Our Calling: Shepherd or Sheep?

The word of the Lord came to me: ² Mortal, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel: prophesy, and say to them—to the shepherds: Thus says the Lord God: Ah, you shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? ³ You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fatlings; but you do not feed the sheep. ⁴ You have not strengthened the weak, you have not healed the sick, you have not bound up the injured, you have not brought back the strayed, you have not sought the lost, but with force and harshness you have ruled them. ⁵ So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and scattered, they became food for all the wild animals. ⁶ My sheep were scattered, they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill; my sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with no one to search or seek for them.

Ezekiel 34: 1-6

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹² The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. ¹³ The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. ¹⁴ I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. ¹⁷ For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes^[a] it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

                                                                    John 10: 11-18  

Abel, Abraham, Rachel, Jacob, Moses… Jesus- what did they have in common? All were shepherds- a role that, at one point, was considered a chief occupation.  It wasn’t until agriculture took off to new levels that the role of the shepherd was reserved for the youngest son or a hired hand- and then Shepherds were looked down upon and even hated at times.  Over time, “shepherd” became a designation for kings, Israel’s leaders, and God- just as seen in the all time favorite Psalm 23 that was used for this morning’s call to worship.  A shepherd’s job was to lead the sheep to food and water and to keep them safe from the wild animals- much like these leaders were charged to do for their people.

The term “shepherd” is mentioned over 200 times throughout the Bible so one can’t help but think that it might be important.  Of the 200 times that shepherds are mentioned- only 16 of those are in the New Testament when we find the shepherds in the field on the night when Jesus was born, and the remaining occurrences all refer to the relationship that Jesus has with his followers or between the church leaders and members- a role that when translated in it’s Latin form actually means “pastor”.

This morning’s Old Testament reading reflects the concern of the dwindling respect and care of the shepherd’s role- those who are supposed to be caring for the people (the metaphorical sheep).  Here, we find a warning for those leaders who chose to care for and tend to themselves rather than their people.  Our Gospel text goes beyond how the leaders care for their people and focuses on how Christ cares for his sheep, the people- or does it? 

This text is not terribly uncommon for those entering into ministry within the church as in many cases, following Paul’s lead, the minister is referred to as a shepherd and the congregation, the flock. However, my question this morning is if that is where this text stops? During my first week in my chaplaincy internship, a patient asked me a very bold question that I will never forget- “In this crazy, messed up world will you be a sheep or a shepherd?”

The Good Shepherd provides us with a narrative of what it means to be a true leader.  Christ highlights the importance of caring for one’s flock- laying down one’s life for those in your care, knowing each sheep by name and caring for those not necessarily in your charge.  Here, Christ paves the way for us as a leader- demonstrating to us the ultimate and absolute love that is required of a role such as this.

The good shepherd lays down their life for the sheep when a hired hand might flee when danger comes.  I am reminded of a scene in one of my favorite childhood movies that I watched during one of the recent snow days- in the story of “Babe” the pig who just doesn’t fit in, the young pig finds a pack of dogs attacking the sheep in the field- the ones that are in the care of the farmer who took him in- and immediately the pig charges into the field throwing himself at the dogs and chasing them away in order to save the flock.  Now, Jesus wasn’t a young pig but I imagine this scene is a lot like he might have been picturing when he explained the importance of being present so as to protect the flock from the wild animals- something that this morning’s Old Testament passage tells us was not actually happening in many cases.

“I am the good shepherd, I know my sheep and they know me.”  Have you ever seen a flock of sheep? Maybe for some of you it might be a bit different, but for me they just look like one big wooly mess! How in the world can someone tell each sheep apart from the next? Maybe there is a spot on the face or leg, but I don’t want to have to get that close just to tell them apart.  Anyone who has ever worked with a large group of people probably knows the feeling of not knowing anyone from the next person- even if you figure it out one day, it is not likely that they will be wearing that same green shirt that helped you tell them apart from the blue shirt next week.  However, Jesus tells us that he knows every sheep in the flock- every child of God- and this isn’t the first time that we have been told this! Remember the story of the lost sheep when we are told not just that he knows every sheep, but that he knows every sheep BY NAME? Think about the amount of love and genuine care that would be needed for this.  This would not likely come from someone who is just hired off the street to watch the sheep.

“I have other sheep that don’t belong to this pen… I must lead them too.”  The care and love of a good shepherd is not limited to this single flock, but instead it is shared with ALL sheep- Just as a doctor is not only present for their patients but is also charged with the care of those in need throughout their daily lives when someone asks if there is a doctor in the room.  Here we find just another example of Christ’s incredible, unending love for ALL of us.

As if the description of the role of the good shepherd weren’t enough, Jesus continues and explains that this isn’t anything that he is forced to do but instead he CHOOSES to do this.  Yes, he was instructed by God to do this, but it was his personal choice that led him to follow through.  How easy would it be to ignore those instructions and continue to lead an easy, stress free life only worrying about ones self? After all, that is what we found in Ezekiel- however just as in Ezekiel, we find the importance and need for this outward focus and care.  If no one steps up and cares for the flock, the people, the wild animals and external evils will come in and at the very least scatter the flock.

ON THE FLIP SIDE, we have the sheep.  It can be all to easy to take the attitude of many of the animals in that movie “Babe” and say that sheep are dumb and that is just how it is.  However, my question today is what role do the sheep play?  Because there can’t be a shepherd, much less a GOOD shepherd, if there are no sheep- and it isn’t just that Jesus knows each one of them, but that THEY know HIM.  There is a relationship that has been fostered with shared love, concern, and respect.  So I think that it is important that we look at both sides of this coin.  In fact, sheep were so important that they are mentioned over 500 times throughout the Bible.

In biblical times, sheep represented wealth- they provided food, drink, clothing and shelter and also served as sacrificial offerings.  They weren’t just “any other animal”.  There was a great need to keep the sheep safe so that the people could survive and this is still the case in many places around the world where sheep and goats are the main source of nutrition for many.  Then there are the additional benefits like keeping the grass trimmed and the crops fertilized. 

Quite contrary to popular belief, sheep aren’t stupid.  In fact, I would venture to say that they have the “strength in numbers” strategy figured out quite nicely as one rarely sees a single sheep as they usually travel in flocks.  In my research about sheep I found stories from Great Britain where witnesses talked about seeing flocks of sheep roll over 8 feet of hoof-proof metal cattle grids in order to get to gardens for food.  Sheep are known to develop friendships with one another, and with humans, due to their ability to remember faces.  Many tests have been done that demonstrate the high intelligence level of sheep, sometimes believed to be equal to that of humans.

Knowing all of this, I can’t help but wonder why so many people look down on sheep today.  They serve incredible purposes, and I would argue that we could learn a lot from them- at least that flock that learned how to get to the gardens!

And so I am brought back to that question from my patient- “In this crazy, messed up world- will you be a sheep or a shepherd?”  Well, I think that both are equally important.

In this crazy, messed up world as my patient put it, we are all called to different roles and if all of these roles are not filled than the world might be a bit crazier and more messed up.  It might be easier to ask and answer the question of where we would be if we didn’t have leaders like the good shepherd- scattered, lost, alone, confused…. We could go on for a while.  But what if we didn’t have flocks like those that the good shepherd tends to? Hungry, cold, alone…

As I briefly mentioned earlier, Paul is the one who clearly drew the correlation between the shepherd and flock relationship with the pastor and church relationship.  The pastor, like the shepherd, is called to lead the congregation to find nourishment from the Word of God and to stay with them through the struggles of life.  The congregation is called to join together to provide needed relationships and support for another and the community, joining together to listen to and follow the leadership of the pastor.  BOTH the shepherd and the sheep, the pastor and the congregation, the leader and the follower are needed.

When my patient asked if I would be a sheep or a shepherd, right away I wanted to respond “Shepherd- of course!” However, is that always the answer that we need to give?

The description of the good shepherd that we read today is the ideal for what any leader should strive to be- but it is exhausting! If we are always striving to be that good shepherd in all that we do, will we ever actually make it there? What if we paid more attention that relationship with the sheep that is mentioned and strove to be the sheep in various parts of life?  8 months after the original question was asked, I have the answer that I wish I could have given to my patient that day- “Well, there are parts of my life when I really strive to be a representation of the good shepherd that Jesus taught, but there are also aspects of my life when I realize that I am a much better sheep and that is ok.”  Does it make us any less a person to give an answer like that? I don’t think so.

So, today I want to ask you the same question- in this crazy, messed up world are you a sheep or a shepherd… or are you both? 

In the closing scenes of “Babe”, we find a young pig who has been raised by sheep dogs standing in the middle of a huge field in the middle of the sheep dog championship, faced with a small flock of sheep.  As the clock ticks down, the crowd is wondering why the farmer is wasting their time with this little pig- after all, pigs are NOT supposed to herd sheep.  And then we see the sheep begin to move, without any mistakes along the way, and as the flock enters the gate with the pig by their side the crowd erupts and with a perfect score from the judges, Babe the pig is now a “sheep pig”.

Our calling to be a shepherd or sheep might come in the strangest of places just as this pig herded the sheep and the sheep listened to the pig- neither an expected action.  We just have to listen and pay attention.  No matter where you are called or what you are called to be- there is something that is present throughout the description of the good shepherd that we can all hold onto.  The incredible amount of love and care that is needed to be a shepherd is also needed to be a sheep- neither role only looks to themselves, but rather they look out for the good of the flock- they form a relationship with one another.

Where in the life of this congregation are you called to be a shepherd? Where are you called to be a sheep?

Where in your own life are you called to be a shepherd? Where are you called to be a sheep?

No matter where you are called, no matter how perfect or odd that it might seem- let the focus of your service be those relationships that are formed.  At the heart of the text of the good shepherd we find a phrase that is commonly overlooked-

“I know my sheep and they know me.”

At the center of Christ’s teachings we find this same focus on relationships- never letting any single role outshine another as long as ALL are focused on serving God.

So, whether you are a sheep or a shepherd, how will your service to God both within our congregation and your personal life, enhance and strengthen your relationships with one another, the community, and with God?

Because every sheep needs a shepherd… and every shepherd needs a sheep- and we are all dependent on the one true Good Shepherd.

Looking Forward

⁹ Because of this, since the day we heard about you, we haven’t stopped praying for you and asking for you to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, with all wisdom and spiritual understanding. ¹⁰ We’re praying this so that you can live lives that are worthy of the Lord and pleasing to him in every way: by producing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God; ¹¹ by being strengthened through his glorious might so that you endure everything and have patience; ¹² and by giving thanks with joy to the Father. He made it so you could take part in the inheritance, in light granted to God’s holy people. ¹³ He rescued us from the control of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. ¹⁴ He set us free through the Son and forgave our sins.

                                                                                    Colossians 1: 9-14

I will never forget the day that I found out that my older sister was pregnant with my first niece.  September 6, 2008.  I was cooped up in my college dorm room and having a very rough day and was telling her about it online.  I don’t remember the details but I know my parents would be there that evening for a concert that I was playing in and for whatever reason I was not looking forward to it.  After telling her about everything that was going on she told me to hang on because she needed to talk to her husband real quick.  A few minutes later, my phone rang.  My sister and her husband were on the other end and asked if I wanted to know a secret? Right away, I knew.  I asked if she was pregnant and she tried to deny it at first and come up with these other things like they were getting another dog or they won the lottery, but her husband (who tires of our antics after a while) finally told her to just tell me the truth- that they were in fact pregnant.  They had just found out and hadn’t told anyone yet, but they figured that I needed something to make me feel better (and they wanted to tell someone).  I can only imagine how much their life changed when they found out because I felt my world flip upside down and right side up- I WAS GOING TO BE AN AUNT!! I had no idea if the baby would be a boy or a girl, but I knew that I loved it already and always would.  It was a good thing for my wallet that we didn’t find out that it was a girl until December because that is when I went crazy and spent about $300 in one day buying baby clothes, books, toys, and a diaper bag… and ate Ramen for the rest of the month.

It is crazy what news of a baby can cause.  In my case, finding out that I would be an Aunt in 8 short months changed everything.  Who cared why I was upset? Obviously it wasn’t important if I can’t remember today.  I couldn’t pay attention while I played in the concert that night.  I wanted to scream with excitement at dinner that night while my parents (who did not know yet) looked around at the cute babies in the restaurant and commented on how much they couldn’t wait to have a baby in the family again.  I prayed day and night for that little baby.  Without knowing anything about this baby, I loved it more than anything in the world already.

Now, that little baby is 4 years old and causes more trouble than I could have ever imagined.  Addison Riley.  The cutest, sweetest little girl.  When I look at Addison and her younger sister Emmalyn, I feel like I have a good idea of how Paul felt as he wrote to the Colossians.  Paul’s prayer at the opening of this morning’s text is much like the prayer that I would pray daily when I found out about both Addison and Emmalyn and still pray today.  This prayer is probably not unlike the prayer that you might have prayed for your own children, nieces and nephews, grand children, or even the children in our very own church- especially on Rally Day or when someone is baptized or confirmed.  Just as these new additions to our family changed our lives from the very moment which we heard about them, the addition of the church of Colossae changed Paul’s life and they were forever in his thoughts and prayers.

Today we find ourselves in a fun place- we celebrated the birth of Christ only four short days ago.  We waited and prepared for that day, beginning all the way back in October when we started working on our Advent devotion book.  December 1 we decorated this sanctuary and the halls of our church building.  We have heard beautiful music by the Bethlehem Bronze and other musicians every week of Advent.  The youth performed in a wonderful Christmas Pageant.  Finally, Christ came and we celebrated his birth and life as we worshiped together and spent time with family.  NOW, we begin to look forward.  Just as the first time parent begins to think about all that will be needed as the child grows up, the Grandparents begin to prepare their house for when that baby is no longer in the Pack-and-Play, and the Aunt plans all of the wonderful ways in which to spoil their niece or nephew- today we begin to think about how the life of this little baby in the manger has changed our lives and how we are called to live that out.

There is a quote from Presbyterian minister, Fred Rogers (most of you know him simply as Mister Rogers), that I think is very appropriate for a day like today- “Often when you think you are at the end of something, you are at the beginning of something else.” I have always loved that New Years Day is only a week after Christmas.  Is there a better way to transition from the celebration of the new baby into looking at the future? Many of us might be making New Year’s Resolutions right now.  Some might be resolving to go on the yearly diet while others might resolve to quit drinking so much.  Maybe our youth will resolve to spend more time studying or practicing their music and sports.  The kicker here is that this text calls us to a different kind of resolution.  This morning’s text is not unusual- Paul opens all of his letter’s giving thanks for the community which he is writing to; and most of his letters are directed toward a community having some kind of struggle.  This is not unlike where many of us find ourselves today.  Imagine that Paul has written this letter to YOU-

Dearest brother/ sister in Christ,

Since the day I heard about you, I haven’t stopped praying for you and asking for you to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, with all wisdom and spiritual understanding.  I am praying this so that you can live a life that is worthy of the Lord and pleasing to him in every way: by producing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God;  by being strengthened through his glorious might so that you endure everything and have patience; and by giving thanks with joy to the Father.

Wow.  How would you respond to that??  That is the question that we find ourselves faced with today- 4 days after Christmas, and only 2 days before the new year.

How can WE, having heard and experienced the teachings and the unending love of that little baby in the manger, respond to this prayer? We pray it for everyone else, but have we ever taken the time to think about how it can play out in our own lives?

Over the course of the last four months, the youth have focused on the theme of “Gather Together”, discussing what it means to gather with people on social media, at school, in our congregation, and we are beginning to talk about gathering with people of other faiths and around the world.  Maybe this prayer speaks to them through this theme as they are filled with the knowledge and will of God to be part of the one single body of Christ.  In addition to our discussions in youth group, in a period of 4 months I have witnessed this congregation open it’s doors to the community through the Fall Festival in September- you came out in droves to help set-up, sell things, visit with our neighbors, and just show what it means to live as the body of Christ.  In October we opened the doors to 300 members of our Presbytery, rolling out the red carpet of hospitality and providing sacred space for worship and fellowship.  Almost immediately we went to work on a playground for the children and took 18 people to walk in the CROP Walk (only half of which were youth participants).  There is no question in my mind that this congregation knows how to begin to live out and to continue to learn the will of God.

As we start our new budget year, our different ministry teams might embody this prayer in another way.  The missions team might step back to look at our current missions and how we are responding to the will of God through those missions, and maybe looking to see how else we can do that.  The Christian Education team might look at new curriculum, studies, or formats that will help to move our congregation in a direction that is worthy of and pleasing to the Lord.

This can be a very intimidating endeavor, though.  How can we answer this powerful prayer? What makes us so capable of something so big?  The second verse of this morning’s hymn responds to just that, and is one that I regularly have stuck in my head-

Though I am small, my God, my all, you work great things in me, and your mercy will last from the depths of the past to the end of the age to be.  Your very name puts the proud to shame, and to those who would for you yearn, you will show your might, put the strong to flight, for the world is about to turn.

I can’t help but think that if we say a prayer for our loved ones, as powerful as Paul’s, we would not leave them hanging with no way to respond.  We pray that our children will grow up and know the love of God- do we keep them away from Church?  We pray that our children will be strong leaders- do we keep them from experiencing life? We want to do all that we can to help our children grow into our prayers- God has done nothing less.  God gave us everything that we need when God’s son was sent to us that Christmas night.  When we live our lives based on the teachings that child we will grow in knowledge of the will of God and the world truly will turn.

As I continue to think about my two nieces, I don’t just pray that they will grow in the love of God and know God’s will, but that they will continue to dream of the day when all of us know just that.  The way we choose to respond to Paul’s prayer can do just that.

As we think about our resolutions for 2014, let’s move the focus away from our weight or bad habits.  Yes, maybe things need to change in those areas, but we need to do so much more.  Let’s begin to think about how we can live a life that is worthy of that little baby who came to us in a stable full of animals.  People waited for him for years, unsure of what to expect- just as I remember waiting for my first niece, having no clue what being an Aunt would bring me.  People prayed for him before he came, people were so excited that they traveled from all corners of the land to see him, and they continued to pray for him.  Following his death, people lived out his teachings in new ways and that is where we find this prayer.  The church was a baby and Paul, having changed his own life to begin to live and grow in the knowledge of God, is praying for the young church.  While the church may have been around for a few years today, this prayer is still for us.  A prayer for the Church universal, and a prayer for every individual.

This coming year, I resolve to live a life more focused on God.  I resolve to spend more time in personal devotion and study and I resolve to continue to reach out to my brothers and sisters in Christ.  I resolve to know that I do not go at this alone, but that God and my church are by my side all of the way.  I resolve to share my love and faith with all of those around me so that they and you can also grow in the knowledge of love of God.  I resolve to continue to dream of the day when the whole world responds to the Lord in a pleasing way and fulfills the Will of God.

What will WE resolve to do as a church and part of the body of Christ, the one whom we have spent so much time preparing for and celebrating?

What will you resolve to do individually?

Finding God Amidst the Distractions

“Finding God Amidst the Distractions”

Isaiah 1: 1, 10-20; Luke 12: 32-40

First Presbyterian Church, Henderson

August 11, 2013

Isaiah 1:1-20

1The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
¹⁰Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom! Listen to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah! ¹¹What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. ¹²When you come to appear before me, who asked this from your hand? Trample my courts no more; ¹³bringing offerings is futile; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and sabbath and calling of convocation— I cannot endure solemn assemblies with iniquity. ¹⁴Your new moons and your appointed festivals my soul hates; they have become a burden to me, I am weary of bearing them. ¹⁵When you stretch out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood.
¹⁶Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, ¹⁷learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. ¹⁸Come now, let us argue it out, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. ¹⁹If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; ²⁰but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Luke 12:32-40

32 ‘Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. ³³Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. ³⁴For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
35 ‘Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; ³⁶be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. ³⁷Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. ³⁸If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.
39 ‘But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he^* would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁰You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.’ 

We live in a world full of noise and distractions.  Cell phones, tablets, cars, TVs, radios, intercoms, other people around us, our own thoughts… we can’t escape it.  Even as I was working on this sermon, sitting alone in an office in the back corner of a hospital, I found myself distracted by the loud air vent and the clicking of the keys on my computer keyboard.  It took me a few times to even get started since the people I share my office with were having their own conversations while I had emails popping up in the bottom corner of my computer screen- I had to wait until they left.  Right now as we sit in this Sanctuary- a place that many think should be or even is free of all distractions- some of you might be looking at the floor, others are passing notes or making grocery lists, some might be engaged by the patterns in the beautiful stained glass windows, while the rest of you might be looking through your bulletin trying to figure out who I am or what happens once I am finally done up here.

Our society is an active one- always buzzing with the new and exciting word on the street.  Escaping noise and distractions is difficult, if not impossible.  News spreads like wildfire through the internet, social media, TV, radio, and even the old fashioned, dare I say it, newspaper.  Even if we were to turn off all of our devices our minds would still be racing as we try to figure out what we are missing. 

For that very reason, I want to try something… I want everyone to take a minute to double check that all of your phones and tablets really are turned off… not just on vibrate. 

Now- I want you to close your eyes and take a deep breath.  Slowly. 

Now, let it out slowly.  Clear your head of all of the distractions.  The grocery list can wait.  The windows will be here later on in the service for you to marvel at.  Just relax and let it all go.  If you think of anything, think of why you are here today- to worship our Lord God.

It’s not easy, is it? When was the last time you were able to truly clear your mind… or to just focus on one thing?  That is what I hear as the charge in today’s Gospel lesson- let go of all of the distractions and orient yourself toward God.  Now, they may not have had all of the technology to distract them when this was brought to the table but they definitely had their own form of distractions and it was just as hard for them as it is for us today.

This morning’s texts, both the Gospel reading and the Old Testament reading, place a focus on orienting and focusing ourselves towards God.  Even as far back as Isaiah, the Israelites were charged to redirect their focus from earthly sacrifice and ceremony to the actions of servitude called out by the Lord.  I guess it is safe to say that it is quite clear that as humans, we have always been a bit distracted.

This raises a very important question for me- WHY are we so distracted? What makes it so hard for us to keep our focus on one thing… and it isn’t like this one thing is small or easily forgotten.  What is so big and important that our focus is taken away from God so easily?

At least in my experience, we tend to get distracted mostly if we are worried or excited.  This morning’s Gospel reading cuts that out of the equation at the very start- “Do not be afraid, little flock…”  Do not be afraid.  Do not worry.  Relax.  Let it all go.  Whatever it is that is troubling you or distracting you… do not be afraid.  The text goes further and becomes even more nurturing- “it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom”.  God has not forgotten us or left us out to dry in our distractions- God continues to be with us and desires to give us all of the treasures of Heaven, and according to the Greek (eudokesen) God already has given this to us and it has been expressed to us already both at Jesus’ birth and baptism.  This “kingdom” is a gift from God that transforms our identity and our activity as God reigns over our human hearts, minds, values, and actions.  We see this actively taking place in the life and the teachings of Christ’s ministry on earth.

So, we have been told to not be afraid because God desires to give us the kingdom (and already has through Jesus Christ).  What do we do now?  How can we let go of our fear if we are still surrounded by all of our earthly distractions?  The text continues to encourage us to go against the grain of society and place value in God’s kingdom rather than the earthly things that enhance our earthly status.  By moving focus from what helps us climb the ladder to helping others, we are not only letting go of our own distractions but we begin responding to God’s call to show compassion and mercy for those in need as required in this morning’s text from Isaiah.  When we place our focus and treasure here, our heart moves here as well.

Before we go too much further, I do want to take a minute to clear something up.  This text can easily be read as “get rid of all of your things and go out to help everyone else, forgetting your own needs”.  However I have a hard time believing that God is calling us to totally get rid of everything we own, rather I believe that we are called to move our value from these earthly possessions to the treasure of the ultimate kingdom.  The God that is calling us to transfer our value placement is the same God who told us to give to the government what is the governments- this God seems to understand that as humans we do have needs, God is just calling us to place our value on the one who ULTIMATELY meets ALL of our needs, not just our earthly needs.

Along with this call to re-orient our focus and to let go of distractions, this text calls us to then look toward the future and Jesus’ coming- his Parousia.  This is when God’s kingdom will become complete and manifest in this world- however we have no idea when that will be (despite all of the predictions that we come across in media on a daily basis). 

The image of the servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet so that they can simply open the door as soon as he knocks speaks volumes to me.  These servants are not taking turns staring out the window so they can run to the door as soon as they see their master appear over the hill- they are simply waiting.  Maybe they are doing a bit of cleaning or maybe they are sitting around the table laughing and telling stories- either way they are there and ready for when the master does arrive, but they are not necessarily worrying about when the master will actually arrive.  They are solely focused and concentrated on their one given duty- serving their master.

I have spent the past 11 weeks serving as a chaplain at Rex Healthcare in Raleigh.  Part of my job as a chaplain is to be “on call” periodically, meaning I carry our main phone and a pager.  Whenever someone needs a chaplain during the night or if there is a death, the nurses will call this phone.  In a hospital with 414 beds, it is impossible to predict when a call will come in so the on-call Chaplain carefully winds their way through the night grabbing foil with their dinner… just in case, taking short naps… just in case, taking short showers… just in case.  Unless it is their first time on call, a chaplain rarely sits at the desk staring at the pager waiting for it to go off- they are simply aware that it might (and likely will) go off at some point and they need to be prepared.

I think that is what this text is calling us to do- to be ON the lookout, but not THE lookout.  Continue to live our lives serving others and sharing the Word of God so that when the Lord comes, we are ready… don’t sit here and try to predict when so that we can relax until we are almost out of time and then prepare.  Just as our placement of values was flipped upside down earlier in the text, the servitude is flipped upside down now- when the master arrives to find the servants awake and waiting, the master then begins to serve them- not as compensation for their work but rather as a gift, much like the kingdom is presented to us by God.

Our passage today calls us to re-orient our focus on the only one who can truly meet our needs and the one who gives us, with pleasure, the kingdom.  We are called to live our lives in a way that serves the Lord but isn’t always staring out the window waiting.  If we become the like the ones who stare out the window and wait, we become much like those in Isaiah who focused on what sacrifices needed to be made to the Lord rather than what they could do for others while they wait for the Lord.  When we try to figure out when the Lord is coming so that we can prepare ourselves, we become like the chaplain on their first on-call- never eating or sleeping or shower, but simply staring at a little black box so they can then run upstairs to see a patient.  Neither situation lends its hand to us being prepared- if we focus on sacrifices for the Lord, we aren’t focusing on the Lord truly calls us to do in the kingdom; if we stare at the pager, we aren’t physically prepared for the two-hour visit.  They say that good things come to those who wait… but they also say that even greater things come to those who don’t worry about when something will happen and continue to live their lives instead.

While the fact that we have constant connection with the world through our technology does help us in one aspect, it also detracts from the most important thing that we should be paying attention to.  We are constantly presented with problems to solve, things to read, jobs to do, and ways to simply waste time.  Our minds move in hyperdrive as we try to keep up with the world and even in a sacred space like this sanctuary, we find ourselves trying to do multiple things at once.  We are servants busy in another room on the other side of the house- when the master comes home we will have to run across the house and down the stairs to let them in.  If the pager goes off, we may not even hear it.  Just as the servants are called to do one job- to serve their master, we are called to do one job- to serve our Lord.  How can we do that if we are constantly distracted by everything else in life?

Take a moment to think about what distractions you find in your life… maybe it is that project at work or getting the kids ready to go back to school, maybe it is that news story that you have been following or that game of candy crush you have been playing…

Are those distractions taking your focus away from God and the kingdom?

Now, take a moment to lift these distractions up to the Lord… Let them go…

Breathe… slowly and deep.

How can you live your own life focused on and preparing for the Lord?

The text tells us-

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom… you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”

All thanks be to God- the one who desires to give us all that we truly need and the one who we live our lives in preparation for.  Amen.

Searching for the Answer

Psalm 52

¹ Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero?
    Why do you boast all day long,
    you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?
² You who practice deceit,
    your tongue plots destruction;
    it is like a sharpened razor.
³ You love evil rather than good,
    falsehood rather than speaking the truth.^[c]
4 You love every harmful word,
    you deceitful tongue!

⁵ Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:
    He will snatch you up and pluck you from your tent;
    he will uproot you from the land of the living.
⁶ The righteous will see and fear;
    they will laugh at you, saying,
⁷ “Here now is the man
    who did not make God his stronghold
but trusted in his great wealth
    and grew strong by destroying others!”

⁸ But I am like an olive tree
    flourishing in the house of God;
I trust in God’s unfailing love
    for ever and ever.
⁹ For what you have done I will always praise you
    in the presence of your faithful people.
And I will hope in your name,
    for your name is good.


Luke 10: 38-42

³⁸ As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
⁴¹ “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴² but few things are needed—or indeed only one.^[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

 Colossians 1: 15-28

¹⁵ The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶ For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. ¹⁷ He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. ¹⁹ For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
²¹ Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of^[g] your evil behavior. ²² But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— ²³ if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

²⁴ Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. ²⁵ I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— ²⁶ the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. ²⁷ To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
²⁸ He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.

*****

There is a Zen Buddhist fable, of a woman who's seeking the meaning of life. So eager is this woman to find life's meaning that she sells all she has, and sets off on a worldwide spiritual quest.

In a distant land, she hears rumors of one who knows the answer: an old man who lives in the mountains. Finally, in a small hut in the Himalayas, she finds him. She knocks on the door of his hut. He opens it, and invites her in for tea.

"No, thank you," she says, "I haven't come for tea. I'm seeking the meaning of life."

"You must have tea," the teacher says, and motions her to sit down.

All the time the water is boiling, the woman talks. The words tumble out of her mouth, rapid-fire. Having sought the wise teacher for so long, she now wants him to know everything about her. She tells him all her worries and doubts and anxieties, all the troubling thoughts that have kept her from sleeping at night. All the while, the teacher sits quietly, making the tea.

When it has reached the proper strength, he begins to pour her a cup; but she's oblivious to what he's doing. He keeps pouring, until the cup is full, then he pours some more. The woman looks down. She notices her cup is overflowing, that the tea is running to the edge of the table and dripping onto the floor. "Stop!" she exclaims. "There's no more room!"

"Just so," says the teacher. "You come here wanting something from me, but what am I to do? There is no more room in your cup. Come back when it is empty, and then we will talk."

The woman never did have to return to the master. For in the simple act of pouring her a cup of tea, he had taught her all she needed to know.[i]

******

We live in a time of questioning and searching.  Is what we are doing right? Should I be doing it another way? Why did they get the attention? Why? Why? Why? How? How? How? When? When? When? 

This morning’s lectionary text echoes this questioning throughout.  Here we find a psalmist questioning a “mighty man’s” response to the actions of the people- what really runs the world, love or evil? We also find Martha questioning Jesus about the actions of her sister Mary- why must Martha work alone?  One thing that I have learned this summer, begrudgingly I might add, is that there is a back story to most questions, whether the person realizes it or not.  Today I want to try to find the back story to these two questions.

This morning’s Psalm was written in a time when power and riches destroyed social order and presented a scandal for anyone who loved good and trusted in God[1].  It seems that this scandal is challenging the Psalmist to a point at which he loses it.  What is it that actually happened? Well, a common approach to this Psalm is that it describes when Doeg the Edomite told Saul of David’s guidance from the priest Ahimelek at Nob when David was fleeing from Saul- leading to the murder of multiple priests.  The “mighty man” is Doeg.  Personally? I can’t blame David for finally losing it and questioning Doeg’s actions! The world has been split at this point and the good guys are losing- David wants to know why. 

Now we come to the sisters- a relationship that I might understand a little bit more about seeing as how I have two of my own sisters.  Here we find one sister, Martha, hard at work while the other is sitting as Jesus’ feet.  I can imagine the annoyance and the stress all too well.  There is no telling how long Martha has been at work, but it doesn’t read to me like she only just started.  She sounds annoyed enough that maybe this isn’t the first time either.  Martha works, Mary relaxes- or at least that is how Martha sees it.  I would love to know who was older- is Mary the older sister who shoved her work off on Martha enough times that she is finally saying something?  I know both as a younger and older sister how that game goes and that once it has started, there seems to be no end.  Finally Martha find her out- Jesus.  HE will put the game to an end.  I can only imagine the look on Martha’s face when he responds.

In both of these cases, we find someone searching for an answer- in their mind, the ultimate answer.  They come with their back story, just like the lady in the Zen Buddhist fable; and just like that lady, they see an overflowing cup before them.  In both cases we find a response, but I am not convinced that we find comfort just yet.  In the Psalm, we find David encourage himself in verses eight and nine as he reminds both himself and the reader that he is like a green olive tree in the house of God… trusts in the steadfast love of God forever… will thank God forever because of what has been done… and will continue to proclaim God’s name.  This doesn’t quite explain what runs the world overall, but it reassures David of what runs HIS world.  In the case of Mary and Martha, we find Jesus responding to Martha’s plea by telling her that she has need of only one thing and it seems to me that the one thing is not the cleaning.  Again, we find comfort but quite frankly, I don’t know about y’all but like the women who went to the old man, I want an answer! Why continue to proclaim God’s name when the power continues to go to the opposite? What one thing is needed beyond prepared food and a clean kitchen to eat in?  I am a person who likes to have an answer… these stories aren’t helping me in that arena.  Right now even I feel very much like the woman who went to the old man likely felt as she left- confused and covered in tea…

This is where Paul comes in- good ole’ Paul, he always does a great job of summing things up.  In this morning’s text, Paul is responding to a plea of the Colossians who are at odds with their neighbors who are challenging their faith.  Which way is the right way?

Has that ever happened to you? I know it happens to me almost daily.  I am embarrassed to admit it, but almost every morning before I get out of bed I will grab my phone and check Facebook.  I scroll through my homepage and see the status updates- a few that I agree with, a few that I could care less about, and many more that challenge my beliefs politically and religiously.  After I get my shower, I go downstairs and turn on the news while I have breakfast and get ready for the day.  It is almost guaranteed that at least one of the stories will aggravate me and challenge me.  Listening to the radio on the way into work is no different.  Things get to be a whole lot of fun once I arrive at work where I work with six other chaplains of different religious backgrounds.  We spend the day discussing different situations and how we would respond based on our own beliefs and I would be lying if I said there weren’t times that I wanted to scream because of the disagreement that I have with some of what is said.  I think I could safely say that I understand, at least a little bit, where the Colossians are coming from with their concerns.  I start the day thinking I have things straight, and before I get out of bed I am questioning myself and those around me.  Which way is right? Am I wrong? But this is what I believe! Why are you challenging me?

In verse 21 of this morning’s text, Paul brings the problem to surface- the Common English Bible reads like this- “Once you were alienated from God and you were enemies with him in your minds, which was shown by your evil actions.  But now he has reconciled you by his physical body through death, to present you before God as a people who are holy, faultless, and without blame.”  So there we have it- the initial problem of feeling as if we are alienated from God, and the solution- Christ, the one who is the physical incarnation of God and the one who reconciled not just one group of people, but all people.  Christ, the one who is so beautifully described in the Christological Hymn in verses 15-20.

I am a big fan of the way Paul works- he doesn’t leave things undone.  Just in case there is any question, Paul continues with an explicit charge to the people of Colossae- “continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven”.  Ok- so let’s lay this out real quick to make sure we are all on the same page-

When someone challenges what you believe (as happened to David when Doeg rewarded evil and to Martha who thought that she shouldn’t be the only one cleaning), first remember that we have reconciled to God through Christ despite our actions, and that we should follow this up by continuing in our faith and hope that we have learned from the gospel. 

So now, if we rewind and go back to the Psalm we find a very irritated David who doesn’t understand what is going on with the world but continues to hold onto his own faith despite what he is seeing around him.  David is a model for many of us- even before Jesus sat with Mary and Martha and before Paul wrote to the Colossians, David thought to look to the Lord for his guidance and support in his time of questioning.  David recognized that this relationship was the answer to all questions he could ask and he seems to have the idea that since it works for him, he will defy social pressure and stick with it.

When we look back at Mary and Martha, we can listen to Jesus tell the frustrated Martha “only one thing is needed- Mary has chosen what is better for her and it will not be taken away from her”.  There is much debate about what this one thing is, however I would venture to say that this one thing is what Paul spoke of- the recognition of her relationship with Christ and continuing to strengthen her faith- to sit with her sister at the feet of her teacher and friend.

It is hard to make it through the day without questioning why something happens the way it does or to not have our beliefs questioned and challenged.  And this is clearly nothing new.  Since the beginning of time people have struggled with this.  In today’s world we can be questioned on any number of things- what is important though is not the question, but the response.  When someone challenges us, do we fall into the temptation to let loose on them and tell them the many reasons why we are right and they wrong? Or do we look to God, recognizing that through Jesus Christ we are reconciled and come into relationship with God- praising God’s name just as David did and just as Jesus alluded to with Martha?

An old Zen Buddhist fable speaks of a woman who was searching for the answer.

An old psalm speaks of a man who was searching for the answer.

An old gospel text speaks of a woman who was searching for the answer.

An old letter speaks of a community who was searching for the answer.

The woman never did have to return to the master. For in the simple act of pouring her a cup of tea, he had taught her all she needed to know.

The man never did have to worry, for in the simple act of pouring out his love and life for God he learned all he needed to know.

The sister never did have to worry about the work, for in the simple act of stopping to listen she learned all she needed to know.

The community never did have to fight, for in the simple act of believing and hoping they learned all they needed to know.

Today’s newsfeed speaks of a world that is searching for the answer, however we don’t have to worry for all we need to know is that we are reconciled through Christ in God despite our actions, we should follow this up by continuing in our faith and hope.

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[1] Interpretation

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[i] http://www.sermonsuite.com/free.php?i=788034126&key=qN1us5dnmoicVdox

Thy Kingdom Come, thy will be done...

This sermon is one that came in the middle of a sermon series on the Lord's Prayer at my home church on June 23, 2013.

Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:10


for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. 27 As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise.
Galatians 3: 26-29


"When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. 34 The stranger who sojourns with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 19: 33-34


“Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

We speak of God’s kingdom all of the time- but do we really know what it is? Well, if we are willing to sit down and hash it out, we can start in the Gospels where Jesus uses parables to speak of the kingdom of God. I chose to not do that this morning for a reason- we would be reading a whole lot, and I think Paul sums it up very nicely in his letter to the Galatians- “In Christ, There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female.”

The focus of most, if not all, of Paul’s letters was unity in Christ. Knowing that Christ is the incarnation of God, this is not surprising that Paul would strive to put this unity focus in his teachings because it is through our unity in Christ that we come into unity with God. It is as simple as that… or is it?

We cannot, even for a second, deny that there is diversity around us. Even if we limit our scope to this sanctuary, or even the pew where we are sitting, we see that we are unique. Every person has a unique appearance, a unique dialect, a unique job, a unique set of beliefs… I could go on for hours, but you get the point. However, even though we are all unique, we have one common thread holding us together- that we are all the children of God.

Just a few weeks ago, Rev. Sherrod baptized Ella Grace Hilliard. One very important aspect of that baptism was the communal recognition of our own baptisms. Whenever one is baptized, all are re-baptized. The significance in this is that through this recognition of our own individual baptism, we are also recognizing that we are all baptized in the same name of Jesus Christ, the son of God and that we are all children of God.

In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, Paul points to this same baptism to explain that there is no separation between one person and the next. This was in a time of upheaval and strong belief that if someone was not like you, they were wrong. I hate to say it, but it probably wasn’t too far from where we are today. What is even more astonishing is that Paul doesn’t just bring all of those in the present into union, but ties them to the past as well- taking this unity as far back as Abraham, assuring that those who are in Christ are the descendents of Abraham and therefore part of the covenant with God.

We see in other letters from Paul that he does not totally do away with those things that make us unique- he addresses slaves as slaves, men and women accordingly, and even continues to use ethnic distinctions. These are not things that can be done away with- the point that Paul is trying to make is that because we are all children of God, these distinctions do not matter to God.

When we jump back to the laws in the book of Leviticus- we see that this lack of distinction wasn’t completely foreign- "When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. 34 The stranger who sojourns with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself.”

Well, dictionary.com defines a stranger as a person who is not a member of the family, group, community, or the like, as a visitor or guest. There is no mention here of “this does not include…” So there you have it- even in the book of laws that many people turn to in order to cast someone out, we are told that we are to welcome those people in and to love them as ourselves. Throughout Leviticus 19 we find a great focus put on strengthening one’s relationship with their neighbor, whether they are a neighbor whom you have known for your entire life or someone who has come from an outside land.

What’s more is this law and deterioration of boundaries was not just set by some random person, but rather this law and all of those in this chapter are handed down to Moses by YHWH- further enforced throughout by the Hebrew phrase, “אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם “ (Ani Adonai Elohachem), translated as “I the Lord am your God”. For this reason, these were never taken lightly.

Have you ever tried to sit down and have a conversation with someone who did not agree with you? Unless you are a rarity, I bet you were quite uncomfortable- arms crossed and very guarded, and maybe even a bit defensive. We all fall into that mode on occasion if something we believe is being challenged. If someone says or does something that makes us uncomfortable, we retaliate- it is the human thing to do. But I wonder- what would happen if we actually engaged in conversation with this person rather than arguing and defending? That is what the law given to Moses is trying to get the people to do- to essentially sit down and engage rather than argue; to welcome one another in rather than to slam the door shut.

I think we are all familiar with the story of the ugly duckling- the version that I remember goes something like this…

One dark stormy night, when the wind was so strong it could pick up a boulder, a nest of eggs sitting by the lake was disturbed. One egg, much lighter than a boulder, was pushed down the hill by the wind until it came to rest in a new nest. The mother duck, not knowing how in the world one of her eggs slipped out from underneath her, quickly pulled the lost egg into her warmth- and there is sat until it came time to hatch.

Well, the day finally came and the eggs began to hatch. As the eggs hatched, beautiful baby ducklings climbed out of the shell and began to waddle around. One egg didn’t hatch though. Very worried, the mother duck found her spot sitting on the egg once more until finally it began to move. The ducklings and their mother gathered around, very excited, and watched as they saw the cracks slowly creep through the egg until finally a large grey head popped out from the egg. Very confused, the ducklings began to look at one another and then to this new duckling- they were each a beautiful yellow, but this new duck was grey! Something was terribly wrong.

As the ducks began to grow and learn their way around the pond, the grey duck who we will call “Buster” for the sake of the story, was always left out. His brothers and sisters made fun of him and left him out of the games they played. When they saw him coming, they would quickly swim away. It seemed that the only duck who loved him was his mother. No matter what she did, she couldn’t seem to get her other children to recognize Buster as part of the family, but she never shut him out. She fed him, swam with him, relaxed with him- mother never let her baby be alone.

And then it happened- one morning when Buster woke up, he looked up and saw all eyes on him and all beaks dropped open. Very confused, Buster waddled over to the lake and looked down at his reflection- he was no longer the goofy looking grey ball of feathers, but a beautiful swan. His brothers and sisters had spent so much time ignoring him that they never saw Buster’s transformation but his mother just smiled since she saw the whole thing happen.

Do you see the connection? This story that we use to teach our children the importance of not shutting a person out because they are different, isn’t really just for the kids. This story is a perfect summation of why we should let go of our differences and welcome one another in. I don’t know that the mother duck ever truly thought that this egg was hers since I think we all know that a mother is the first to see a difference in her children, but she saw that it was in need and she took it under her wings. Even after the eggs hatched and she saw that Buster was different, she never cast him out but continued to nurture him the way that only a loving parent could do. I don’t think I would be too far off base if I suggested that this is the way that God see’s us- we are all different, however no difference is ever enough that God would cast out a child. Just as the mother duck encouraged her ducklings, who did not listen, to include Buster God encourages us and even gave us a law.

This is the point when it can be all to easy to say “Well, this all sounds great but Paul wasn’t speaking to us- he was speaking to the Galatians… and the laws were given to Moses to give to the Isrealites… not us.” Remember that baptism though? The one that established that we are all children of God, not just connected to those people living today but all the way back to Abraham? Paul was in fact speaking to us and the laws were not just for the Isrealites. As Christians we too are called to look beyond all differences and distinctions and to welcome strangers in.

Theologian Freidrich Schleiermacher addresses the Kingdom of God in his writings about eschatological hope. In it, Schleiermacher explains that the Kingdom of God will come when all of humanity comes into full God-consciousness, essentially meaning that all of humanity not only recognizes but is completely dependent on God.

“Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

The original greek actually tells us that while the kingdom has been and continues to be present in heaven, it is not yet here on earth- so how do we get there? How will all of humanity recognize and become completely dependent on God, bringing the ever present kingdom in heaven into presence here on earth?

Well- I think that Paul and, let’s just throw it out there, YHWH give us a great start. When we strive to look past all earthly distinctions of age, race, gender, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, political affiliation, education, social status, economic status, and any and all other distinctions which are present, we subsequently begin to welcome in those strangers that YHWH spoke of to Moses. When we can begin to look to each other as brothers and sisters in Christ, we can begin to work towards bringing the Kingdom of God into action here on earth.

Last week I took a few minutes to sit down with our church’s bulletin to see how we are breaking down boundaries and welcoming all who we come across into the coming kingdom of God. I was very pleased with what I saw- every week we open our doors to at least five groups- Mother’s Morning Out, Girl Scouts, AA, AA/ Alanon, and the Career Transitions Support Group. Our prayer list includes not just members, but friends and family of members- last week there were five in the total twelve prayer concerns. The announcements start with an invitation to all in the greeting- “We invite you.” We also included two organizations outside of our church which we support. I would be willing to say that we are on the right track! But, if I have learned anything during my four weeks working as a chaplain, it is that we have to be willing to ask the tough questions. So here goes…

We open the doors so other groups can use our facilities, but is there ever a member presence? Has anyone ever been here to welcome people or to offer further hospitality? What can we do for these groups who regularly use our facilities, so that they know we are more than just a building? I know that we have made efforts periodically, but are we consistent and intentional with these efforts?

We read names in the bulletin- in many cases the same names for weeks and months on end. Do we as a church do anything to reach out to these friends and family so that they know we are not only praying for them on Sunday morning but continually thinking of them?

We send flip flops to Raleigh Rescue Mission, but have we thought about going down there to learn about what they do and maybe even work for a little bit? I can tell you from experience with Summer In The City- they have a huge food pantry that is always in need of organizing.

What can we do as God’s Children once we, both as a church and as individuals, reach out a bit further? LISTEN. What is the story behind the story? When we meet that person who takes us out of our comfort zone, imagine what we can learn if we actually listen to what they are saying. We may not understand everything that we are hearing, and we may not agree- but we are all God’s Children. God doesn’t focus on our differences and let them get in the way of God’s love, so why do we let them get in the way of our own love?

As humans, we come to know God through our earthly relationships- those relationships that we foster can be the avenue for the Kingdom to truly come and for God’s will to be done. As Jonathan said last week, “we are called to live lives that are sacred and set apart”. My follow-up to that would be that in breaking boundaries and looking beyond what makes us different from one another, we begin to live out one aspect of the sacred and set apart life. Jesus Christ ate with the sinners and outcasts, but who determines who that is? Unfortunately, humanity does. When we can go beyond these definitions of who we think other people are, and just open up and be with all of God’s children we will truly be setting the stage for the kingdom to finally come.

“Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” The kingdom and will of God are already and continue to be present… what role will we play as both individuals and the church to help to bring that kingdom and will of God into the world today? It won’t happen all at once, but we can definitely start today.