tag:www.leslieveen.com,2008:/sermons//3 2008-12-08T04:45:17Z Movable Type 3.33 tag:www.leslieveen.com,2008:/sermons//3.453 2008-12-08T04:43:13Z 2008-12-08T04:45:17Z

Text: Isaiah 40:1-11 Hope. Peace. Joy. Love. These are words given to each Sunday of Advent. They are, therefore, themes that are often explored during Advent. And, following suit, they are the themes that we are exploring together through our...

Leslie Text: Isaiah 40:1-11 Hope. Peace. Joy. Love. These are words given to each Sunday of Advent. They are, therefore, themes that are often explored during Advent. And, following suit, they are the themes that we are exploring together through our sermon series for this Advent season. Hope. Peace. Joy. Love. These are small words with big meanings. They are words that get thrown around a lot in lofty rhetoric and in motivational speaking because they are positive words that are open-ended allowing the listeners to fill in meaning for themselves. But what do these words really mean? Because they are small words pointing to big ideas, it’s hard to know exactly what they mean. They are more concepts than concrete ideas. They are rather fuzzy around the edges making it hard to pin them down. Today we are going to try to do exactly that, at least somewhat, with the word peace. And we’re not going to stop there. We’re also going to explore a companion word given to us by our Scripture reading: comfort. Let’s do a bit of group work on defining these two terms. Maybe by working together we’ll have more success at coming to some understanding of what these fuzzy words mean. Let’s deal first with the term “Peace.” How would you define it? What exactly is it? What makes up peace? What makes it exist for people? [get comments from congregation] According to Dictionary.com peace is: 1. the normal, non-warring condition of a nation, group of nations, or the world 2. an agreement or treaty between warring or antagonistic nations, groups, etc. to end hostilities and abstain from further fighting 3. a state of mutual harmony 4. freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, an obsession, etc. 5. a state of tranquility or serenity Often when we think of peace we think of it as the absence of war. But if we look at these definitions, it is so much more than that. The first three definitions here deal mainly in the realm of the absence of war or conflict. But look at the last two. Those both deal with inner peace. Something that is definitely made harder for people who are involved in wars but something that is not necessarily connected to war. Those last two definitions can seem like a luxury to many who are struggling to meet the demands of living every day. Struggles like finding meaningful work, or keeping that work in these tough economic times. Or struggles like paying for the rising cost of health care and education. Or struggles like trying to save for the future while also providing for the costs of today. When people are so preoccupied with these types of struggles, they often are far from the freedom of mind from annoyance, distraction, and anxiety. And, I’d say it’s fair to guess that when people are in the midst of such struggles they are not experiencing a sense of tranquility or serenity. So, from our definitions, we see that peace is both external and internal. And while people have been able to find ways of having inner peace in the midst of situations that are anything but peaceful, I believe that both external and internal peace are needed to have the real peace – the shalom – that God wants for all of creation. And, I would also argue that external peace isn’t truly possible until inner peace is real for all parties involved. Okay. Now let’s look at the term “comfort.” It is the opening word in our text for today. It is a command given twice by God who is looking out for God’s people. How would you define comfort? As we see from our passage for today it can be used as a verb. But can also be used as a noun. What actions constitute comfort? What do we do to comfort others? And what is comfort? What does it feel like? What makes us feel comforted or comfortable? [get comments from the congregation] Again drawing on Dictionary.com, comfort as a verb is described as: 1. to soothe, console, or reassure; to bring cheer to 2. to make physically comfortable As a noun, comfort can mean: 1. relief in affliction; consolation, solace 2. feeling of relief or consolation 3. a state of ease and satisfaction of bodily wants with freedom from pain These are mainly actions that one party does to or for another party. Or something that one gets from something external. Do you see overlap between a person having or feeling peace and the action of being or giving comfort? Have you experienced comforting from someone or something else that has given you a sense of peace? Can you think of a time when you were comforted? What was done or said to comfort you? Or was it just someone’s presence that gave you comfort? [get comments from congregation] It is entirely possible for people to experience peace without having been comforted by someone or something else. But peace is often brought about by an act of comforting. Some word or sound can still inner turmoil and leave a person free from annoyance, distraction, and anxiety. For me, one of my favorite things to do when I am feeling anxious is to go and walk or run on the beach. Looking out over the seemingly unending expanse of the water and hearing the powerful crashing of waves reminds me that God is at work in this world although I may not be able to see how. I am reassured by this activity that God, who created the world in the beginning, continues to create it now. And will not quit creating it until the new heaven and the new earth have come and we are living with God for eternity. Being at the beach reminds me that God, who is so much bigger than anything I can imagine, is at work righting the wrongs of this life and working towards a day when all will live in true peace and harmony. I will add this shell to our Advent Candle table to help us remember that our God is that God who creates and who rights injustices. We see from our Scripture passage for today that that was something that the Israelite people needed to be reminded of as well. They were struggling to understand how they were still God’s people when Jerusalem, God’s holy city, had been destroyed and they had been scattered throughout the Babylonian empire. They were left wondering if there was any source of comfort left for a people stripped of self-defense, vulnerable before their captors, and left bitter as they mourned in a foreign land. So God sent a prophet to give the people words of comfort. Words that reminded them that God is at work in the world to right the injustices and bring shalom – a deep and abiding peace – to all of creation. Listen again to the words in verses 3 and 4 that brought that comfort to the people. [read verses 3 and 4] The way for the people had gotten all off course. Difficulties of all sorts had gotten in their way of being God’s people. They were scattered throughout the Babylonian kingdom and they were suffering oppression as servants and slaves. The way seemed anything but straight or smooth. And it seemed that God was no where to be seen. But these words from the prophet tell the people that God is coming and the way will be straightened back out and things will be put right once again. No mountain would be too big for God to overcome. No valley too deep for God to climb out of. Not even rough or rugged ground would hold God back. The prophet was telling the people these things because they were beginning to lose their faith in the God of Abraham , Isaac, and Jacob, the God of their ancestors. In the chaos of their new living situation, they were slipping into cynicism and despair, believing that life was driven by arbitrary forces rather than by a loving God who remains true to a universal plan of justice. God, speaking through the prophet, counters those beliefs. God reminds the people that God works in and through human history. God cares. God does not abandon God’s own beloved creation. And with these words, God invites all who hear to join in the restoration of the world to a realm of universal justice and shalom. It is God who brings about peace and justice for all of creation, but we are called, as the Israelite people also were called, to be co-creators with God in that restorative work of justice. Our call comes in verse 9. Listen to it again. [read verse 9] God wants deep and abiding peace for all of creation. And we are to shout that from the mountain tops. These are comforting words. But they need to more than just words. For this deep external and internal peace to exist, there must be justice in this world. And that does not come easily. If it did, we wouldn’t have the problems that we do today. Nor would the world have had the problems it has had throughout its history. I was recently pointed to an excellent article by the Christian philosopher Nicholas Wolterstorff entitled “How Social Justice Got to Me and Why It Never Left.” In it, Wolterstorff gets to the heart of why struggles continue to arise around the globe. He says: "… each party has a narrative that it tells, and in that narrative, each party is always the righteous victim, never the victimizer. Each party first downplays the violence that it has perpetrated, and then insists that such modest violence as it has perpetrated was nothing more than just recompence for an injustice done to it. Each party responds justly to breaches of primary justice but never itself perpetrates any such breaches…. I have come to believe [says Wolterstorff] that, in cases of conflict, until the narratives begin to converge, until each party admits that it has wronged the other and not just administered appropriate retributive punishment, there can be no peace." It’s always easier to point the finger at another, to point out their faults and their violent acts, than to point the finger at ourselves. But that is not how we reach true peace with one another. That is not how we find true peace for ourselves. We have to come together and understand each other’s pain and how we have contributed to it before real peace can be attained. God calls us to be co-creators in bringing peace to God’s world. God commands us to bring comfort to God’s people. How will we respond? I’d like to mix things up a bit in the service tonight. I want to incorporate our prayers of the people in the sermon time. I have placed slips of paper around the sanctuary on which I encourage you to write down prayer requests that you hear lifted up. I encourage you to then take this paper with you and keep it close during the week. Re-read it often. Remember these requests and the person making it, and lift them both to God asking God hold them and care for them. I will be leading us in a bidding prayer. I will start at the global level and gradually narrow the focus until we are offering prayers for ourselves. Please call out names or places or tell of situations that you would like us to hold in prayer during this week. This will be an eyes wide open prayer so that we can see one another and see the paper on which we write the petitions. Let us pray. God we have gathered here today and have heard your words of comfort and peace from the prophet Isaiah. We have heard your invitation to join you in being co-creators of this peace. And so, we lift to you now names of people and places that are in need of your love and your comfort and those who have joys that we offer to you in gratitude. First, God, we are aware of places in this world that are in deep need of your love and peace. We pray for them now…. And we also bring you prayers for our nation… Please hear our prayers of concern for our state of California… And we lift to you the concerns that we have for the Bay Area… We also pray for the neighborhoods where we live… And we lift to you the joys and concerns of our family and friends… And finally, God, we offer prayers of joy and concern for ourselves… All these prayers we lift to you, O God, creator, comforter, and sustainer of all of creation, knowing that you hear us when we pray. For that we are truly grateful. We pray all this in the name of Jesus Christ, who taught his disciples to pray saying... Lord’s Prayer tag:www.leslieveen.com,2008:/sermons//3.449 2008-11-24T17:52:17Z 2008-11-24T17:55:02Z

Texts: Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24 Matthew 25:31-46 When I read the texts for today I started laughing out loud. You may think that is a strange reaction to have when reading scripture, but let me explain. As I read, this song...

Leslie Texts: Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24 Matthew 25:31-46 When I read the texts for today I started laughing out loud. You may think that is a strange reaction to have when reading scripture, but let me explain. As I read, this song popped into my head. [play Cake "Sheep Go To Heaven" chorus] Now, wouldn't you laugh too if that happened to you?! The first time I heard that song I was really confused. I couldn't figure out why anyone would write a song with those lyrics. And then I came across the Matthew text for today and it clicked. Cake didn't write the lyrics, they were just quoting Jesus! But why was Jesus talking about sheep and goats? And why, five hundred years earlier, did Ezekiel choose to do the same when prophesying to the exiled Israelites in Babylon? What is it about sheep and goats that appealed to both Jesus and Ezekiel? Let's explore that imagery a bit together. Okay city-dwellers, what do you think of when you think of sheep and goats? Are they different in your mind or are they pretty much the same thing? Have you had any interactions with either sheep or goats? [get reactions from the congregation] A quick glance at Wikipedia gives the following information on sheep and goats: Sheep: - have a natural inclination to follow a leader and that leader will most often simply be the one sheep who started moving first - have a tendency to congregate close to other members of the flock - primary defense mechanism is simply to flee in the face of danger - but if they are cornered they will either charge or threaten to charge - are frequently thought of as unintelligent, although that is not really the case o long-term facial recognition o able to differentiate emotional states through facial characteristics o have problem-solving capabilities For the most part, these characteristics have taken on a more negative connotation throughout the years. Calling someone a sheep tends to not be a very flattering thing. Especially in the American culture that so highly values individualism and the whole myth of pulling oneself up by one's boot straps. Being a follower or sticking with a group is just not something we value. And then there are goats. According to Wikipedia... Goats: - are extremely curious and intelligent - are easily housebroken - can be trained - especially to pull carts or walk on leads - are known for escaping their pens o they will test a fence until they find a weakness that can be exploited - are very coordinated and can climb and hold their balance in the most precarious places - can climb trees when they have even a slight angle to them These are all characteristics that are highly valued in our culture. These are the characteristics of a maverick - a term that used to be a positive thing until it got beaten into the ground during the just completed election cycle. Goats seem to be everything that sheep are not - individualistic, self-sufficient, real go-getters (to the point of even climbing trees!). So what's so bad about goats then? Why did Ezekiel and Jesus call people on being like goats and condemn them for that? Let's take a closer look at the situation each was facing. The passage from the book of Ezekiel for today gives us just a piece from two separate but related exhortations from the prophet. First Ezekiel speaks God's words to the Israelite leaders. Then he turns and addresses the Israelite people in general. For Ezekiel, the fall of Israel into captivity to Babylon is the result of the poor leadership skills of those whom God chose to lead the nation. Because the leaders did not keep God's commandments, they now find themselves in exile and the Israelite community is split in two - those taken away in exile and those left behind in their land. In Ezekiel's reading of the situation, the leaders were like goats looking out for their own interests ignoring the fact that the Israelite people were like sheep following them down the wrong path away from God's commandments. The leaders had failed the people and in so doing had failed God who chose them to be the leaders. After rebuking the leaders for this failure, Ezekiel then turns his attention to the Israelite people in general. They too have taken on goat-like characteristics. They have stopped caring for one another as members of the same flock and have taken to looking out only for themselves. They are exploiting the situation for their own gain with the strong oppressing the weak, and the rich exploiting the poor. They are relying on their own intelligence to get ahead instead of relying on God and following God's commandments to love God and to love their neighbors. By acting in this way, the people have also failed God and have rightly brought God's judgment upon themselves. In both cases, God's words to those being addressed show that God is saddened by the necessity to step in and do what God had asked the people to do on their own. God had chosen leaders and expected them to guide and watch out for the best interests of the people as a whole. But this did not happen and now the people were scattered - in their land, in Babylon, and beyond - and hurting. So God, through Ezekiel, tells the people that God will step in to make things right. God will gather the scattered people back together. God will heal the wounds that have been inflicted on them. And God will judge those who let this happen. But God will not just judge those charged with leading the nation, God will also judge all those who acted in selfish ways - exploiting their weak and poor neighbors. This is not how God had commanded the people to act towards one another. In fact, it is the complete opposite. So God is being forced to come in and rectify the situation personally. Some five hundred years later, Jesus finds himself in a very similar situation to that of Ezekiel. In Jesus' understanding of the situation in which he lives, the religious leaders - those God chose to lead the people - are taking God's people down the path of legalism and hyper-focus on following the rules. In this way of living, there is no room for allowances made on the basis of acting out of love for God or love for one's neighbor. The people have devolved into watching out for their own concerns and their own purity. And in so doing they have lost sight of what really matters to the God that they are so diligently trying to serve - that is, wholeness and healing for all of God's creation. Jesus' description of the Son of Man coming in his glory to judge all people is the final piece of a long discourse on the end times. Through this series of stories, Jesus wants to wake people up and shake them out of their self-imposed stupor. He wants them to understand that the way they act in this life will affect their life throughout eternity. How they act now has long-lasting consequences. To make his point, Jesus draws on a well-worn image: sheep and goats. Those hearing this story would have echoes of the passage about sheep that we just looked at from the prophet Ezekiel, as well as many others from the Scriptures, ringing in their ears as they listened. They probably were identifying themselves with the sheep and feeling pretty secure in that feeling. They were, after all, keeping God's commandments and then some! Not keeping commandments is what had gotten their ancestors into trouble in the past. But Jesus calls them up quick. "Not so fast," he seems to be saying. Just because they have been following the law, doesn't mean that they are in the sheep category. It take more than following the letter of the law to make it into heaven. It takes feeding the hungry, giving a drink to the thirsty, inviting a stranger into one's home, giving clothes to those who need them, caring for the sick and visiting those in prison. These are actions that many of the people are not in the habit of doing because by doing such acts, they would be interacting with people often deemed to be unclean. And bpy interacting with such people, they themselves would then be considered unclean until they performed the ritual to become clean again. That is what following the letter of the law had brought them to. It got in the way of them being able to see people as children of God and being able to step in and help when needed. But some of the people are doing these acts even without realizing it. These people are the sheep that Jesus says will inherit the kingdom God created at the beginning of the world. For these people, feeding the hungry, clothing the needy, caring for the sick and imprisoned are actions that come naturally to them. These actions are like second nature to these "righteous" people. And this is how Jesus wishes it would be for all of the people listening to him. Now, I won't ask you to answer this question out loud, but I want us to take a minute to think about ways in which we all have acted like goats. How have we turned from loving God with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength. And how have we not loved our neighbor as ourselves. Where in our daily lives have we been more concerned for our own well-being than for that of our neighbor? How have our actions diminished the strength of the communities in which we live? [brief pause] These are not things that we, meaning all humans, like to think about. And these are things that especially we West Coast Americans don't like to think about. That whole idea of sin and being sinful people is a hard one for us. We like to dwell more on the positive - on the ways that God has created us good and enables us to do good in this world. But I would argue that we can't really be good conduits of God's love in and to this world until we stop to acknowledge that we often act in very goat-like ways - ways that actually get in the way of being who God calls us to be. It's not that those goat qualities are bad in and of themselves. It's just that when we start acting like goats, it's oh-too-easy to bump God right out the picture and put ourselves at the center. When we let our goat qualities take over, we end up feeling like we are able or have to do everything for ourselves and we forget that we need to rely on God. So how can we be more sheep-like? What are things that we can do to help us remember to focus on God and see God in those around us? Any suggestions or ideas? [get responses from congregation] I think the first step to being more sheep-like is learning to see the holy in the ordinary. And we have to begin with seeing it in ourselves. One of my favorite poems is by the poet Ann Weems ( a Presbyterian Christian writer). The poem is called "God's Holy People" and it comes from the collection Searching for Shalom. I've placed copies of it around the sanctuary for you to take with you if you would like. Here's what the poem says: Here we are, you and I, called to be God's Holy People. You say you're not the holy type, but I'm not talking about holier-than-thou. I'm not talking about religious ritual, and the last thing I mean is self-righteousness! Jesus chastised the self-righteous, the ones who spent their days doing religious things, the ones who spent so much time in religious ritual that they didn't have time for tenderheartedness. I'm not talking about them; I'm talking about us. I'm talking about paying attention to the things Jesus taught people, ordinary people, people like you, people like me. Look at the disciples: ordinary people called to follow, called to be God's Holy People, called to live in this world with tender hearts. Live holy lives... impossible? Is anything impossible to God? That old woman Sarah thought it impossible to have a child... The lepers thought it impossible to be healed... The disciples thought it impossible to feed five thousand with two loaves and five fishes... Mary and Martha thought it impossible that their brother Lazarus was alive... The lame thought it impossible to walk... The blind thought it impossible to see... Here we are, ordinary people, called to be the Holy People of God. If you have eyes to see and ears to hear, see and hear God's holiness in your life. We have to begin with ourselves. Not in a selfish way. Not in an egocentric way. But unless and until we truly see ourselves as God's chosen people, the blessed children of God, there is no way to see others as holy, chosen, and blessed children of God either. The Great Commandment says love God and love your neighbor as yourself. The catch is, we have to love ourselves first in order to follow that commandment. Looking out for #1 is not loving oneself. Hoarding stuff and making sure that we are covered is not loving oneself either. Understanding that we are beloved children of God for whom God wants to provide is. Once we have truly grasped and understood this about ourselves, then we will be freed to turn our gaze outward to see others around us who are in need. When we understand that God loves us and wants to care for us, then it frees us from having to worry about that. It allows us to stop putting all of our effort into making sure that we have enough for ourselves. And it enables us to turn those efforts outward to the hungry, thirsty, and hurting all around us. So stop being such a goat! Stop thinking that you and you alone are looking out for your best interests. Stop thinking that you have to provide everything that you need. Learn to trust that God will provide - through family, or friends, or maybe even complete strangers. And then, relying on that trust, do the same for others. tag:www.leslieveen.com,2008:/sermons//3.443 2008-10-13T05:19:28Z 2008-10-13T05:25:11Z

Texts: Exodus 32:1-14; Philippians 4:1-9 Theme introduction When I learned that I would be preaching for the first full service in our new space and time, I knew what I would have to preach on - play chorus from Bowie...

Leslie Let us pray. Spirit of God, come and move among us we pray. Open our ears to hear your word for us this evening. And open our hearts that we may truly know your will for our lives and our life together as a community. We pray this in the name of your precious Son, Jesus Christ. Amen. Change. What does hearing that word do to you? Does it make your shoulders tighten up a bit? Does it make your stomach queasy? Or you forehead crinkle? Or... does it thrill you? Excite you for the possibilities that await? Motivate you to get up and be a part of the action? I did a quotation search on the word "change" and was inundated with ideas that people have voiced on the subject for thousands of years. Here are just a few: - Heraclitus, who lived from 540 BCE - 480 BCE, said, "Nothing endures but change." - Confucius, who lived at the same time, said, "They must often change who would be constant in happiness or wisdom." - Bringing us closer to our own time, John F. Kennedy was of the opinion that "Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." - And, Alvin Toffler said, "Change is the process by which the future invades our lives." What do you think about change? Is it a good or bad thing for you? Any reactions to these quotations about change? Anyone care to share? [get reactions from the community] What often scares people the most about change is the feeling of loss of control that comes with it. The more people can control the process, in some way or another, the more comfortable they will feel with change. And, conversely, the more people feel like they have no say in the matter - that change is being imposed upon them from an outside force - the more fearful and desperate they feel about the situation. I think the craziness that is going on with our global economic situation is a perfect example of this. It appears that steps taken to "control" the damage of the crisis are not having any positive affects and this is leading people to take drastic measures - like selling off much of their stocks. This may make the people feel better, but it's actually making the situation worse. People are panicking. And panic leads to irrational actions. But many are left feeling like they have no other choice. They feel backed into a corner and they are fighting their way out the only way they know how. Underlying the fear of change is the much stronger, much more visceral fear of chaos. Often the thinking goes something like this: If we make this one small change, who's to say larger changes won't follow? That small change could lead to a domino effect bringing about a wholesale change in everything. This is the proverbial "slippery slope" argument that often holds us back from making even minor changes. Chaos! No one wants chaos. The desire to control chaos is as old as the human story. Our scriptures begin by describing how our God overcame chaos and ordered everything thereby making it possible for creation to exist and thrive. God separated light from darkness, water in the heavens from water below, and finally the water below from dry land. Once all that separating was done - all that ordering of chaos -, then God was able to put things in their place - sun, moon, and stars in the skies, fish in the seas, animals on the lands, and ultimately Adam and Eve to oversee it all. For the writers of the Hebrew Scriptures, chaos is not merely a state of disorder, rather it is an active force that challenges the rule of God and undermines the possibility for life and well-being. The ultimate proof that God is all-powerful comes in God's ability to bring order to chaos. For we humans, the balance between control and chaos seems to be very tenuous. Chaos seems to be waiting just at the edge of our reality ready to rush in and engulf all of existence at any moment. The Hebrew people in our passage from Exodus were feeling like chaos was taking over their lives. They had been uprooted from a known, albeit horrible, existence as slaves in Egypt. They were slow to believe, as Moses told them, that they were God's chosen people and that God wanted them to live freely in their own land. But they followed Moses out of Egypt and were immediately faced by many instances when chaos seemed to be taking over. Instances such as: - the Egyptian army following them and then seemingly trapping them at the edge of the Reed Sea - the scarcity of water and food along the journey for this large number of people - even just the logistics of moving so many people such a long distance. All of these threats reminded the Hebrew people that their control of the situation they were in was very tenuous. Chaos was most definitely a real possibility. And now, in our passage for today Moses, the man who had convinced them to take on this whole crazy endeavor, the man who was the physical representation of God's presence with them, had gone away and had not returned for a month and a half! He was the one with the plan. What were the people supposed to do now? They didn't know where they were supposed to be heading. They didn't know what they were supposed to be doing. And the God who had called them "the chosen people" felt conspicuously absent. The whole situation seemed to be going from bad to worse. Chaos definitely felt like it was creeping in and trying to take over. So, what do the people do? Instead of remembering how God had come through for them in the other circumstances where chaos seemed to be threatening them, they turned in to themselves and to their own abilities. They so quickly forgot the miraculous ways God had acted on their behalf in the very recent past. They forgot how God had: - parted the waters of the Reed Sea and made the ground dry so that they could walk through to safety - made water come from a dry rock so that the people could drink in the desert - and even provided manna (a bread-like substance) and quail to sustain the people as they made their journey None of these incredible acts of God's saving grace came to the people's minds when they thought Moses was gone for good. Panic had crept in. They were not thinking rationally. All they could think about was what they needed to do to protect themselves in this dire situation. So they fell back on practices that they had learned from other cultures. Practices that relied on making gods for themselves instead of relying on the God who had made everything. They pleaded with Aaron to help them and he gave in. He made them a couple of golden calves and led the people in worship before them. This was just the kind of thing God had forbidden the people to do in the covenant that had so recently been worked out between God and the people. The very first commandment (or agreement in this covenant) says, "You shall have no other Gods before me." And the people had agreed. But here they were. In a desperate situation. Thinking that chaos would overwhelm them if they didn't act quickly. And they forgot all that had happened and all that they had agreed to. And they acted on a bad instinct thinking it was the best way forward. It's a common human reaction. The Hebrew people don't have a corner on acting that way. Our passage from Philippians for today shows us that the Christians there acted similarly. We don't know as much about the situation that was occurring in Philippi - the letter to the Philippians is very brief and doesn't go into much detail. But we learn from the passage for today that Paul felt it necessary to write to this community to remind them of God's call to them. Paul had worked with the people in Philippi to get a Christian community together. Once he felt that local leadership was in place, he moved on to build similar communities in other cities. Eventually his teachings got him in trouble with the authorities in Jerusalem. But since Paul was a Roman citizen he appealed to Rome to arbitrate the case. The letter to the Philippians was written while he was in Rome awaiting his case to be heard. In between the time Paul left Philippi for other cities and his arrival in Rome to await his trial, the Philippian Christians had turned against each other. Something had happened - a something that is not explained in the letter. Fear had crept in. Instead of pulling together, trusting God, and uniting around God's call to mission, the people divided among themselves and set up camp behind two powerful women leaders in the community. They let fear rule the day. They acted on human instinct instead of relying on God and they ended up fighting with each other instead of working together to spread the Good News of Christ Jesus to their community. Unfortunately, it is all too easy for us as humans to get caught up in this kind of thinking. We are so quick to turn to ourselves to get out of sticky situations instead of turning to God and relying on God to help us through tough times. Have you ever found yourself in a tough situation and had this same dilemma? Was there a time when you were able to stay focused on God and rely on God to help you get through it? How did you remain focused on God? What helped you to not give in to the fear and panic that so easily can overwhelm us? Would anyone care to share? [get comments from the community] Paul gave advice to the Philippians about how not to give in to human fears. Listen again to what he says in verses 4 and following: Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me - put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. That is very straightforward advice for both the Philippians of Paul's day and for us today. Paul says that to stay focused on God and God's will for our lives we need to: - Pray and pray often. Paul encourages us to bring everything to God so that God can help us through it. - Meditate or think on virtuous things. It's hard to get mired down in the messiness of human ways when we keep our thoughts elevated. - Practice what Paul preached. We are to study the Bible and use it to guide our lives. There is no better way to avoid being distracted by the voices of our society than that. - And above all, Paul advises us to rejoice in the Lord. Rejoice in the Lord! Because, as the Hebrew people had forgotten in our passage but were reminded of again and again throughout the Scriptures, God is the God of steadfast love and faithfulness. Rejoice in the Lord! Because, God will be with us no matter what may come as God was so many times for the Hebrew people. Rejoice in the Lord! Because God conquers chaos and brings peace to those who offer up their petitions to God. Fear and chaos want to reign in our lives. Fear and chaos are very powerful forces against which our human wills can do little. Trust God to give you strength. Think on things that are noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable. And offer your fears and problems up to God seeking God's way in all that you do. And when you do, God will give you a peace that transcends all understanding. May it be so. Amen. Let us pray. Creator God, you bring order to chaos and make a way when none seems possible. Help us to remain focused on you. Fill us with your peace. And help us to be agents of your peace in this anxious and fearful world. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. tag:www.leslieveen.com,2008:/sermons//3.437 2008-09-23T17:52:57Z 2008-09-23T17:53:46Z

Acts 18:1-11 This account in Acts of Paul's arrival at Corinth and the beginning of his ministry there reads much like a perfunctory travelogue. He finished up his time in Athens and moved on. And here's the way that moving...

Leslie Acts 18:1-11 This account in Acts of Paul's arrival at Corinth and the beginning of his ministry there reads much like a perfunctory travelogue. He finished up his time in Athens and moved on. And here's the way that moving on happened. Coming from the pen of the master storyteller, Luke, I am surprised that there aren't more details and flourishes. We do get a bit of intrigue with Paul's declaration to the Jews in the synagogue that "Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles." At which point Paul shakes the dust from his clothes and walks off. That's a vivid picture. But we aren't given much beyond the basics - Paul went here. Then he did this. Then he did that. That didn't work out so he went somewhere else. Yada yada. I'm left wanting more. So, please indulge me... Imagine this: Paul walks into the Office of Vocational Formation and Placement in Corinth to engage in a conversation with the Director about his calling and ministry opportunities. Upon learning Paul's desires, the Director pulls Paul's file and says, "I see that your education is top-notch. You were the top of your class in Hebrew School. And you went on for extended studies in Jewish Law. It appears that you have the academic requirements taken care of. As for ministry experience, I see that you took the law so seriously that you felt the need to persecute those who were spreading the word that Jesus of Nazareth was the long-awaited Messiah. That is, until you felt that you had an encounter with the risen Lord and had a change of heart. That's quite a background. What do you feel like you are being called to do?" Paul leans back in his seat, rubs his chin, and replies, "Well, I really thought that, through my encounter with Jesus Christ, God was calling me to go back to my fellow Jews - ones who are where I used to be: fervent in their love of God and truly desiring to follow God's law - and share with them my experience so that they could see what I have learned and accept Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah that we have long prayed for." [Director:]"But something is holding you back from this calling." [Paul:] "The Jews are! They don't seem to be listening to me. I mean, I go to the synagogue every day and very carefully lay out the Scriptures and show how they all point to Jesus being the Christ. And yet, they resist my message. They even accuse me of blasphemy. Can you believe that?" "And it's not just me they won't listen to. They won't listen to my co-workers Silas and Timothy either. They just scoff at all of us. I'm so confused. I really thought I had this whole call thing worked out. I was sure that this was where I was meant to be in ministry. Look at my background. Look at my skills of reasoning and debate. How can my call be to something other than this?" [Director:] "And yet, something in you feels that God would have you do otherwise. Something in the reaction from your fellow Jews is causing you to question your sense of call. This is not a bad thing. Be open to hearing God speak through the words and actions of those around you. Be open to the new thing that God wants to do in and through you. Let go of your certainty of your call and be willing to see things in a new light." [Paul:] "Okay. But I have to say, this isn't easy. My sense of call on the Damascus road was so strong. It's hard to say that wasn't real." [Director:] "Oh, well, I'm not saying it wasn't real, Paul. I'm just saying that you've entered a new season in your ministry. Maybe God is calling you to move into a new arena. Can you imagine where God might be calling you to go?" [Paul:] "Well, I have been thinking a lot about the Gentiles around here who seem so open to hearing the message about our God and how God has acted through Jesus the Christ to save and redeem all of creation. Maybe God wants me to take the message to these people." [Director:] "Good. Good, Paul. Now what would that type of ministry look like?" [Paul:] "Well, since this is all new to them, they don't already have established places or communities of worship. I guess I would have to help them get those started. But that also means that they have no money to support a minister. I think that means I would have to do work on the side to pay my own bills. I wouldn't want the community of believers to fail just because I was taking all of the money for my own well-being." "Although, I really was hoping to put this whole tent-making business behind me. You know, it's really hard work. And it takes away from the time I am able to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with my new Gentile friends. That's a bummer. I've got some friends who are in a similar situation that I have been staying with - Priscilla and Aquila. They are tent-makers too and so I've been staying with them so we can all work on building tents together." "It kind of seems unfair though. I see other disciples and apostles going off, preaching in different communities, and not having to pay their own way as they go. They're getting help from the local churches to preach and to take the message abroad. It would make such a huge difference if I could devote all of my time to just sharing the Good News with folks." [Director:] "It sounds like you are living in the very real tension of not wanting to tax the resources of an up-and-coming worshipping community but also feeling distracted from your true calling by the work that you need to do to support yourself, Paul. All I can do is encourage you to be in prayer to God and really be open to seeing how God will provide for you in this season. It may be that you need to stay in this tension for a while or God may provide a new way. Be attentive and open to the possibilities God presents to you." [Paul:] "That's what I've been trying to do. But I'll try some more. I'll let you know how it goes." Paul leaves and returns a few weeks later. [Paul:] "Hi Director. You'll never guess what happened! So I went back to the synagogue and told my fellow Jews who were resisting me, 'Fine. If you're going to be that way, I'll go to people who want to hear the message I bring. You're on your own.' And I left and started preaching to Gentiles." "Boy, they are so much more receptive to my message. So much so that one of their rich leaders took me in and is basically funding my whole endeavor. And, an official in the synagogue has a great circle of people who he brought in with him. All of them believed in Jesus as the Christ and they have all been baptized. Wow! I never would have guessed all of that could happen. God really works in amazing and mysterious ways!" "Thanks for your help Director. You really helped me to get some clarity on my calling from God." Okay. So obviously I'm dreaming here about the importance of Directors of Vocational Formation and Placement (all one of them that I know). But a fundamental truth for me is that God does work in amazing and mysterious ways. And I feel that part of my calling at SFTS is to ask this community similar questions. Where is God calling us as individuals to be in ministry? And, where is God calling us as the big "C" Church to go? It is easy to become so focused on one specific calling that we close off the possibility of seeing that God is calling us in a new or different direction. Are we as individuals and as a Church so focused on the way things have always been that we fail to see the new thing that God is trying to do in and through us? There is much lamenting in mainline churches about the loss in membership and the need to do something new, but have we really stepped out of the mold that is comfortable and known? Have we really embraced the idea of turning in a whole new direction? Maybe God is telling us to turn our focus away from our own so that we can see a whole new group of people who are eagerly awaiting our attention. As Paul attested, it's not easy to do this. It's actually downright scary at times. But that is the invitation Jesus gives to his followers - leave behind all that is familiar and walk towards the future. A future in which the only thing that is known is the abundant, reconciling love of God that we are called to share with our hurting world. Trust that love and know that God will supply for all your needs. And be ready to hear when God is calling you to do a new thing. Amen. tag:www.leslieveen.com,2008:/sermons//3.435 2008-09-15T02:06:28Z 2008-09-15T02:11:31Z

Texts: Exodus 14:19-31 and Matthew 18:21-35 Introduction: The two texts that I chose from the lectionary passages for today struck me because of their seemingly opposite messages: one focuses on the fact that God is powerful, as demonstrated in a...

Leslie Loving God, you are a mystery to us. Open our ears that we may hear your word for us today. Open our hearts that we might be changed by it. Help us to be true followers of you in all of our words and deeds. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. I was talking with a colleague at the seminary, telling him the topic I was thinking about preaching on today and he said, "Wow! Just jump right in there, Leslie! Violence in the bible - that's a really big topic." This colleague wasn't telling me anything I didn't know. When the idea first hit me I realized that I was going to try to tackle a large topic. But I couldn't deny that the thing that struck me most from the Exodus passage was the violent death of all the Egyptian warriors. And that made me think of other passages in the bible that also include violence. I know that this is a topic that weighs heavily on many people at some time or another. I am a part of a group email list of folks who knew each other in my undergraduate studies at Calvin College. Calvin is a liberal arts college founded and mainly funded by the Christian Reformed Church in America. The CRC is a conservative cousin to the Presbyterian Church, of which we are a part. A couple summers ago our email list lit up with a discussion spurred on by the recent onslaught of books by atheists such as "The God Delusion" and "God Is Dead." It wasn't the discussion I would have imagined coming from this group. Quite a few of the members saw this as an opportunity to admit to the group that they no longer identified themselves as Christians. Several who spoke up in this discussion now feel that they are atheists and found these books refreshing. The main reason these friends no longer feel that they can be Christians is because for them faith is just not rational. They liken faith in God to believing in Santa Claus. They need proof and have not found any that would convince them to continue to believe in a divine being. The arguments around this point went on and on ad nauseum - faith isn't faith if there is proof, some argued, including me. But why would one believe in something that cannot be proven? The atheists countered. This was a point on which we never came to any agreement. But a close second for several folks in why they could no longer be Christian (or religious of any sort, for that matter) was all the violence that has been perpetrated in this world by Christians as well as people of other faiths. There are many examples of violence committed in the name of God - such as the Crusades and the Conquests in the New World. Or, for more modern examples, what we just marked this past week - the September 11th attacks in New York City, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C. and the War on Terror that followed on the heels of those attacks. These friends are no longer able to believe in God because they cannot reconcile all of this violence done in God's name with a God who is all good and all powerful as Christianity claims. And they are quick to point out that the propensity for religious violence has a base in the violence that is recorded in Christianity's sacred writings - the bible. Many others have noticed this difficulty before my friends. And there are various responses to it. One way we deal with difficult topics is to use humor. And, in my opinion, few do it better than Monte Python. As I was thinking about this sermon, I remembered one of my favorite scenes from "The Holy Grail." (Although, really, how is one to choose only one favorite scene from that movie?) This is a movie that is poking fun at the crusades and all the violence that they inflicted on innocent people. Let's watch a bit from it: [Holy Hand Grenade scene] Now, we don't have a Book of Armaments in our Bible, but we do have many violent scenes that cannot be ignored or dismissed. Q: Are there violent scenes in the bible that have struck and stuck with you? Passages that you have had to come to some understanding about because of the violence contained in them? I think scenes from the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament come to mind quicker that from the New Testament, but violence is present in the New Testament as well. Anyone willing to share their thoughts? [get responses from people] - Noah and the ark - The Promised Land conquests - Jesus saying: Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. (Matthew 10:34) - Jesus also saying: For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law (Matthew 10:35) I believe the segment of the Exodus story that we read this morning is representative of many of the violent passages that we read in the bible. Let's look at that a little closer. When the story of the crossing of the Red Sea is read, the focus is usually on the Israelites and the fact that God saved them. After all, this is their story. And when we read it with that focus, we put ourselves in the place of the Israelites. We identify with them and claim God's saving acts for ourselves. From this view, the violent act of drowning the Egyptian army is a good thing. The army was chasing after the Israelites to either kill them or bring them back into slavery. The army was after them to do violence to them. So they kind of got a taste of their own medicine, one could say. The point of the story is to show how God works in mighty ways to save God's chosen people from sure destruction. When the Israelite people left on this journey following the Passover, they weren't so sure of this point. Now they know that it is true. After witnessing the waters parting for them but closing on the Egyptians, they believe in God and God's saving powers. Well, for the time being anyways. Once they get into the desert a ways, they won't be so sure any more. But for right now, they have seen God's miraculous acts and they believe. We, who believe in this same God, pass on this story and the others in the bible as examples of what God has done in the past as reassurance that God will act in the future in both small and mighty was to protect and provide for those who believe in God. But, the pacifist in me (and in many people) wishes that the all-powerful God would have found another way to turn the Egyptians back. Wasn't there a way to make the Egyptians have a change of heart so that they just wouldn't have cared about this small band of rag-tag people any more and would have let them go in peace? Those of us who wish for such a scenario aren't so off-base. We are shored up in our understanding of God as the God of peace just as much by bible passages as the understanding that God is a God of war and violence in the passages we just discussed. Our passage from Matthew this morning is one such passage that shows that the all-powerful God we worship is also merciful and generous in forgiveness. Peter asks Jesus how many times one should forgive another and offers what he thinks is a more than generous number of times: seven times. I mean, think about it. If someone does something not so nice to us, acknowledges it, and asks for forgiveness, we would probably be able to forgive that person. If it happened a second time, we would probably pause for a while before forgiving that same act. But, forgiving someone for doing the same thing seven different times? That just seems like folly. Obviously the person has been insincere in asking for forgiveness because his or her actions have not changed. Why should we continue to take that person at his or her word and forgive him or her? Peter's suggestion of forgiving someone up to seven times was more than generous. But Jesus pushes back. Not only should we forgive someone seven times, we should forgive them seventy-seven times! That's just crazy talk. I believe I would have walked away from that person long before I would have the opportunity to forgive him or her seventy-seven times. I just don't think I would be able to put up with someone treating me in such a dismissive and demeaning way. But that is only a glimpse of what God does. This is the point that Jesus is trying to make to Peter and to us. We continually do things that sadden and offend God, but God continually forgives us and welcomes us into a loving relationship with God. God is patient beyond all human understanding and truly wants to be reconciled to all of creation. This seems like such a different picture of God than what we see in the Exodus passage. Can you think of other passages in the bible whose message is one of forgiveness or peace? [get responses from people] - Isaiah 2:4 - He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nations, nor will they train for war anymore. - Micah 4:4 - Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the LORD almighty has spoken. - Luke 6:29 - If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Now just a side note about the lectionary (which we've been using for the past several months). Many times readings will carve out the violent parts and only focus on the more palatable verses. This especially happens with reading from the book of Psalms. Many of the psalms have comforting words or great declarations of faith that are followed by or interspersed with prayers for enemies to be destroyed. Often very violent images are used in these passages. In many such cases, the people who put together the lectionary selections chose to list only the verses that had the positive tone - of comfort or declaring one's faith. It almost strikes me as comical because it seems to only want to take the easy or positive parts of the passages without dealing with the difficult, dark, or violent parts. Okay, so where does that leave us? We have the reality that our sacred Scriptures include a lot of violence and show God to be angry and inflicting violence on creation. But we also have many messages of peace and forgiveness and images of God as patient, loving, and forgiving. How do these two extremes fit together for you in your understanding of God? And what does it mean for us humans who are said to be created in God's image? [get responses from people] I am left with the understanding that sometimes violence is necessary for self-protection and self-preservation. This is understanding undergirds the principles of the Just War Theory. We live in a broken world. And as such, sin and corruption bring violence into our lives. We have the right to defend ourselves from that violence. But violence should never be our first response. The violence in the Exodus story came only after many other efforts by Moses to get the Israelite people out of Egypt peacefully. It was a last resort by a people who had been freed to go and then were pursued by their former captors. At a worship service n campus this last week I heard a poem by Martin Luther King, Jr. that really moved me and I want to share it with you. It is from his collection called "Strength To Love" written in 1963. It goes like this: Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiples hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction. The chain reaction of evil - hate begetting hate, wars begetting wars - must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation. We worship a God of abundant mercy and grace. A God who forgives and forgives and forgives beyond all human understanding. That should be our starting point for what it means to be created in God's image. We need to live in an attitude of mercy and grace - always at the ready to forgive as we have been forgiven. And when we do this, we show glimpses of what will be the reality when Jesus comes again to bring the new heaven and the new earth. Violence will no longer exist. Only peace. So let us live in this current tension all the while praying, "Come, Lord Jesus. Come." Amen. Let us pray. Loving and merciful God, your ways are not our ways. And yet, we want to follow you. We are not always clear about what that means for our lives. Help us to be open to your leading in our lives. And help us to be people of peace who are ready to forgive as we have been forgiven. We pray all of this in the name of Jesus Christ, your Son. Amen.]]> tag:www.leslieveen.com,2008:/sermons//3.423 2008-07-14T00:53:28Z 2008-07-14T00:57:50Z

Texts: Genesis 25:19-34 Romans 8:1-11 Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 Intro: As you probably know, for the last month or so the preaching staff has been drawing Scripture texts from the Revised Common Lectionary. This is a schedule of texts to be...

Leslie God you have called us here this morning and we have come. Help us to open ourselves to the moving of your Spirit in and among us this day. Be in the words of my mouth and in the meditations of all of our hearts as we seek to discern your will for our lives. In Jesus Christ we pray. Amen. I don’t know what impression you are left with, but when I first read these texts I thought, “One of these is not like the others.” Two of them had a connection that made sense to me, but with the other it was harder to see why it was chosen. Let’s start with the two that seem to have a very similar theme (at least by my reading). They are the two New Testament readings. They talk about two ways of living and different types of soil. Both of these texts examine the ways in which people respond to the good news of God’s kingdom. The good news that God’s love is steadfast and is shown in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which has the power to bring salvation to all. As Paul sees it, there are only two responses that his audience – Jewish Christians living in Rome – can have when they hear this good news. Either they reject it and continue living under the law as it was handed down to them from the beginning of the Jewish people or they see that God is offering a new way to be in relationship through believing in Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Spirit. Paul describes these two responses as “living according to the sinful nature” or “living in accordance with the Spirit.” Now it may seem rather harsh for Paul to call those who continued living by the Jewish laws “sinners.” They are, after all, just trying to stay faithful to the covenant that God had made with their ancestors. But Paul wants to help them understand that they are actually being exclusionary toward Gentiles (anyone not born Jewish) by continuing to demand that all who want to worship God must do so by observing the Jewish laws. Paul understood the Gospel to be for all people – not just the Jewish people – and he wanted to help others understand the new thing that God had done through Jesus Christ. Paul believed that if Jewish Christians continued to demand that all believers must be circumcised and were subject to the laws governing food and social cleanliness then they were sinning because they were, in effect, keeping people from the Gospel – keeping them from experiencing God’s love. So, according to Paul, we have two ways of reacting to hearing the Gospel: we either hear it and do nothing about it – continuing to live as we have been living all along – or we hear it and we accept it into our lives along with the Spirit who gives life and peace. Pretty straight forward – either we accept the Gospel or we don’t. Case closed. But Jesus’ exploration of how people react to hearing the Gospel is more nuanced. There seems to be some reactions that fall between these two extremes. Jesus tells a crowd of people a parable about seeds falling on different types of soil. Later he explains the parable to his disciples. He says that the seeds represent “the message about the kingdom” (the Gospel) and the types of soil represent the ways in which people receive this message. Jesus lists four types of soil highlighting four ways that people have reacted to his sharing the good news of God’s kingdom. They are: 1) a hardened path representing complete rejection of the message 2) rocky places representing immediate reception but quickly losing interest in the message 3) among thorns representing those who receive the message but it gets drowned out by other concerns, and 4) good soil representing those who hear the message and really take it to heart. Jesus was hoping that the crowd listening to him would hear his words and think about the condition of their own hearts. How were they receiving the message of the kingdom that he was trying to share with them? Were their hearts like the hard ground that did not receive the seeds but left them out in the open for the birds to come and snatch away? Were they like the ground that had been worked and prepared so that when the seed fell it was welcomed in and grew to plants that bore fruit? Or were they somewhere in between? These questions were not only intended for those in the crowds who gathered around Jesus. They were intended, maybe even especially intended, for his closest followers – the disciples. He wanted them to really get the meaning of the parable. That’s why he gave the explanation only to them. The crowd got the parable and were left to think on what they heard. But later, when he was alone with his disciples, Jesus explained exactly what point he was trying to make by sharing that parable. He had been working closely with this group of people for a while and he had seen first-hand the reception that his message was receiving. He knew the state of each of their hearts, but he wanted them to be aware of their own condition as well. Each person needed to identify for themselves what type of soil represented the state of their own hearts. Now, I’m curious to know your impressions of this passage. How does the metaphor of different types of ground resonate with you when thinking about how the message of God’s love is received in the world? Do you think people progress through these different types of soils – going from hardened hearts to completely open hearts? Or do we start as hard ground and then move directly to being the ground that bears fruit? If and when we become that last type of ground do we stay there or do we bounce back and forth between different types of soil? Do you see yourself in this spectrum? Do you care to share where you feel you are? Okay. That’s a whole bunch of questions, but jump in wherever. What struck you about this passage and what it says about how we receive the message of God’s kingdom? [Get comments from people.] For me, personally, I would have to say that I have been all of those types of soil in regards to receiving God and God’s Word for me – all within the last year. Sometimes I am open and ready to hear God speaking to me and helping me to discern where I should be headed with my life. But other times, if I’m honest, I would have to admit that I am pretty sure where I should be going and so I am more like the hard ground where God’s words just bounced off of me. And, I’ve been everywhere in between. We are on a journey with God – one that often resembles a line dance where you take one step forward, then two back, do a spin and end up somewhere completely different than where you began. It would be easier if our journey progressed in a straight line – from not receiving God’s message to us straight to always receiving it. But, like we talked about last week, sin gets in the way of that. We lose our focus on God and in the process our ears go tone deaf to God’s call and our hearts become more like the hard ground on which the seeds bounce and lie out in the open for the birds to pick up. What are ways that help you to be open to hearing God speak? Ways to be open to the movement of God’s Spirit in your life? Ways to more closely follow the example that Jesus gives us for how to live? Do you have special disciplines you follow that help you to feel closer to God – more open to hearing how God wants you to live your life? [Get comments from people.] So these are the texts that seem to work together from our lectionary selections for this morning. Both encourage us to examine our hearts to see how we are receiving God’s message. Both show us that opening our hearts to be receptive to that message brings about good things – life and peace given by the Spirit and fruitful lives. I get why the committee chose to put these readings together. But then there’s the passage from Genesis – the story of Jacob and Esau. From this story we learn that Isaac and Rebekah were having a hard time having children. And then, the Lord blessed them with twins. I’m not sure how much of a blessing that is… as I’ve heard from friends who have twins, having twins is not just two times the amount of work, it’s like have a child squared (child to the 2nd degree!) – it’s a whole order of magnitude different to have two (or more) children at once. And then look at how these twins are described – they definitely didn’t make life easy for their parents! They fought in Rebekah’s womb. They fought on their way out. They fought as they grew up. Oy! They were as different as different can be. And, as children will do, they cozied up to a sympathetic parent to find an ally. What did you notice about how these twins were describe? Did one seem to be portrayed in a more favorable light than the other? Did the passage seem like it was kind of judging one or the other of Jacob and Esau? [Get comments from people.] To my reading, Esau seems to be shown here in a more negative light because he is willing to give up his birthright so quickly. Being the eldest son was (and is still in many cultures) a very big deal and carries a lot of responsibility with it. But Esau handed it right over to Jacob for a bowl of stew. He was impulsive and irresponsible, we might say, and not living up to the standard that had been set for him. How does this idea go along with our theme of being open to God’s message from the New Testament passages? [Get comments from people.] I believe it is put together with these passages from the New Testament to remind us that God is able to work in and through people and situations even when it seems like they are at odds with what God is trying to do. This passage offers us a very important reminder that a life of faith is really about what God is doing, not what we are doing. If we were only to consider the texts from Romans and Matthew, we might be tempted to focus only on our spiritual disciplines and what we are doing to open ourselves to hearing God’s message for our lives. But the story of Jacob and Esau comes along and reminds us that God works as God will – whether we are on board or not. Now, this doesn’t let us off the hook – allowing us to act however we want because God will work regardless of our actions. God does call us to be partners in this journey. We enter into covenant with God when we accept the message of salvation that God offers us. Covenants are two-sided. Both parties have to hold up their end for the covenant to have any merit. But I find it comforting to know that God will continue to work in and through us even when we aren’t completely in tune with what God’s will for our lives is. And now, we’re back to last weeks discussion of sin and grace (or forgiveness). When we lose our focus on God and close our ears and hearts to God’s message, we sin. But God, in God’s amazing love continues to call to us, encouraging us to get back into the covenant with God, to make things right. That is grace. That is forgiveness. So what type of soil are you right now? God wants us all to be good soil, ready to welcome the seed of God’s message of love so that our lives can bear fruit that will share that love with a hurting world. But take comfort, even if we aren’t exactly there, God can still use us to do good in this world. Thanks be to God! Amen. Let us pray. God of amazing love, thank you for calling us into covenant with you. Thank you for working in and through us, even when we are out of step with you. Help us to be open to hearing your will for our lives. Help us to live as Christ taught us to live. Fill us with your Spirit and give us peace. Amen.]]> tag:www.leslieveen.com,2008:/sermons//3.401 2008-04-08T02:50:15Z 2008-04-08T02:50:44Z

1 Peter 1:17-23 Luke 24:13-35 Have you ever tried to do something new? Something difficult? Something that you had a feeling you wouldn't be able to do if you didn't have the help of others to keep you going? I...

Leslie 1 Peter 1:17-23 Luke 24:13-35 Have you ever tried to do something new? Something difficult? Something that you had a feeling you wouldn't be able to do if you didn't have the help of others to keep you going? I think we probably can all think of times when we've found ourselves facing a situation and wished we had others around us to help us reach our goal. It's this kind of situation that has led to the development of some pretty amazing groups. I come across one such group every time I run in Golden Gate park on a Saturday morning. Maybe you've encountered this group as well. It's actually many small groups that make up a larger whole. Every Saturday morning in the park groups of people gather to run or walk together as they prepare to complete a race. And throughout their training process, they raise money for leukemia and lymphoma research. This is the Team-in-Training organization and they are a highly dedicated bunch of people. Not only do they have the folks who are doing the running and walking. But they also have people who provide water and snacks at various points along the training routes as well as during the race. And then they have the cheer leaders. I have run several races with large numbers of Team-in-Training racers. All along the race route there are people cheering specifically for those people wearing the Team-in-Training uniform. Some yell creative chants, but many yell the standard "Go Team!" To which the runner or runners respond with a "Whoop!" or something like that. It's quite a thing to behold. Especially for an individual runner, like myself, with no spectators there to cheer her on. People are drawn to this organization most definitely for the work they do to support important research. But people are also drawn to this group because it is very effective at helping people to train and run a race at a specific pace. There are group leaders who watch the clock and make sure that they are making the right kind of progress to get to the finish line by a specific time. This helps those running with them to learn what it feels like to run a certain pace without having to try to figure it out on their own. In addition to the Saturday morning training runs, there are also educational pieces to the Team-in-Training program. Education about nutrition - for both during the run as well as before and after. And education about lifestyle choices that affect how well one is able to perform physically. Being in shape to run a race requires a lot of things that those who join Team-in-Training may not have thought about before. But, maybe most importantly, Team-in-Training provides the experience of being a part of a group that keeps the pressure on the runners and walkers to continue what they have started. It provides motivation when the individual might otherwise find none. It gets people out the door to run or walk when they would rather just sit on the couch and rest a while longer. It gets them to grab the apple instead of the gooey donut. Being a part of a group helps the individual learn and make the changes necessary to train and complete a race - changes that the individual might not be able to make on his or her own. The encouragement, the accountability, and the support of others who are going through a similar situation are major draws to lots of different programs that operate on similar principles. Programs like Weight Watchers or Alcoholics Anonymous, and to a lesser extent groups like book clubs and knitting circles. I bet we could name lots more. Groups are important to help us when we are trying to do something that is unfamiliar to us, or which requires us to learn new patterns, or even to develop a consistent pattern of practice that we may already be familiar with. Often our will power to continue wanes unless we have others around us to help keep us focused on the goal and to remind us why we began this whole adventure to begin with. The people being addressed in the epistle of 1 Peter were in a similar situation. They were Gentile converts to this new religion that we now call Christianity. They had heard the Good News about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who laid down his life to redeem creation. They accepted this gospel as truth and they decided to join in the way of being Christ-followers. This couldn't have been an easy decision for them to make. It required them to turn their back on their entire culture, which was based on pagan rituals and observances. Making this decision often estranged them from friends, neighbors, and even their own family members. We can be sure that many people, who at first thought about becoming Christ-followers, were eventually persuaded not to be. Maybe they were talked out of it by family members or friends. Or maybe they simply realized the enormous amount of change that would be required for them to actually leave behind all that was familiar. But there were some who did choose to believe in God, who was revealed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And they were eager to learn more about this God and what being Christ-followers would mean for their lives. It is to these people that the letter of 1 Peter is addressed. The letter is meant to give these people confidence in their decision. The author wants to help them to begin to understand what they must do to live lives that will be pleasing to God. And it all starts with finding a new family - one that will uphold them in their new way of life; one that is based in faith and hope in God; one that will love them constantly and deeply from the heart. Our passage for this morning recaps the basics of the faith that these Gentiles have newly come to. These are: - that they have been redeemed, not by perishable things like silver or gold, but by the precious blood of Christ; - that they know this because of Christ, whom God raised from the dead and gave glory - and that this knowledge gives believers faith and hope that God will do the same for them The whole passage begins with a reminder that God's good gifts should evoke in the receiver a corresponding responsibility to do good works. The lives of the believers should show that they have been redeemed and have hope and faith in God who offers them eternal life. But there is a large gap between knowing something intellectually and internalizing that knowledge so that it changes the way a person thinks and acts. The two disciples who were walking on the road to Emmaus are perfect examples of this point. As disciples of Jesus, they would have spent a fair amount of time with him. They would have seen the miracles that he performed. They would have heard the predictions that he made about what would happen to him. And at some level, we would think, these disciples must have had a head-knowledge about who Jesus was and what would happen in Jerusalem during that fateful Passover season. But we can see from their descriptions to this "stranger" that came up alongside them that they had never really internalized what Jesus had taught them. These two, like all the other disciples who are not walking with them, are saddened by the events that occurred. They believe that Jesus' death proves that he wasn't the Messiah as they had hoped before all of this happened. They even say as much when they state, "But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place." Jesus had died and the faith and hope of his disciples seemed to have died along with him. Now the disciples are wandering, confused and alone, wondering where to turn next. The group that had given them encouragement and support in the past was now reduced to fearful individuals who locked themselves behind closed doors so that no one would come after them to offer them the same fate. So this "stranger," who is really the risen Christ, tries one more time to help the disciples move from head knowledge to heart knowledge. As the text says, "beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures." Jesus opens the sacred Word to the disciples hoping that in this hearing they will be able to internalize the message that he really is the Messiah and that they should have hope. The disciples hear him but it is not enough for them to simply hear words. They need more. They are not completely aware of their need but, when they come to a point of departure, something urges them to invite the stranger to stay with them instead of going on alone. And it is here that Jesus is able to help the disciples make the connection between their heads and their hearts. This important connection comes when Jesus, as he has done several times before, takes bread, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it to them. This act of providing nourishment opens their eyes - and ultimately opens their minds. It allows them to see that this one who is with them is really Jesus who had been crucified. Finally, these disciples are able to have true, deep faith in God, who has raised Jesus from the dead. Finally, all that Jesus had previously taught them makes sense and they realize that all hope is not lost. It took both hearing the Word opened to them and receiving the bread to make the connection. The early church understood these two actions as vital to forming them as a community of believers in God, who raised Jesus from the dead. Hearing the Word preached and receiving the Eucharist, or Communion, was central to their communities. Through these acts, believers were able to learn about who God is and how God wants God's followers to live, as well as to receive the encouragement and support they needed to live this new life. And so, they gathered together regularly to hear the Word and participate in Communion so that they might encourage one another in their new faith. Now, I dare say, that our situation looks quite a bit different from that of the believers in the early church and the people to whom 1 Peter was written. Their decision to trust in God and be Christ-followers was met with hostility by those who continued to value the pagan beliefs and practices which dominated the culture. We live in a culture that openly values the Christian faith. A culture that has fought to keep "In God We Trust" on our money as well as the Ten Commandments in our court houses. We are not asked to daily justify our decision to trust in God who made God's self known through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As the on-going electoral process has shown, we are seeking a person to lead our nation who fully embraces that way of life. We have asked those who vary from it, such as Mitt Romney, to explain themselves and their faith. Many would argue that we live in a Christian nation - the exact opposite of the milieu in which the early Christians lived. I'm not so sure that our situation is that different. The belief that we live in a Christian nation has accustomed us to thinking that our lives don't have to be different than those of the society at large. Since a majority of Americans identify themselves as Christians, it seems reasonable that our lives are going to look similar. But I would argue that our nation is not a Christian nation. It is a capitalist nation. As is becoming clearer every day, it is the almighty dollar that motivates every decision that gets made. We are always worrying about the bottom line and profits - not about the people around us and if they have what they need to survive. Our society pushes us to always want more instead of acknowledging that we have enough so that we can share with those who have too little. The message that God has redeemed us, not with silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ calls us to break out of the mold that our society pushes us into. God wants us to break away from the selfishness and self-centeredness that focusing on the bottom line can bring. Being Christ-followers means that we do not lay up for ourselves treasures here on earth were moth and rust corrupt. Instead, our focus should be on God's coming kindom, which overflows with God's good gifts. To break from the ways of one's society is a difficult thing to do. To learn a different way takes support, encouragement, and accountability to others. If we're really going to learn what it means to be Christ-followers, we need our own Team-in-Training. And that is what God calls the Church to be - that is what the early church was. The Church is to be a place where, in the preaching of the Word and the breaking of the bread, believers will be supported, encouraged, and held accountable for their lives. It is to be a place where, in the context of a loving community, people will be allowed to experience the head-heart connection that is necessary for fully understanding who God is and who God wants us to be. God has called us here to this particular church to hear God's Word. And God has called us here to be fed at this, God's table. Let us open ourselves to receive God's good gifts. Amen. tag:www.leslieveen.com,2008:/sermons//3.397 2008-03-22T01:43:22Z 2008-03-22T01:44:49Z

Luke 23:44-46 How would you react if you learned that you were going to die soon? Once the initial shock wore off, what feelings would you be left with? Denial? Anger? Helplessness? Maybe even hopelessness? Can you imagine yourself being...

Leslie Luke 23:44-46 How would you react if you learned that you were going to die soon? Once the initial shock wore off, what feelings would you be left with? Denial? Anger? Helplessness? Maybe even hopelessness? Can you imagine yourself being calm about it? Throughout my years in ministry I have met with many people who are facing the very real fact that they are in their last days of life. And as you can probably imagine, they each faced it in different ways. Two women stand out for me in how opposite they were in their reactions to facing their own death. I met one of these women while I was a chaplain intern at UCSF's Mt Zion Cancer Clinic. She was in her late 50s and had recently learned that she had a very rapid-moving cancer. She had gone through surgeries, chemotherapy sessions, and radiation only to have it still in her body. She was back for more of the same and was as angry as angry can be. As I sat with her she told me how unfair she found this whole turn of events. She had saved and planned her whole life for her retirement. She had hoped to travel to many wonderful places and do many wonderful things. But she was diagnosed with this cancer shortly after her retirement. Fighting cancer had become her retirement activity. And as she began to see the cancer gaining the upper hand, she came to realize that she would never be able to take any of those trips or do any of the fun activities that she had so looked forward to. This left her bitter and angry. Especially angry at God for allowing such an injustice to occur. I met the other woman while I was a Spanish teacher in an Elementary and Middle school. She was the mother of two of my students, whom I taught for several years. When I first met her she had recently had surgery for brain cancer - a cancer which had metasticized from an earlier bout with breast cancer. Following surgery, this mother was given a clean bill of health. But within a few years the cancer was back and this time there was no stopping it. I'm sure this was the most devastating news this mother could have received, but she did not show it. Instead, she began putting her life in order, as we say. She did what she could to make sure that her husband and kids would be ready for life after her death. She faced her death with grace and a sense of peace. Her process of preparing herself as well as those around her for her death allowed everyone to celebrate her life with her even as they mourned the untimeliness of its ending. She saw the end of her life approaching and she was at peace - a completely different place than the woman at the cancer clinic. The Gospel writers present Jesus as facing his own death in similarly contrasting ways. As we heard earlier, the writer of the Gospel of Mark shows Jesus reacting angrily and crying out to God, "Why have you forsaken me?" As he hangs dying, Jesus demands answers from God the Father for why this injustice needed to happen. But the writer of Luke shows Jesus facing his own death in a very different fashion. Instead of being angry, Jesus was at peace with what was going to happen. He had tried to educate his followers and help them to prepare for life following his death. And as he nears the end of his life, he is ready to surrender it all into the hands of God, whom he calls Father. How could Jesus be this calm? What allowed him to let go of the need to have control of his own life? What was the source of this peace that so clearly supported him in the final minutes of his life? Jesus' final words help us to answer these questions. Just before he drew his last breath, Jesus offered a final prayer to God saying, "Father into your hands I commend my spirit." And with these words Jesus finished a conversation that had started in earnest the night before in the garden. In the garden Jesus had prayed to God asking that this cup be taken from him. Jesus was hoping that there would be another way - one in which he would not have to die in order for God's salvation to be realized for creation. But Jesus' prayer didn't stop with that request. Rather, he went on to add the prayer that God's will be done, not his own. Jesus was able to offer such a prayer because he knew that God is the God of steadfast and unfailing love. And as Jesus faced his final moments, he did what so many of us do in times of crisis, he remembered words of Scripture - words that offer a balm for the wounded, fearful heart. His final prayer from the cross was drawn from Psalm 31. This is a psalm that is filled with affirmations of trust in God. This is a psalm that encourages all who hear it to trust God's unfailing goodness. Listen to the verses surrounding and including the words Jesus offered to God before he died. They say: You are indeed my rock and my fortress; for your name's sake lead me and guide me, take me out of the net that is hidden for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God. You hate those who pay regard to worthless idols, but I trust in the Lord. I will exult and rejoice in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have taken heed of my adversities, and have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; you have set my feet in a broad place. Jesus knew these words to be true of God. He knew that he could trust God to safeguard him even in the face of death. Knowing that God's love is steadfast, Jesus was able to pray, "Your will, not mine." Knowing that God is faithful, Jesus was able to let go of his life and entrust it to the hands of God. Knowing that God, the loving parent, was indeed his rock and his fortress, Jesus was able to face these final moments with a feeling of deep peace. I believe it is important to hold both pictures of Jesus facing his own death - that from the Gospel of Mark where Jesus is angry at the injustice and abandonment he feels and that from the Gospel of Luke where Jesus trusts God implicitly and therefore feels deep peace. Both of these are valid reactions to facing suffering of any sort, and especially when facing the end of one's life. But we end with Luke's description of Jesus' final words in order to remind ourselves that, as the Hebrew people affirmed throughout their Scriptures, we worship the God of steadfast, unfailing love. Our God is with us as we face suffering and death. Our God is our rock, our fortress, our refuge. Our God wants us to pray as Jesus prayed because only when we open ourselves in these ways will we be able to receive the deep, abiding peace that our God offers us. Let us join our voices with Jesus and say, "Not our will God, but yours" and "into your hands we commend our spirits" trusting that God will truly be our rock, our fortress, and our refuge. Amen. tag:www.leslieveen.com,2008:/sermons//3.395 2008-03-17T00:27:29Z 2008-03-17T00:33:49Z

Matthew 16:13-20 Philippians 2:5-11 Today is the sixth Sunday of Lent. But I'm guessing we probably all know it better as Palm Sunday. When you hear that title for this day, what do you picture? Do you have images of...

Leslie The Life of Brian, explains this idea to the people who are mistakenly following him convinced that he is the messiah. [watch clip - 1:05:23 to 1:07:54] Now, independent thinking is not bad in and of itself. The Presbyterian Book of Order - part of the Constitution that binds our community of faith together begins with the historical statement that affirms the value of independent thinking. It says: "God alone is Lord of the conscience, and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in anything contrary to his Word, or beside it, in matters of faith and worship." This statement, which was part of the very first constitution of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A., lifts up the Presbyterian belief that each individual has a personal relationship with God. And this relationship is what should guide each person's life. Independent thinking, guided by one's relationship with God, is crucial to who we are as a community of faith. But independent thinking can become corrosive when it pushes one to elevate oneself above others. This type of independence breaks down community and is contrary to the very nature of God. That is what Paul wanted the Philippians to know. And that is what his letter continues to teach us today. It is human nature to want to put our concerns ahead of those of another. Being a servant to others doesn't always come naturally to us. We'd much rather be served than serve. But God shows us through Jesus' life, death, and resurrection that there is another way - the way of humility. To some, maybe even many, it seems absurd to worship a God who willingly humbled God's self. But to Christians this is the key to our faith. Our God loves all of creation so greatly that our God willingly gave up the divine to become part of the creation. This is truly unexpected. Our God acts again and again in unexpected ways - meeting needs, providing support, reaching out to those who all else ignore. And our God calls us to do likewise. During this final week of Lent, Holy Week, I invite you to think about the unexpectedness of the events that happened in Jesus' life. What does it mean for you to be a follower of one who was willing to humble himself even unto death on a cross? How can you act in large or small ways this week to humble yourself for the building up of God's beloved kingdom? Amen.]]> tag:www.leslieveen.com,2008:/sermons//3.391 2008-03-02T05:27:26Z 2008-03-02T05:29:03Z

Genesis 47:13-26 When times are tough, whom do you turn to? Who do you trust? Times were definitely tough in the lands of Egypt and Canaan. There had been many years of deep famine. In fact, it was this deep,...

Leslie Genesis 47:13-26 When times are tough, whom do you turn to? Who do you trust? Times were definitely tough in the lands of Egypt and Canaan. There had been many years of deep famine. In fact, it was this deep, long-lasting famine that motivated Joseph's brothers to come to Egypt in search of help. In the story just before our passage for this morning Joseph received Pharaoh's blessing to move his whole family to Egypt so that Joseph could provide for them in their time of great need. By the time our passage picks up, the famine had already lasted many years. It was causing profound crises for all the people in the region. You can be sure that many were asking themselves: "When times are tough, whom can I turn to? Who can I trust?" When things first began to look bad for the people in the region, they turned to themselves. They worked harder, trying to wring every last crop out of the earth. They tried every trick they could think of to get as much as they possibly could out of the earth. They carefully guarded the reserves of grain and seed that they had. They hoped against all hope that the severe conditions that they were facing would only last a short while. "Surely," they thought, "we will be able to weather this storm and come out stronger on the other side." Have you ever faced a difficult situation and decided like these people to face it on your own? Were you hopeful that precautions you had taken and resources that you had would be enough to get you through until the situation normalized once again? Maybe you thought, "Surely I am strong enough, resilient enough to make it through until things pick up again." When times are tough, whom do you turn to? Who do you trust? The people in Joseph's time thought that they could handle the situation by themselves. But then the years of bad conditions wore on. And people were forced to turn to family members to help them get by. They did this knowing that times were tough everywhere but they hoped to find at least a little help. But any help they found quickly ran out. And the same happened when they turned to their communities hoping to find just enough to get them through until things picked up again. But things did not pick up. Instead the famine continued to deepen. Family, friends, and the community could be of no help to one another - everyone's resources were depleted. Have you ever faced a crisis so deep that those around you, those closest to you, were unable to be of help to you? When those to whom you had turned in the past were able only to stand by and lift their hands in a shrug of helplessness? When times are tough, whom do you turn to? Who do you trust? When the people had reached the end of their resources as well as of those of their family, friends, and neighbors they had no other choice than to turn to the central government of Pharaoh. They knew that Pharaoh had large stores of grain in reserve. So they came with their money/silver, asking for assistance. And Joseph, Pharaoh's highly skilled administrator, took their money and gave them provisions. Finally, some relief! But, oh no! The silver began to run out and the famine was not letting up! Now what? Times were desperate, there was no where to turn. So the people returned and begged of Joseph to have mercy on them and not make them die of starvation. And Joseph, shrewd business man that he was, agreed to help the people but only for a price - all their livestock. The people agreed because, really, what use were these animals to them? The land couldn't be worked so animals weren't needed to help with that. And, on top of that, these animals required food themselves, food that the people did not have. So the people brought all of their livestock to Joseph and received provisions for another year. But still the famine did not let up. So the people returned one more time offering all that they had left - their dried up bodies (which were no more than walking carcasses at this point) and their dried up farmlands. Nothing seemed of value to the people any more since the famine had gone on for so long. They were willing to give even themselves as slaves to Pharaoh in exchange for receiving the food they needed to stay alive. Joseph, accepted this offer. But to remind the people that they were working for Pharaoh and not for themselves, he removed them from their own lands and moved them to new ones. Once he had relocated everyone, he gave them provisions and seeds to plant and instructed them to give 20% of everything they produced to Pharaoh in return for what they were being given. To this, the people replied, "You have kept us alive! May we find favor in the eyes of our lord, in being Pharaoh's slaves." Do you think they were really that happy about the situation? Do you think they were filled with joy at knowing that everything they had once owned now belonged to Pharaoh? I find it hard to believe that that would be the case. I'd go so far as to guess that there were more than a few left wondering if this life was really worth living. Had the bargain they agreed to really been worth it? They chose it because the alternative was death. And death is a very strong motivator. I'm hoping that none of us has ever faced a situation so dire as the one the people of Joseph's time faced. But I wonder what help we have received from the government or from other sources that have put ties on us. Americans are at an all-time high in the area of personal debt. Banks have made it easier and easier to take out loans allowing us to continue living in ways that may be unsustainable. Credit card offers come in the mail every day offering us the chance to get yet another source of credit that we can run up until it is maxed out. On the surface our situation looks much different from the one that the Egyptians and Canaanites were facing, but is it really? We are slaves to our lifestyles. We are slaves to living the American dream. When times are tough, whom do you turn to? Who do you trust? God says, "Trust me." When we put our trust in earthly powers, we come to a table that is set with lovely things. But that table comes with strings attached. God sets a table with no strings attached. God offers us bread and living water in abundance. God says, "Trust that what I offer is enough. Trust that what I offer will be more fulfilling that what the world offers." It's not easy. It's counter-cultural to say "No" to buying more stuff. When times were dark after September 11, 2001 our president told us to go out and shop! That's the American way. But is it God's way? When times are tough, whom do you turn to? Who do you trust? God says, "Trust me." God sets a table before us week in and week out. God invites us to come to this table to experience just a foretaste of what abundant goodness God wants to shower down on us. But we must turn from the ways of this world - ways that ultimately enslave us- and instead turn to God whose loving graciousness promises to set us free. Come to the table set by God and experience God's amazing, fulfilling, life-sustaining love. Come. Amen. tag:www.leslieveen.com,2007:/sermons//3.378 2007-12-17T01:14:40Z 2007-12-17T01:17:21Z

Scripture: Matthew 11:2-11 When you hear the word "missionary" what do you think? Do positive images spring to mind? How about about negative images? Is there a person or people whom you know that are missionaries? What do you know...

Leslie Scripture: Matthew 11:2-11 When you hear the word "missionary" what do you think? Do positive images spring to mind? How about about negative images? Is there a person or people whom you know that are missionaries? What do you know about the work they do? Think about those questions for a bit while we watch a clip of one understanding of missionaries and the work they do. This clip is taken from the Simpsons episode called "Missionary:Impossible." Leading up to the scene we are about to watch, Homer is being chased by an angry mob and he runs into the church yelling, "Sanctuary! Sanctuary!" Rev. Lovejoy takes pity on him and helps him escape by hiding him in a bag of children's letters to God. After sneaking him past the mob, Rev. Lovejoy puts Homer on a plane that is taking supplies to missionaries working in "Microasia." Let's watch what happens when the plane lands. [clip - 8:20-10:49] What does that clip tell us about popular understandings of missionary work? [get feedback from congregation] - can't wait to get out of there - squelching any beliefs natives might hold - re-teaching them what they really should believe - digging wells - building a chapel Do those understandings overlap with your own? Do they differ? How would you describe the work of missionaries? What is your reaction to that word? [get feedback from congregation] When I was a kid, the church I attended sponsored a woman who worked as a missionary in Bangladesh. She came back to the U.S. every couple of years to do fund-raising and educational events. At these events she would share with us about the work that she was doing with the people in that country. I really liked this woman. She was very friendly and she told very interesting stories. My family had a card with her picture on it and a short description of her mission field that we kept on our refrigerator so that we could pray for her. I received nothing but positive images of the work of missionaries from my interactions with this strong woman of faith. As I grew older, I read about the history of how Europeans came to the Americas. In my studies I learned about the good things that the missionaries did but I also learned about the many bad things that they had done as well - killing off many of the natives, taking the resources from the land and claiming them as their own, requiring the natives to deny their cultural heritage, and much more. By the time I finished earning my Spanish degree in college, most of the positive images of missionaries I had received as a child had been replaced by negative ones. The negative practice of making people give up any beliefs about the Divine so that the missionaries could teach them the correct way to understand God seemed to overwhelmed the good work that these people did. Obviously, there have been many negative acts done in the name of our God. And these acts need to be acknowledge and offered up to God so that we do not do them again. But is it right to discount the good things done by missionaries - things like helping villages dig wells, building schools, teaching local children so that they can get ahead, helping people understand that they have the right to have their basic needs met? Historically, have these good acts been undermined by the harmful acts of telling people that their own understandings of the Divine are incorrect? For some people, the obvious answer is "Yes." But these are questions I continue to struggle with today. I continue to struggle because of texts like our passage from Matthew for today. This passage highlights the good, miraculous acts that Jesus did for the people who came to him. But it also highlights the prophetic voice of John the Baptist who Jesus identifies as the messenger sent to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. John the Baptist preached repentance and baptism. He had a strong opinion about what faith in God should consist of and he wasn't shy about sharing it with all who would listen. He was so opinionated, in fact, that he ended up in prison and eventually was beheaded for offending the queen. People were drawn to John's message. So much so that they were willing to follow him out into the wilderness to hear what he had to say. Those who chose to be his followers accepted his message that their ways were not God's ways and that they needed to repent and live as changed people. John was a prophetic missionary - bringing to the people the message of God's love that disciplines the wayward. John and his followers believed that God would send God's anointed one to lead the Jewish people back into favor with God. The prophets from the times of their ancestors had preached this same message. John and his followers suspected that Jesus was this one but they weren't completely sure so they went to Jesus to inquire of him directly. Our text tells us that John sent his followers to Jesus to ask him if he was in fact "the one who was to come." They felt they needed to ask Jesus this question because he wasn't acting in the way that they expected. When Jesus heard their question he answered, "Duh." Okay, he didn't really say that. Instead, he lifted up his own actions as proof: he had given sight to the blind, made the lame walk, cured those with leprosy, made the deaf hear, and proclaimed the good news to the poor. Shouldn't those actions have convinced John and his followers that Jesus was the long-expected Messiah? Well, not exactly. The message of repentance that John preached led him and his followers to believe that the anointed one of God would be a strong military type who would re-establish the earthly kingdom that King David and his line of descendants had ruled over for more than 500 years. And this group of people was not alone in thinking that the Messiah would be such a type. There were many prophets in and around Jerusalem at that time predicting that such a one would come and save them from the tyranny of Roman rule. Can we really blame these folks for being a little confused when instead of coming with a band of fighting men to wrest control of the land from the Romans Jesus came and healed people and shared with them the good news? I'm guessing that Jesus' actions were more like an anticlimax for them than proof positive that he was indeed the Messiah. But that was precisely Jesus' point: God's love turns this world on its head. God's love takes the least of these and makes them great. God's love tells a different story. To those who had been told that they were worthless in society because they were blind or deaf or lame, Jesus said, "You are children of God. You have great worth. Be healed and know that you are a valuable member of this society" To those who had conditions that rendered them "unclean" in the eyes of the religious authorities, and therefore unable to interact with those deemed "clean," Jesus said, "You are children of God and God's love makes you clean. Go and regain your place among the living." To those who struggled to provide for even the very basic needs for themselves and their families, Jesus said, "You are children of God. God in God's love wants you to have life and have it abundantly. God wants to provide for your every need. Live without fear for tomorrow." But even as Jesus offered proof of God's love as shown in Jesus' own miraculous acts, he also affirmed the importance of what John had been doing and praised John's efforts of preparing the way for the Messiah. Indeed, he gave John very high praise when he said, "Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist...." John's strident calls for repentance had cleared the way for Jesus to come and have an effective ministry. His words had prepared the people to receive the healing that Jesus brought. The seemingly double message leads me back to my struggle with the idea of missionary work. What is the right way to prepare people's hearts so that Jesus can come and bring healing to those whom society has shunned? How are we to act to tell our broken world a different story - a story where God's love provides for all so that each person can experience the wholeness and safety that God's shalom alone can give? God wants us to be missionaries in our everyday lives. God wants us to work to meet people's needs so that they can hear the healing message that they are God's beloved children and God wants them to experience true peace. But are we also called to be opinionated about what faith in God means? I believe the answer is "Yes." God wants us to know that we are beloved children of God and that we are to share the good news of the gospel with all who will listen. God wants our faith to be strong and sure. But God does not call us to be arrogant in this endeavor. The key to this passage is the final line: "yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he [John the