The Ultimate Gift

This was my sermon for December 30 at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, NC.

⁴¹Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. ⁴²And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. ⁴³When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. ⁴⁴Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. ⁴⁵When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. ⁴⁶After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. ⁴⁸When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.” ⁴⁹He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s domain?” ⁵⁰But they did not understand what he said to them. ⁵¹Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. ⁵²And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.

Luke 2: 41-52

One of my favorite shows lately is “Little Mosque”- the story of a growing Muslim community in a very small Canadian town where a small protestant church, about the same size as Westminster, has opened its doors and converted their fellowship hall into a mosque.  Each episode chronicles the struggles, both humorous and serious, of the community as people of many beliefs come together.  One of my favorite episodes deals with a wedding gift for a young Muslim couple that no one knows anything about.  The young couple goes to everyone they know and talks about how wonderful this gift is and how they can’t wait to use it, hoping to trick their friends into actually saying what it is used for.  After a long day of “research” they find out that the family member who sent the gift to them actually re-gifted because they had no idea what it was for.  We have all been there at some point, trying to figure out why we were given something or what its function is.  About ten years ago our family was given a very pretty and interesting plate shaped like a flower- huge purple petals, yellow center, and green leaves.  There was no denying that it was a pretty plate but there was also no denying that it matched absolutely nothing in our house.  Mom tucked it away in a cabinet for us to see again and again over the next five years, always wondering if we had any use for it yet.  It finally found a new home where it was loved in a white elephant gift exchange.  Maybe some of us are struggling with that now as we try to find the right place to put that “wonderful” gift from your co-worker where you can confidently say that you set it out right away while only you know that it was strategically placed behind a few things.

            I wouldn’t be surprised if people felt the same way about Jesus when he was born- all of this excitement and traveling and for what?  Mary was told that her son was the son of God, however I am sure that did not make the labor process any easier.  Joseph probably had high expectations for this kid, maybe expecting him to be born and immediately pick up a hammer and work beside Joseph.  Shepherds were called to by angels and went immediately to see this precious child, and all he did was lay there in the manger and probably cry.  The animals saw this baby in their food and doing nothing but knew that for some reason, even though it wasn’t terribly visible at the time, this was ok.  This child is the son of God, but he looks like a normal baby!  

            Thankfully, Luke doesn’t take long to get to the point and almost immediately we find the twelve-year old Jesus in the temple.  It is left to our imaginations what happens in the twelve years that have passed but I can only imagine that Jesus had his fun and caused his own amount of trouble just like any other kid.  I’m sure Mary and Joseph wanted to wring his neck after the third time he came running through the house with muddy feet and he probably didn’t always go to bed when he was told to.  However, that is not important.  What is important is what we find in today’s New Testament reading.

            In today’s text we find what is supposed to be the role model family as Mary, Joseph, and Jesus travel to Jerusalem to observe Passover according to the Torah just as they always do.  Everything seems to have gone smoothly until the return- Jesus is missing.  Now, remembering that Jesus is only twelve and thinking about our own children both at home and at the church we can probably understand why Mary and Joseph thought little of his disappearance at first, figuring that he was with some other travelers in the crowd.  However after a few days have passed they realize that something wrong and they return to Jerusalem, probably wishing they had given Jesus that Camel Phone he had asked for on his last birthday.  The fun begins when they finally reach Jerusalem a few days later and find a completely unphased Jesus in the temple and acting quite unlike most twelve year old boys today- he is sitting with and asking questions of the teachers and my guess is it must be a pretty great conversation if they aren’t shooing him away as if he was any other twelve year old boy. 

Now, I don’t have children but I do have nieces who can be very troublesome, so I can almost understand how Mary probably felt when she found him- and it wasn’t the warm fuzzy feeling that her son was the Child of God.  Right away she asks her son why he has put his father and herself through all of this and making them sick with worry.  This is when we find Jesus’ very first words in the Gospel so of course they carry a whole lot of meaning- the young Jesus asks his mother why they even looked for him, that surely they knew he would be in his Father’s domain.  While Jesus may not necessarily be referring directly to the building of the temple itself but rather among the activity and people of his Father, it is very interesting and important to note that the temple served as the center for Israelite life all the way back to the time of Samuel when the temple was finally built in a permanent location.  Jesus’ response is a loaded response if I ever heard one- not only was he not concerned, but he cancelled out Joseph as his father.  Here we find what one commentator refers to as Jesus’ “precocious understanding of himself” not as the son of Mary and Joseph, but rather as the Son of God.  This is probably the first time that Mary has thought of her special gift in a very long time.  This is when we see that the angels were right in all that they told the Shepherds in the field- that baby in the manger wasn’t just any other baby and gift from God, he was THE baby and the ULTIMATE gift from God.  Jesus’ twelve year old escapades bring that to the surface for the first time, and from here on out we are never given the opportunity in the Gospel to forget it.  

One of my favorite movies to watch this time of year is “The Ultimate Gift”, based on the novel by Jim Stovall.  This movie tells the story of a young man named Jason, probably in his late twenties, who has always had everything handed to him on a silver platter and never wanted for anything.  His grandfather has recently passed away and has supposedly left Jason a gift, only he has to complete a series of tasks to receive this gift.  At the end of a very long twelve months Jason has completed the twelve tasks set out by his late Grandfather and has consequently received a series of immaterial gifts such as friendship and hard work.  In the end, Jason also receives just a few billion dollars to use in a way that gives these same gifts to others and is appropriately called “The Ultimate Gift”.  I have recently read the sequel to this book and movie, “The Ultimate Life” in which Jason is taken to court by his very jealous and greedy family.  In order to keep control of the Ultimate Gift, Jason must once again prove that he did truly learn his lesson from each task and can pass the lesson and gift on to others.  Throughout the year-long trial, Jason not only passes the gifts onto others, but must keep continue to remember the words of his grandfather as he gave each gift to him through a series of videos, as well as all that he experienced first hand as he received them.

Jason is not terribly unlike Mary who, having been reminded that Jesus is God’s Son, has to remember all that she was told and saw when she conceived her son and gave birth.  From this point on, she will continue to raise Jesus with her husband Joseph, but they have been reminded and Jesus is obviously very aware that there are far greater things waiting for him beyond working next to Joseph in the woodshop.  As much as Mary has likely enjoyed her time with her son as they celebrated birthdays, enjoyed family dinners, went to temple, and were simply a family she must now take the time to remember a much greater layer that exists in her little boy and begin to allow that layer to come to surface for the rest of the world to see.

Jesus’ time in the temple is only the first of many, many occasions in which he begins to show his family and the world the way in which we should live.  Jesus has laid the first of many, many stepping stones and it is up to not just Mary, but to all of us to remember the promises that came before and all that comes after in a way that doesn’t just live in our minds, but rather in our hearts and most importantly our actions.

This past Tuesday many of us gathered with our families and friends to celebrate a very joyous holiday.  Presents were given and received, food was consumed, and laughs were shared.  We may not have known what to do with some of our gifts or maybe we did and just didn’t quite see why it was given to us.  The what is not the point though, but rather the how.  The gifts that we received over this past week were given with love, in hopes that they would bring a smile to our face and joy to our heart and show us how much our friends and family care for us.  Just as the friend sent the mysterious gift to the young couple in “Little Mosque” to recognize their engagement and celebrate with them, and just as our family friend gave us a very pretty plate for Christmas to show us that they remembered us and were thinking of us, God gave Mary and the whole world his one and only Son to remind us that God is with us always and to give us a new way to hear God’s word in our lives.  The fact that Jesus’ first words in the Gospel of Luke relate him as the Son of God is not anything to take lightly- this is a reminder of the true gift that the little baby in the manger was, and all that he will one day be.

Beginning in the temple and continuing throughout the rest of his life, Jesus laid out a path for us to follow- a path that showed us how to share the love of God through the way that we live our lives, a way that doesn’t just reach into our own lives but into the lives of those that are around us.  When Jason’s grandfather left him “the ultimate gift” it wasn’t so that he alone would learn these twelve important life lessons, but so that he could share them with the world.

Jesus started his journey as the true ultimate gift by sitting with the teachers in the temple and asking them questions.  We can start our journey by reaching out to our neighbors, family, and friends with the love of God and Christmas joy in our hearts.  Maybe we simply need to give them a hug or maybe it includes spending an afternoon at a soup kitchen.  For others it might be sending a card just to say that you are thinking of them.  

Jesus was given to the world as the one and only, true ultimate gift.  He isn’t the kind of gift that gets put on the shelf to be admired from afar and only brought down to be dusted.  He definitely doesn’t belong in a kitchen cabinet until we find a use for him.  Jesus is the gift that gets carried around with us everywhere we go, just as young children carry around their favorite Christmas presents to show off to any and everyone that they meet in the coming days.

It turns out there really was a reason for the shepherds to come to the stable, for the animals to relinquish their food, and for Mary to go through the pain of childbirth.  Sure, Jesus may have appeared to be like any other baby at first but there was so much more to come and even after he reminds his earthly parents of his purpose, even Jesus recognizes that he has some growing to do and returns home with Mary and Joseph and the text says, “Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.”

 

Santa and Christ: A Followup

            After receiving some various feedback against my last post I just want to clarify a few things from MY perspective.  I understand that many people believe many different things and I have absolutely no problem with that, in fact I support it.  I refuse to force my opinions and beliefs on to other people and that is one reason I am incredibly fed up with Facebook and Twitter and debating deleting both accounts- I am tired of being told that everything I think is completely wrong because I don’t agree with one person.  So that being said, first I want to make sure that whoever reads this knows that I am voicing MY thoughts from MY perspective and have never asked for you to believe me, follow what I say, or care at all- I simply use this blog as a way to get my thoughts out there, not directed at any people in particular and if it makes one person think than great.

            NOW, in regard to the issues brought to my attention regarding my blog about bring Christ and Santa back into Christmas.  There are two key things that you need to know about me before we go any further- I am a Christian and celebrate Christmas from the Christian standpoint AND I am 24 years old and believe 100% in the SPIRIT of Santa.

            We never really had a big Christmas in my family.  Sure, there was one year that I got a trumpet… my sister got a cell phone another year… my other sister got some American Girl dolls… but they were special years.  In general my family celebrates Christmas in what I have learned to be a very unique way- we never focus on the gifts.  Yes, we do give gifts but the Santa gifts especially always had an important reminder with them- we got three.  Yes… only three Santa gifts and I guess one from my parents.  Don’t go running away with your imagination though thinking these were huge gifts- they were and still are a book, a piece of jewelry (never anything super nice but always something beautiful, unique, and special each of us), and something else.  We got three gifts because Jesus got three gifts.  When we bought gifts for each other we didn’t go overboard either- usually a CD or stuffed animal for the sisters and I honestly don’t remember what we did for my parents before we could go out on or own at which time we generally combined on something nice for them.  We never focused on the gifts, but always on the meaning behind the three and more importantly the togetherness.  Christmas morning has always been a special time for my family and probably one of the few times my sisters and I can be in a room without fighting (mostly because stockings had already been placed and that fight was big enough for two days :D).

            In addition to the three gifts, my parents were always great at reminding us what we were really celebrating- it wasn’t Santa coming to see us or the gifts we were given (of which I can maybe tell you 3-4 today) but instead it was the birth of Jesus Christ.  Our house was full of gorgeous nativity scenes, we never missed church during Advent or on Christmas Eve (I blame Mom being Director of Christian Ed), and it was a continual discussion in our house all through the season.  That being said, Santa was never absent from our home either.

            Every year we did and still do leave out cookies or some kind of snack for Santa.  We still hang stockings.  We still go to bed “early” so that Santa can come (i.e. Mom and Dad can get to bed too lol).  Every Christmas morning we still stop what we are doing and listen to our Santa letter- a letter that addresses each child individually and gives advice, sometimes “scolds”, but always gives hope based on what has happened over the past year and is to come.  Apart from Christmas, we went to the mall every year and got a Santa picture until sometime when Felicity was in college.  I still try to go and do it.

            That gives you a brief background of how I see Christmas- as someone who always tries to remember the Christian Christmas and celebrates with Santa, even at 24 years old.  Now- people brought up issues of Christ and Santa coexisting and the negative aspects of Santa from a variety of places and times.  So here is the requested response-

            Yes, I full heartedly believe that Christ and Santa can in fact coexist.  Santa is not about getting, but about giving.  The man that Santa is based off of, Saint Nicholas, was a very prominent Christian who set a wonderful example for all of us to live by and one that follows the path laid out by Christ.  There are those who have turned Santa into a figure that represents the receiving of gifts and has only focused on what they want from Santa, but believe it or not they seem to be few and far between.  You cannot tell me that people are only focused on themselves and that Santa isn’t important anymore because I have watched hundreds of children (and heard about thousands more) sit on Santa’s lap when my Dad has gone to Ft. Bragg to sit as Santa- many of them asked for something for themselves, but many more asked for something for a friend or family member.  Letters to Santa aren’t always lists of things that kids want- I have talked to people who volunteered with the post office and read these letters and read stories of kids who were in trouble in school, wanted jobs for their parents, were worried about the world and showed to be so much more self-less than we ever gave them credit for.  Santa serves as an adult figure for many to look to when they can’t talk to someone else.  As a child I knew that I could pray to God and bring my problems to God, but I also saw that Santa was physical and I saw things on the news and TV of Santa making people’s lives better.  There is nothing wrong with keeping both in my life.  I have also had to sit down with kids who just told a younger kid that Santa wasn’t real, explaining to them why the younger kid was devastated and crying and the importance of keeping the secret that Santa isn’t real.  There is so much good represented in Santa when you let go of the commercialism (which I will admit is way out of hand and I am the first one to tell you I am against it- even the coca-cola red suit).

            There are cultures and people that do not see Santa in this way and I will never fault them.  Something has happened that has changed the outlook on Santa in many places and I may never understand it because I have never lived in those situations.  However I also know that when I traveled to Ghana and Chiapas, Santa was a bonding point.  That being said, there are many many places where Christians are persecuted and every fault that can be thought of is brought to surface about God but does that mean that we can’t celebrate our own faith?

            I can sit here and address everything on the lists that were sent to me, but I don’t think it is necessary.  Things can be summed up like this- the true spirit of Santa focuses on giving to those in need and following a path set forth by Jesus Christ, God’s son.  I fully believe that this spirit is still alive in many- I see it in the kids that come to see Santa, I see it in the men who sit as Santa (and yes, I do know many of these men and they are incredibly special and I would venture to say that 98% of them are truly living the spirit of Santa year round), I see it in strangers that I pass at the mall.  Further, I fully believe that this spirit of Santa can and does co-exist with Christ and serves as another representation of the Christian life.  I also believe that the spirit of both should not only be looked to and celebrated during the month of Advent, but year round.

Were Santa and Jesus given a one way ticket?

The last few Christmas’s  have been very disappointing for me with the exception of one.  I wasn’t disappointed because of presents or anything like that (I really am not a present receiving person… I hate trying to find somewhere to put stuff or even worse, what if I don’t like it?)- I was disappointed because it never felt like Christmas because I was so busy with everything else, hence the only exception is right after I graduated and had nothing to do but sit back and relax.  Now, for any of you who really know me even a little bit you know that I LOVE Christmas so when I wasn’t feeling it this year I started to think a little deeper about what the problem is and thankfully (and not) heard from friends that they had the same problem.  My conclusion? Christmas is missing two things- Santa, and more importantly, Christ.

Think about it- when you were a kid and still believed in Santa the world was glittery and nothing could go wrong during the moth between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  We wrote letters to Santa and checked the mailbox every day until we got our reply.  We wondered in amazement at the fact that there were so many Santa’s at the mall and tried to figure out which one was real.  We “ALWAYS” behaved just in case Santa found out and we lost our presents.  I remember laying awake in bed on Christmas Eve listening for any little sound that could be Santa- one time I even heard him break a mug when he was making coffee! I could go on and on but don’t need to- we all remember those days.  Then, one day in fourth grade Dad asked me to go shopping with him.  I will never forget that day- I even remember exactly where we were when he told me the truth (sitting at the light at the intersection of Atlantic Ave and New Hope Church Rd) that he and Mom helped Santa out because there are too many kids for him to get to in one night, and now that I knew I got to help as well.  The next few years were great- I knew Santa didn’t come to our house but I got to help Mom and Dad (and Felicity) pick out things for stockings and keep it going for Noel.  Over the years we didn’t pick out stocking gifts anymore- that was back to Mom and Dad and since Noel knew the secret there wasn’t any reason to keep playing around.  Then came the point when I really didn’t want anything for Christmas, probably because I realized just how expensive things got and knew the difference between need and want.  Studying for exams took precedence over preparing for Christmas… then it was figuring out schedules and how everything was actually going to happen when I finally got home.  This year my focus turned from exams almost immediately to writing sermons and preparing for interviews.  I let life take Santa away.

Then there is the more immediate problem, and a quite ironic one for someone in seminary- we have let Christ slip slowly away from CHRISTmas.  You think I’m kidding? If you have one, go look at your ADVENT calendar.  What is on it? Mine has a pretty nativity scene… but under the doors are simple pictures dealing with Christmas and not Advent.  When looking on Pinterest I keep finding cute ideas for making advent calendars- my favorite is a muffin tin with magnetic circles to cover the holes that are filled with a present for each day.  City governments are passing laws that ban nativity scenes in public areas.  We are getting so caught up in all of our party planning and exam studying that we skip church (I’m guilty), which has been turned into a month-long production rather than worship (this is the best time of year to find new members, right?).  Just the other day I was talking to a minister friend who was stressed and frazzled and told me that she misses enjoying Christmas- now it is all about getting the right presents for her kids, getting everything ready for her family vacations, and of course preparing for every service and event at her church while ministering to those who are in great need during this time.  Gave me a whole lot to look forward to.  Schools can’t even celebrate Christmas because of its relation to Christianity and it would be a terrible thing to bring Christ into the schools.

So, here is my proposal.  Let’s bring Santa back and especially let’s bring Christ back.  You still have a few days- write a letter to Santa.  It doesn’t have to be a list of toys, but maybe there is something you want (material or otherwise) and going back to your childhood and sending that request to Santa could do wonders.  Make a point to get to church this weekend and on Christmas Eve.  Sit down and read the birth narrative in the Bible (this year’s lectionary is using the Luke account).  Even better, tie the two together.  My absolute favorite decoration at Christmas is Santa kneeling at the manger- I have the image on an ornament that hangs at the very front of my tree.  On the back of my ornament is this prayer-

“Lord, you know that you’re the reason I take pleasure in this season.  I don’t want to take Your place, but just reflect your wondrous grace.  And so when they       begin to open gifts which they have been hoping, may they give You all the glory, for you’re the one true Christmas story.”

SO, in these last few days of ADVENT bring both Santa, who works on behalf of Christ, and Christ back into the season.  My nieces have it right- they listen when Mommy reminds them that Santa is watching and they worry because they can’t find the Baby Jesus ornament. Let’s learn from that toddler innocence.

To Do Lists

This is the sermon that I wrote for my Preaching and Worship class.  It is based on the lectionary for the 2nd Sunday in Advent (December 9). 

"In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar--when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene-- 2 during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "A voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. 5 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. 6 And all people will see God's salvation.' " (Luk 3:1 TNIV)

We spend our life in a state of constant preparation- picking out the perfect outfit the night before our first day of school; nervously pacing as we wait for our first date and deciding last minute to change outfits for the fifth time; loading the car up with our favorite things from home so that we can have them with us at college; studying for exams; buying that perfect ring and figuring out the best way to tell that special someone that they are the one you want to spend the rest of your life with; the excitement of finding out that you are about to do it all over again with a little one that is your own; planning for retirement and maybe even looking for more full-time care.  As a church we are preparing our building for new adventures and preparing a new budget.  Whether we have only experienced a few of these, or all of them, we have all spent time in preparation.  In fact, many of us might even be in this sometimes stressful state right now as we clean house, bake cookies, hang lights, and prepare for family from all over to come take over our house and eat all of our food… I mean visit.  We have “to-do” lists a mile long, all things needing to be done yesterday and no time to do it today.  In fact, if I were sitting where you are right now, I would probably have a bulletin covered in different lists- alas, that will have to wait until later.

This state of preparation is nothing new- in fact it has been around much longer than our preparation for the first day of school.  We have been told to prepare ourselves since the 6^th century, BCE when the prophet Isaiah told the people to prepare the way for the Lord.  Those to-do lists that cover today’s bulletin? They were not the first to be put there- Isaiah’s call is found once again in today’s reading in Luke.  Here, we find John the Baptist moving attention away from himself and to the messiah that is to come.  'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'  This to-do list only has one thing on it though- to prepare by making straight paths. Right. So is this when we call in our city governments and have them find a way to straighten out all of our roads real quick and fill in those potholes? I know Capital Blvd. isn’t a road that is ready for anyone of any status above “common” to be on- I am convinced my car has to go in the shop every time I drive on that road.  I think it is safe for us to agree that Isaiah and John are NOT talking about the condition of their roads though, but rather about the lives that serve as a pathway for the Lord to move through.

In his commentary on Luke, John Carroll suggests that when John the Baptist announces this word from the Prophet Isaiah, John is issuing “an urgent summons for a commitment to justice”.  There is no direct situation pointed to in this call, likely meaning that John is issuing this summons to all people in a very general circumstance- essentially telling them to reevaluate their life and make any changes that would make it better. This commitment to justice does lead them to focus outside of their own selves though and to look at how they relate to others around them.

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is lighting luminaries.  My appreciation for this tradition came when I was young and used to go around the neighborhoods with my Dad’s Boy Scout troop passing out fliers about the upcoming luminaries, packing the sand bags, and then delivering them with instructions of how to set them up on Christmas Eve.  Following the worship service at our church, we would drive around the surrounding neighborhoods where we passed out supplies and drove up and down the streets that were lined with these beautiful candle lit bags.  Even today at 24 years old, my favorite part of preparing on Christmas Eve is lighting the luminaries around our own cul-de-sac, a job that was graciously relinquished to me when my neighbors realized my excitement saved them some extra work.  For me, one of the most exciting parts of this tradition was waking up throughout the night as a child and peering out my window, not just looking for Santa but making sure the candles were still lit because I had been told as that we lit these candles as a way of lighting the path for Mary and Joseph as they traveled to Bethlehem and later gave birth to the baby Jesus- so needless to say, I thought it was very important to make sure they stayed lit throughout the night to make sure that Mary and Joseph could find their way (the fact that we were just a few miles away from Bethlehem did not matter to me).  This form of preparation has recently been taken on as a way to light the road of preparation in other ways- the University of North Carolina at Greensboro lights up all of campus the night before “Reading Day” as students begin their studying for final exams.  I can’t help but look to this image of the luminaries on Christmas Eve and my former nights of studying at UNCG as an example of how we should live in accordance to Isaiah’s call to his people- as guiding points along the long and sometimes dark path. 

While our own individual lives should serve as their own pathway and even vehicle for the Lord, I can’t help but think how much easier it is to see on a dark, cold night in December when there is more than one single luminary.  When we drove down the streets that were lined with bags, we almost didn’t need the street lights overhead.  As a college student on UNCG’s campus, I could have studied by the light of the couple-thousand candles throughout campus.  However, the only reason that the multiple luminaries are as bright as they are together is because each light is holding its own individually.  As we look at our own lives, we should find ways to make our own light shine brighter whether that is big or small, and then continue to find ways to shine brighter as we go further down our own paths.  Once our lives are shining brighter, we can then look to our relationships with others and find ways to make the multiple lights shine brighter together.  This is when we find the pathway full of light and it is ready and prepared for the Lord.

It is not always about preparation though- preparation leads up to something, otherwise there would be no point to it.  Isaiah assures us that our preparation of a straight path for the Lord leads to the valleys being filled and mountains and hills being made low, crooked and rough roads being made straight and smooth.  Just think- if you didn’t make to-do lists, spend time choosing outfits for school and dates, setting up a nursery for the baby on the way, or planning for retirement what would happen when the big day finally came? What if we didn’t take the time in session meetings to go over changes to our budget a hundred times? Well, you would be late for school or that date, the baby would never make it out of your room because you definitely wouldn’t have time to set-up a nursery once it arrived, you would be without a job and nothing else to do, and we would have no idea how much money we have or what can be done with it. We prepare so that when the big day or event comes, nothing goes wrong.  We prepare so that we can enjoy.  The valleys are filled and mountains made low so that we can easily maneuver and see better what is happening thanks to our preparation.

To me, the greatest point of all in John’s recount of Isaiah’s words is what happens after we prepare- all of humankind will see salvation, a point that is unique to this Lukan account.  All of humankind.  Not just the Disciples that followed Jesus on his journey to the cross.  Not just those hearing Isaiah’s or John’s voice at that time.  Not just Presbyterians, or Baptists, or Methodists, or Lutherans- ALL of humankind.  This is the point when everyone hearing these words probably realized that whoever was coming was much more than they could ever imagine if EVERY human would see salvation when they came.  Throughout the last few weeks we have spent time talking about how we relate to others that may or may not be like us- well, this assurance is exactly why that is important.  ALL of humankind will see salvation so it doesn’t matter what it is that we think about others because they are in this mix as well, whether we like it or not.

I am sure that all of us remember the excitement of getting ready for a big day- the world seems to be moving faster and there is not enough time, your palms might be sweaty, your mind is racing, you double check every last detail to ensure that it is perfect.  The craziest thing to think about is that in this time of Advent and preparation, we are not just preparing for family to come visit or for the new Church budget year- we are preparing our lives and our hearts for the one who will be born, the baby that did and continues to change the world.  We all know that babies don’t stay babies for long- sometimes it even seems like they are only a baby for one short day, and it is as this baby grows up into to the man that we know as Jesus Christ that we see the valleys filled, mountains made low, and crooked and rough roads made straight and smooth.

So, take a moment and think about how you can make your own life’s path a little straighter… how can you make the pathways of your relationships straighter?  Maybe this means that we relax a bit more, or become more aggressive in the way we take things on.  Maybe we need to spend more time focusing on ourselves rather than everyone else, or maybe we need to spend more time focusing on others than ourselves.   These changes can be any number of things for any person, but what is important to remember is that we all have our own light burning right now, we just need to continue to make it burn brighter. The brighter each individual light, the brighter the pathway as all of the lights come together. Because sometimes you can't make the path straighter until it is lit enough that you can see the bends.

All thanks be to God, the one who gave us our only to-do list and lit our candle so that we could see it and prepare appropriately.  Amen.

                               

Life in a Fishbowl

This is a sermon that I recently wrote for my preaching and worship class, meant for congregation that is small and trying to grow.  On a day when the nation seems to be more split than it was two days ago, I think that this text and sermon carries a heavy message that applies to this situation as well.  My only prayer is that we can come together as nation, standing firm in our faith and working together to bring our nation back.  Think about what you say before you post on someone's facebook status and think before you post your own- one of the things I love so much about the United States is that we are able to have our own opinion and we should not be losing friends over the way in which we post it (this goes both ways y'all...).  But I digress- here is the sermon.



^"12Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. ¹³And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account. ¹⁴Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. ¹⁵For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4: 12-16

“You live in a fishbowl”—this is something that has been told to me in warning since my sophomore year of college when I took a job as a Resident Advisor.  Every student that I worked with was watching my every move and would base their actions off of that.  Since taking that job, I have never moved out of my little fishbowl.  Not only do I report to multiple committees now, but I live next to my professors.  At Union, we even have a classroom that is referred to as “the fishbowl” because of its rounded shape and the fact that the top half of the room is all glass and anyone walking around the second floor of the Early Center can look down into the class room and see everything that is going on.

Today’s technology helps no one in this fish bowl situation, and unless you have been one of the lucky few to avoid not just Facebook or Twitter, but any search engine, cookies on your internet browser, or even a smart phone, you live in a fishbowl as well- one where everyone knows everything that you are doing.  Even if you do not post updates on Facebook, people can tell what you are doing (or at least assume) based on what your friends are doing or what organizations you like or even what the basics in your profile say.  When you search for something on Google, you can now expect that product to show up in ads on every other page you visit while on the internet.  There are constant warnings going out about how Company X is tracking your phone and knows where you are and what you are doing in some way or another.

The downside to this fishbowl (as if there is actually an upside) is that we are constantly being judged based on the decisions that we make on a day to day basis.  Just think about the last few months and two big decisions that people were asked to make- Did you go to Chick-Fil-A or boycott when people split because of the company’s stance on gay rights? Who are you voting for in today’s election?  Now, think about how people have responded to your actions.  I imagine that you had people both support you and also those who became very upset with you.

Today’s text takes this fishbowl to a whole other level as we are not only assured that the Word of God is alive and active in the world, but that it is so active that it can judge the thoughts and intentions of our hearts- that there is no part of us that is hidden and we are laid bare to the eyes of God.  We are essentially living in a crystal clear, smudge free, and decoration free fishbowl where every part of us is known, not just our outward actions or miniscule thoughts- we have been made vulnerable, a state that no one likes to be found in.  Even further, the text says that there is ONE who must render an account- not two, three, or four.  So now, we are not only laid bare and every little perfection and flaw is made known, but there is no second opinion.  This is not the presidential election where millions have a say in whether or not one person deserves or can do a job, and there is no “like” or “comment” button for all of our Facebook friends to have their say in the matter.

Before we get hung up on the fact that we have no option for a second opinion, let’s look further into the text.  Now that we have been assured that God not only beyond our actions, but sees our intentions as well (something that is both comforting and not) we are reminded that we are not the only ones to be put through these daily tests that may make those intentions not look so great.  Here, we are assured that our high priest Jesus Christ is able to sympathize with us, that he too was tested as we are.  Jesus, too, was laid bare before God’s scrutinizing word but remained faithful, as we are reminded throughout the preceeding text in this sermon to the Hebrews- “He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house” and later “But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house”.

The twist then comes in the way in which we respond to this very vulnerable situation that we are in.  In his commentary on Hebrews, Stephen Long says “True faith must be bold both when it is under attack and when it is not.”  When we look back at the very first verse of today’s passage, we do in fact find words that point to the fact that our faith is being heavily scrutinized and is seemingly under attack- the Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword, separating soul from spirit and joints from marrow.  However, this is not saying that God is trying to attack us, but rather that God is looking so much further than any person you meet in the grocery line or in the world of technology. 

This is when our true faith comes out- knowing that we are being so heavily scrutinized, are we able to stand firm?  In knowing that we have been laid bare and examined in such a way, we can find comfort that we can and do find grace and mercy from the single one that is able to render an account on our lives and thus stand firm.  No where in this text does it say that we will be shut out or up, or that we will be told how disappointed God is because of the flaws that are found.  Because of this, we find ourselves able to approach the throne of favor and we can be confident that we too will find mercy and grace for the many ways both known and unknown to us, in which we need it.

In today’s world we are all too eager to render our own account for each situation we come across.  One that I hear all too often is that of smaller churches.  I hear that as a small church, we all talk in a country accent and can’t sing a hymn without an organist.  We have no choir and the pastor is the only one in the office.  I also hear that we have lost hope and are barely hanging on.  I hear this though, from those who do not look at what the church is actually doing, those who do not see every last bit as God does.

Sure, we have our faults- our roof might be a bit leaky sometimes, our parking lot is small, our pews are not filled.  Some might even become upset with us when they hear that we are not purchasing the new hymnals, even though it is because we know that we cannot afford it right now if we are going to make other things happen.  We even make changes to the way that things are run, not necessarily to better preach the Word of God, but to appeal to visitors.

However, when I look at everything else that our church is doing today, I see events like our recent health fair that took place despite the rain- an event that only happened because of the dedication of every person in this room who came out and set-up, manned tents, mingled with visitors, and cleaned up.  I think of the times when people have driven down to Camp Albemarle for the day, to help clean up a camp that is only recently being utilized by one of our youth.  I see the packages of food that show up on doorsteps of those members that are in need, or absent from church for whatever reason.  Finally, I see the love that radiates from the pews every Sunday morning, the love that gathers in the lounge both before and after worship, and the love that circles around the dinner table downstairs once a month.  The incredible thing is that is only what is one the surface- what do you think God would see?

I would beg to argue that God doesn’t care about the leaky roof, small parking lot, empty pews, or choice of hymnals- but rather God simply wants our hearts to be in the right place and our faith to remain strong.  This is why we can find comfort and motivation to keep pushing BECAUSE we are laid bare before God and God sees the reasons behind everything, offering us nothing but grace and mercy the whole way through and that this is the only account that matters.  Being vulnerable is not something that anyone wants to do- especially when they are working so hard to change in a positive way.  It is hard to ignore the opinion of the person who comes through the door and sees the cosmetic flaws and leaves, but we need to remember that what matters is the opinion of the one who sees the heart of every person who is sitting in the pew, as well as those outside these walls.

When we turn our hearts to God, ready and willing to receive God’s unending grace and mercy that is given despite all of our flaws, we are not only admitting that we are not perfect but that we do need assistance.  When we do not give into the tests of this life and give up but rather stand firm in our faith, we are recognizing all that our merciful high priest can and does do for us in our daily lives.

This confident yet very vulnerable turn to God goes two ways though when we move into our daily lives- when we are tested and judged by others, and when we feel the urge to the do the same.  Knowing this, take a moment to imagine that neighbor or friend whose Facebook posts you don’t agree with, who came to the office with a Chick-Fil-A cup when you drove past, or who has the opposing election sign in their front yard.  Think about that person who came through the church doors however long ago that you thought, “Oh, they just won’t fit”.  Now, think about whose account matters--- it is the account of the same one who accounts for you and me.  These people, even though they are not of the same mind, action, or appearance as our own individual selves or as our church, will find grace and mercy from the same God that we find grace and mercy with, the very same God who sees every last bit of our lives and hearts but does not turn us away.

When you leave this place today, do not try to cover up yourselves from others but be your true self, standing firm in what you believe.  Do not fear what is said but find comfort in the fact that these are only earthly opinions and have no claim on any part of your life.  Find comfort in the fact that God knows your true self, your intentions, and your heart and that this very same God who sees what you might prefer to remain hidden, will not push you away or say “tough luck” but rather give you unending grace and mercy- you must only stand firm in your faith and approach God knowing that only God can get you through, just as God got Jesus Christ through.

Thanks be to God, Amen.

Unconditional Love

It is really unreal how much the topic of unconditional Love has come up in my life lately. In Theology class, wedding vow renewals, children’s worship, late night conversations with all walls down, phone conversations… I feel like it has been a huge theme of the last week.  It is very interesting reflecting on the different points of view, different questions, and different answers that have come up.  I have even had a huge mix of feelings about it in response to different things that were said.  But after much thought (and distraction from what I should be reading), and now through writing this purely to try to figure out to how to word my thoughts, this is where I stand-

First, unconditional Love- what in the world is it? Well, it is just that- Love that is unconditional.  Love that doesn’t care what you do or say, what you think or feel, what you deserve or need- it is Love that is there 24/7 no matter what happens.  I would even venture it call it “big L Love” just as we call the whole Church body “big C Church”.  I find this appropriate also because the only person truly capable of this unconditional Love is God.

In today’s children’s worship I taught the story of the good shepherd (Psalm 123) - it went something like this (putting scripture aside for a moment and breaking out some Godly Play action):

There once was a man who did and said such wonderful and amazing things that everyone wanted to be around him.  However, they didn’t know who he was so one day someone finally asked, “Who are you?” And he told them “I am the Good Shepherd.”

“I know each of my sheep by name, and they know the sound of my voice and follow where I lead.  I lead them to green grass and clear still waters.  When there is danger, I lead them through to safety, and lead them home.  I count them one by one, and if one is missing I will go anywhere at anytime to find it- to the green grass, the clear still waters, and even where it is dangerous.  When I find them, I will carry them home no matter how heavy they are or how tired I am.  When all of my sheep are home, only then will I invite my friends and celebrate with a feast.”

After telling this story twice this morning, I got thinking about a recent event with a friend, and one that I honestly had given up on.  To be vague and honestly make a very long story short, earlier in the year a very close friend and I came to terms with each other.  Looking back on it, it wasn’t necessarily a nasty fight or anything like that, things just kind of came to a close for a while.  I missed them more than anything but didn’t have it in me to reach out, and I don’t know that I would be wrong in saying the feeling was mutual.  This past week we finally talked and established that no matter what we were always friends and Loved each other and blah blah blah.  I couldn’t help but relate to the story of the lost sheep when I reflected on this earlier today- even though we were lost, we found each other and went home and celebrated with our friends (some of you might find the humor in that…).

In other discussions this week I have heard everything from “There is no way that I deserve unconditional Love from anyone” to “if it really is unconditional Love why did that happen?”  Neither of these is easy to address, but here is my short answer (and complicated) - no one deserves unconditional Love, but we have it from someone who doesn’t care about anything beyond the fact that we are their children.  And I’m not talking about our parents, who do strive for unconditional Love I am sure, but it is rather from God.  God gives us this unconditional Love in a way that exactly matches the definition and put forward earlier.  It doesn’t matter that we screw up, it doesn’t matter that there are plenty others- each one of us is given this incredible gift, no questions asked.  Whether you choose to accept that Love isn’t an issue either- it is there and waiting whenever (and if ever) you are ready to accept it.  It is a truly incredible concept.  I can’t answer why God felt so inclined to give this gift, and I especially can’t answer why things go wrong even though we have this gift- all I can say is that it is there and it is wonderful.

Here is the kicker.  Our human, earthly, conditional, different leveled Love comes nowhere close.  No matter what we do, we can not give unconditional Love. However, we can STRIVE for it.  That is the best we can do.  When I think about the vow renewal ceremony I went to yesterday, or look at big sister as she gets irritated as all get out at her two small daughters (or even think about me when I get irritated with them), look at my parents and their almost 29 year marriage, and think about that friendship I mentioned earlier (and many others) I can’t help but see that people are at least trying to get there.  I realized today that is what keeps me going- my desire to get as close to that unconditional Love as possible.  By lunch today I was honestly sick and tired of people asking how I am so happy, talking about what a good person I am, and more of what I thought of as pure BS (sorry for that), and not made better by the fact that I have never taken compliments well, especially when I don’t feel I deserve them.  I do not see myself in that light at all probably because I know that I have more faults than people know, but as I spent a lot of today and especially tonight thinking, I have to lean towards the fact that what they are seeing is my desire to get as close to that unconditional Love as possible.  As I told someone tonight, “blame it on me being in seminary where that is basically all we talk about.”

So, a weeks worth of thoughts and a final push tonight to try to put into words ends up here.  No, I don’t think we deserve this unconditional Love.  We are one screwed up group of people with more problems than anyone can begin to count.  But we have it.  This unconditional Love is a free gift from God and is just that- unconditional and we don't have to do anything for it.  It is something that each one of us can strive for in our own relationships, but we will ALWAYS falter.  There will be an argument that causes months of silence (or snide comments to replace silence… I am most guilty of that one), there will be times when you want to at the very least slap your significant other, there might even be times you just let go and can’t keep pushing. Does that mean that we shouldn’t strive for it? Not at all.  Bad things will happen, but we can always turn to one person and see that example to set us back on our path because God will ALWAYS Love us, no matter what.  And maybe a pet… who, lets face it, are the second best representations of unconditional Love.

“…and if one is missing I will go anywhere at anytime to find it- to the green grass, the clear still waters, and even where it is dangerous.  When I find them, I will carry them home no matter how heavy they are or how tired I am.  When all of my sheep are home, only then will I invite my friends and celebrate with a feast.”

Community

It is absolutely ridiculous what is going on in today’s world.  I have never seen more hatred towards one another than I have in the last year, and the worst part is people claim to hate in the name of Jesus Christ.  How is this even acceptable?

I have been very, very lucky throughout my life and was raised in a family that was generally very accepting as far as I could tell.  I went to great schools where there was little bullying.  I attended a liberal arts college that was diverse enough to get me out of my protected shell, but still very accepting as far as I could tell.  I think the first time I ever encountered this hatred, prejudice, and nonacceptance was when I first started dating a black guy (but even that was very, very, very minor and played a very minor role in the relationship if any).  So, needless to say, seeing and hearing all of this hatred towards people that are different from us or put us out of our comfort zone has not just surprised me, but hurt me as I basically had my rose colored glasses on (and a lot of times by choice).

In July 2011, PC(USA) passed amendment 10-A which changed ordination standards in a way that removes an obstacle for homosexuals to be ordained.  Following this, many churches decided to leave the denomination and there are still quite a few that are in talks of doing this.  The denomination made headlines and attracted attention from everyone, much of which was not great.  I will never forget introducing myself to someone at a church of a different denomination last year and when they found out I am Presbyterian, asked me if I supported 10-A.  I gave them a very vague answer because I didn’t want to get into it then and got a very dirty look and heard the word “unchristian” whispered under her breath.

At the most recent General Assembly for PC(USA), one of the things on the agenda was discussing a change in language in regards to marriage (looking to allow for marriage of homosexuals in the denomination).  My facebook and twitter accounts blew up with people complaining about this and listing the thousands of reasons it was “unchristian”.

Now, we are all bombarded with this news surrounding Chik-Fil-A and their support of anti-gay organizations.  We can’t get away from this as it is on every search engine, news station, facebook news feed, twitter feed, and in thousands of conversations.  We know everyone’s stance on the issue and whether or not they are eating at the restaurant.

So here is my question to everyone, regardless of where you stand on the issue of discrimination, prejudice, hatred, excommunication, diversity, discomfort, and any other word that fits- As you sit there and tell the other side that they are “unchristian”, “heathens”, “lost”, “confused” and “wrong” have you looked at yourself and your own personal actions?

Throughout the Bible (which many people are thumping to support their case), we are told of God’s love for all of God’s children.  Jesus Christ shows love for “the least of these” as he eats with sinners and tax collectors, those that the rest of the community wanted nothing to do with.  We are told to not just love our neighbors, but also to love our enemies.  Paul writes letters to multiple congregations to talk about coming together as one single body in Christ.  And yes, the places that people turn to in order to back up their viewpoints are there, but I wonder if these people have taken the time to think about the situations in which these parts of text were written?  I am not going to sit here and try to break down every passage, but I just think that is a good question for everyone to ask themselves.

So this is what it all boils down to for me-

WE (a very worldwide, inter-denominational, inclusive and collective WE) are in no place to make judgments on one another.  Rather, WE are called to act as one single body, never neglecting or casting out another part because if we do the body does not function properly.  EVERY single person has their own faults, and rather than pointing fingers at everyone else should take a look at themselves.  Sin is sin is sin in my book.  As WE judge each other for committing sins, WE are committing our own sins.  And who will be the one to make the final decision about how we lived our life? I promise you it isn’t anyone here today.  I don’t care what your religion is- Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, or even Atheist- even if you aren’t turning to a Bible or Qur'an, morals are morals.  In my mind, having good morals includes not making judgments of one another.

God has taken a huge weight off of our shoulders by giving us the freedom to NOT have to judge, and taking that job for God’s self.  I promise our thoughts on the matter won’t effect that decision either.  There is only one single person that knows what is truly right, and that person isn’t anyone here.  So let’s drop all of this insanity and come together as a single body of different races, ethnicity, sexuality, and religions.  We are all different for a reason, and when we require that everyone be like ourselves that reason is ignored and the incredible diversity that makes up this world is erased.  We travel to experience other cultures- but if we are all the same there are no different cultures.

And really- think about who else is effected before you cast these judgments.  When that one single person is excluded for whatever reason, their family and friends are affected as well even if they are not part of the supposed “problem”.  

Just a thought…

"God Willing"

The following is the manuscript for my sermon at Starmount Presbyterian Church (Greensboro, NC), using 2 Kings 4: 42-44 and John 6: 1-14.

⁴² A man came from Baal Shalishah, bringing the man of God twenty loaves of barley bread baked from the first ripe grain, along with some heads of new grain. “Give it to the people to eat,” Elisha said.

⁴³ “How can I set this before a hundred men?” his servant asked.

But Elisha answered, “Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the Lord says: ‘They will eat and have some left over. ’” ⁴⁴ Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord.

2 Kings 4: 42-44

1"Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), ² and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. ³ Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. ⁴ The Jewish Passover Festival was near.  

⁵ When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” ⁶ He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. ⁷ Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages^[a] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

⁸ Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, ⁹ “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

¹⁰ Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). ¹¹ Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

¹² When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” ¹³ So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

¹⁴ After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 

John 6: 1-14 

            As many of you know, this past January I traveled to Ghana as part of one of Union’s travel seminars.  I could go on for hours about all that I saw and learned while I was there, but John and Kathryn would probably never ask me to preach again.  One major thing that I did witness though was how freely everyone that we met gave- not just of food and shelter, but of themselves.  During our travel around southern Ghana for those two weeks, we were provided with so much more than food, a bed, and the occasional welcome or parting gift.  We were welcomed and hosted by the most wonderful people I have ever met.  Today I might be able to tell you where every picture was taken if I thought really hard about it, but it takes no effort to remember the time spent with Rev. Kissi as he taught us Ghanaian songs while we were on the bus; or Mama Lucy and Daniel who were both overly excited to show us the town of Kumasi and share their knowledge of this cultural capital; or Victor, Jean Paul, and Rev. Agiti who were gracious enough to spend a week showing us mission sites of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church throughout Ho.  These people changed my life and the lives of the others in our group by merely opening their lives to God and allowing God to use them to feed and nurture us not just physically, but spiritually.

            Sammy, our bus driver, is probably the most memorable person we met while in Ghana.  Sammy had an infectious smile and laugh, loved to pick up some of our sayings as he tried to fit in with the crazy Americans who had high pitched voices, and always loved to tell us about the food we were eating, telling us “Eat it! It’s for you!”  Sammy always knew exactly which turn to take as he drove us all over southern Ghana, never using a GPS, and taught us that the best way to get somewhere is to make sure you stop and ask for directions if you think you might be lost- but always stop at least two times to make sure that people agree, and if they don’t, stop again.  Sammy was such a gracious and amazing person, leaving behind his wife and two very young children to spend two weeks with us.  Over the two weeks we learned all about Ghana through Sammy’s eyes, and all about Sammy- the young man who was saving up money to build a house for his family on the land he already bought, the man who bought a bus as a means to an end.  Most importantly, Sammy was our best friend and brother, the young man who completely handed over the reigns to God as he agreed to drive a group of ten crazy Americans around for two weeks- a job that is probably a whole lot harder than we could ever imagine.

            In today’s scripture readings, we find two very interesting events taking place.  First, we heard of Elisha feeding one hundred people with only twenty loaves of barley and grain.  Then we heard of Jesus and his disciples being presented with the issue of feeding not just a large crowd, but a crowd of five thousand people.  Both events seem next to impossible, yet in both cases they were successful to the point of left overs, very much like our experience in Ghana.

Now, let’s take a minute to figure out what that would entail for us here at Starmount- if we were to take on the 5,000 that Jesus and his disciples fed, first this upcoming renovation would have to be large enough that the fellowship hall could hold that many people.  My guess is that it holds about one hundred people right now, so it would have to be fifty times larger and with a much larger kitchen where every one of us would have to be working, along with a few others. Even at $1.00 per person for food costs, the total cost after everything else is added in, would blow the fellowship budget.  In short, this would not be an easy task and I doubt that the session would be ready to approve it.  So when Jesus asks Phillip where the food to feed this crowd is going to come from, I am sure Phillip looks at him like he is insane, even after he has seen Jesus perform many miracles already.  Phillip is quick to point out just how ridiculous the idea is- even six months wages would barely cover the cost.  Not to mention, my guess is that very few people even have that kind of money available after paying taxes and other monthly bills.  So here we are with Jesus testing Phillip, and Phillip looking at the facts but still failing.  Even in the reading from Second Kings, we find a servant questioning Elisha as to how he will use such a small amount of food to feed such a large crowd.

           

Finally, Andrew Simon chimes in and points out that a young boy nearby has food- maybe Andrew Simon is going to pass the test!  But alas, he too questions Jesus as to what good this small quantity of food will do.  I can only imagine the disappointment and annoyance that Jesus is feeling at this point.  It is probably similar to that of the teacher who has showed the student, told the student, and even spelled it out that 2+2=4, yet when asked, the student either doesn’t know or says the answer is five.  I am sure Rev. Kissi felt this way as he did his best to teach us correct pronunciations in the Twi language, and we failed miserably.

           

Jesus takes a deep breath and instructs the disciples to have everyone take a seat.  He then takes the loaves from the boy, gives thanks, and distributes them and does the same with the fish.  Being someone who loves math, I would like to point out that this means 1,000 servings came from each loaf and 2,500 from each fish.  What’s more is that there were left overs!

           

These aren’t just two coincidentally similar Bible stories that tell of some miraculous events- there is a point to be gleaned here.  God can do a whole lot with only a little.  Just like my hosts in Ghana who simply gave us their time and made that trip an experience that I will never forget, and one that has forever influenced my ministry- we need only provide the little we have for something incredible to happen.  I am sure that before we arrived, and even while we were there, they doubted that they had enough of anything for us- food, water, housing, knowledge to answer our many questions- however because they handed the situation over to God, everything fell into place.  There is an attitude of this in everything they do- always committing everything into the hands of God.  At first I was caught off guard when all plans were “God willing”, since I am used to hearing that more when someone is frustrated and giving up.  However there was such joy when Rev. Kissi would tell us the plans for the next day, “God willing”.  Of all things that I hold close from those two weeks, this attitude is one that has a special place in my life.  The attitude of “God willing” is one that fully recognizes God’s actions in one’s life.  It doesn’t matter if you make sure that you have everything you need so that it can be perfect on your end- if we do the best we can with what we have and recognize God’s action in our life and hand control over to God, God will take care of the rest. 

           

In today’s scripture readings, neither the servant nor the young boy had a clue what could be done with the small amount of food that he they had with them, yet they listened and gave the food anyway.  This wasn’t just any old food either- my guess is that the young boy was on his way home to take the food for his family to eat for dinner, making it a big deal that he gave it away under such vague circumstances.  However by giving away this small amount of food thousands were fed and my guess is he was probably even allowed to take home at least some of the leftovers.  Both the servant and the boy had a “God willing” attitude.

As I think about this “God willing” attitude, I think of the many ministries that we visited while visiting with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Ho.  One ministry that our seminar group decided to raise money for upon our return was the Dzemi Health Clinic.  This is a clinic run by one woman, Rosa, and her two assistants.  They have very little space- a building the size of the narthex just outside of this sanctuary, and very little medicine.  The roof leaked every time it rained and you could see the water stains all over the walls.  If I remember correctly, there were only three beds for the incredibly sick patients that came by, in addition to the two birthing beds.  When we visited, the front waiting hall was packed as people stood shoulder to shoulder, waiting for any assistance they could get.  Some would receive that assistance at the clinic, others would be sent to the hospital.  Some of them would add to the almost 500 babies that were delivered last year alone.  The Dzemi clinic is another representation of God taking something so incredibly small and seemingly insignificant, and reaching thousands of people.  As we stood there and talked to Rosa, she recognized this incredible gift from God, continually expressing that everything they had and needed was purely “God willing”.  I could not help but cry tears of joy when we returned to Richmond and after sharing the story of this incredible place with students, faculty, and friends of Union, raised the $1500 needed to fix the roof.  We have sent the check and now, Rosa will have a much safer place to help every person that walks through her doors.  While we were there, we asked Rosa how she stayed open and she told as that it was a blessing from God.  Yes, everything about Rosa and the Dzemi clinic truly reflects God’s blessing as Rosa, just like the young boy and the servant in today’s scriptures, gave the little bit that she had- herself- and let God do what was needed.

           

We can’t forget those disciples from our New Testament reading though.  When I was learning how to exegete scripture in my New Testament class last year, one of the questions we were told to ask was, “Who do you relate to in the text?” As much as I hate to admit it, when I asked that question as I studied these two texts, my answer was a mix of both the servant and the disciples.  As much as I try to keep that “God willing” attitude, I doubt and question God more than I like.   I doubted before seminary started, and still do on occasion, that I could even do this ministry thing- especially the preaching part.  I doubted that I would actually be able to go to Ghana and I continually wonder how God can use me to make a difference- just as the disciples wondered how such a small amount of food could make a difference.  The number of times I have asked God “are you sure about this?” is probably equal to the number of people that were fed that day on the hill.

           

Starmount is a church that I continually look towards for examples of this “God willing” attitude.  There are so many ministries going on here, making an incredible use of all that the church has- ranging from the prayer shawl ministry to sending members and friends of the congregation all over the world to serve God in a multitude of ways and working with refugee resettlement here in Greensboro.  Starmount has even opened its doors to young seminarians to come learn from John and Kathryn as interns just as Noe did, supporting them throughout the time at school, and inviting them to guest preach even if they have never taken a single preaching class in their seminary career.  This church has truly given everything over to God so that God might use it in the way that is best.  We must not forget this attitude when we go into our own personal lives, though.  What do you have to offer to God? For some of us, maybe we can offer supplies, money, or facilities while others of us may have nothing more than ourselves.  The only thing that we need to remember is that we only need to recognize God’s hand in our life and commit all that we have to God for God’s use and God will make sure that things are done the way they should be.

Through all of this, we must understand that while we try to achieve this “God willing” attitude every day, God understands when we doubt.  Jesus never scolded or left the disciples behind when they doubted- he probably simply chuckled to himself and once again, showed them yet another way that God worked through him.  Yes, he became quite annoyed at times, just as any teacher would when they feel as if they have done everything they can and the student still doesn’t get it.  However, his love and leadership never failed and the disciples always caught a glimpse of understanding, if only for a second.

In one of the lectionary readings for today which was not officially included in today’s service, Paul writes a prayer for the Ephesians and closes this prayer by recognizing God “who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine (Eph. 3: 20)”.  I can not think of a better recognition of God than this, especially when thinking of all that God does in fact do that is so far beyond our imagination, just like in today’s readings.

By drawing on the will and actions of God, we are able to reach out to God’s people in a whole different way- a way in which God’s people have acted since the times of Elisha and was widely recognized by Paul.  When we let go and let God use us for God’s work, our lives are enriched in unexpected ways as well as those who we are helping.

Today, I thank God for all that has been accomplished in Ghana using people like Rev. Kissi, Sammy, and Rosa.  I thank God for what has been accomplished through the Starmount family.  I thank God for what has been accomplished using me- someone who could only give herself and questioned everything along the way.  If God can feed five thousand people using only five loaves of bread and two fish, God can certainly use any and all of us.  All we must do is say “I’m here God- use me” and then hold on, because anyone who gives control to God is in for a wild ride.

So, later on today when you hear that knocking on the back of your mind, open up and wait to see what God needs to tell you.  Don’t be upset if there is doubt, and don’t shut God out.  Take on a “God willing” attitude just as the young boy did when he gave Jesus his food, and just as Starmount continues to do.  Don’t back away thinking that what you have isn’t enough, because as long as you have yourself, you have all that God needs to do wondrous things. 

All thanks be to God, who truly does work within each and every one of us to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine. Amen.