2024 Archived

Sermon, January 7, 2024

We are facing a new year..and most of us might be wondering what this year might hold for us.  Will live in a time where many wonderful creative actions are happening, yet at the same time many apprehensions are part of our every day life...potential for war, too many people entering the country illegally and not enough space, time or money to care for them the way we have advertised.  New kinds of illnesses are being created that can be devastating.  It’s also the year we will elect another president….many unanswered questions and problems are on the same paths we are on.   What do we do to find peace in the midst of all these conflicts and negative happenings?   

As Christians, we learn from scripture there are basically 4 things we can do to ensure that we participate fully in the path laid our for us by Jesus himself.  Those four aspects of life are:  believe, behave, beware, and belong. 

What you believe shapes who you are in thought, words, and behavior.  Your belief is vital to your life experience.  Jesus wanted and still wants every human being  to know he or she is loved by our Creator God...that is something God wants each of us to know...we are loved, cherished, and encouraged by God to be as fully human and humane as possible.  It helps to know exactly what you believe about God, Jesus, yourself, and other people.  Do you know?  Could you write down what you believe?  I think that is an exercise we all could benefit from...so I encourage you to this week take a few minutes and write down what your core beliefs are, for they are what make you who you are. 

How you behave is another way we know who we are in Christ.  It has been said that what we do speaks so loudly that others cannot hear what we say.  Our behavior toward self and others should imitate and exemplify the life of Christ in you.  You are a light to your family, your neighbors, and your church.  How much light do you offer to those around you?  Do you encourage people or do you criticize them?  Do you sometimes still refer to others with unkind names? Or yell unkind things out the window when someone cuts you off in traffic?  It’s these little things you say and do that tell others who you are. Is here room for improvement in these areas?  To live a meaningful, happy life we must behave in godly ways to all people, not just those we like.  God expects us to use the lives he gives us to spread love and kindness.  That just may be our most important job. 

Beware!  As enlightened people we are more likely than not to be aware of all the falseness in our world.  Greed, fear, insecurity, anger are dangers that live inside each of us and in others we are in contact with.  We need to be aware that God’s ever present presence can cure us and others of these debilitating characteristics.  You often hear people say, “the devil made me do it.”  Beware that what we call “the devil” may just be a spirit of mean-ness that lives in you.  Beware of where you put the blame for any bad behavior you exhibit. 

Belong.  Every one needs to feel a sense of  belonging. John Donne’s poem “No Man Is An Island” is true.  We naturally belong to our birth families or those families who have accepted and encouraged us.  But the greatest family available to any of us is the family of God...that is why churches exist.  The church is not a building...it is people.  Often the worldly life we choose to live woos us away from our church family so we must be cautious to put God and his one hour a week as a top priority, then all the other priorities will be more meaningful.  Happiness abounds when you live within the circle of God’s love, forgiveness, and compassion.  Belonging is one of the very basic needs of every human. 

Let’s work together in 2024 to believe more intently, to behave in more godly ways, to beware of what we ourselves place out into the universe, and then belong more often and more committed...that’s is how we make 2024 a great  year all year long no matter what is happening in the broader world. 

God made you to be his agent, his representative on earth...to behave lovingly like him, and to nourish one another in the good and the tough times.  That’s the life of a Christian. That should be the life we all live with conviction and love.

Amen

Sermon, January 14, 2024 

Define allegory:  An allegory is a story that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral, religious, or political journey 

Our story today is an allegory.  It tells the story of a wedding, but its hidden meaning is far more important to readers than just a wedding. 

The story comes from the Gospel of John which was written about 80 years after Jesus died.  The Jewish people, their country, and their religion were all in disarray.  Rome had conquered and destroyed Jerusalem.  The holy temple had been torn down.  In the midst of this chaos stories about Jesus were gaining popularity across the known world.  But, there was confusion about who Jesus really was and where this new interest in Jesus was going. 

The writers of John’s gospel, and there were several, tried to clear the air about Jesus.  They believed Jesus was human yet had divine characteristics. They wrote stories for the purpose of showing that Judaism as a religion based on the law and prophets as the way to God was being supplanted by Jesus, the risen Christ spirit.  The authors of the gospel wrote stories of miraculous happenings which they called “signs”...that is signs that show Jesus as a divinely inspired miracle worker. 

The story called “the Wedding at Cana”  when read as symbolic, teaches a concept central to the faith that ultimately came to be known as Christianity.  From the very first sentence we know this is an allegory, a story hiding its real truth, because it begins with this phrase: “On the third day … a wedding took place.”  One thing we need to know:  in the holy scriptures the meaning of the phrase “on the third day is not a number, it is not three days.  It is a phrase used throughout the Bible that means something new and significant is happening. You might remember on the third day the law was given to Moses, on the third day Jonah was spit out of the whale’s mouth to finally obey God, on the third day Jesus was raised.  So, “on the third day” means an important event is happening. 

In today’s story about the wedding in Cana, we remember weddings in first century Israel were expensive, long-drawn out celebrations that lasted a full 7 days and 7 nights.  It was the groom’s responsibility to house the many guests and provide food and wine for every meal during those 7 days.  And there were no motels or restaurants available.  It was a major endeavor to host a wedding. 

The story tells us that Jesus and several of his disciples were at the wedding, as was Jesus’ mother.  However, in this story his mother is not named, therefore we know it was not Mary.  The mother in this story is the Jewish Israel.  At that time it was common for people to refer to their nation as their mother. 

As the story moves along, we read that all the wine had been consumed and there was no more.  This is the authors hidden way of telling us the old way of Judaism, the Jewish faith, is being consumed, losing its power.  Something new is happening! 

The mother, the Jewish Israel, acknowledged Judaism was diminishing by saying “They have no more wine, Judaism as we know it is changing!”  The mother, the nation, tells Jesus to “do something about it.”  Jesus asks, “why involve me? My time has not yet come.”  Which can be interpreted as meaning, “Don’t try to kill me yet;  I have more to do.”  These sentences indicate Jesus has not yet been raised or crucified.  But, the mother, Jewish Israel, says to the servants, “Do as he says,” meaning we may as well get ready, this is the way we are now going. 

The six stone jars in the story were used to hold ceremonial washing water for purification.  Jesus says to the servants, “Fill up the jars like always, then draw some out.”  This means some Jewish people will follow him and others will not, recognizing his ministry and his life will not be easy.  He gives the water to the master of the banquet who recognizes the water was far superior to the previous wine, or this new faith based on love and giving is better than the old Jewish way which was based on the law and prophets as the way to God.   

The people gathered at the wedding were served the best wine.  Traditionally, the groom was responsible or providing the wine...yet in this story Jesus provided it.  Who received the wine?  The bride and guests.  So in this allegory Jesus is the groom, the people gathered together at the wedding were the congregation.  The gathering of the people is the bride.  The church that follows Jesus becomes known as the bride of Christ.  Many early churches were called the church of the new wine. 

Our Christian faith grew out of Judaism but without the shackles of laws that limited life and love.  True Christianity has no such limits...God is unlimited.  God’s love for each of us is unlimited...there is freedom here, not so much with Judaism and fundamentalism. 

The creative story, is a love story about the birth of the Christian church, of which you are a loving, faithful compassionate member...living out the life of Christ in you.    May we ponder this story and its teachings as we too grow toward wholeness and holiness, and grow in the faith of love and giving that Jesus claims will save us all. 

Amen

Sermon, January 21, 2024 

Today’s story is about universal prejudice.  Where do we fit in? 

In this story the Canaanite woman was considered unclean, not Jewish, therefore she was “rejectable.”  Back in the day of Jesus and before, there was a religious and national prejudice by the Jewish people for Canaanites.  They worshiped idols...fertility deities.  According to the Jewish people the Canaanite people were on the very bottom rung of society. 

The Canaanite woman approached Jesus...her daughter was according to the mother demon possessed.  The Gospel of Matthew presents this woman a a caring woman who saw Jesus as one who was superior to her.  She called out to Jesus, “Heal my daughter!” 

The disciples were disgusted that this unclean woman even called out to Jesus.  They told Jesus to send her away.  They did not want to encounter the victims of their prejudice...do we? 

Jesus’ comments to her at first seem out of character for him...for he was usualy generous and supportive of most people.  His tone of voice seemed harsh as he said to her, “I am sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  And it was true, that for a time Jesus thought his outreach was only to the Jewish people. 

The woman acknowledged his prejudice toward her, but with courage she entered his physical space and said, “Lord, help me.” 

Jesus response seems insulting, “It is not air to take the children’s bread and give it to the dogs!”   “Yes,” she said, “but even dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the master’s table.” 

Jesus’ response to her was, “Woman, great is your faith.  Be it done for you as you desire.”  The Matthew tells us her daughter was healed. 

If we take this story literally, we could be shocked by it.  It seems Jesus’s initial reaction to the woman was offensive. However, to read the understand this story we must view it through Jewish history and learn its Jewish meaning. 

The Canaanite woman was unclean because she was not Jewish.  And for centuries, the Jewish people had tried to keep themselves separate from other tribes as a way to survive.  They had built certain boundaries to guarantee their continued Jewish existence.  Prejudice for them seemed normal and necessary. 

So, through this story, Matthew is asking us these questions:  “Just how far will the love of God go?”  Or, “Just how universal is the  Christ story?”  Will it cover prejudice?  Will it cover those different from us?  Can the love of God embrace those whom we feel are inferior and rejectable?  Can any one of us limit the availability of God’s love for someone else? 

This Canaanite woman is a symbol of all prejudice of every kind.  The meaning of this story is:  “God’s love is universal.  It does include the ones whom we may have defined as less than us and not worthy of our attention and love. The foundational truth for all humanity is that God’s love is for all people. 

Yet, prejudice still abounds...it is found in every nation, among every race of people and ethnic group.  Prejudice can be religious, political, educational, sexual, and most certainly and most often socially.  Who among us has the right to declare who belongs and who does not? 

So how far does the love of God reach, as shown through you?  What persons do you include or exclude in your daily life?  That is a serious question with eternal consequences. 

People of wisdom through all the ages agree one one thing:  only love will ever erase hate;  only acceptance will every erase prejudice. 

So our gospel reading clearly challenges us:  do we stand accused and do nothing?  Or, do we stand ashamed and change or attitudes?  Do you as a Christian, who represents the Christ Spirit, have the right to belittle any other human being ever, or with hold God’s love from them? 

Maybe we need to talk about this challenge and certainly pray about it. 

Amen

Sermon, January 28, 2024 

Today’s reading is part of what is called “Jesus sermon on the mount,” or the Beatitudes. This discourse is a revisiting of the Old Testament commandments given to Moses, also on a mountain top.  

Each one of the Beatitudes teaches us something about Jesus that he wants us to learn and live into ourselves.  Let’s look at two of the Beatitudes this morning. 

One is, Jesus tells his disciples and us, “you are the salt of the earth.”   

Are we?  What happens to food when it is not salted?  I is bland, sometimes tasteless.  But more important than that, salt keeps things from going bad, from spoiling...and salt gives flavor.  Likewise, we call good people ‘the salt of the earth.” 

As followers of Jesus’ philosophy our mission is to be the salt of our families, our community, and our church by persevering, reconciling and adding joy or gladness wherever we go.  We are to give meaning, and hope where there is little of either.  It is all about the quality of life and the power of Jesus’ life in ;you...being lived through you day after day.  For us today, being salt of the earth means preserving spiritual values and moral principles, enjoying our time together with laughter and love, and sharing our relationship with the God we worship.  Each one of us might consider giving more praise for the harmony and fellowship, joy and happiness, Jesus’ messages offer to us.  As “salty” Christians we are to add the flavor of human kindness to all we know, greet, and meet. 

Today’s scripture also calls us to be the Light of the world.  What does that mean?   Here is an example:  if I turned out all the lights in the sanctuary during a night time service, we might have a hard time seeing, especially seeing each other.  But if I turn the lights back on you might say, “Oh, good, now I can see.” 

Another example is this:  if you face a problem and worry over it for a while, then all of a sudden you find the solution you say, “O, I see!”  In other words, you  understand.   

Being the light of Christ, the light of the world, means seeing or sensing God in all but most importantly letting others see the risen Christ Spirit in you...in your words, your actions, and your response to others.  We do need to shine the light of love and acceptance wherever we go.   

Isaiah, a prophet of old, said, “If you stand for justice and mercy, if you feed the hugry and satisfy the needs of the down-trodden, then your light will rise like the dawn out of darkness.”  58:8 

As God provides the dawn, the spectacular sunrises, each and every day without fail, we too must rise from our morning sleep with enthusiasm for the day, seeking opportunities to bring love, peace and joy to all we meet...all we meet.  Let’s try to be lighter and saltier every day. 

Amen

Sermon, February 4, 2024

Mark 9: 2-9 

We are often told that Jesus and God love us just as we are. Yet much of our holy scriptures talk about change, transfiguration, becoming more than we are.  So what gives?  If we read between the lines it is true that every human is loved by God through Christ simply because we are his creations.  However, true love, impactful love, energizing love requires that we do desire to change, to be more of what is needed at the time, to be more godlike in our actions because that is what is needed, in every aspect of our lives.   

The story of the transfiguration of Jesus is an indication that even the best of us can do more out of love, can change to be more humane, caring, loving, and forgiving.  The Spirit of holiness, whether you see that most clearly in God or Jesus, is real and it does encourage us to keep growing.  As in all life, nature and us, if we don’t grow and change we die.  The status quo is not livable for long.  Change can be exciting or it can be frightening.  Yet we are assured through the God spirit within us that its good to change; it’s healthy to change, so don’t be afraid...face life, all life, with enthusiasm. 

Jesus, as near perfect as a human can be, also had to change in order to be all God asked him to be.  And it was a challenge for him.  The story tell us Jesus, Peter, James and John went up onto a mountain...already we know this is not a factual story but a spiritual, holy one.  During this experience, the disciples saw Jesus’ body change from a physical being to a dazzling white, cloud like image.  His face was shining brighter than the sun.  

Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus.  Moses represented the Old Testament Law...that which guided Jewish life.  Elijah represented the Old Testament prophets through which the Jewish people received the sum of the Old Testament teachings.  Neither Moses nor Elijah died like other humans.  The connection was that Jesus will not die either.  However, he did die.  He was crucified.  But he had to come back to life in some form so people would know he or his spirit is still very much alive.  Therefore, we have the resurrection and ascension stories. 

Jesus’ transfiguration changed him from a simple Galilean rabbi and healer to the Messiah...the anointed one of God, the one Israel was to look for to save them from themselves, from further oppression, and their uncertainty about life. 

So when we say we love God, we love Jesus, we are admitting that in some way or ways we might need to change our attitudes, our thinking, and our behavior.  Change could be a gift to us in the long run and certainly worth our time and energy to do so. 

It’s like this.  If you have ever truly and deeply been in love with someone, then if you behave in a way that is negative or hurtful to that person, don’t you want to change?  Want to make the relationship more harmonious and blessed?  I think so. 

In many ways this story today urges each one of us to experience a personal transfiguration from a believer to a doer of the word,  a doer of God’s love in and for us all. That change in us is a challenge from all that is holy.  

Is there any one among us today who is willing to pick up God’s challenge to us and run with it?  That challenge being to grow in spirit, faith, hope, and love.  I pray someone or all will do so. 

Amen

Sermon, February 11, 2024

Matthew 4: 1-11 

The story today tells us that right after the baptism of Jesus, he went immediately into the wilderness, the desert, for 40 days. 

Let’s remember,  Matthew who  told this story, was a committed Jewish man. He wanted to tell people that Jesus was the new Moses, the earlier savior of the Jewish people.   

Moses spent 40 years in the wilderness of the desert where he was tempted, tried, and tested.  Jesus spent 40 days being tempted and tested.  Also remember, that in the Bible 40 is not a specific number.  Rather it represents a complete period of time to accomplish something significant. So 40 could be a day, a week or a year.  But it was a significant time for change to take place. 

In today’s story, we are told the “devil” tempted Jesus.  So, I have a question for you.  Think seriously about a time in your own life when you were tempted to do or say something that was wrong, hurtful, sinful, or terribly unkind. And you were truly tempted to act on that temptation.  Can you visualize or remember that time or experience? 

If so, where was the devil during that temptation of yours and what did the devil look like?  Was the devil a creature outside of yourself or did the devil reside in your own mind, your conscience, or your own desire?   Opportunities and possibilities can tempt us.  Other people can tempt us.  Our ideas and desires tempt us...all of that is normal.  But those temptations basically reside in our minds and from which we choose to act on them or not. 

We can ask that same question of Jesus.  Evidently he was tempted.  Like we all are.  However, he used holy scripture to give him strength to not act on those temptations. 

Look at what the 3 temptations of Jesus were. The first one was that Jesus could turn a stone into bread so he would never be hungry.  This temptation taunted Jesus saying forget your own divine power and satisfy your human needs and senses.  Jesus responded by saying, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by the Word of God.” 

The second temptation was for Jesus to bow down to Satan by throwing himself off a high hill so God would save him. Jesus replied by saying, “Don’t put your Lord God to the test.”  Jesus did not want to try to manipulate God for his own purposes.  He did not want to try to control God.  Rather, he trusted God with his life. 

The third temptation seems to be the root of all other temptations:  putting God to the test.  The devil took Jesus up to the top of a high mountain (meaning he spiritually challenged him.)  The devil said to Jesus, “all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor is yours, if you bow down and worship me.”  This temptation means we all have to decide if we are going to have a spiritual coup and put ourselves as our own God, or serve the one high God. 

We are all tempted in this way.  We think we know more about ourselves than God does, so we trust our human instincts and intellect instead of God and his gracious benevolent power.  Jesus responds by saying, “You shall worship the Lord your God and him only will you serve.” 

These temptations are the essential forms of all temptations any one of us might consider.  The first one wants us to think we can manipulate God and the divine spirit for our own earthly ends and desires.  We are tempted by our yearnings, our desires, our lusts...and we all have experienced these temptations. 

The second one tempts us to covet what others have instead of trusting God to lead us to what is best for us. 

The third temptations, the most powerful one of all, is to seek personal power, to be more important than someone else. 

All of these temptations are common us us and they were common to Jesus as well. In the wilderness he had an opportunity to be quiet where he could think about what he was chosen to do and what options were available to him.  We are grateful he refused his personal temptations and chose to serve his God. 

During these days as we await the Easter experience it might behoove us to find a quiet time to re-establish who we are.  The world is noisy, muddled, and confused.  Perhaps a time of quiet to see ourselves more clearly is needed.  We are indeed reflections of God Almighty.  Don’t cheapen the Lenten season by giving up chocolate, booze, or anything else that you can’t wait to start consuming again once Lent is over.  So how about giving up grudges, giving up self-centered attitudes, how about abandoning our own self-importance to give aid to those who need a loving uplifting hand. Ponder these things in the coming days and see if the sweet breeze of true faith might blow through your mind as you choose the best way to live each day… 

As you think about these things you might want to keep this verse from First John 2: 15-17 handy and read it often:  “Do not love the worldly things, If anyone loves the worldly things then the love for God is not seen in him.  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of God but is of the world.  The world passes away and lust of it does, but the one who does the will of God abides and lives forever.” 

Amen

Sermon, February 18, 2024

John 3: 1-17 

I recently read part of an article that told of a professional sports figure who was injured in a game.  Her loud public response to her injury was that her being hurt at the peak of her game was proof that God does not exist.  She went on to say that if God was real she would not have been injured.  An attitude like that indicates she feels the Almighty God of the entire universe exists just so she can play in a game….which to her is far more important that stopping wars, healing the sick, feeding the poor, being friends across every race, ethnic group, and aisle. 

Now, no one here is a professional sports person.  But I have heard some of you and others say things like: Why did God let that happen?  If God is a God of love why is there war?  If God really loves me, my child would not misbehave, and even if God really cared I would find a convenient parking spot….on and on and on blaming God for all the woes in our lives rather than seeing God as the way through those woes.  

When we read the Old Testament in the Bible, we see again and again God’s people disobeyed his laws and his prophets and then they wondered why their nation was over run and conquered time and again.  Or when they refused to do as God had asked them to do, they blamed God for whatever bad happened  even though the disappoint was clearly from their own choices and actions. 

So, here is one extremely, life-altering lesson the bible preaches and teaches: as an adult human being, be careful where you lay the blame for your own decisions, words, and actions;   then accept the fact you are responsible for yourself, your choices, and your behavior.  You are responsible! 

That is a crucial lesson.  If we learned it well and acted on it many problems would disappear. 

We know God designed a path for all humans to follow.  When that path was laid out in laws and through prophets, people didn’t always respond the way God had planned.  Not willing to give up on us, God chose another way to get his message across to us.  He chose a young man who was poor, oppressed, berated by the ruling elders, to speak for him...he was and is God’s love and compassion personified.  This man, named Jesus, had every barrier thrown up to stop him and his teachings.  Rather than stopping him, Jesus broke those barriers...all of them.  He welcomed friends and enemies into his circle of love.  He elevated and honored women as people of worth and value rather than as chattel.  He hugged and blessed the sick, the crippled, the lepers and treated them all with dignity which encouraged their healing and their hope.  Even when both Rome and the Pharisees set out to keep Jesus quiet by killing him, he kept on the path...he walked on in faith, not in fear.  He walked on in confidence and trust rather than pouting and whining because of ever present threats.   

So...when bad or hurtful or disappointing things happen to us, we do not, do not! blame God.  We as sane believers accept our roles that lead to actions whether helpful or hurtful.  We must walk the journey of faith, of confidence without fear.  In other words, we need to adopt the truthful attitude that God is always available to assist, guide, comfort, help in times of hurt and harm as well as in times of peace and joy. God’s grace is always available to support us in any way  at all. To blame God for things we don’t like is to escape from reality and be less of who we are determined to be.  

We can be excited about the energizing relationships we have with our God and with the Christ spirit within us.  Those relationships are the foundation of all other healthy relationships and also the foundation of courage to handle any other situation that may be hurtful, harmful, depressing, or worse. 

The truth is this:  We can be free from all that haunts us and causes anxiety.  We can and do receive all blessings from God when we choose to follow God’s laws and paths laid out for us.  Some choices or decisions might be difficult and confusing.  But doing right is always the right thing to do.  And when you choose right, when you choose to be responsible for yourself and your actions, then you have chosen to be in harmony with the God of all Creation to guide, assist, encourage, and comfort. 

We then have plenty, actually all we need.

Amen

Sermon, February 25, 2024

Philippians 1: 3-4 

One of the great gifts of being a Christian, that is a true follower of the teachings of Jesus the Christ, is that we are never alone...never ever alone.  The very spirit of all Creation, and the holy spirit of love as shown by Jesus, reside within each of us...yet it is up to us to realize and understand that eternal power and energy is available always. We must honor and use that spiritual power to further faith, hope, and love in our every day lives. 

We connect to those spiritual aspects of the universe and within ourselves through the medium of prayer. 

Prayer is a gift to us, just as life is.  Any conversation we have with God is good, is healthy, and strengthens us.  Many people feel prayer is just a request to God to give us the favors we ask for.  But true prayer is far, far more powerful than just asking for favors.  Actually, real prayer has two important aspects to it.  One is confession and the other is praise.  Prayer on a daily basis better ensures that we shall be who God has designed us to be, lovers of life in all its magnificence. Then we can live in and thrive in the Kingdom of Love. 

Let’s look at confession first.  Confession is often difficult for us because it demands we admit our wayward ways.  We often tend to forget our sins...our gossip, our little white lies, our demeaning other people as not important, and violating the laws of morality that are written for us in our holy scriptures. Nonetheless, confession is essential to understanding ourselves and being willing to abandon words and actions of ours that cause harm and hurt. 

Jesus himself, in teaching others how to pray, asked God to forgive us of our sins (trespasses).  True confession, true awareness of when we have caused hurt to another or to ourselves, and speaking these hurts aloud is a healing process.  To hear yourself verbalize your sins is a first step in overcoming them...taking their power away.  To have good mental, emotional, physical and spiritual heath, we must consider the darker sides of ourselves and seek spiritual assistance to rid us of those debilitating sins. Confession is absolutely good for our souls, our minds, and our daily lives. 

The other aspect of prayer that is essential is gratitude and praise.  Most of us are good at asking God to favor us and our loved ones...but that kind of prayer is never enough.  It must have the partnership of praise.  To be grateful and express that gratitude puts life in the proper perspective. Praising God does create a feeling of blessings in us...which we all need.  Even if life is not yet what we want it to be, just by praising God we are better aligned with his grace...which is always a benefit 

Now here is something we all must seriously consider...there are exceptions but prayer usually does not change things or circumstances or situations.  Prayer changes people who do pray, then people change things and situations. That is God’s active faith in us.  

Our faith in God is enriched when we confess in order to be healed, and then we praise with gratitude and thanksgiving in order to be enlightened and powerful. 

We are natural pray-ers.  Every thought, word, and action are our prayers… and love in action is the most potent of all prayers.  In the end, we are our own prayer to God.  Whatever we do is the culmination of all that we have done, of all that we are, of all that we have prayed.  From this morning on, let each of us make a commitment to our gracious and loving Lord that we will stay in touch with him more often every day...we will confess when we violate the laws of God, and we will praise our God for his forgiveness, his patience, and his constant care for us.  Let us do this so that the love Jesus exemplified will be visible in our own words and actions. 

God in us, us in God...holy, holy, holy.

Amen 

Sermon, March 3, 2024

 John 8: 1-11 

Today’s scripture is a story of great importance.  It demonstrates in a dramatic way the extent of divine forgiveness. It is a reminder of the difference between sin and sinner.  Though the sin might be harmful and grievous, the sinner is to be loved. 

How many of us can see the difference?  Or once a person has committed either a crime or a sin, do we condemn at least in our thoughts the person, not just the sin? 

As we move through the church calendar toward Good Friday and Easter, both of which are a couple of weeks away, we see Jesus becoming more and more outspoken...thus becoming an even greater threat to the local authority.   

The Law of Moses required the adultress to be killed.   

The authorities would see Jesus breaking the Law of Moses as a huge crime itself...so once again Jesus chose a dangerous but loving path...the woman was far more important to him than her sin was.  However, due to the Jewish Law, since Jesus did not insist on killing her, he would be killed in her stead.  One life as a substitute for another.   

Perhaps there is no event in the life of Jesus that shows more clearly the triumph of mercy over human justice.  God’ loving forgiveness does wipe the slate clean for us, but then we must forgive ourselves for your bad choices, our possible stupidity, and our hurtful sins.  It is not easy to do. 

However, one reason this story is vitally important to our spiritual growth is that it teaches us not to judge others.  Not because we should not judge others, but we can not judge others.  It is impossible to know the heart, the motive, the pain, the weakness, the struggle of another human being.  So, how can we be so arrogant as to pass judgment on another without knowing, or being aware, of these things. 

Our civil and legal systems have to judge criminals, of course, for the protection of society at large. But even the best systems sometimes fail...none are perfect. 

We must willingly visit,  write to prisoners, or encourage them and their families because no one, not even a criminal, is summed up by their crimes. 

When we think about our personal evaluations of others we must seriously consider Jesus’ adamant solution:  “If you are without sin, you may cast stones.”  That pretty much excludes all stone throwing. 

I much prefer God’s infinite mercy to the possibility of harsh justice.  How about you?  Have you cast any stones this week, or judged another? 

Perhaps we need to read this story over and over again until we get it! 

Amen

Sermon, March 10, 2024 

One of the most profound statements I have ever read came from A.W. Tozer, a Canadian pastor in the mid 1900’s.  This is his statement:  “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”   

He then did a study of the history of God in relationship to nations.  He found out that the history of mankind shows that no people or nation has ever risen above the values of its religion.  Humanity’s spiritual history demonstrates  that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God.  For this reason, the most essential question before the Church and our nation is always God.  The most important fact about any person is not what he or she may say or do, but what the person in his mind and heart conceives God to be like. 

We tend to grow and move toward our mental image of God.  This is true not only of individual Christians but of the groups of Christians who are the Church. 

The most revealing thing about the church is her idea of God.  Is God loving? Forgiving? Merciful?  Or, condemning and punitive? 

Then, who is God to you? 

If you see God as revengeful and unforgiving, that is how you will be in your thoughts, words, and actions.  If you see God as loving and forgiving then you will tend to have those traits.   When we as individuals and as a church practice those traits we help heal the world.   

From this perspective, God is a practical entity and not just a spirit that is unseen, esoteric or beyond knowing.  God is practical because his way of living and being is what makes human beings healthy, happy, and willing to be in harmony with others.  We know from watching the orderliness of nature, that humanity at its best is orderly as well.  That is we all agree that laws are important because they keep us safe.  Work is healthy because it keeps our bodies and minds strong and helps us deal with the difficulties we might experience on a daily basis. And giving ourselves and resources away to assist those who are in need keep us humble and caring.  Arrogance and elitism have no place in our lives if we follow the teachings of Jesus who learned how to live by loving his God. 

The nation and world we live in today is confusing.  Where is real law and order?  Where is the educational system that teaches young people to see beyond themselves to greater more meaningful ways to pursue their lives?  Where are the churches that put the teachings in Jesus into action every single day?   Where are the values most of us grew up with...those being honesty, unselfishness, caring for others, being responsible for self?  We see these ideals in spots around us but they don’t seem to be nationally promoted the way they once were.  What is America to you today?  What place does God have in America today?  And most importantly, what place does God have in your life today?  What emphasis to you place on the teachings of Jesus?  And how much of yourself and your possessions do you share with others? 

So here is where religion and spirituality often part ways.  Religion is a specific set of organized beliefs and practices, usually shared by a community or group.  Spirituality is more of an individual practice and has to do with having a sense of peace and purpose.  Spirituality is often the process of developing beliefs around the meaning of life and connection with others.  Another way to say that is religion involves an organized entity with rituals and practices focusing on a higher power or God.  Spirituality involves a personal quest for meaning in life.   

Some of the wiser people in our past heritage say religion is the first step in learning about God and in our case about Jesus and his teachings. Spirituality follows by implementing in your own life how to maximize the teachings to bring faith, hope, love, and peace to yourself and those around you.  Both seem worthy goals.  Both can and should be practiced if we truly want to find peace and hope in our own lives and in the lives of the people with whom we share our community and nation. 

So, back to the beginning.  What you think about your God is the most important thing about you...because it is the foundation upon which everything else in your life is built on.  Choose wisely.

Amen

Sermon, March 17, 2024 

In recent years the name Marianne Williamson became a bit more well known when she ran for president 4-5 years ago.  However, she is not best known as a politician.  Her calling is a spiritual one.  In one of her writings she offers us a bit of true wisdom.  “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.  It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.  We ask ourselves, ‘who am I to be brilliant, lovely, talented, fabulous?’ Actually who are you NOT be be?  You are a child of God.”   

As human beings we are created to be godlike.  We are meant to shine.  We, all of us, are born to live the glory of God that is within us. God’s glory is not just in some of us, it is in every one of us.  Each day is an opportunity to flourish, to become more of who we are meant, designed to be.  Then why do we shy away from seeking to be more loving, kinder, more generous, more fun, and more  correct and humane in our behavior. 

If you think about our scripture today, you realize that our Creator, gave us every gift we might ever need to live a harmonious, peaceful, adventuresome life.  However, he did put one limit on our knowledge.  Adam was not to eat the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil.  Rather he was to learn the difference between good and evil through his daily contact with his God and through his own experiences.   

As an example and explanation of this limitation, let’s select just one thing from the tree of knowledge that we as humans are not allowed to know.  We are not allowed to know our future...not to know for certain what will happen tomorrow, or next week, or next year...on and on.  For if we knew our future, we would not need God.  If as humans we could know the future, then with sanity and reason, we could plan around either the good or the bad that is to come to us.  But, since we can not and will not know specifically what our future is, we must learn to trust God, rely on God, talk to God, and live his way for our own benefit.  To trust God means we keep our need of God in front of us and we rely on our God through all of life’s happenings and experiences. 

When we have this close and personal relationship with God, we develop a loving relationship with God and that is why he created us in the first place,  

to build a foundation for loving relationships with each other...to live harmoniously, peacefully, and lovingly with those around us. 

I think God treats us not so much as creations but as his children.  We are to be his gifts to the universe. In whatever way he placed limits on us it is for our own good.  God loves us, God wants us to be safe, or in theological language, to be saved, and to enjoy the life he has given us.  In other words he created us as children to be like him, made in his image, and behaving lovingly in all our relationships. 

The Christian life we have is one of love, one of connections, and healthy relationships.   Emil Brunner, a Swiss educator and theologian, thought we are not unique in our ability to have a relationship with God, but unique in having some say in how we relate to God.  This ability is reflected in the tendency of all societies throughout human time to have some form of worship.  So worship is not something we create...it is a response of human beings to the God of Creation. 

When you think about tomorrow, see it as a gift with unlimited possibilities whatever they may be.  Be grateful we do not know our future for then in our arrogance we would miss the glory of having a powerful, energetic, life with God as our leader, our main lover, our best friend and wise father. 

In closing, think of yourself as one image of the God who is using you to write a love letter to other people, then living out that love letter in the way you think, talk, and interact with others.   

Live your life with these traits:  be all loving, all kindness, all forgiving, and be thankful you are not all-knowing. 

Trust God. Live in peace, for God is wiser than we are.

Amen

Sermon, March 24, 2024

Palm Sunday

In our faith tradition, Palm Sunday was a time close to the Jewish festival of Passover.  Passover was the highest day of religious celebration.  The Jews honored this tradition by going to the temple in Jerusalem.  There thousands of Jewish people offered blood sacrifices of bulls, cows, doves or other creatures to pay for their sins.  It has been reported that the priests themselves ended up with both the meat from the slain creatures and the money people donated.  That is the reason Jesus stopped by the temple a few days before his arrest to overturn the tables of the money changers and accuse the priests of high crimes. 

Then Jesus committed an act the elite could not forget.  Jesus told them the temple itself would be destroyed in three days...that statement alone was enough to justify killing him.  The temple was the source of income and power for the ruling class and the Roman military.  These powerful people would not tolerate the loss of their status or income...so Jesus was condemned to his death. 

The people Jesus loved, healed, prayed for, encouraged and stood up for were looking for a war-like Messiah to replace Roman control and the Jewish elite with a return of the long ago empire of King David.  They too wanted their place among the powers of the world but they also wanted peace and freedom. 

Sadly, these chosen people had forgotten that their significance came through an anti-empire concept through a covenant made with God in the wilderness to restore a broken humanity. 

They had forgotten their  own heritage was an alternative to the kings and emperors of Rome, Egypt, Babylon, and Assyria. God was to be their sovereign God, not just their king or emperor.  They had forgotten their God was sovereign meaning all people, all nations had equal standing where there was no higher nor lower class of people.  All human beings were equal in the eyes of their God. 

They had forgotten the commandments to love all people for God...and that wars and killing those who disagreed with them was not acceptable. 

So, in effect, Jesus broke the hearts of his friends. He did not have an army to overthrow Rome.  He was not a general on a grand steed to lead them.  He did not talk  about overthrowing the Roman rule...rather he encouraged commitment, that all people are worth loving, and he talked about suffering, as in the cross of crucifixion. 

Jesus brought a different set of expectations. And his people did not understand...they felt rejected.  They felt Jesus had betrayed them.  So they turned against him and wanted revenge.   

When we don’t get our way with Jesus, do we turn against him? 

We need to remember in the long run Jesus did win and is still winning. 

Because Empires can and do fail.  Love and forgiveness never fail. 

Empires offer temporary security.  Jesus offers eternal security. 

Empires consider only their own people. Jesus offers to all people a right, holy, and healthy relationship with the only Power that truly matters...God. 

In the murder of Jesus on the cross and his spiritual resurrection, God dealt a blow to all empires and empire thinking. 

Today, our own expectations of the Messiah must be on the right target.  We all have the right and freedom to choose commitment to Christ and live life for him.  It might require a change in thinking, a change in attitude, a change in the words we use, and a change in the actions we take on a daily basis...but those end up being what is best for us personally! 

This Palm Sunday is a good day to remind us of the Good News...Christ is the only eternal power we know.  It is his life lived through each one of us that is and will be the continuation of unlimited love. We are blessed to have and to know the true Messiah...the one of love, not war, the one of humility, not arrogance, the one that is a true humanitarian not a king, nor an emperor. Using his life as a guide for the way we live life creates in us the way to spread real love and honor among all we know, thereby truly bringing an Easter Life into our own. 

We praise God that he has not nor ever will give up on us.  He has put the power of his kingdom in our hands...may we treat it with respect, devotion, commitment and honor.  And remember, the church, like this one, is the living body of Christ...and we are to be and to practice being Christs to one another.   

Can we do it?  Will we do it?

Amen 

Sermon, Sunday March 31, 2024

Easter 

Easter morning.  Isn’t it strange that the most significant event in all of our history happened when no one was around.  There was no fan-fare, no trumpets or parades, no celebrations.  Just stillness.  Quiet.  Almost like a whisper. 

The week before the crucifixion of Jesus had been a horrifying week.  A week of brutality, murder in the bloodiest of ways.  When people were just beginning to come to terms with the horror of it all, that their beloved leader-rabbi was gone, then all of a sudden he was not gone.  He was here!  They must have thought, “How can this be?”  Are we crazy?”  Sometimes, don’t we also ask ourselves those questions? 

Nonetheless, people said they had seen Jesus, had touched him, and dined with him.  But that good news seemed too good to be true. 

Even today some of us still think it’s too good, or too far-fetched to be true.  We don’t understand.  So, to pacify our confusion, to forget about trying to understand the mystique of it, we look to other images of Easter… like soft bunny rabbits, or chocolate ones, or brightly colored eggs.  These symbols are  about the pagan festivals of springtime and reproduction, not about Jesus.  So, to be frank, there was nothing soft, sugary, colorful about Jesus’ murder.  It was horrible, a tortuous crucifixion which is perhaps one of the most humiliating and painful ways to die. 

After Jesus’ death, we are told he was placed in a dark tomb...and some of us still bury him in the dark corners of our minds so we don’t think bout about him too often.  Are we any different from those who physically murdered him?  If we do not allow him access to live through our own lives, we are also guilty of keeping him locked in a dark hole, whether in the ground or in our minds.  

Our answer to that question is how we live each day, how we treat all other people, and how eager we are to promote peace rather than anger and criticism. 

Easter can be bewildering.  Easter moves beyond the practical reality we deal with.  We are seldom comfortable with the intangibles of life.  We often don’t have the words or mental capacity to understand it;  yet we are asked to accept Easter and to manifest that remarkable good news in our own lives. 

Jesus’ spirit lives today in each one of us who know him.  More than that, we as a church known as the “bride of Christ” are the living body ot the resurrected Messiah...the Christ.  We are the people who keep him alive.  We are the people of the good news.  We are the people who spread his love, who shine light in the dark areas of our lives and communities.  We are the people of the new life Jesus bequeathed to us.  We are Easter people!  

I have a question for you to consider:  which side of the cross of Jesus do you choose to live?  The dark side which kills the spirit of a person through anger, prejudice, criticism, judgment and refusal to forgive?  Or do you choose to live on the side of light that gives birth to love, laughter, joy, peace and eternal communion with God through Christ’s holy spirit? 

Please consider your choices... your answer may be the defining moment of your life here and now, and in a forever way. 

Amen 

Sermon, April 7, 2024

Communion

Communion means having something in common with someone and commuting feelings and information back and forth. 

When Jesus had supper with his best friends the night before he died, he served them himself...and then he asked them to remember him….to talk about him among one another and to talk to him even after his death.  He told them he would commune with them through their words and actions on his behalf...that is living his life along side your own.   

As we have communion this morning there will be 3 ingredients, not just two.  We will serve grape juice in the form of a seedless red grape….this grape from which wine is made represents the life-blood of Jesus who taught each of us how to live a life of love.  There is also a piece of broken unleavened bread which helps us remember Moses saving the Israelites from slavery.  When the time came to rescue the Israelites, the women did not have time to add yeast to their bread, so they carried the unleavened bread and hastened their journey toward freedom. As we eat the piece of unleavened bread let us remember it represents our own freedom from fear and an entry into living in peace.  Also today there will be a written message from the teachings of Jesus.  Each one of you will place your hand in the bowl and bring our one small strip of paper.  On the paper will be a message you can take to heart because it comes from the teachings of Jesus directly to you.  Read it over many times in the coming days and see if it helps grow your faith and a more powerful spirit within you. 

Now we will celebrate the ancient rite and ritual of a common meal honoring our Lord Jesus, and taking in the love and energy to live for him.  Amen 

The Rite of Holy Communion 

Congregation:  We as believers do praise God for the love he has for us.  We also ask for forgiveness for all the times we did not do what was asked of us. 

Minister:  When you ask for forgiveness it is freely given.  Then you must forgive yourself. 

Congregation:  We acknowledge we need the power of the Holy Spirit to guide us into healthier ways of living. 

Minister:  One of the ways we acknowledge our gratitude toward God and for the life-altering life of Jesus is to participate in Communion.   

Congregation:  We express our thanks to God and the living Christ by the way we choose to live our own lives...that is with love, compassion, forgiveness, and with energizing faith.  We welcome the messages and teachings of Jesus on a daily basis to assist us in being the best we can be. 

Minister:  As we serve the gifts from God and messages we acknowledge that no one, no act, not death nor life, will ever separate us from the love of God as shown through the life of Christ. 

Passing physical and mystical nourishment.  Take, eat, read and know you are one with your Creator God and you are Christs to one another. 

Amen 

Sermon, April 14, 2024

Luke 25: 13-31   The Road to Emmaus 

This biblical story is entitled “The Road to Emmaus.”  It is not a factual story, rather it is an allegory.  An allegory is a story with a deeper meaning, usually a spiritual one, that is hidden in the words of the story.  So, when you read an allegory, you don’t ask “is it true?” Rather ask, “what does this story mean to me in my spiritual quest?”  The hidden message in this story is that we are all, each and every one of us, on the road to Emmaus. 

The word “Emmaus” in both Greek and Hebrew means “an earnest, sincere longing.”  We all long for peace, love, joy and faith...and to experience any one of theses desires is a journey.  Yet, when we long for peace, love, joy and faith we are longing for the spirit of Christ to be so alive in us we willing do as he has asked us to do for 2000 years...love God, love yourself, and love others….love meaning caring, having compassion, reaching out to others in friendship, and serving God by serving (assisting) one another...and reducing the words and actions we use that are negative and not helpful in any way. 

Every journey has a destination in mind.  Our spiritual journey has a destination of full faith and confidence in our God.  We journey toward a kind of faith that rings true in every moment, every event, every challenge in life.  Yet, every journey has pitfalls...the spiritual journey is no different.  In any life journey we  climb risky hills, or endure deep valleys of darkness, and often long periods of boredom.  However, if we stay on the journey, God will be in us and with us through the difficult times, and God will gleefully rejoice with us in those times when we do fulfill our sincere longing. 

Faith is not static.  It has its ups and downs.  But to choose the road to Emmaus is to choose to live as Christ to each other.  As believers, we must not trivialize our God or his name. We must live our lives as closely akin to the life Jesus lived as possible.  For example,  If you use the Lord’s name in vain stop today.  If you use foul language as part of your speaking everyday voice, quit today or you damage the universe.  If you refuse to study the iconic Bible stories that teach us about faith, start doing so today...otherwise your soul remains static. If you drink to excess, if you refuse to forgive others or yourself, if you gossip, if you fail to support your church through your prayers and attendance then you need to rethink your own commitment to your God and your destination. 

If indeed your longing is for love, joy, peace then be more Christlike every day.  Because every one of us is on the road to Emmaus.  Decide what your most earnest longing is.  Identify it then live into it.  Our holy, divine God will be with you and in you every moment. 

This story today, the road to Emmaus, is about the difference in knowing about God, faith and spirit and experiencing God, faith, and spirit.  One is like reading a biography.  The other is living life so abundantly you experience joy, you laugh a lot, you know peace, you have confidence God is still in control no matter how awful the world seems to be or what challenges you face.  The two people on the road to Emmaus only knew about Jesus.  But, when they saw him, knew him, experienced him look at their joy and excitement.  They couldn’t wait to tell others.    

That is our goal, our destination and our joy and peace today and forever.  To know God intimately and to know yourself as an expression of that mighty divinity then you are whole, healthy, wise and a person of wonder. 

Think about the destination you are on.  How much do you really want to live as Jesus did with love as his constant motivation for action.  You can choose this way and do it with strength and courage, for the Spirit of Holiness resides in you!. 

The question is, will you do it? 

Will you do it?

Amen 

Sermon, May 

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