Can you hear it, almost feel what it’s like? Can you smell the air filled with pride? The stones, they hit the dirt with such a force the dust envelops them. Stones can hurt, even kill if put into the hands of the angry. They can be hurled with such force as to cause damage with anything they come in contact. One little stone can wreak havoc. And yet, many of them are thrown around as if they are nothing. But they are something.
The stone throwers, they are everywhere. It seems so easy to identify them. They are the ones with an agenda, looking to take out anyone who may not agree or threaten a sense of being right. Stones are thrown with words or actions. And the force behind them is so intense. It’s easier to throw stones if everyone around throws stones too. It feels therapeutic. It certainly can feel justified. “They” deserve it, right? “They” aren’t doing the right thing or living the right way or saying the right words. Just throw the stones already.
Jesus was faced with this situation. Those around likely held those stones so tightly in their hands they could feel the edges bore down into their skin. They were justified. It was the law, after all. Everyone would agree. This woman deserved it. It was right and it would show others what was right. And yet, Jesus didn’t hold a stone in his hand at all. And when pushed for a response, he simply said to the crowd…you who have no sin cast the first stone. (John 8)
That’s the problem with stone throwing. It’s always directed at someone else without a mirror to reflect our own issues. It’s much easier to point out what we don’t like in other people. We can feel justified when “they” don’t get things “right”. We can quickly forget we don’t have the right to do this. And while we can certainly point out the stone throwers, I would dare say we may feel a stone in our own hand, just waiting for the right opportunity or the right person or the right cause.
But have we forgotten? Have we forgotten we are a sinner? Have we forgotten we don’t have any right to even hold a stone much less throw it? Maybe, just maybe, it helps if we start looking at ourselves, who we are, and how we love, rather than at others. Maybe we start taking a deep dive inwards and checking ourselves according to the standards of Jesus rather than making others meet our standards. Maybe we start to realize we simply need Jesus to forgive us and love us. Maybe that’s where it starts, with a mirror and some time with Jesus.
If we grew up in church, we have heard the same Bible stories so often we tend to tune them out. They become like the teacher on Charlie Brown. We hear where the Pastor will be preaching from and draw our conclusions – we know the end of the story, so we fail to hear the lesson. We forget that God’s Word is alive and active. We miss the teaching because we have made up our minds we know the story. It becomes all “blah” and no blessing. Today’s scripture is familiar – so familiar most people, even those who haven’t been in church for a long time, would know. We reference it as the feeding of the 5,000. We know what happens – Jesus feeds 5,000. But there is so much more going on than bread and fish. And we miss it because we think we know the story. May God open our hearts, minds, and eyes to receive even more from his message to us.
Matthew 14:13-21
You may be thinking – this is exactly what I remembered it to be. I want to think of it from a different perspective this morning. Let’s put ourselves in the sandals of the disciples for just a moment. They are with Jesus, he has heard devastating news. They have had to do one of the most difficult things in their walk with Jesus. They have had to bury Jesus’ friend, his cousin, his fellow worker in the kingdom. They have buried John the Baptist. And they have to tell Jesus what has happened. What a devastating time for Jesus. He needed to grieve. He needed time to process this. So he went to be alone.
He pulls up in his boat and is greeted by a crowd of people. The disciples likely thought about how long of a day this had already been and how they just wanted to go away. But Jesus saw differently. He saw a group of people who needed to be loved. It says he had compassion on them. He saw people he wanted to help and spend time walking alongside. He saw children. And so, Jesus did what Jesus does. He loved on them. He reminded them of their worth. He showed them a different side of the Kingdom. He brought life to this crowd that was so starving for real life.
It was evening. They are getting hungry. The disciples have likely huddled together and realized it was time to wrap up this party. They decide it is time to send them all home. They need to go get themselves some food. And Jesus says something most interesting – “you give them something to eat.” This is one of the more interesting commands of Jesus to me. He tells the disciples to give this huge crowd of people something to eat – don’t send them away. Don’t try to take up a collection. Don’t do anything but feed them.
The Scriptures don’t give us a time factor. So we are just told the story. But I want us to use a bit of holy imagination, if you will. Jesus is talking to his trusted 12 – the guys who have walked with him and heard him speak. They have seen Jesus at work. And now Jesus is asking something of them. He wants them to give the crowd something to eat. The command is overwhelming. The task is monumental. I can only imagine how they were trying to figure out how this was going to happen. They likely were trying to work out the numbers. If there are this many people and they need this much to feed each, then we need this much to make this happen. Imagine asking Judas how much was in the box (and probably less than what they thought). Judas would have let them know real quick there wasn’t enough for all of that. Plus there is a time factor. They can’t just run down to the store. No one has this supply of bread on hand. Maybe everyone could take a bite – a sample – just enough so they don’t starve out here. It had to be a confusing and troubling few moments. I wonder how long Jesus let them try to figure it out before he just took over.
Here’s the deal – they saw impossibility – they saw scarcity – they saw the lack of resources – they saw all the reasons this was not possible. Those 12 knew this was simply impossible. There wasn’t enough money or time or people. This was ridiculous and the command seems preposterous. But not to Jesus. Had anyone asked Jesus what he would do? Had they asked him for guidance? All I hear is the limitations. They saw what little they had and it wasn’t enough – so they gave up. But Jesus doesn’t work by our economy. Jesus works by a whole different system. Jesus works from the heavenly economy of enough.
The heavenly economy reminds us of a few things –
When God is the center of it all, there is enough. We live in a land of abundance, yet we are starving. We hoard what we have because we have been frightened there would never be enough. People steal and take and selfishly hold onto because of this idea of not enough. We have more than we need but we live in a world of never enough. There will never be enough.
We cannot earn enough money. We cannot get enough recognition. We cannot achieve enough accolades. We cannot be enough. We never have enough. We never feel we are enough. It is every man for himself – look out for yourself because no one else will. Take what you can before someone else does. When is enough actually enough? -Never as long as the focus is inward. Enough will only ever be enough when we follow God. In his Kingdom, there is always enough.
Jesus gave them all something to eat that day – there was more than enough because HE was at the center of it. He is enough. And when we follow Christ – we are enough too. He has provided all we need to be all he has called us to be. He has filled us with good things. We are overflowing with gifts and possibilities. It may not be what we would imagine. It doesn’t look like the achievements of this world. It looks like serving our Creator – with all we are and all we have – and that’s enough.
YOU are enough. We cannot wait until… we have enough money, time, resources, gifts, training, skills. Sometimes, Jesus simply asks us to see differently – we have enough and we are enough. We are loved beyond measure. We are children of the Most High God. We are called God’s beloved. We are welcomed into the family. We are given a seat at the table. There is an abundance at God’s feast. And all are welcomed. We cannot be good enough or do enough good things. We simply are invited because we are enough – God can take care of the rest. Follow Christ – there is room for you too!
His name is Chris. He captured my attention yesterday – as he did of thousands of others. Yesterday, Chris completed an Ironman 140.6 in Florida. For those of you who may not know what this is, it is a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, followed by a 26.2 mile run. One right after the other, in one day, timed. As amazing of a feat as it is, people complete an Ironman on a regular basis – thousands do this or have done this. This was Chris’ first. And he did it. We had someone from Goldsboro who completed it yesterday named Josh. It is something you train for and work for and still there is a possibility of not completing it. Yet, Josh did it. And Chris did it. Prior to yesterday, I had not heard of Chris. But I know of him now. It isn’t because Chris was the first through the finish line. He didn’t break any time records. He was a male who completed Ironman Florida. Yet, he was also the first person with Down Syndrome to ever complete an Ironman. That’s right, Chris has Down Syndrome. And Chris completed a nearly impossible feat. Chris is an Ironman.
At some point, he had a goal. He had people who believed in him. He had a coach that was willing to train him and guide him through the entire course. But Chris had to complete the whole thing under his own power. Someone saw something in Chris beyond being a young man with Down Syndrome. Someone saw an athlete. And now, we all see an incredible athlete.
A couple of weeks ago, a song was stuck in my head. That’s not all that unusual, I think in songs. At work, we communicate in songs. But this particular song continued to play over and over again. I looked it up on YouTube so I can hear others sing it. I thought it was stuck in my head because of Robin’s baptism. But turns out, it was stuck in there much longer. And there is a powerful message. It is a Negro Spiritual from the late 1800s and early 1900s. While it is believed to be a song to help slaves navigate as they escaped, it also alludes to two different scriptures – one of Moses and the other, we will look at today. This song brings me here.
John 5:1-9
5 After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
2 Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in HebrewBeth-zatha, which has five porticoes. 3 In these lay many invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. 5 One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” 7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk.
The song goes – Wade in the water – wade in the water children – God’s gonna trouble the waters. Here is a man at the edge of the water, but not wading. And Jesus asks an interesting question. Can you imagine the thought of the man who has been approached by Jesus? First, can you imagine Jesus even making his way through a group of sick folks. He could look from a distance and think about those poor, pitiful people. He could pass them by and avoid being unclean – it was the Sabbath after all. He could have ignored they were there – religious people had been doing this for years. But he didn’t. He went there, on purpose. He had something to do. He had to see people.
And there was a man who John records has been sick 38 years. That’s a long time to sit by the water. He has been there so often, he has a place, his own space. This is his home – but he is only steps from the promise. He can’t move forward because he has been stuck in hopelessness. He doesn’t see a possibility to move from where he is. He has reached his destination – and it is devastating. The legend of the water is that when the angel stirs the water, the first in becomes healed. He just wants his shot at it. Yet, every time the opportunity comes, he is passed by. You can imagine after 38 years, one just feels like it will never happen. He is there to stay – to watch others reach the water first – to watch others find healing while he sits and waits, never to be healed.
Yet, Jesus asks him what seems to be a question with a glaringly obvious answer – do you want to be made well? Think about it – Jesus asks a man that has been sick for 38 years if he wants to be made well. While it seems this is a ridiculous question, Jesus doesn’t just ask things for no reason. He isn’t trying to ridicule him. He isn’t trying to insult him. He needs this man to consider – do you really want to be made well? Do you really want to move past this? Because when you are living in the land of hopelessness, you may not even know what it means to be made well anymore. Because your mat becomes your comfort and being well becomes the impossible. It has long been put out of his mind as a possibility. It likely hasn’t even been a part of his thoughts for so many years now.
Hopelessness, defeat and dismay can easily become the norm. When I looked at this guy in the past, I wanted to tell him to move closer to the water. I wanted to tell him how to reach the water first. I wanted to teach him how to move his mat so he could be the most agile even despite his illness. I wanted to see him reach the water and couldn’t, for the life of me, understand how he could just sit there while others received the healing. That is, until I experienced what hopelessness feels like. It is emptying. It is defeating. And it runs so deep that all desire to move forward has been drained out of you. And then I got it. He couldn’t get to the water, not because he didn’t want to, but because he didn’t know how.
When you have sat on the mat for so long, people see you as belonging on the mat. This man had sat on the mat for so very long that he became ‘the sick man’. His life was lived as the sick man. His identity was the man who was sick. He lived so close to healing but would never make it because he would always be the sick man. Why would anyone help him because being sick was who he was? Why would anyone offer hope – he had lost it – so why wouldn’t everyone else believe he was hopeless too? Yet, Jesus didn’t define him by his illness. His mat was not his home. This was not his final destination. There was life off the mat – even if the man couldn’t see it and the people around him couldn’t see it – God could and God did.
Jesus looked at the man and saw him. He was not the sick. Those people gathered around that water were not the blind, lame, helpless forgotten people. To Jesus, they were the beloved. They were children of God. So he asks him – do you want your hope restored because I see so much more in you than you see in yourself? Do you want to see what life is really like off the mat? Do you want to break the barriers placed by the people around you? Do you want to see what it is like to not be defined by the mat and this illness? If that’s a yes, pick it up and let’s go. And he did.
If you know the story, you know this is not the end. The man is questioned and Jesus gets into a lot of trouble for this. He gets in trouble because he healed on the Sabbath. The man gets in trouble because he picked up his mat – against the law because it is defined as work on the Sabbath. They get in trouble because they saw beyond the rules of the day. The religious people were furious that a man who had been sick for 38 years was healed on the wrong day. I wonder how many of the rules we have made up in the name of religion Jesus would break today? And we would be mad about him making people well. Don’t be upset at those religious leaders because that defines way too much of the church today. Follow the rules, forget the people.
But ultimately, the man got up because the mat was not his home. Even though people had placed him there and told him to stay…you are the sick man and this is where you belong…Jesus saw more. The story about Chris that I started with in the beginning – I don’t know Chris, I have just followed his journey. But I can only imagine the people who told him he couldn’t do it. I can only imagine those who would have said that it was too much for him to attempt. I can hear people tell his family about how he could hurt himself or this would put too much strain on him and they weren’t caring for him. I don’t know his whole story – but I hear this kind of thing all the time in different circumstances. We want people to be who we want them to be – even if it means they stay on the mat.So if you find yourself hopeless on the mat today, I encourage you to look up, Jesus stands before you to show you a new way. If you know of someone on the mat that has lost all hope, love them, see them and encourage them. You can’t pick them up but you also shouldn’t be the one holding them down. Wherever you may find yourself this morning – the mat is not your home. God has so much more planned – and it might just take breaking the rules in love. Take up your mat and walk, God has beautiful things planned for his people who follow him. Rise up, there is still good to be done.
One of my favorite people to read about in the Bible is Jonah. That may sound strange because what most of us know about him deals with the whole whale of an incident. But that is only one small blip in his life. It’s interesting to say that smelling fish guts for a few days while God puts you in time out is a blip. But when we consider the scope of his life, we really know very little. What we do know of Jonah reminds me of his humanity.
We often think of Jonah as the disobedient one. We think of him as the runner – the run as far and fast as you can from what God wants you to do kind of guy. We think of him as the one that God had to teach a lesson. That may all be true, but that misses what Jonah was running from, what he was called to do, and what he never really wanted to do. It misses that Jonah was given this mission he didn’t really want, he didn’t really believe in, and he never fully accepted. It wasn’t because he was a horrible guy. God used him in a mighty way. He may have been one the worst speakers but God had a plan for him. Jonah didn’t like the plan and God still used him. I think it was because Jonah had some redemptive qualities that God saw. Jonah had potential that even he didn’t recognize. And the lesson I learn from Jonah is one that leads and guides so much of my life.
Where we will join Jonah in his story this morning is after the most famous and known part of his journey. He has already been called by God to go to these particular people that he did not want to help. He has run the other way, jumped a ship, thrown overboard, spent time with the fish, and found himself on the shore. What a ride. But that isn’t the end. He does go to the people of Nineveh – though more than reluctantly. God gave him another chance to do the right thing (and maybe God gives him a swift kick to get it done). So he does it, in what seems to be a half-hearted attempt. And God used it. God used the seemingly pitiful message. The people of Nineveh heard it, took it to heart, and changed. They repented. They heard that God cared about them and destruction was coming – they listened. Even the King got the message and made a decree – everyone would be in on this. They would change their ways. Great news, right?! Yes, for everyone but Jonah.
Jonah 3:10-4:11
3:10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.
4:1 But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry.
4:2 He prayed to the LORD and said, “O LORD! Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing.
4:3 And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
4:4 And the LORD said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
4:5 Then Jonah went out of the city and sat down east of the city, and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, waiting to see what would become of the city.
4:6 The LORD God appointed a bush, and made it come up over Jonah, to give shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort; so Jonah was very happy about the bush.
4:7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the bush, so that it withered.
4:8 When the sun rose, God prepared a sultry east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint and asked that he might die. He said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
4:9 But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?” And he said, “Yes, angry enough to die.”
4:10 Then the LORD said, “You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night.
4:11 And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?”
Don’t miss this. God saved the people and the land of Nineveh. The proclamation of Jonah was heard. He did what he was sent to do and the people heard it and changed. God did not bring the destruction he had planned. They were saved. That should be reason to celebrate. But Jonah was angry. Yes, you heard that correctly – Jonah was angry. He was angry with God. He basically tells God that he knew this would happen. God is too kind and merciful and loving. He just knew God wouldn’t destroy them and that’s why he didn’t want to do this in the first place. How dare God be so loving and kind!
I have to pause there. This is something we do not always hear and if we do, we are ready to cast judgment on Jonah. How dare he act like this! How could he make such a call on those people! Who does he think he is! Yet, what we don’t always consider is who they were to Jonah. Nineveh is the enemy. They are the opposing force. Jonah wants them destroyed because Jonah has identified these people as his enemy. They have sought to destroy his people. How could God care about them? Jonah wanted to see God wipe them out – it seemed only right to him. He didn’t want to care about them and he didn’t want them saved.
That sounds selfish, but I wonder how many times that happens today. We decide who is the enemy and we want them destroyed. We certainly don’t see how God could love them. We don’t want to consider that God created them too and there is any potential in them. They are the “other” and we don’t see value in “those” people. They are the enemy. Yet, if we believe that God is creator of the entire world, there are more people God created than just us. There are more to love outside of our country. There are more valuable people outside of our realm of what we consider worthy. God actually loves the whole world – the whole entire world. And if that is true, that means he loves those we have decided aren’t worthy. It means those we don’t agree with. It means those who don’t look like us or talk like us or think like us. It means God has a plan which is good for all humankind. That could come as a shocker to some of us who feel like the privileged and favored few.
But the story doesn’t end there for Jonah. God decides to teach Jonah a lesson he can grasp. As he did with the big fish, he does with the plant. Jonah is miserable. He has gone to sulk. He wanted to see them destroyed. So he goes and sits down. God provides him shade. It is perfect. It is just what Jonah needed. It saves him for the day. The next day, the shade is eaten by bugs. And Jonah has to face the heat and wind without it. He is angry. God reminds him that Jonah cared about a shade he did not create, he did not do anything for – because it was protecting him. God tells him that there are people in Nineveh that do not understand and that need direction. God cares for them too. He has good things for them too.
God has so much more planned than we could ever imagine. He is using us for his good and loving plan. We don’t always like or understand the plan. We don’t understand how we are to love the enemy. But this is exactly what Jesus taught. We are to love those we consider unlovable and unworthy. God does not appoint us as judge. He does not give us the option to decide who is worthless or worthy. He sees children without direction. And he may just see that in us.
May God open our eyes to see others as he does. May we show love to all – even those we consider the “other”. May it begin today.
What would you give to be rich? What would you do to have it all? How much would you sacrifice to have the biggest house, the nicest cars, the finest clothes? What would it mean to you to not have to think about how much money you had, just spend whatever? If I could just have…if I could just get…if I can just achieve…if I could…if I… What would you do for it all?
Would you be willing to give up your integrity? Would you be willing to work so much that you never really did anything but work? Would you be willing to give up your family? What cost seems appropriate? You may be thinking you can’t put a price tag on happiness, but there sure are a lot of people trying. What would you give? People put value on things all the time – maybe not blatantly or outright. But how much something or someone is valued becomes obvious over time. What is it all worth? So what if you become the richest, greatest, most achieved…what if?
We seem to have it upside down too often in our culture. It seems to be that we value things we can buy and prizes we get to accumulate. We put a high price tag on wealth and worth. We treasure fame and reward too often. Yet, those things are fleeting. We work so hard to achieve that we are left drained. We could end up sacrificing what means the most to us in order to achieve things which end up meaning nothing. We give up our families so we can make more money. We give up our time so we can achieve more. And we are rewarded for this.
I had someone tell me the other day that they were the most accessible person ever. He carried two phones with him at all times and never ever wasn’t available. He thought this was a selling point. I actually found it pretty sad and quite disturbing. I don’t know him so I don’t know if he has a family. But if so, they always take second place. It also says he doesn’t value himself enough to provide self-care. Frankly, it made me even more determined to not do that.
So what do we value? What is important to us? What really means something to us? We may think it is one thing but realize it is quite something different. Our actions…our everyday decisions really tell the story. What we decide to do reflects our values. How we live each day says more about us than anything we could speak. And too often, we might be giving others a message we had not even considered. We may show others we value our own opinion rather than listening to the voices of others. We may show we value ourselves so much that we are not willing to learn from others. We may show we value money more than people. We may show we value winning over growing. We may show that the only thing that really matters is…me, myself and I. If it isn’t one of those three, it doesn’t matter. What does your life say about you?
I am drawn to today’s passage for that reason. This is not to be critical…but to encourage us all to take a look at what is being taught to see how we are living. This is an opportunity to stop and evaluate how we are living our lives and what it is we value. And we just might be surprised at what we find if we are truly honest and we take a real look.
Mark 8:34-37
34 He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 36 For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 37 Indeed, what can they give in return for their life?
What are you willing to give up to follow Christ? He has some pretty serious lessons for us if we choose to follow. He calls us to learn to love…loving God and loving others. He calls us to learn to sit at the table with those that make us feel uncomfortable. He demonstrates for us what it means to give up the us versus them mentality. He opens the minds of the religious and offers freedom in following him. That’s right…freedom.
How can we be free if we are following? What does freedom really mean? Does it mean getting what we want when we want it how we want it regardless of others? How about we redefine freedom. What if freedom is…free of the heavy load that we try to carry. We are free of the constant thriving for attainment. We are free from the load of trying to be like someone else. We are free from needing things to impress people. We are free from worry that we are not good enough. We are free from the judgment of others (not because they don’t cast it but because it doesn’t matter – we are his beloved regardless of someone else’s view). We are free from the demands to be someone we are not. We are free to live – really live.
Living is a gift. And if we can travel this life without a heavy load, even better. Imagine if we were free to travel without the burden of things. Imagine if we were free from worry. Imagine if we were free from constantly having to be someone for others. Imagine if we could simply live as we were created. Imagine if we understood we were enough. Life would certainly change. That takes freedom. To really live takes freedom from the daily anxieties that damage us. That does not mean we do not work. It doesn’t mean we don’t try to achieve or work to be better. It doesn’t mean we don’t pay bills. But it does mean that life begins to take on an entirely different view. We begin to see things differently. We don’t have to have the latest and greatest. We don’t have to worry about keeping up with anyone else. We begin to value our time enough that we spend it sharing love. We begin to understand that our time on this earth is short and is not best spent trying to get more stuff. We begin to see that some of the greatest gifts come without the cost of money. Life begins to take on an entirely different view when we follow Christ. It is freeing.
If we are following Christ – it is good to look at his example. What does he show us? What does he teach us? What life does he lay out for us? He didn’t have things, he had relationships. He built friendships. He fought for justice. He gave people a new view of the world. He developed relationships with sinners, tax collectors, diseased and forsaken. He challenged the beliefs of those who thought they knew it all. Most of all – he loved. He loved God and he loved others. He lived and it didn’t take things to do that.
What is keeping you from living, really living? What do we value? Do we value time and relationships and love and opportunities to know God better? Do we value sharing and reaching out and listening? Do we value the gift of creation and all that has been provided for us? Do we understand that following Christ is the greatest life ever? May we be free. May we learn to truly live. May we give of it all to truly follow…and live. And may it begin with me.
When is enough really enough? When do we call out in loud exclamations of ENOUGH!? How many people have to die at the hands of those who feel superior because of the color of their skin or the location of their upbringing or their sexuality? When do we, as the church, stand up and proclaim the way of Jesus – which doesn’t look anything like any of this!? When do we really make movements to show this is not okay? Are we waiting for a time that it affects us? Are we waiting for a time when we feel threatened? Are we simply passing the buck because it isn’t our homes that are terrorized?
As a white male, I am aware of white privilege and those heavily influenced by white supremacy. I am aware that I am looked at differently because of the color of my skin and being a heterosexual male. I understand that I pastor a mostly white church that operates as a white church in an area where the majority of the population is not white. I get that I have the freedom to move about without worry because I was born here. As someone that exercises outside, I am aware that I can run or bike in pretty much any area without being looked at as suspicious for the color of my skin. I am even more aware of these privileges when I consider what is happening on a regular basis in this country and even perpetuated by key leadership that look like me.
So why mention this as a white heterosexual male minister with privilege in a worship service on a Sunday that is Mother’s Day in the middle of a pandemic, no less? Why not? When does it become a good time? When is it appropriate? Many non-white churches and places of worship have been speaking of this for years and years. How many people have to die before it is a good time for the church to call this out? How much has to happen before enough really is enough for the predominately white church? What has to happen before white people call out our privilege and begin to work towards a different world? And I speak of non-white because it is the African American community – but it is also the community that is non-white or different – Hispanic, Jewish, LGBTQ, Muslim and more.
Sure, the conversation is uncomfortable, terrifying at times, and quite difficult. I can hear people speaking right now…Pastor Brad – you know I am not racist. If everyone that says they are not racist weren’t actually racist, we wouldn’t need to have the conversation. What if racism is so built into our society and into our churches…white privilege so ingrained in our lives…that we don’t even notice when it is being used? What if it isn’t just about being blatantly racist but about embedded racism that rears its ugly head on a regular basis, often unnoticed by those who use it?
With this, I think the time is now. It is Mother’s Day and I cannot imagine the fear a non-white mother must have as she sends her non-white children out into the world, giving them instructions on how to avoid even appearing to do anything wrong. I cannot image giving them directions on the best way to get places so that they are in places where they should not be. What about giving them guidance so that the white people won’t think they are dangerous or a threat? I can’t imagine because I am white. What I can say is that enough is enough.
And I don’t know where else to start when enough is enough than the Bible. I don’t know how else to find direction and guidance than God’s instructions for life – God’s instructions that show love and peace and kindness without any difference. I don’t know any other place to begin than with the grace that is so freely given. I can only begin with the life of Jesus – a non-white person that led the way to love.
There are many places we can go from here. Jesus ate with sinners and tax collectors when that was not okay – not only shunned but dangerous. Jesus went and sat down with a Samaritan woman in order to show her love in a time and place that was not acceptable. He taught a parable about who was our neighbor using someone from a different culture and was despised by those he spoke. Jesus gave examples of inviting all people to the table and welcoming the forgotten and the oppressed. He died for all people and gives us the command to love God and love others, regardless. And we have turned that, all too often, into loving people like us. If you don’t believe me, look at those that have been accused of these hate crimes over the years…those that claim faith, that claim to be a part of a church, that also claim superiority and fear of someone different taking over. Wasn’t Jesus hung for similar reasons – fear of someone else taking over and superiority? We tend to forget that Jesus wasn’t a white male American – or the fact that he wasn’t white at all.
In Bible Study this week, we looked at 1 Peter 2:2-10. I want to revisit a particular few verses of this scripture – and for some of us, introduce it for just a moment. Verses 9-10 read, “2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
2:10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” One people, holy to God. That people is not a color or an origin or a sex. One people because we are God’s people. This does not mean white people. This is God’s people.
If indeed, we are to work to become more like Christ, to be one people, where do we begin? As white Christians, I have to believe we begin with repentance. We begin with acknowledgement where we have misunderstood, where we have fallen short, where we have taken advantage of our privilege without fighting for true equality. We acknowledge that our privilege has held others down. We begin to understand that we have allowed our fears to direct our actions. We begin by asking for forgiveness – both from God and from our brothers and sisters that have a different skin color or origin than us. Forgiveness is hard because it is uncomfortable and causes us to confront the issues we have that we might not otherwise acknowledge. Being repentant means we don’t want it to be like that any longer – meaning as white heterosexual people, we are willing to release our power and privilege and fight for the rights of those not like us. Repentance means that we do the frightening work of having conversations of where others have been wronged. When we are willing to sit down and hear the voices of other people unlike us, we can begin to work towards something different.
I want to offer one more scripture as I bring this to a beginning (though nearing the end of the message, I pray the beginning of a new start)
Colossians 1:9-20
9 For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s[d] will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. 11 May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled[e] you[f] to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.[g]
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16 for in[h]him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He himself is before all things, and in[i] him all things hold together. 18 He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.
There is a lot packed in this scripture, but I hear the desire to live a life worthy of the gospel. I want to live fully pleasing to God. I want to have my eyes opened to the truth – even when it hurts. I want to enter conversations that challenge my thoughts and actions so that I can see where I have gone wrong. I want to follow Christ wherever he leads me and his church. I want to lift up my brothers and sisters, as we begin to ask for forgiveness, a small step in moving forward. My prayer is that God would be glorified in it all. I pray that hearts would begin to heal, efforts would be made towards justice, and lives would be changed. I pray my life begins to show the love of God for all of his children.
Church – will you begin with me?
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.
Home for me is defined by smell. Growing up in a community with almost all family, you could go into almost any house and feel at home. You were welcomed and loved. Each family treated you as if you were their own. You knew you were home when you walked in the door and smelled food cooking or a fresh cake baking. It was not unusual (and still isn’t) to walk into my grandparent’s home and smell cake layers in the oven. Those were times when you stayed around, even if you thought about going to play. You could watch Grandma stirring the chocolate icing she had made from scratch. She would attend oh so carefully, never letting it set as it would not come out as she wanted. While she stirred, the cake layers would bake in the wall oven. The home smelled like joy. If you hung out long enough or if you timed it just right, those cake layers would come out of the oven and that chocolate would be done. For some, that might mean the cake would be assembled. But for me, that meant the crumbs in the pans would be left and someone would have to lick the spoon after the icing was poured. And THAT was victory! There is nothing like the left over parts in a pan of a fresh baked cake with the leftover icing to make my day. My heart still beats a little faster when I think about the excitement. If this doesn’t sound like much to get excited about, it is because you haven’t tasted my Grandma’s chocolate split layer cake. All she did for each cake took such precision yet she did it as only Grandma can – with such ease and natural giftedness. She made it look so easy. Sitting across the bar enjoying the “leftovers” is something I will always treasure.
There have been many times I wanted Jesus to sit across the bar with me and tell me what I should do, what path I should take, and what’s next. I craved the fellowship with him that is comforting and loving, reminding me that I do not have to be perfect. I wanted to know that I was loved just the way that I was. I simply wanted to enjoy leftovers with him, lick the icing, and have him tell me I was good enough. I just wanted to please him.
I think I might have missed him all along. Maybe, just maybe, he was sitting across from me…And he just happens to look a lot like my Grandma.
The uncertainty continues…we have definitely reached a time of the unknown. With the announcement of the stay order that begins tomorrow afternoon, it brings an extra level of awareness to the seriousness of our situation. I am grateful for the opportunity to worship with you through online means. It may not be the same, but we are able to worship a Holy God from where we are because he is with us in our worship…he inhabits the praises of his people…may he inhabit our praises today.
Since everything is so unusual, it can be a bit disheartening. We tend to lose our perspective when we are constantly seeing four walls or our own property…when all we hear about is the number of people with the virus or how quickly it has spread…when we see the stores empty that once were overflowing…and when we are not able to interact with others the way we always have. These tend to bring us down, distort what is going on, and make us fall to the situation. But I want you to hear today that there is hope. There is life. There is joy. Just when you think it is the end…God is not done yet. He is still working. And God sees a completely different perspective…he doesn’t rely on the news to get the facts, he doesn’t need the rumors to know what is going on…he is not afraid of the situation…and he isn’t done yet.
When I think of God seeing things completely different than we do, I am instantly pulled to the passage in Ezekiel…the one that most of us know well. It is a passage that has been spoken about, taught, and continues to be an interesting perspective to a very dire situation…actually a completely hopeless situation if we are honest. And I think it speaks so very loudly to us today.
Ezekiel 37:1-5, “37:1 The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones.
37:2 He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry.
37:3 He said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O Lord GOD, you know.”
37:4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.
37:5 Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live.”
I will cause breath to enter you and you shall live. It is a picture that most of us can only imagine. The driest of dry…nothing but a barren landscape of bones…dry bones deep in a valley…bones that have lost their usefulness…bones that are becoming a part of the land as they lay there having sand blown over them…to be an archeological find one day for someone…the dryness of the situation gives an overwhelming feeling of loss, of finality…this is the end. In this landscape, there is nothing to look forward to…nothing to reach for…a whole land of nothingness…it is a sad and beyond desperate situation. It leaves a feel there is no more.
But that is not what happens. That is not the reality of the situation. That is the perspective of the viewer. Ezekiel looks out and sees hopelessness…he sees despair…he sees that there is nothing separate or collectively in these array of bones. What he doesn’t understand just yet is that God is in the midst of the bones…and when God is in the middle of something…things can change. It is not the end when God is a part of it. What God saw and what Ezekiel saw were not the same thing.
God asked Ezekiel to prophesy over the bones…to hear the word of God. And God says to the bones…I will give you breath and life…I will breathe life into you…God is not done with these bones just yet. And that is what happens…God breathes life and those bones do live. In the scripture, we are told in verse 11, “37:11 Then he said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’”
We are reminded that God is speaking to the hopelessness of his people. He is speaking to the desperate situation that they have found themselves in. God is speaking to them in their most difficult places…and he is speaking life. He is speaking hope. He is speaking a future. God is not done with Israel and God is not done with us yet either.
God breathes life…and it is good. His breath revives even the most dry, desolate places. His spirit ignites even the most hopeless lives. God is not done yet. God can breathe life into our most hopeless places as well. He is speaking hope into your life and you may not even notice because all you see are dry bones. God sees an army rising up…you see an archeological dig. God has plans that you haven’t even seen yet. God has plans you can’t even imagine. It doesn’t mean it will be easy or quick or according to your plans. But it does mean when he breathes life, it is good.
I can almost feel God breathing life into our world when I feel the gentle breeze of a spring morning. I feel like God is breathing life when I hear of a new birth or participate in a beautiful wedding of a couple focused on God and each other. I feel God breathing life when I hear of someone recovering from surgery or making it through one more round of chemo. I feel God breathing life when people are feeding each other and sharing their resources and supporting one another in an otherwise stressful difficult situation. I see God breathing life when we do not let physical separation hold us back from worship. God is breathing life into our world…may our dry bones live.
I do know there are so many that are hurting…so many that are scared…there are those grieving losses that are unimaginable…there are those that are dealing with deep depression and insecurity…those are those that are unsafe in their own homes and this just magnifies that…I know there are those that are dealing with health issues that cause great pain and anxiety…I am not dismissing or ignoring you. I hear that you feel the dry bones. I get that you don’t feel the breath of life because you are in the valley of death. I hear your struggle and your pain. This separation for so many is one of the most painful and difficult times of your life…I hear you…and so does God. He hears your struggles…he feels your pain…and while I may not be able to understand…God does. I pray that he breathes on you in a mighty way today. My prayer is that you find hope, even if it just a glimmer, and you are reminded that God is breathing life into your situation.
Friends…I pray that you feel God breathing life today…that you feel his presence…that you are guided by his love…that you are revived by his hope…and that you are reminded, you are not alone. He has not left you. May these dry bones life…Breathe life God…Breathe life.
Ever had the thought…this is never going to get better? Ever wonder if it will always be this way and nothing is going to change? It is difficult to believe things could really be any different. We imagine a new world, hope for things to change, look for signs to see where God is at work. And then we notice what we really see… fighting and backstabbing, lying and cheating, bullying and degrading. And that’s on the 6 am news before the day even gets started. Children are starving around the world and many of the world’s diseases could be prevented with something as simple as clean water. Greed rules the day and selfishness is the theme of so many.
Even in the church, the place where we should be seeking and striving for a new way, it is difficult to imagine sometimes. If we are honest about it…we tend to be judgmental and cruel…we tend to think that people should act a certain way, dress a certain way, have their hair a certain way, smell a certain way, and should adapt to our way of life. We don’t have a lot of patience for those that are different and if we do for a moment, it is because we have the expectation that they will soon enough change to be who we want them to be. We don’t have a lot of experience with other cultures so we dismiss them. We don’t understand our differences so we seek to eliminate rather than to embrace them. We don’t often take the time to know someone else’s story because we are waiting for them to change. We like the way things are and to do anything different would be…out of the question – even if we don’t verbalize that feeling.
Now, you may think that this cannot possibly apply to us, as the church today…but I would challenge you to take a second or third look. Do we really want people who are different with us…do we really want to reach those that come from different cultures…do we really want to welcome those that we might consider an outsider…and the fact that we can use the word outsider in this sense really does answer a lot of the question. We don’t really want to consider that there could be another way. To envision something different is difficult because we become comfortable and fear causes us to push back on anything that takes away that comfort. We like the way things are because that makes us feel better. We aren’t ready for anything different. So we push out those that do not quite conform…those that do not quick enough make the change…that do not see like we do. And we become a group of people…like us. And to do any different is scary.
It even happens among us…among those that are already here…that have stayed and are a part and we have accepted. We have created a culture that rewards conformity to such an extent that it is sometimes difficult to express what you really feel. For instance, if someone is struggling at home, it is better to keep that under wraps – for fear of judgment. If one of us is facing depression or loneliness, anxiety or fear…if we mentally just don’t know how we are going to make it…we don’t express that in church – people tend to gossip about things like that. And let’s face it, historically, the church’s answer in general to our problems has been one of…pray about it and if you have enough faith, all will work out. The problem is that this a hollow, one liner that doesn’t really seek to understand the real struggles of the person. No…having enough faith does not cure all things. No…praying enough does not take away depression or anxiety. No…pretending to conform just so you fit in is not the pattern of Jesus. And no…this is not what is taught. This is not okay. We have to do better. There is still hope, though. And wouldn’t you know it…it is found in the Bible. There is hope of a new way…hope of a new day…hope that this is not all there is…and it begins with words from God.
Isaiah 65:17-25
God is presenting a new vision…one that the Israelites can’t even wrap their minds around…and frankly, neither can we. God is presenting a vision of peace, of justice, of health…it is a vision where no one is hungry. It is a vision where his creation…which he created as good…really is good. It is a place where there is joy. There are tangible realities…eating from the crops that are grown…living healthy lives because of living off the land – a land that they take care of, love and tend…peace rules…not because everyone is the same, but because they use their gifts for the greater good. All comes together, as God intended, created, and ordained. This is good. And it is to come, God says. All being made new.
When we read this, it is such a beautiful picture that we can see this as idealistic…a type of utopia that never will be. We can miss the possibilities contained in the scripture. We could easily skip over that God says he is doing this. This is a vision that God has at work…is putting in place. God can make this happen!
We could say this vision is for the future – it is a new heaven and new earth after all. And that is true – it is a future glimpse. But that is not all. We could also look at it as beginning here and now. God may just be at work reforming, renewing, remaking right now. We could think of it as the kingdom of God. We could think of it, as Jesus taught us to pray…Your kingdom come, Your will be done…on earth as it is in heaven. Your kingdom is to come and yet is already here. Jesus brought the kingdom and yet…there is so much more that awaits. But that begins with us doing as we are called and created – right here and right now. That begins with us giving up our ideals of how we think things should be and focusing on what God thinks things should look like. And I think this new…looks a lot more diverse. I think this renewal looks a lot more welcoming and loving…accepting and exciting…I think it looks a lot more joyful and promising. And I don’t think it is idealistic as we want to make it out to be. I think it is accessible and real and right before us. But we have to be willing to let the old things go…the things that we want…the ways that we want…the ideals that we have…
Note…I am not suggesting giving up our values or beliefs…I am not suggesting giving up following Jesus or living by God’s word. I am suggesting that the ways that we have of doing that may not be the right way. I am suggesting that things could be different…joyful and peaceful and equal and above all else, loving of all. I am suggesting we begin to follow Jesus, truly follow his lead.
I admit…it sounds idealistic to me – I long for this picture to be so. I so want to know that God is making all things new and that there is hope for a new creation…that God can once again say that it is good. I want to see where God’s children come together in peace and no one is hungry. What a joy it would be to see this vision to become reality. But what if it means we have to begin to re-vision what we expect? What if it means we have to do some changing to be more like God? What if it means that we have to be willing to take a step back and realize where we are not doing what we should – where have we missed it?
If we are honest, keeping things the same is always easier. Change is hard. Doing things like we always have is much more comfortable. Living where our ways are the ways and people conform to that makes us feel better. Worshiping with people like us alleviates fear. Giving quick answers is easier than getting to know people and their stories. Ignoring what is going on in life is more comfortable that walking with others through their fears and struggles.
But the problem is…I don’t read anything in the Bible about that being okay. Jesus broke all the molds by fulfilling what God has taught. What he did completely shook up the establishment. How he lived was so radical that they wanted him dead. He made the religious so nervous with his ways that they wanted him eliminated…silenced…done away with. Are we living like that too? There is a different way. There is a better way. But it is scary and uncomfortable and different…it means people that look different and act different will be with us. It means that people will able to talk openly about mental health and their struggles and the church will have a better answer than simply praying and having faith. It means that people don’t have to dress or smell or act like we do to be loved and welcomed and accepted. I wonder…could it be so. Isaiah’s vision says…it certainly can.
Jesus began to change things…he challenged those that thought they had it all together…he loved on those that knew they needed him…he pushed people out of what they had always been doing and always had known. Jesus began to help people see that it could be different…that the church didn’t have to be like it was…that faith was so much more…that love required action rather than just words. Jesus understood the struggles of people…their mental struggles, their physical struggles, their health struggles…he got it and reached them where they are…he didn’t ask them to become more like the religious people…he helped them become their best – who God had created them to be.
If we become more like Christ, this vision becomes clearer and clearer. If we walk like Jesus, the reality that this is the kingdom to come and yet, is here becomes more apparent. We begin working for reform right where we are. And we begin with ourselves. We begin with changing who we are so that we reflect Jesus. We don’t worry about what others are doing…we work on us…who we are, what we think, how we act, why we judge, what we need to do to become who Christ calls us to be.
I say…we look forward to this vision…make me an instrument in your plan, God. Renew, remake, shape, form and help me to see what you are up to. And Lord, use me to help make your vision of the kingdom a reality. Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done…on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.
SLOW DOWN! So many times we want to scream this to the top of our lungs…as life speeds by quicker than we can comprehend. When we see our children growing up or experience so many “firsts” or celebrate special occasions…we want to be able to slow time down. We want to savor the moments that we treasure so much. But no matter how loud we scream, time keeps moving…and we can grow weary trying to capture what has already passed.
Recently, I was a part of a training that discussed differences among cultures. A big difference for so many that come to America is our fixation on time. We schedule ourselves to death…almost literally. We value promptness…getting upset with those that don’t. We don’t want wasted moments in life…so we have big, fancy planners to remind us to keep up and do more. We are fascinated with how much we can fit into a day and disappointed when we can only squeeze 24 hours out of most days. Some try to figure out how to sleep less so they can do more. For those that work too much, they seek more time so they can also see their families.
Time is something we can’t buy, though. We don’t get the option to purchase an hour or barter for an extra 15 minutes…can you imagine the national deficit if we could?!?! We only get so much time and often, that is way shorter than we planned. So what do we do? We have money to make and goals to accomplish and children to raise and ladders to climb. We don’t have time…
I am as guilty as anyone else. On my wrist is an intent bracelet. There is printed on it this word…REST. Yes, I require this word to be on my wrist to remind me that rest is important. I am horrible about taking the time to rest and this is my little reminder of the value and the need to simply rest. In some ways, I am almost disappointed I have to be reminded. But in other ways, I am grateful I see the value of rest and treasure it enough to figure out little ways to remind me.
Since we can’t buy time, borrow time, or trade for it…maybe we stop counting it. Stop worrying about how old we are and how much time we supposedly have left. Stop focusing on what we haven’t done and is still to accomplish. What if time doesn’t matter? What if we simply enjoy the gift of each moment? What if we stop to see the beauty in this life we have been given? What if we take a moment to just breathe? It isn’t a waste. Maybe we even change our rhythm…count treasured moments rather than hours passed…count experiences rather than dollars…count relationships rather than transactions…count gifts rather than accumulation. Maybe today is the day to stop counting and start…living. And maybe today, we rest.
SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY 
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