Giving Your Life and Finding It: Mark 8:27-38

My home church and my hometown had a great impact.  This past week I drove to Madison, Kansas, to take my parents to the funeral of Stephen Gilman.  Stephen was the editor of the Madison News for many years and he has his wife Francis were great friends to my parents.  Stephen finessed with old printing presses for years and years when everyone else had given up.  When I got to my parents house I went up in the attic and went right to an old dresser.  There I found something I had placed there when I was 9 years old.  It is piece of lead with my name on it, made by Steve as it might go onto the press.  Every child in the fourth grade got one of these on a friend trip taken to the newspaper office. 

It was great to get out of school and to walk to that noisy place.  For years Steve was a sentinel for truth, attending all of the school board and city commission meetings and reporting in the newspaper what was done.  He always had a common sense approach.  I imagine his presence kept city and school boards on track, with everyone knowing that it would be in the paper.  Stephen died at 100 walking around days before and happy to go to heaven.  With Mr. Gilman in town had a feeling that things were going well. 

If you go a hundred miles northwest of Springfield, Illinois you will find a little town named Rushville.  The medical clinic has Russell Dohner, age 87, in active practice.  His nurse is 85 and his reception is 84.  After 60 years he is still making house calls.  He is stopping a bit.  He still charges his patients $5 for each visit.  He knows which ones cannot pay and he charges them nothing.  One woman recalls how he spent the night at their house at her sister’s crib as she suffered seizures.  What a commitment his made and what good he has done!

ONE LITTLE HYPHEN

Penny and I have not decided on where we will be buried, nor have we figured out what will be on our grave markers.  Ted Hopkins has shared with me, and Arlene did so before she died, that on their grave marker there are the words: STILL TRAVELING.  Somewhere on our marker will be the date I was born and the date of death and a little line in between.  At least that is the usual way. That little hyphen will represent the all the years and all the adventures.  What will that hyphen mean?  What will it mean as a disciple of Jesus Christ? 

HATRED AND FEAR TODAY

On the way to the funeral, I listened to radio reports of violence and the death of a diplomat.  The anniversary of 9/11 and the world financial crises would be enough.  And the world has fewer papers and more Youtube videos.  24 hours of video is loaded on their every minute.  But that crazy video, a message of hate, created a reaction all over the Middle East and added to our age of fear.  Many of us have loved ones in that part of the world and we keep them in prayer every day.  Milo Kelley and Scott Benge are ones that I keep in prayer.

In a scary world, the disciples felt empowered and thrilled being around Jesus.  This new life with him brought great joy and purpose.  These disciples were ordinary people doing extraordinary things with Jesus, because of the extraordinary love of God.  But as we see today a moment where when Jesus had to coach Peter.   In one way you cannot blame him.  He did not want Jesus to suffer.

Over and over Jesus must explain his mission, to serve and not be served.  Over and over he told of this kingdom what brought heaven to earth.  He had to explain things to the disciples who were hoping Jesus would go for power, status, and being served.  Jesus was interested in being first, but he wanted to be first in being with the least, the last, the lost.  He had to convince them not to limit God’s power.

The early church began in a period of great fears…if you were a Christian.  Jesus was under suspicion of Rome and religious leaders that as a Messiah he would lead a revolt similar to the ones we have seen on our Tv screens this week.  Rome was on edge in fear that Jesus, so popular, would encourage people to explode into violence and re-establish the Davidic kingdom.  They wanted Jesus to be that royal warrior king.  Many were ready to die following Jesus into battle. People wanted Jesus to start a war.  Jesus chose a very different way.

Some around Jesus enjoyed his entertainment valve: great stories like the one about the camel going through the eye of a needle. Some had no interest in following him….they were curious about what was going to happen next. 

The disciples saw in Jesus a new life with God.  They had given up much to follow Jesus.  Following Jesus they had already given up much. In the presence of Jesus amazing things happened to people.  They were freed from their fears, illnesses, and worries.  People were set free to live.

Peter, of any of the disciples, had the highs and lows.  To declare that JESUS IS THE MESSIAH was one of his finest moments.  But the kind of Messiah, Peter was so wrong.  You can feel the heart breaking in and through the words.  Jesus gave him a hard time for trying to limit the work of God. 

Jesus knew that human beings were not perfect.

“Humans are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experiences of other, and are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.”  Douglas Noel Adams

Peter let his fear block his opportunities to serve God’s purposes.  Peter was asking Jesus to take the easy road and avoid danger.  So much of life slips by because of fear.  Thinking of my grave marker, I think…at that point I will not have any earthly chances to do things over or differently.  Heaven will be wonderful…but our time is here and now!  The whole story of Exodus is that it took our faith ancestors 40 year to get over their fears and figure out that they could trust God enough to move ahead. 

Jesus’ first words on Easter were “DON’T BE AFRAID.”

Faith, is when God lets us feel the fear, but leave it behind.  Faith is not ignoring the fear.  Faith is the declaration that our fear is not as great as the power of God.  Faith is acting on the purpose of God ANYWAY. 

So what I take away from this great text is this:

(  )  LET THE PROMISES OF GOD OVERPOWER YOUR FEAR.

(  )  REMEMBER THAT GOD CAN DO GREAT THINGS ANYWHERE: IN TOMBS AND CEMETERIES.  Death could not keep Jesus down and away.  God’s love brought him back. 

(  )  THE KINGDOM OF GOD BROUGHT BY JESUS MEANS SERVING OTHERS. 

(  )  IN TIMES OF STRESS MAKE IT MORE IMPORTANT TO BE LOVING THAN RIGHT.

So many on the political scene are drawn into a defensive position rather than working together on solutions.  People are being hijacked into political theater, instead of working together. 

The texts asks us questions:

What do we say about Jesus?  Our words?  Our life?  Are we like Jesus?  In what ways?  Could anyone look at us and think of Jesus?  What do others say of us?

Following Jesus is an adventure of living and loving that brings us great rewards.  But even more, others are blessed through us.  There might be thorns and compost but OH the roses.

As a parent you might sacrifice everything for a child…and the more you do…the more the child will know what love is like.  It is investing in your child’s future.  Following Jesus is investing in God’s future.

Jesus’s life included rejection and suffering.  He saw it coming and he did not hide or back down.  He faced what evil could do and God won…that means we won.  Jesus knew God would take of it all. 

So we are invited to take up our cross.  Mark added this because…it would have meant next to nothing.  The crucifixion had not take place yet.  Only after the resurrection would it have grabbed people.  

Jesus told Peter he was in a trap.  He was so worried it was clear to Jesus that human thing were taking over the heavenly things.  He was so worried about his safety and the safety of Jesus that he failed to live boldly for God’s purposes. 

I think that it now time for College Avenue UMC to act boldly to consider updating our facilities.  For years and years we have been one of the most vital and generous churches in the Conference.  For years and years College Ave. has preferred to live out the value of compassion…this is who we are.  Space for a growing congregation is put on the back burner. The prospect of a building project seems to take us in a different direction.

I believe that a larger and more convenient Fellowship Hall, a larger narthex, an elevator, restrooms which are closer, and an improved kitchen will greatly enhance the activities we value the most.  A building improvement will strengthen our community and improve our hospitality. An improvement will honor God by respecting the dignity of those who will come and be a part of us in the years to come.  It will generate deeper discipleship because the places of spiritual growth will be more accessible.  A decent elevator will reduce the danger of our current model.  At a recent funeral two persons got caught between floors. Merely pushing on the metal gate can stop the elevator.  One of those persons was visually impaired.  These improvements will make our building more child and family friendly and will expand our ability to serve others.

Jesus told the people not to be afraid, and they would find their lives in serving God’s purpose. 

The purpose of the church is to show to the world the reality of Christ.  What we do here is offer the world: good news, a message, a truth…the Kingdom of God was started by Jesus Christ.  The kingdom of God frees us to live and to take the kingdom into every part of life: to each other, to the oppressed, to the prisoner, to the marginal.

On Monday of this week, several of us from College Avenue helped with the Harvester food distribution on KSU campus.  We distributed 18,000 pounds of food.  Eric Kynard, Olympic High Jump medalist came by to support the cause.  I hope you saw the publicity we got in the photos and stories in the Collegian. And on Tuesday of this week we will do another distribution at CICO park. 

Like Peter we are more comfortable with Jesus being our Savior than we are with Jesus being our Lord.  Jesus is our Savior in freeing us.  Jesus is Lord in leading us to service.  Peter is learning to set aside his fears and claiming the now for God’s purposes.  It is a lesson he did not learn until after the resurrection.  It is still a lesson for all of us.  

Favorites and Favoritism James 2:1-10, 14-17

Last Sunday, a woman appeared in the office before the service needing help.  She did not have a car, needed to get to Topeka, needed a meal like a McDonald’s, and needed money for her tuition at Washburn University.   We were not able to meet all of her needs but, I pray that we treated her with respect.  We do not keep money here at the church.  We helped her with food and told her that a meal would be served in Sunday afternoon at the 1^st Congregational Church.  She did not stay for worship.

One Sunday morning, while serving another church, I was running around getting ready and a rough-looking man appeared.  I was the only one around.  He was unshaven, had on dirty boots and a ragged flannel shirt.  He wanted to know if I had a few minutes to talk.  I was expecting a similar request.  I was so surprised at what happened next.  His mother had died a year ago and he wanted to give a memorial.  He and his buddies were out in the truck.  They were camping out on a family farm for a weekend of hunting and had come into town for breakfast.  Boy was I surprised when instead of asking for assistance, he gave me a big check.  We had just decided to put new Bibles in the pews and his check covered all of it.  He was pleased..

I hope that you were greeted well this morning, whether or not you have on a gold ring.  These words of scripture are must more than usher instructions.

Penny and I were on vacation in Massachusetts.  We lived in Massachusetts while I was attending seminary, but we did not visit Cape Cod.  So on one family vacation we headed there. We got settled and went exploring.  We got tickets to a summer theater and headed for an art museum.  This was one uppity place.  Obviously we were tourists from somewhere else.  They made certain we signed in and that we know there was an expected donation.  The was an air of “I guess we have to let you in.”  And I remembered that not too far away there were early churches where you can still see the paid family boxes where no one else could sit.  It was in that setting that I got a call from Governor Mays.  He had just come to be the director of Ogden Friendship House and for a week was staying in our home until Governor and Ollie could find a home.  It was kind of fun to say in the lobby…Hello, Governor.  Yes, Governor.  I am so glad you are staying at our home.  I had no clue that that the Governor that they might have thought I was talking to was going to be a candidate for President.  This place was still so snooty that they still wanted our money.  We were not shown anything, let alone better seats. 

On one hand, it is great to have favorites.  Facebook and Youtube want you to have favorites.  Cooking and fashion shoes on TV ask you to text in to tell your favorite.  Each of have favorite sport teams.  I know that with a KU license plate on my car, I cannot expect better or quicker service when I go for an oil change.  I know that the favorite of all kids for our Wednesday night meals is chicken nuggets.  And we are all forming our favorites for the upcoming elections.

This text was written because even the early church was slipping back into the pattern of the world around them.  The country was ruled by Rome and the church found both guests and active participants varied greatly in their wealth.. 

The world around was full of painful favoritism that keep poor “in their place.”  Favoritism or partiality, the use of power and influence was based on valuing some over others on the basis of race, or family, or appearance.  Some were given special places to sit, special privileges or benefits.  That meant the rich got the good stuff and the poor were left out.

This is not the way the Kingdom of God works.  When this new community was formed…or called out in Christ’s name, it was unique and remarkable and amazing.  To think of a place where a rich person might be the one to serve a poor person was very hard to get used to.  It took a giant leap in thinking and in behavior to know that God’s image was just as much in the poor person as the rich.

It is quite possible for a rich person to be also rich in Spirit, or very poor in Spirit.  Jesus was hoping for a community where all persons realized their need of God and godly respect.  Jesus sought out rich and poor in order to bless them with more abundant and generous living. 

Obviously James saw in his church at least one poor person who was rich in Spirit and entered the fellowship in fear of being put down.  And he knew in his church there was at least one rich person who was poor in spirit evidenced by his behavior.

So what was needed then?  James called the church to respect the dignity of all and offer constant care to make sure it stayed that way.  It all begins with God’s love and our response.  God loves so we love, God gives so we give.  And our lives are to be a balance of worship and works, prayer and acts of care.

I hope our children learn that this faith family is a place where we meet in our common need for God and find here celebration that life is so good.   We have at College Avenue, an amazing team of people who prepare classes for all ages. 

The church was is a family for all, so that rich and poor may become more spiritually rich together. The materially rich also find here the resources to be as spiritually rich as anyone…and the opportunities to share wealth as a gift of love.

I hope someday to see the Great Wall of China.  5,500 miles of a wall with a history of 2,000 years.  I see that one part of the wall you can explore by scuba diving because the construction of a lake put it under water.  I think I will be happy to do my exploring above water thank you very much.  The wall was built to keep invading armies out.  It’s weakness was in the guards at the watchtowers.  They could be bribed to open places in the wall.  Walls work for a while but not forever.

The world is eager to build walls.  Even the enemies of Jesus noticed that Jesus did not evaluate people merely by position or by appearance.  Jesus was eager to build foundations on values and to build bridges between the rich and the poor.

With so many transitions and changes, we have little time to spend getting to know our neighbors.  There is so much fear and so little understanding. We need trust…and openness…and understanding…which would lead to greater trust.  This is the hope of the church.  Then the walls that the world seems so good at building might come tumbling down.

What thrill it must have been for Andy McIntosh to have arrived in Berlin at the very time the wall came tumbling down. The wall had been built by the German Democratic Republic in 1961 to divide East and West Berlin.  It tried to keep people and ideas out.  The border between East and West Germany were seen as an Iron Curtain dividing Western Europe and the Eastern Bloc. 

Walls may work for a while, but there have to be other solutions.  The three slides that I show you now were used as part of Bishop Scott Jones presentation here a week ago Saturday.  Walls and wars cannot be the solution for lasting peace. 

Jesus said, “You know that the rules of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them.  But, it will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you, must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not ot be served but to serve….(Mt. 30:25-28),

There are so many things that divide us now.  Income and race, ethnicity and languages, gender issues, and sexual identity.  And we are preparing for an election.  And one of the main issues is how he help create jobs.

The church needs to say to the world…we cannot love God without loving what God, in love created.  Jesus showed no favoritism.  But he did say that we ought to include especially the widows, orphans, and those often left out.  Jesus’ grace-ful salvation was offered to all, not just a favored few.  To the unclean he offered acceptance and healing.  To the foreigner he offered hospitality.  To the outcast, he brought them in.

Some churches work so hard to have the right beliefs, the right ideas.  Jesus wanted most for us to: to do the loving thing.  I invite us again in our worship in our Sunday school, to let Christ open our minds and hearts, our doors and our mouths to offer praise to God.

Some parts of salvation are person.  God wants all of us to be free from fear, free from depression, eager to learn, free to give.  God wants us free from the love of riches.  Free from putting anything before God.  God wants us free to love.

And there is more.  God wants all people on the planet to be free from oppression and violence, free from hunger and disease and injustice.  God wants us free to enjoy “the other,” the ones different.  God wants us even free to love the enemy.  God wants faith families to be a blessing for themselves and for all around. 

Perhaps this can be the place of even greater blessing.  We all have a need for God, to celebrate all things bright and beautiful…especially people…all people.  Then we will know the riches of the spirit in faith, hope, and love.  Then we will be eager to aid those who need some help and to be this community of love that transforms the world.  

This is a time for generosity. Based on the Book of James, Chapter 1

Labor Day is usually good to run away for a last weekend or it is a weekend of lots of labor.  Some got the boat out, some visited family.  Some did football.  Our youth worked hard yesterday straightening the sanctuary and do the first football parking. 

Yesterday, Penny and I decided to power-wash our deck in anticipation of its needed coat of stain.  The equipment rental stop was a breeze.  He even loaded the machine in the back.  It was a good thing I saw that the hose was all muddy before he put it in.  As you know the gas motor always starts the first time at the rental place and it takes 20 pulls at home.  And the gas cap was not on tight for the ride home.  Not too much spilled out.  I got it all together just right and when I got it going I had a yellow nozzle in the handle and it flew off into orbit.  I never did find it so I think they can use it in the space station.  Sooo…I used a stream-nozzle which was a terrible idea.  After getting most of the deck clean I saw that the high-pressure stream tore grooves in the wood.  I am sure some major sanding will help.  Penny suggested that if I was better at it, I could do art work…like I meant to do that.  Then when I needed to get a screwdriver I ran in and left the drawer open near floor level.  Penny ran in to get something else and ran into the drawer.  So I have messed up the deck, and my wife’s leg, the power-washer, and I broke a part on our outdoor umbrella. I think the hot fudge sundae did help the apology about leaving the drawer open.

The book of James almost did make it into the Bible.  As late as the year 170 C.E. it was excluded.  And even when it made it in the New Testament it had mixed reviews.  One of the reasons it was not appreciated was that it only mentioned Jesus 2x.  It sounds more like a book out of the Old Testament…like Wisdom Literature.  And if you read it, it sounds like letters a college student might get from their parents…lots of good advice.

I am really glad that it made it in the Bible just for that reason…good advice.  I need that…a lot.  Faith has a being part and doing part.  James is clearly about the doing.  James would have liked a holiday to celebrate the social and economic contributions of those who work.  I grow more grateful every year for those who labor outside year round constructing and maintaining what makes our lives easier and more comfortable.

In every pew there is an offering envelope.  Most of us don’t use them to put in our checks.  Some of you even have a bank draft that just comes out automatically.  Wallace Bubar tells of his early days in church.  The offering envelope at his home church had 6 boxes you could check as you put your offering each Sunday: attended worship, brought Bible, read Bible daily, studied the Sunday School lesson, prayed daily, and gave an offering. 

I laughed when he described the reaction of the church members when new people came in that were not carrying Bibles….Did you see that?  They are not bringing their Bibles. They must be Methodists or Presbyterians.

Jesus talks about one vital sign: What we do for and with the least, the last, and the lost. 

James and Jesus present opportunities for us to welcome the Word of God into our lives.  That is good.  That is like getting the coach’s instructions for the play.  But the execution of the play is essential for anything to get done.  Quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to grow angry…those are good.  This is practicing the Word of God.  In the morning I look in the mirror; I also need to do shave and comb my hair.  I need to remember always that in Christ I am both free and responsible.  This is the way that spiritual blessings come our way.

I think it would be could to put our 6 guiding values on that envelope.  Each week we could write on it one way you lived out or saw lived out one of our six guiding values at your work.

The older I get the more I realize how much other have helped me in my journey.  I grow more grateful every year. 

Religious people are always in danger of being seeing themselves as blessed because they are good, having the inside track into heaven.  Being a faithful follower of Jesus does not guarantee great wealth or health.  On television one of our members listened to a witness by a couple whose house had been spared from a wildfire.  They talked about how good God had been to them.  Their neighbors on both sides lost their homes.  Yes, they had been spared.  But they could have been talking about how they were going to help their neighbors.

Jesus admonishes us, “Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”   Mt. 25:40

James tells us to be doers of the world and not merely hearers.  Jesus asks, “Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?”  Feed the hungry.  Provide water for the thirsty.  Relief for victims of Hurricaine Issac.  Visiting the prisoner.  James says that faith without actions is worthless.  That part is stretching it a bit. 

I think the first steps of faith are the eagerness to hear the word of God, to treasure the Word of God.  But the second part of that is being changed by the word so you have to take in it, in love, to the world. 

This means you can keep perspective.  I love this prayer by Kierkegaard.

Lord! Give us weak eyes

For things that do not matter

And eyes of clarity

In all Your Truth.

I agree with Harry Emerson Fosdick that those who live most fully in life are the ones most grateful.  Those persons who feel they did not get what they deserve in life do not live greatly or generously.  Others evaluate their lives, think they have broken about even, and conclude that they got about what they earned.  Rarely do you see any exceptional living from them either   Those who believe they have received far more than they deserve are among those who do great living.

(PARAMEDIC)

Everything we do for one another and the world begins and is grounded in what God has done for us.  God cares for the whole world and creates it anew with the Word of God.  God blesses us, nurtures us, and gives us the talents and skills to make things happen. 

James knows that small actions and good words can profoundly affect how the world goes.  The power of human speech to lift people or hurt people is great indeed.  Anger is an expression of care and concern, protest and improvement.  It can alert us to wrongdoing and can help make things better. 

Words create a world of meaning.  They alarm, harm, uplift, inspire, degrade, or silence someone.  According to James we cannot bring God’s goodness through revengeful or evil speech, which only spreads destruction.  James tells us to get rid of that way of being in the world. 

It is hard work to be quick to listen and slow to speak.  We are quick to judge, impatient with ourselves and with others, especially when we disagree and have already made up our minds. 

ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS

By acknowledging and taking responsibility for our own anger, we may exercise self-control and become decision makers and shapers of holy community.   James wants us to be responsible, take seriously our emotional lives, our religious faith, and our behavior.  We are God’s new creation, a strong current to transform the world. 

It is at the heart of God to give.  The generosity of God is where all good things begin.  Nothing shows that better than the life of Jesus.  Jesus came to show us what this kind of life looks like.  To be generous is to be lined up with what God is like.  And we participate in this meal because it helps us remember just that. 

Children’s Moments

Need: a sponge and a large bowl of water.

This morning I want to talk to you about the most important thing there is in the whole universe.  And I will demonstrate it with a dry sponge.

Does anyone know what the most important thing is?

GOD’S LOVE.  First, look at the sponge.  It is dry and hard.  In fact if you rub it on your arm, it feels scratchy.  There is not much use for a crusty, dry sponge.  What does it need?  It needs water.  What do you think is going to happen to the sponge.

It soaks up the water and gets softer.  In fact, now it is quite full.

This experiment is like what happens when we come to worship.  We think we have nothing to share or to give, then we begin to soak up God’s love.  We do that by learning stories in the Bible….like Esther.  The longer we are around God the more God’s love fills us and runs off us to others. 

We can see that is Jesus.  Love is not shown by hurting someone, or pushing, or taking things that are not ours.

(After a few seconds the sponge will be drier.)  The water has stop running.  There are times again and again when we feel less loving.  There are times when I am sad and cannot tell anyone much about the love of God.  So being in church helps me remember God’s love.  It is there even when I cannot feel it or talk about it.

The wonderful thing about living with God is that when we run dry and feel love on love, we can turn to God and he will refresh us again.

Never forget God loves you and that he gives that love all the time.

Prayer….Thank you God for loving us all the time.