When I was growing up with my brother, I can remember standing in the middle of our garden, and I was wearing
these bright red boots, blue pajamas, and a red cape.
Our white haired dog at the time also had
a red cape tucked underneath his collar and there we were standing together
ready to save our home town from imminent danger.
You see, my dear brother was in a Superman
craze, and he had convinced me that I could become superman and fly. That is, as long as I wore those red boots
and that red cape. I could be as
powerful as Superman!
He actually said to me, “Little brother, if you concentrate really
hard and say over and over again to yourself that you can fly, you will be able
to fly like Superman. But you have to
really want to fly.” Keep in mind
that this was before we had adequate laws against child endangerment.
And so, with my shiny red boots and long
red cape, I can remember walking into the middle of our garden behind the barn,
and saying over and over to myself, “David
said I can fly. If I can just think hard
enough, I’ll be able to fly.”
But no matter how many times I
would jump into the air, gravity would always pull me back down. It was exhausting in trying to be Superman. And
you know, now that I reflect back on that experience, it’s a really good thing
that I didn’t try this from some higher elevation!
But we all know that you don’t have to
have to be Superman to possess power. All you need to have is that look that
your mom used to give when you were in trouble. Do you know what “look” I mean?
That “mom look.”
One of you told me about a time when you
and your three siblings were in school. You said how your mom would line all
four of you along the wall every year on the first day of school from oldest to
youngest. And she would say to you as
she wagged her finger back and forth,
“I
expect each one of you to behave in school because if you get into trouble, it will
be twice as worse when you get home!” “Twice as worse.”
So I asked the question that you
probably would have asked this person – “So,
did each of you behave?” And you told me, “Are you kidding, me? Of course we behaved! And that’s why all four of
us did so well in school!”
Oh, the power of a mother!
[Susanna Wesley, Mother of John & Charles Wesley]
Many of us are familiar with the name,
Susanna Wesley. She was the mother of John Wesley, the founder of what is
today, the United Methodist Church. The Wesley family, which included John and
eighteen other children, grew up in England during the 1700s. Half of them died
when they were still in their infancy.
At one point, Susanna’s husband, Samuel,
who was an Anglican Priest, was sent to debtor’s prison. Here’s what Susanna
wrote to her husband while he was in prison. This will give us a little glimpse
of this remarkable and powerful woman of faith. She wrote:
I am a woman, but I am also the mistress of a large family. And though
the superior charge of the souls contained in it lies upon you, yet in your
long absence I cannot but look upon every soul you leave under my charge as a
talent committed to me under a trust. I am not a man nor a minister, yet as a
mother and a mistress I felt I ought to do more than I had yet done.
I resolved to begin with my own children; in which I observe the
following method: I take such a proportion of time as I can spare every night
to discourse with each child apart. On Monday I talk with Molly, on Tuesday
with Hetty, Wednesday with Nancy, Thursday with Jacky, Friday with Patty,
Saturday with Charles.”
When it was becoming apparent that her
children were spending too much time playing and not enough time studying, she
resolved to have them focus more on their education.
The children were not permitted to have
any formal lessons until they had reached their fifth year, but the day after their
fifth birthday is when Susanna taught them more formally in their home. She had
them learn the alphabet on that first day. And they would be taught for six
hours every day after that.
The children got a wonderful education,
thanks to their mother. Daughters included, they all learned Latin and Greek
and were well tutored in the classical studies of that time period. This was
one powerful woman!
But that’s not all! While Susanna’s
husband was in debtor’s prison, a substitute priest led the worship services in
his absence. Since he was not a very effective priest, Susanna resolved to have
her own Sunday worship services for her family.
When the locals heard that she was very
good at leading these family worship services, they began attending these
services in her home instead of the ones at the church. Over 200 people came to
these services which were held in her kitchen, while the church would only have
a handful of people on Sunday mornings.
I
think that there are many mothers out there who know a thing or two about power
and what it means to use that power for good. Susanna Wesley certainly did!
This is what the Apostle Paul wants each
one of us to know from our Ephesians scripture reading this morning. We have
been given God’s power and we are called to use this power to bless the people
around us.
The Apostle Paul wants us to know that through Christ,
we have received the riches of his glorious inheritance! He wants us to know that
through Christ, we have been given the immeasurable greatness of his power!
When this letter was first read to the
various churches located in the greater Ephesus area around the middle of the
first century, it must have been mind boggling for these congregations to hear
these words.
At the time they first heard this letter,
they were living in or near a city which was a very powerful city, a city which
was home to powerful Roman leaders, and a powerful pagan religion which used
powerful displays of magic to impress it’s followers.
This was the kind of city that would give
a new religious movement like Christianity, an inferiority complex. What power could this new religion possibly have? Certainly not anything that can rival the
glamour and prestige of a progressive major city that is adopting Roman culture
and customs at a fast and furious pace.
In writing his letter for the churches
located in or near the city of Ephesus, the Apostle Paul, is reminding these
congregations that what they have been given in Jesus Christ puts them head and
shoulders above anything their surrounding culture can ever hope to offer.
Paul doesn’t want them to ever forget what
they have received through Christ. It’s
an impressive list: Wisdom, hope, a
glorious inheritance, and power.
Power.
Paul uses this word four times in this short passage of scripture. Obviously, he wants the church to not only
know about this power, but to live out this power through their ministry.
I mentioned Susanna Wesley and how she was
a powerful woman of faith. On this Mothers’ Day, how can we not mention another
powerful woman of faith, Barbara Heck. She is known as the mother of American
Methodism.
Barbara Heck started the first Methodist
class meeting in New York, back in 1766. Barbara and her family came to the New
World from Ireland where she and her family had become Methodists.
When the Heck’s came to New York, they no
longer had their Methodist group and so they became very lax in their
faith. That is until one day when
Barbara Heck walked into a room to find her friends who had also come over from
Ireland, playing cards and gambling. Much to her dismay, one of the men who was
gambling was Philip Embury who had served as a local Methodist preacher back in
Ireland!
Barbara immediately shared some choice
words with these backslidden Methodist “wanna bees” and then she grabbed their
playing cards and tossed them into the fireplace. But she wasn’t finished. She then turned to Embury and told him that
he should begin preaching and pastoring again or their blood would be on his
hands.
Soon after this famous gambling incident,
the first Methodist class meeting in America was formed, and from there,
Methodist classes and small groups spread like wildfire along the eastern part
of our country and would later find it’s way to places like Athens, Ohio.
God’s power was at work through Barbara
Heck.
And how about Harriet Tubman? Talk about a
powerful woman of faith! She is known to have led a thousand slaves to freedom
before and during the Civil War. She will become the first woman on paper
money, bumping Andrew Jackson from the $20 dollar bill.
Some of these powerful women of faith are
closer than we think, like our own Ann Stempel right here in our church. Anne
is one of the co-founders of The Gathering Place which provides support to
newly discharged mental health patients who have little or no support.
Thanks to her efforts, our community
offers this place where people can form friendships, support networks, and
receive vital services. As many of you know, Anne continues to be active in our
church and community. God bless you, Anne Stempel!
And thankfully, there are many other
wonderful examples of how people of faith are making an incredible difference
in the world by living out the power of the risen Christ in ways that bring
God’s kingdom to earth.
I had lunch with a member of a rapidly
growing church near Dayton. He told me
the fascinating story of his church. About
five years ago, this church was going to close its doors because it had dwindled
down to just a few members.
Located in a strategic and growing area,
over the past several years, this church had lost its vision and passion in
reaching the people of its community.
Just when they were about to close the church, a denominational official
decided to give this church one more shot.
Over the past five years, this church has grown
to over 500 people. So I asked this church
member over lunch, “What’s the main
reason why your church has turned things around in a short amount of time?”
His eyes lit up and without
even thinking about it, he said, “It’s
because we pour ourselves out and share the love of Jesus in our community.” And for the next sixty minutes he proceeded
to tell me several ways that their church is pouring themselves out. One of the ways they are pouring themselves
out is by partnering with the local school district to help children and
families in need.
After our lunch and on my way back to the
church, I couldn’t get that phrase out of my mind. “Poured
out.” I thought to myself, “That’s a great image for what the church is
meant to be.” We are to be poured
out for the sake of the world.
Out of curiosity, I did a google search to
find this church’s website. I clicked on
their mission statement, and sure enough, here’s what it says: “We are
committed to building a church that is real, transformed, connected, and POURED OUT.” Poured out.
No wonder he used that phrase
over and over again.
Ascension Sunday, it’s a Sunday in which
the church remembers when Jesus ascended to be seated at the right hand of God
forty days following his resurrection.
Ascension Sunday reminds us that when Jesus ascended, he literally
ascended to his throne as King of kings and Lord of lords. This is kingly
language that is being used here.
The Apostle Paul refers to Jesus’
ascension in our Ephesians scripture passage this morning when he writes that
God’s power was at work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated
him at his right hand in the heavenly places.
But let’s remember the events which
preceded this King’s ascension. This
King gave it all. This King gave his life. This King was “poured out” for the sake of
the world.
So when we hear scriptures like this one
from Ephesians which talk about power, we’re not just talking about any power.
On this day, we are invited to remember
what real power is.
Think about Jesus, the Son of God, being placed
in a manger. That’s power.
Think about Jesus telling the disciples to
love their enemies and to do good to them.
That’s power.
Think about Jesus hanging on a
cross to take upon himself the sin and pain of the world. That’s power.
Think about the resurrected and ascended
Jesus, now seated at the right hand of God, victorious over sin and death. That’s power.
Think
about some folks going to their cars following a worship service on Ascension
Sunday. They aren’t the same people who
first entered those church doors.
They can’t wait to go into the community
to be the “poured out” church of King Jesus; through humble service,
unconditional love, bold witnessing, and risk taking mission.
Whenever the church pours itself out in
the name of Christ for the sake of others, that’s a church that knows what real
power is.
Happy Ascension Sunday!
Power!
Small Group Questions
Ephesians 1:15-23
& Luke 24:44-53
May 8, 2016
We are all too
familiar with examples of how people have exercised power for selfish gain. In
his letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul reminds us that through Christ,
we have a power that includes hope for a better world.
Share an experience of where
you have seen someone exercise power in a loving, healing, and hopeful way. How
did it make a positive difference?
Ascension Day, the 40th
day after Easter Sunday is when we celebrate the ascension of Christ to his
heavenly throne. It’s a time on the church calendar for us to remember that the
ascended Christ’s definition of power includes humility, love, and justice for
a broken and hurting world.
When has God’s loving power
helped you get through a difficult challenge in your life?
Share a way that helps you to remember that no
matter how crazy the world may seem, Christ continues to be the true ruler over
all creation.
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