Sunday, July 28, 2013

Pentecost 11 - C

Money Where Your Mouth Is

Introduction

It was about a decade ago when I saw the most unnecessary product ever invented. Christmas was coming and all the television channels were abuzz with the latest must have kitchen gadget… the electric iced tea maker.

Now, think about this for a second. First off, that Nestea tropical iced tea instant powder is the best stuff on the planet. Secondly, growing up I always made iced tea by putting tea bags in a jar of water and putting it out in the sun to brew, lastly, boil water, add tea bags, and put it in the fridge.

If you need a machine to do this, you are really just looking for something to buy. You must already own everything in the world.

It begs the question, what is important to you? Where do you put your energy?
And to be honest, we all like to buy new things. Sometimes we only buy useful new things.

Sometimes we just want the newer thing. I, for example, do not own a modern flat screen television and I would really love one.

But then again, when I have to decide, should I take my kids on a trip or buy a television, the kids win.

So that is what I invite you to take some time this morning to think about – what it is that you think is the most important to you, and why.

First Reading
Colossians 3:1-11

So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 

When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient. These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life.

But now you must get rid of all such things--anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator.

In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!

Doing the Right Thing

We know that Paul wrote to the churches in order to give advice on righteous living. Whenever we read these passages we should always be thinking of them as a sermon on good living. Paul also believed the world would end soon, so he was always making it sound urgent… you better straighten up and fly right or else the world will end and you will find yourself on the wrong side… that is essentially his message.

But if we were a little calmer, if we took away the life and death urgency of Paul, that moral advice is still right.

We should not let our passion, or our greed, or our anger, make the decisions for us. We should be focusing on the good and trying to live the example Jesus came to show us.

It is quite the list…. Stop doing all things that are wrong, and stop thinking all things that are wrong. Stop focusing on the wrong things and start focusing on Christ.

If you manage this, you will be able to see everyone as equal, you will be able to focus in a way that allows you to see the good in everything… you will know Christ as being in your heart. Which is Paul’s way of saying you will be living the way God intended.

I think of this as just being good advice, sort of like parents advice. You know you shouldn’t make fun of that person… You know if you just try to be nice… things like that. I think of this advice as being like the beginning of values.

Somewhere along the line we have all had people who have given us this advice, whether it was a parent, a teacher, a preacher, a boss…. And it comes in all sorts of ways, treat people like you would want to be treated, focus on what makes you happy… any of those sorts of things.

At the back of our minds, we all know this… so this is where we start.

Luke 12:13-21
Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." But he said to him, "Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?" And he said to them, "Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions."

Then he told them a parable: "The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, 'What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?' Then he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.'

But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?'

So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God."

Seek Ye First

I read a book once by a guy names Steven Covey, it was about the habits of highly effective people. It was sort of a business guide, how to be the best at what you do… but one of the idea in the book really stuck with me…

When you are dealing with someone, talking to them, whatever, treat it like it is the last time you will ever see this person.

I don’t know, maybe I will get hit by a bus this afternoon and this will be my last sermon ever. Maybe you will all die in a freak tornado that wipes out just your houses and I will never talk to you again….

It is a morbid idea, but it works. If this was the last time you would ever see your spouse, your child, your friend, what would you say? Would you argue about who misplaced the keys if it was the last thing you ever did?

It is a simply a tool to focus.

I think Jesus was being a realist with this parable, and it hits home with me in just the same way; what if I am focusing on the wrong things? What if I spend all my time worrying about the finances and forget to enjoy the day and the world ends tomorrow?

What if I have a heart attack? I probably will someday. Will I have put off for tomorrow a lot of the things I should have done today?

When someone came and said, help me get my inheritance from my brother, they were essentially saying, this money matters more to me than my brother. So Jesus answered in the same way I began this sermon, what is important to you? What do you value the most?

Have you given that any thought as we have been going along?

If you were given a thousand dollars right now, and could do anything with it, what would you do? Not a million, not ten, but a thousand. Enough to be extravagant but not enough to have to worry about it…. What would you spend it on?

Right about now I want to be on vacation, since it is only two weeks away, so I might do a week long hotel stay somewhere with a pool and whirlpool. In this moment, that is what I feel like I need.

If you asked me at a different time it would be different… but I do know that I value friends, family, trips, and food a lot. I also like to care for people, and want everyone to find happiness. Those are the things I put time and energy into the most.

And if in the end I walk out of this building and get struck by lightning, I know I have lived my life well. I have tried to do the best I could with what I have, and I have not put too much focus on the wrong things.

Conclusion

This is a pretty universal story. You might remember the Ant and the Grasshopper… the grasshopper wasted away all his time focusing on the wrong things… in one book I read it was playing the guitar… while the ants made sure they had enough food for the winter…

That was one of Aesop’s Fables, written for the ancient Greek children so they could learn the same values Jesus was trying to get across, the same values Paul was trying to teach the new church.

It is simply this – focus on what is important. We all know what that would be, focus on love, on family, on health, on happiness, on helping others, on caring and sharing… focus on living the good life in a way that you enjoy the gifts God gives you…

And when you do this you will find that your life is easier, that you have more happiness than an electric iced tea maker will ever bring you, and that you feel fulfilled in all you do.

So think about it this week, and try to see what needs changing, or focus on what you are already doing, but be conscious about it…. That is part of faithful living too.


Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Pentecost 9 - C

You’re So Martha

Introduction

Where do you find God?

Not, actually, where, but how… hmmm… what am I trying to say…. You see, we all feel God’s presence in the world at different times, and perhaps I am trying to ask what you think that feels like, or how you find it…

There are many different ways to experience God. Some people find that being all alone and quiet help them to feel God’s presence while some people find God through helping others.  Some people find God in a church service and others while singing or listening to music.

But what are we talking about when we say “experience God” what does that feel like?

I think there are a lot of different answers to that as well. When my first daughter was born she was born with the cord wrapped around her neck, she was rushed away to neo-natal intensive care before I even really saw her. Then I spent hours wondering if she would live or die.

Late, late into the night I was lying on a cot in the hospital when it seemed a voice came to me in my head that said, “Everything will be ok” and I suddenly fell asleep.

To me, that moment was a feeling of God being present in my life. It is not the only way I have ever felt God and for each person it is different. But that certainly is one way… a feeling of peace, a feeling of hope, a feeling of being cared for that overwhelms you and makes you feel that everything is going to be all right.

Have you felt that? Have you felt God in other ways? How?

Genesis 18:1-10a

The LORD appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground.

He said, "My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on--since you have come to your servant." So they said, "Do as you have said."

And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes." Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.

They said to him, "Where is your wife Sarah?" And he said, "There, in the tent." Then one said, "I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son."

Unawares

Have you ever heard the statement, “entertaining angels unawares”? It comes from the Bible, Hebrews chapter 13 to be exact, and it is in a section where they are writing to the followers of Jesus and giving advice – be nice to strangers, you never know when they might be angels…

One of the strangest and perhaps creepiest experiences I ever had in a church happened when I was just a student. I was working for the year in a big church in Ottawa, and one weekend we were having a youth sleepover. Now, the doors were all locked, the kids were all in the gym with the leaders, and we were having a snack.

Suddenly this homeless guy comes walking into the gym. No one knows who he is or how he got there. What we decided to do was to invite him to share our snack… Kool-Aid and cookies if I recall… and then we talked to him for a while and he went on his way.

Later when I talked to another leader we both thought of this saying, about how a homeless man appears behind locked doors, about angels in unexpected places, you know, all that sort of stuff.

We encounter God when we encounter people. We really do. Jesus suggested that we should care for the last and least, because when we do, we find God. Abraham cared for the strangers who walked out of the desert and was blessed with a child.

Perhaps you have also heard that old adage, it is better to give than to receive. I think we say that when we don’t get enough Christmas presents… but there is something to the idea… and it is this: the encounter with the divine, with the good feelings, with the love that is God happens when we care for other people. When we love, we feel love.

This is one of the strongest ways we feel God in our lives, by allowing God to work through us and therefore filling us with love.

Psalm 52 (VU p. 777)

Luke 10:38-42

Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying.

But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me."

But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her."

Different Strokes

Jesus has an interesting relationship with these two women. They show up a few times, he is always over at their house. You might remember that he also brings their brother Lazarus back from the dead.

We also see this personality trait over and over in the two sisters. Mary is the one who listens and thinks, probably paints and plays music too. Martha is the one who works cleaning and cooking and organizing.

There are all different kinds of people, we all know that. For example there are extroverts and there are introverts. What that really means is that an extrovert will get energy from being around people and an introvert will get energy being alone.

Extroverts can walk right up to anyone and start a conversation. I envy them that. I am an introvert. People who are introverted tend to think about things deeply before talking, so it is harder to speak off the cuff.

But the point is, one way is not right, nor is one way wrong… they are just different.

This passage in Luke is the closest you will ever hear to Jesus getting upset with Martha. But even still, he does not say anything against her, or tell her she is doing the wrong thing. She is being Martha, and that is what she needs to do.

Do you feel more fulfilled reading a book or cooking a meal? Do you like to walk outdoors or go to a movie? These are all things that each of us find affects us in different ways. The idea of life is to recognize what brings you happiness, what fills your soul, and do it.

You see, we are not going to find the presence of God in things that drain the life right out of us. We all have to do those things from time to time. But they are not the places that bring us strength and a feeling of God restoring our souls.

Now, that is not to say that God is not present, that God does not give you strength to get through those things, but I am talking about the way God renews, restores, and refreshes us… we need to be doing things that bring us joy. And for each of us, those might be different.

A Poem

I read this poem and it is simple, sort of a prayer, but it talks about the parts of a day and how they are all different and yet, we find God in the midst of each.  It is by a United Church minister, Greta Vosper

A sky, streaked with the promise of day,
and I am called to anticipate all that might be.
The heat of the day heavy upon me,
and I am challenged to acknowledge
the responsibilities I hold.
The shade of the afternoon, like grace, soothes me,
and I am offered a reflection of my own rich gifts.
The cool of the evening
set in the midst of a candlelit heaven,
and I am awed by the fulfillment of another day.
We open ourselves as those who seek the holy 

You see, we know all about how there are different times and different situations. I think that we can even recognize that we feel closer to God, that we see the holy, in some moments more easily than in others. I guess I think we need to think about those things and try to be open to those feelings.

Conclusion

You may have recognized that my sermon was actually about two things, where we find God, and what we find.

And even within that I contradicted myself. Truth is we find God everywhere… in moments when we are in pain, or afraid, but also in moments of happiness or love.

But what I want you to consider for today, and think about as you leave here, is that we need to find moments where God gives us energy, moments that make us happy, moments that bring strength. If we do not have those, then the hard times that surely come upon us all will be harder.

So what makes your heart happy? Is it fishing, painting, music, reading, cooking, cleaning, building, sleeping?

Do those things… don’t ignore them and say you have to much work to do. We need the fun things too.
Because the answer to my “what does God feel like” question is that God feels good. God is the feeling of love and hope and peace and security and happiness that brings a spring to our step. And we need those feelings.


Once upon a time Sunday was a day simply for the things that made us happy, for resting and family, and food, I invite you to try this week to focus on the things that restore your soul. It will make it a better week no matter what you face.

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Pentecost 8 - C

The Good Samaritan Revisited

Opening

I have always figured Christians fall into one of two camps. I know there are hundreds of variations, but I think all of those, whether liberal or conservative, whether catholic or protestant, all fall into these two things: Either you think what you do matters most, or you think what matters most is what you think.

Confess your faith in Jesus Christ as your saviour and you will get into heaven, goes the saying in one school of thought.

Follow in Christ’s way and live by his example and you will get into heaven, goes the other.

I am firmly in the last camp, just so you know. I think actions speak much louder than words. In fact, I think people who say they are not Christian and do good things are being just as faithful as I am.

In the old time biblical way of speaking of things they called actions the fruits… the fruits of your labour…. The things that grew because of what you did…

I started today with Paul’s letter to the Church in Colossae because I think this is a good place for us to start thinking about what it means to follow Jesus – Paul speaks of it as the Gospel Bearing fruit.

And by that he means that the teachings are starting to have an effect.

Has anyone ever gone on a diet? I hate it because the first thing that happens is that you get irritable, then you start to crave every single thing you should not eat, and all the while you are looking in the mirror and seeing no change.

But there comes this moment, where the extra walking, or the lack of cheesecake really does kick in and you feel good about yourself. There comes a moment where the work starts to seem like it is making a difference and you get more energy….

You see, there is a feeling in Paul’s words that we all know… we all know this sense that things start to turn around, they start to pay off, and we get it.

Paul describes it as being made strong and joyful … when things come together and we know we are on the right track.

Whether we are talking about diets, about work, about faith, or about life… those are the moments to treasure.

Readings

Psalm 82 (VU p. 799)
Luke 10:25-37
Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he said, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"  He said to him, "What is written in the law? What do you read there?" He answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." And he said to him, "You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live."

But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, 'Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.'

Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?" He said, "The one who showed him mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

Of Samaritans and Cutpurses

What would shock and embarrass you into action? What would you have to see happening in order to step in? I have to say there are a lot of things that I wish I did that I didn’t do. The other day I saw a father yelling at their kids in a mall, like screaming at them… and I wanted to go tell him to cool it, relax, think about what he was doing… but I just walked away feeling awkward.

On the other hand, there was a guy whose car would not start the other day and I went and boosted him since I had jumper cables. Just a stranger in a parking lot, but he told me that he had been there quite a while and no one else had stopped to help.

There is a lot going on in the Good Samaritan story, but cut right to the core and it is about loving the neighbour… which is never an easy thing.

See, the first two characters are religious; it is not just the average person passing by, but really religious people… and Jesus is trying to point out to his listeners, by embarrassing them admittedly, that the religious people are often too self-righteous to help. He is not wrong about this… there are those that think people get into their own messes because they are not faithful and will not help them, there are others who say, with all the best intentions, I will pray for you, but still just walk on by.

The last person is the unexpected person… the Samaritan, the outsider, the one you would think would not help. Like have a black person help a white person in the South in the 1960’s or having a gay person help a red neck with a flat tire…

The people saw this; they knew that Samaritans were a bunch of liars, cheats, and losers…. But… if a Samaritan did the right thing when the holy people wouldn’t… what does that mean?

Anger Management

So I am assuming you have heard a sermon once or twice about the Good Samaritan. I am also assuming that someone, somewhere, has told you to love your neighbour, and even that your neighbour might not be who you expect… so good, remember that… but I want to talk to you about righteous anger.

Or rather, about when is it NOT okay to just be religious? You see, Jesus was talking to a bunch of church goers, he was talking to Session Members and trustees and they were asking him, what are we supposed to be doing as a church… surely you don’t mean we are supposed to love everyone…. There are a lot of people who do not deserve love…

And Jesus got angry. We don’t talk about that much, but he did. And the point of this story is to put the holier than though Pharisees and Sadducees down. He is not really trying to convert them, that would be a bonus, but he IS trying to insult them.

I wonder if we are too polite? I wonder if we ignore things we should not ignore? I wonder what it would be like if you challenged people for stupid questions and dumb answers. What if someone said something and you told them that answer wasn’t good enough… how would they react.

I do not think when Jesus said we should be a good neighbour that the point was to be a pushover. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Jesus stood up for what he believed and did not suffer fools gladly. I think we have gotten into a lot of trouble in society by being too polite, too nice, too accepting… Now, don’t get me wrong, I think love is the centre of everything, and I think we need to love everyone the way God does, I would NEVER tell you to be judgemental about anyone or anything.

But at the same time, stick up for what you believe in, hold people accountable for their actions, keep pointing out when people are making mistakes…  That is all part of being faithful to the way of Jesus too.

Conclusion

Love, when it is done right, is all about honesty and openness, about transparency and accountability. So when  Jesus is saying, Love your neighbour he is saying a whole lot more than, be nice to them. He is saying that we should challenge them to be better people, we should be there when they fall into the ditch, we should accept them for who they are, we should share who we really are…


Being a real neighbour is not easy…. But it is part of the struggle of being a real Christian.