to go through the marriage counseling. Yes, it’s hard. Any relationship is hard. But in the end it’s worth the effort. It’s how Jesus draws us together, I think. Those of us who are Presbyterian have witnessed the Spirit at work within our bodies when we disagree. Clarity does not come quickly, or even in our time, but it does come. We could all stand to live with a little more patience. We could also stand to gain by listening and not talking. Just one pastor’s opinion . . .
The thing I love most about being Presbyterian (if you know me you know you I REALLY love being Presbyterian) is the connectional nature of the church. I LOVE that we have devoted members and faithful Christians from all walks of life, from a wide spectrum of theologies and politics who are willing to sit at table with one another and be in relationship.
One of my criticisms of the emergent conversation has been it’s (IMHO) “throw the baby out with the bathwater” approach to orthodoxy, tradition and institution. Certainly there are things that that need to be reformed, need to be thrown out, need to be shaken up, however, if all you’re doing is shaking things up there is no base, there is no foundation. Now, I’m not one to stand on the soapbox of “right” doctrine or “truth” there are however things that I believe are important to retaining our authenticity as Christians, as members of the Reformed tradition and as Presbyterians that go farther than “I’m OK, you’re OK”. It is those things (I don’t have a list at the moment but I have some thoughts…love is high on that list) that I believe are necessary that will hold us together through the tough times.
To use the analogy of a marriage used by Black, My wife and I might not always agree, everyday isn’t sunshine and roses, at the end of the day I love her, I know she loves me and that is bigger than whatever disagreement or miscommunication that is getting in our way at the moment. I’m not going to run out on her if she hurts my feelings, I don’t like dinner (on her night to cook…easy on the gender stereotypes) or if we disagree about who they should vote off of the Biggest Loser. I know that when the sun comes up she will be my wife and I will be her husband and I’m committed to working it out and living together even if it’s hard sometimes.
I believe it is incumbent for ALL in the current church (PC (USA) and otherwise) to think more about how they can contribute positively to the conversation, to get involved, more importantly to stop writing blogs, sending tweets or waxing philosophical at the local coffee shop, go out and be with people you disagree, don’t try to change their minds, listen, learn, respect and I will do the same.
Every time I think about disagreement, especially in the church I think about this passage (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 honour. 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.
Blessings,
Greg
That was the title of my sermon this week. The sermon text is John 20:19-31. My sermon had nothing to do with doubt it was about forgiveness. It’s what you get for listening to the Spirit…I guess.
I was already to preach this week about Thomas…you know “doubting Thomas”. I think that guy gets a bum wrap sometimes. I believe that faith and doubt are inseparable and have said so on many occasions. I think that it is unrealistic to think that you or I will be 100% certain about our faith 100% of the time. I know I have doubts; my guess is you have doubts, Mother Theresa had doubts, Martin Luther had doubts, even Jesus had doubts. This week I doubted that the Holy Spirit was with me, doubted that it would move me to find the message in this text that God was calling me to share, the message that I needed to hear.
Then I sat down with a group of people and we talked about this passage. I didn’t realize that I needed to hear a message of forgiveness and be reminded that for the author of the Gospel of John forgiveness of sins was at the heart of the community of believers. I found this quote from a retired pastor, theologian and author, Lamar Williamson, Jr., who I have had the pleasure of breaking bread with on many occasions.
“The context in the Fourth Gospel is the Johanine understanding of the church: a community of believers in Jesus, bound together only by his command to love and serve one another. This word of the risen Lord in the present text can therefore be read as descriptive: if members of the community forgive one another their sins, those sins are forgiven and the community is living from and in the Spirit of Jesus; but if members of the community harbor grudges and resentment toward other members who have sinned against them, then those sins remain to spoil the bond of unity, and the Spirit of Jesus is no longer resident in the community…the forgiveness of sins in John is an essential component of life in a community whose life breath is the Holy Spirit of Jesus, alive and well in and among its members.”
The forgiveness of sins is an essential component of life in community whose life breath is the Holy Spirit of Jesus, alive and well in and among its members.
That’s sounds good enough.
If members of the community harbor grudges and resentment toward other members who have sinned against them, then those sins remain to spoil the bond of unity, and the Spirit of Jesus is no longer resident in the community.
That makes me uncomfortable, I certainly don’t want to think about something that I do contributing to the Spirit of Jesus no longer residing in the community. Jeesh…that’s a tough pill to swallow.
For John, however, it’s not about a remarkable music ministry, young people who are engaged, or even fabulous preaching; it’s about the words of Jesus “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
Well that sounds easy enough…right? I wish!
I certainly struggle with my own “grudges” and “resentments”. This week 29 West Virginia miners were killed in an explosion at the Upper Branch mine in Raleigh County, WV. The worst coal mining disaster in 40 years. I didn’t know any of the miners or their families, however they are still part of my family. As my father used to repeat to me “Nobody messes with my family.” Right now today I hold a lot of anger towards Massey Energy, the coal company that owns the mine, and specifically Don Blankenship, its CEO. You may have never heard of Don Blankenship before this week, but I can assure you that I have and I have held my anger towards him and his continued business practices for years. I won’t go into all the details <if you like to know more we can get coffee, you might want to block out a significant amount of time> needless to say I’m angry and I have been for a while. I’m really not sure if I’m ready to let go of my anger towards Mr. Blankenship, I’m sure he doesn’t care what I think. How to I balance justice and forgiveness? Certainly there should be consequences for his actions; do I need to be the one to ensure those consequences happen? How can I forgive this man for the things that I believe he is responsible for when families, my family is still grieving the loss of their loved ones from what seems to be a preventable tragedy.
I don’t know the answer to those questions and I’m sure there are NO easy answers, what I do know is that Jesus says, “Peace be with you, as the Father has sent me, so I send you.” I am called to model the example of Jesus to forgive in the face of those that appear to be unforgivable. That is hard stuff. Who am I to tell YOU to forgive, I don’t know your pain, I don’t know the hurt that you have been through. The thing I do know is that “if you forgive the sins of any they are forgiven them, if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
The paraphrase of the bible called “The Message” puts it another way, “if you retain the sins of any what are you going to do with them?”
Steven has talked about one of his favorite writers, Anne Lamott, who happens to be one of my favorites as well, says in her book “Traveling Mercies”, “not forgiving others is like eating rat poison and expecting the rat to die.”
The other day I was twittering with a pastor friend of mine about this passage and he said, “forgiveness says, “I’m not going to allow you to push my buttons any longer. You have no claim over who I am.” While retention of sins says, “I give you power over me, to burden me with expectations and perceptions that are not who God is creating me to be.”
I certainly allow Don Blankenship to push my buttons and because I do I allow him to hinder me from living as God created me.
There are certainly stories that are more powerful than mine, stories that challenge us more deeply. One such story I read in the book that we studied as a Lenten group. I believe it shows the courage it takes to forgive and the power to heal that act can have on a person and a community.
[Hole in Our Gospel Story pg. 158]
Forgiveness is a beautiful thing, unfortunately it also can be extremely difficult.
Forgiveness is an individual process. I wish I had the answers that would make the pain go away…I don’t…all I can say with certainty is that God is with you, God is with us and we will need to walk together with one each other as we try and navigate the waters of what it means to live from and in the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
As we welcome these new young people into our community we welcome them into our questions, we welcome them into our doubts, we welcome them into our faith, we welcome them into a community that attempts everyday to live from and in the Spirit of Jesus Christ. We pray that they will help us model what it means to be a community of believers that do not hold grudges but forgives the sins of any.
I pray that I have the strength, I pray that you have the strength, I pray that we have the strength to do the difficult work that Christ calls us to knowing that he will continue to meet us, like Thomas, where we are, he will continue to respond to us before we speak, he will continue to stand with us, to prop us up, to walk with us away from the things that hold claim on us and hinder our ability to live into all that God has called us to be and towards the power of the unconditional love and compassion modeled by Jesus the Christ.
May it be so.
Blessings,
Greg
Here is the text of the sermon I preached on Maundy Thursday. The scripture was John 13: 1-17, 31b-35.
Let’s set the scene here…Jesus is sitting with the disciples, the one’s he called, his closest friends. It’s been a long week for all of them. Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, cleansed the temple of moneychangers, preached, healed, taught, the disciples had doubts, the people of Jerusalem had gone from praise and worship to fear and anger. Jesus knew his time had come. He took a moment and gathered is confidants, his trusted friends, his support system one more time.
In the midst of dinner, Jesus takes off his robe and washes the feet of his much protesting disciples. This story is not an unfamiliar one, especially around this time of the year. We are reminded to be servants rather than be served, we are reminded that we aren’t always in control; we are reminded that we must sometimes move out of our comfort zone. We are reminded to follow the example of Jesus.
Honestly…That’s not the example I want to follow, the example I want to follow goes something like this…they have a nice dinner and Jesus stands up and starts to wash the feet of the disciples, Peter protests and when Jesus says “not all of you are clean” he grabs Judas by the collar, throws him to the floor, smacks him a couple of times, and throws him down the stairs…or something like that. Ok…maybe smacking him and throwing him down the stairs would be a little overboard, but Jesus could at least expose Judas for what he is, make him feel guilty, and maybe Judas would even agree that he was wrong to betray Jesus. He could say to Judas what my grandfather would always say to me, “STRAIGHTEN UP AND FLY RIGHT!” Then everyone could feel like they were right and the “bad guy” changed his heart or at least the disciples could bask in their own moral superiority. Jesus knows that he will be betrayed and by whom. Why wouldn’t he expose his betrayer, show him the treatment he deserved?
Once again, God, Jesus goes against what is expected, God who could have chosen any form to make God’s presence known on earth, instead of something super powerful and awesome…like a dragon, or even a conquering king, came as an vulnerable infant. Jesus who could have stormed the gates of Jerusalem with his power entered the city on a donkey, Christ who could have withered the man who was to send him the cross like the fig tree, instead washed his feet.
Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.
That’s a pretty difficult example to follow. If you knew someone was going to betray you, turn their back on you, be dishonest towards you, would you let them? I don’t think I would or could. I’d call them out, or be passive aggressive towards them, or maybe even do it to them before they could do it to me…you know like a preemptive strike. I certainly wouldn’t welcome them into my home, certainly would serve them as an equal. That’s what Jesus is doing here.
The more I think about this the more it makes me crazy. Why doesn’t Jesus just fix it, fix Judas, fix the situation. It would be so easy…he’s Almighty God Incarnate can’t he just make it right. That would be justice right? He has the power to fix it so he should right?
This always bring me back to that statement…just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
When I started thinking about this story two stories came to mind, one that I heard and one that I lived.
When Martin Luther King, Jr. became a figurehead in the civil right movement he began to get a lot of death threats. Because of those death threats he had an armed security detail around him at all times. This seemed like a pretty reasonable response to death threats. He had to protect himself and his family; no one would fault this non-violent leader for caring for his own safety…right? It was what he COULD do to protect himself.
One day, King and his security detail were in a house in Alabama talking about their plans for the next phase of the civil rights campaign when all of a sudden there was a noise outside, a loud crash. All the members of the security detail ran outside guns drawn. In the yard, a little girl playing with several guns now pointed at her ready to fire. From that day forward Martin Luther King, Jr. would not allow guns around him, even as those closest to him protested. He recognized that while his enemies would certainly have guns and would be willing to use them, the risk of harm to one of his friends was too great. He knew that he could have armed guards but decided that he shouldn’t.
I believe that King’s ministry, his witness was made significantly more meaningful be his unwillingness to resort to violence even in the face of violence. He was willing to die for what he believed in, too live the life the way he was called even when all those around him thought he should live differently.
When I was about 15, and living in Dallas, Texas my parents and I were driving to church on Sunday morning when we passed a grocery store parking lot, the same parking lot we passed every Sunday and most other days of the week, but this day was different. Today there was an old car sitting with the hood open. There was a women sitting with some kids near the rear of the car and a man standing with his head under the hood. There appeared to be car parts all around the car and a cardboard sign that said, “Trying to get to Oklahoma.” My dad glanced over and pulled into the parking lot. I remember saying, and I’m not sure why I said it, but I said, “Dad this is a scam!” My dad drove up to the man handed him a $20 and said blessings.
I was so mad. It was a scam I knew and I told my dad so, until finally he said. “Greg, I felt like those people needed the money, and whatever they do with it is between them and God. I know I did the right thing.” I think I probably said something intelligent like, “whatever dad!”
A few weeks later, we were driving home from church and decided to stop off at a restaurant for lunch in a different part of town. As we were leaving the restaurant I spotted them. The same car, the same woman, the same kids, the same sign, the same car parts, different parking lot; I looked at my dad and said, “See I told you! It was a scam!” My dad didn’t get angry, he didn’t whip the car around to yell at those people or demand they give him his money back, He calmly said, “Greg, I felt like those people needed the money, and whatever they do with it is between them and God. I know I did the right thing.” I didn’t get it at the time, and that story has stuck with me. My dad could have gone back to those people demanding an explanation, instead my dad continued to respond in the way he felt called.
I probably would have thought my dad was cool for telling that guy off, or standing up for himself. Instead I KNOW that I respect my dad because he responded the way he felt called even with his teenage son in the back of the car pestering him about how wrong he was and knowing that on some level he had been deceived.
It takes a lot to stand by your convictions when you know that means you will have to give up some power, to give up control, to risk your reputation. I believe that’s what Christ is calling us to do when he says, “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.”
Steven said last Sunday, that Jesus chose the power of love over the love of power. In our society that’s hard. It means loving people who hurt you, it means loving people who are unlovable, it means giving up opportunities in order for others to have them, it means thinking about things you SHOULD do as opposed to things you COULD do.
I wish it was simple as me or Steven, or Jesus telling us in plain English the things we should do, but it’s not that simple. We are constantly met with opportunities, questions, situations that challenge us to respond to love one another the way Christ loved us.
When Jesus left the upper room his disciples fell asleep, betrayed him, denied him, they ran in fear because they knew the COULD hide from what they had been called to do and yet Jesus still loved them. When we share this feast, when we go out into the world I want you to remember that God continues to love us in ways that defy logic, God continues to speak to us through God’s word, through God’s people, through God’s creation. God continues to help us understand the difference between what we could do and what we should do.
God will always love you, just as you are, no strings attached.
Blessings,
Greg
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