God's Got This - Thoughts on the Presidential Election

[Below is a portion of my November 13, 2016 sermon, the Sunday after the election of Donald Trump. I offer it again on this day after his inauguration as a way to help our country move forward together, especially for people of faith.]

     Many of us continue to feel the highs and the lows of the recent presidential election. Regardless of who we supported with our vote, this election cycle has led us through many twists and turns throughout the very long campaign. It has been a roller coaster ride like no other.

     In many ways, our presidential election process has felt like a country music song, that has taken us all on quite an adventure that has included many surprising detours and an election result that has left people from both of our political parties speechless.

    In light of this past week’s election, there are many people which includes half the country who are very hopeful for the future. They see our next president as someone who will make needed changes in our country that our present elected officials have not been able to accomplish.

     At the same time, the other half of the voters in our country, while trying to have an open mind, are very worried, fearful, and concerned about how this change in the oval office will impact the lives of immigrants, minorities, and the LGBT community. These fears are very real and concern many of us greatly.

     How do we move forward as a country? No matter who we voted for this week, this is a question all of us have been asking these last few days.

     As your pastor, I want to offer some thoughts on how we as a people of faith can move forward and find unity. I pray that these will be helpful to you.

PRAY!

      The first thing is to pray. Pray for President Obama who is our president now, and pray for our next president, Donald Trump as he prepares to take office. The scriptures are pretty clear that we are to pray for those who are in positions of authority. So the first thing is for us to continue to pray that their leadership will ensure freedom and justice for all.

SEEK UNITY!

     The second thing we need to do, and this is the challenge for those of us who may not have voted for Donald Trump. We need to come together as a country and work toward unity while at the same time, be faithful to our beliefs and core values about what is right, what is wrong, and what is unjust. Holding our elected leaders accountable and working toward unity as a country are not mutually exclusive things.

REMEMBER, WE ARE CITIZENS OF GOD'S KINGDOM!

     Here’s the third thing. As people of faith, let’s remember that as followers of Christ, we are first and foremost, citizens of God’s kingdom. And this means that we recognize Jesus Christ to be the true Ruler, Savior, and Just Judge over all creation.

LISTEN TO EACH OTHER!

     And then this fourth thing which came to me 9 o’clock last night. God just hit me with this out of the blue. The fourth thing is for us to actually listen to each other’s hopes, joys, fears, and pain. And I’m not just talking about listening to the people who agree with us, but especially with the people who think differently than the way we do.

      This is hard stuff, because it means that maybe I should do less talking and more listening. And you know what? Confession time. I personally really stink at that. That’s why I think God gave this to me at 9 o’clock last night! A wise friend once told me to do these three things. Listen. Listen. Listen. I forget these all the time! What are the three things again?

     I don’t offer this as an easy answer in how we move forward as a country. I offer these thoughts to remind us that no matter how many twists and turns our country has faced over this past election cycle, not to mention the twists and turns that remain for us as a country in the future, this presidential transition is not something that God can’t handle.

     God’s got this. God’s got this because God has always been faithful.

Sermon Extra (November 22) - The Marney Video Interview

Watch the video of the person who wrote the Thanksgiving letter to her family which I referenced in my "A Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving" (November 22) sermon. Enjoy! 

If Only Job Had a Stephen Minister!

This Sunday, our church will begin a three-part sermon series on the Book of Job. As I've been preparing for this sermon series, I was reminded of what a difficult read this book is!

Your heart just goes out to this poor guy. Yes, he was wealthy and had the good life, but it all vanished in a moment when one terrible thing happened after another. Very early into the story of Job, we find him lonely, depressed, and ill.

If that wasn't bad enough, check out Job's so-called friends! They are quick to point out to him that his sufferings are most likely the result of some unconfessed sin or sins that he has committed. Their theology is very simple. If bad things happen to you, you must have done something wrong. Job's friends represent the prevailing theology of the time period when the Book of Job was written. 

Disobey God and Sin = Bad Things Will Happen to You
Obey God and Don't Sin = Good Things Will Happen to You

Before we try to dismiss this thinking as too simplistic, we find this theology in scripture! The Book of Deuteronomy uses this theology a lot because it was emphasizing the importance of being holy and upright. Think of what we share with our children when we want them to study in school. "Do your homework and you'll do well on your test!"

The problem is that this doesn't always hold true! Sometimes bad things happen to good people even when they did everything they were supposed to do! This is the case with Job and it's why this book of the Bible was written. It was written to remind the people of Israel that sometimes life stinks and it has nothing to do with anything bad you may have done. The Book of Job is the other side of the theological coin regarding why do bad things happen to people. Sometimes it's because of something we have done, but sometimes it's just because that's the way life can be.

Job's friends have no clue that there is another side of this theological coin, so they stick with what they know by blaming Job for his sins which we as the readers of the story know that he hasn't committed. If only Job had a good friend from whom he could have received some support!

This is why I wish Job had a Stephen Minister. A Stephen minister is someone who has received extensive training in the art of listening and offering peer support for someone who is going through a difficult time in their life. Our church is blessed to have several Stephen Ministers. 

As we begin this series on Job, we are invited to enter into the theological struggle with him as to why bad things happen to people from time to time. It's not an easy question that has simple answers. 

Poor Job! Here, he had lost everything and he also had to put up with these unsympathetic friends.

If only Job had a Stephen Minister! 

From a Mustard Seed to an Apple Dumpling

Our church recently concluded our five-week "Living Generously" focus today. Here is an excerpt from today's sermon on "Sowing Seeds."

If you have been watching these episodes in church each Sunday morning, you have probably noticed a significant change in Frank’s view of generosity. When he saw how others were experiencing joy in their lives by being generous, he wanted to become more generous as well. Sowing seeds of generosity is contagious. When you see someone being generous, it makes you want to become more generous.

Following one of our worship services this morning, someone bought some apple dumplings made by our United Methodist Women to support mission projects. The person who was helping at the table started to give the person the bag of apple dumplings that had just been purchased.

The person surprised her by saying, "Just keep those dumplings and give it to the next person who comes to your table to buy some." In just a few minutes after the worship service, this person was already sowing a mustard seed which in turn led to some free apple dumplings for an unsuspecting person.

In Jesus' parable of the mustard seed, we are reminded that all of our acts of goodness and generosity matter. We might not realize it at the time, but when the small seed of generosity is planted, it eventually grows into a big tree. 

"Our church, our community, and our world will be blessed."

So keep sowing, keep planting, keep doing good in the name of Christ in little and big ways. Our church, our community, and our world will be blessed.

The mustard seed continues to grow even after the last sermon has been preached.

DIfferent Boats for Our Spiritual Journey

This past week, I was able to spend three days with a pastoral colleague in preparing for next year's worship themes and sermons.  This has become an annual ritual and we have held these retreats in four different locations.  This year, we went to a beautiful cottage by Lake Erie.

Each day, as we studied the lectionary scriptures and thought through planning needs for next year's worship services, we had a beautiful view of Lake Erie.  Fishing boats, sail boats, and speed boats dotted the waters during our planning time.

My friend and I thought about how those different boats are symbolic of our spiritual journey.  Sometimes, Christ calls us to follow him at what feels like blazing speed and other times, we are called to sit, be quiet, and reflect on what it means to be one of his disciples.  Based on our personality types and the present spiritual season we are experiencing, we are probably inclined toward one of these types of boats.  All of these boats bring out different dimensions of our faith.  Hopefully, during 2013, the worship services and sermons will help us experience the variety of speeds that are necessary in being a vibrant and faithful church.

During the sermon planning retreat, I felt like I was in a couple of different boats.  Our goal was to prayerfully discern which scriptures and sermon themes to use for fifty-two Sundays.  In this sense, I felt like I was on a speed boat.  But there were also times during the retreat, where we slowed down to pray, receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion, and be still to listen to God's voice.

If we would have chosen only one type of spiritual boat for our sermon planning retreat we might have ended up with fifty-two shallow sermon ideas or we might have come home with five inspiring Sunday sermon themes, well short of our year long goal.  The point is that we need different types of boats as we live out our faith in Christ.

As we draw closer to the start of school and a busier than usual church schedule, I have a feeling that there's a speed boat waiting for me.  Thankfully, there will also be a sailboat nearby for a change of pace. 

Happy Sailing!

Transformed Living - Renewal, New Life, & Playfulness!

   As I was running on the bike path next to a beautiful stream on a recent sunny day, I noticed a mother with two little children wading through the water.  They were playfully splashing the water at each other, looking for rocks, and enjoying their day together.

  This little water scene gave me a new understanding of the meaning of baptism.  Baptism is a time of celebration in which we experience the refreshing water of God’s love and receive God’s grace anew. 

  We are currently focusing on the theme, “Transformed Living” during our worship services by using the image of water.  Water reminds us of cleansing, renewal, new life, and yes, playfulness!

  I am so glad that we are celebrating several baptisms during this sermon series.  One of the ways that we experience a transformed life is by remembering our baptism and giving thanks.  

  May God bless you as we focus on what it means to live transformed lives.

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Preparing for Upcoming Sermon Series on Exodus

Beginning this Sunday, I will be preaching a sermon series on "Your Wildest Dreams" based on the exodus story and the life of Moses.  I'll begin the series with the story of Moses and the burning bush and conclude it with the Israelites in the wilderness. 

One of the reasons why it's important to focus on the exodus story is the prominent role it plays throughout scripture.  Much of the New Testament includes references from exodus and puts it into the context of Jesus and his ministry.  As we saw in the Book of Romans sermon series this past July, the Apostle Paul brilliantly explains the good news of Jesus Christ with scenes from the exodus story.  Without a good grasp on the exodus story, we would easily miss what Paul is conveying in his letter.

For example, in Romans chapter 6, Paul uses twelve references to slavery to make the point that just as the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, so we are slaves to sin.  The good news is that just as God rescued the Israelites, Jesus Christ rescues us from our sin.

In Romans 7, Paul refers a lot to the law which again is to remind us of when God gave the law and the Ten Commandments to Israel during the exodus/wilderness story.  And in chapter 8, Paul refers to the Spirit and connects it with the cloud and the pillar of fire that led the Israelites through the wilderness.

Many bible scholars point out that Jesus' own baptism is a pointing back to the miracle of the Red Sea when God allowed the Israelites to cross the sea to freedom from the Egyptians.  Through the waters of baptism, God rescues us from sin and death and sets us on a path of new life in Jesus Christ.

Probably, the ultimate connection between the exodus story and the New Testament is the passover meal when Jesus reinterpreted it in light of his pending death on the cross.  Just as the blood of the lamb was sprinkled on the doorposts of the homes of the Israelites to protect them during the plague of the killing of the first born males, so does the blood of the Lamb (Jesus) protect and save us from the enemy of sin and death.

The New Testament writers are making the point that to understand who Jesus is, we need to have a good understanding of the exodus story.  It will be good to spend the next four Sundays, exploring four important events of Moses and the exodus story which include the burning bush, the passover, the Red Sea and the wilderness. 

As we explore these exodus themes over these next several weeks, I invite us to think about how all of this relates to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  And even more importantly, I invite us to think about how all of this relates to us and God's desire to rescue the world from sin and death through Christ.

Here are the scripture passages for each Sunday of the series:
August 28 - "Burning Bush" Exodus 3:1-15
September 4 - "Passover" Exodus 12:1-14
September 11 - "Red Sea" Exodus 14:19-31
September 18 - "Wilderness" Exodus 16:2-15
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Post June 26 Sermon Reflections

This past Tuesday, I joined several church members in helping to serve a meal at Foundation Dinners, a local outreach providing meals for those in need.  As I was standing in the kitchen, a church member said, "Did you see the scripture painted on the dining room wall?  That's one of the scriptures you talked about on Sunday"

This scripture was from Psalm 121 - "I lift up my eyes to the hills - from where will my help come?  My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth."  This is considered a Psalm of Ascent which was the focus of the sermon last Sunday (June 26.)  These words would have been sung by Israelites as they looked up and saw the city of Jerusalem and the Temple off in the distance.

Imagine, the joy and renewed faith the people must have felt after traveling many miles and finally seeing their destination just ahead.  Even after all of these years, I get that similar sense of joy as I near the exit which will take me to my home town.  Traveling in a car for six hours is very different from riding on donkey for a couple of days three times a year to make it to your destination!

For the Jewish people, the Temple in Jerusalem was literally where heaven and earth met.  It was where the Lord resided.  No wonder they sang out, "My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth."  Even though the Temple was destroyed during the 1st century, Jesus showed us that he was the living Temple, the place where heaven and earth meet.  And because Jesus continues to be present with us through the power of the Holy Spirit, we continue to encounter those moments and places where heaven and earth converge, like in a place that serves meals for the homeless.

I'm thankful that this church member remembered the sermon and the scripture reading from last Sunday to be able to notice it on the wall of that dining area.  It's a very appropriate verse for a place that provides warm and abundant meals for those in need on a daily basis.  The psalms of ascent (Psalms 120 - 134) continue to provide hope and joy as we travel to places where heaven and earth meet.

What are those places and moments that lead you to say, "My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth?"  When do you experience God's presence and see signs of God's kingdom on earth as it is in heaven (The Lord's Prayer)?
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Psalms of Ascent Reflections

This Sunday, I will be preaching on Psalms of Ascent.  These psalms were the traveling music for Israel when they journeyed to Jerusalem for the big festivals during the year.  It must have been an exciting time when these events rolled around and the people packed their belongings to make the long pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

Like any long trip, singing often finds its way into the journey.  These psalms were hope filled, expectant, and filled with praise and thanksgiving for the opportunity to make such a trip.  It would have been a joy filled experience as they traveled many miles to reach the place where they would feast and celebrate as one people for worship. 

How has music been an important part of helping you to prepare for worship?  Do you ever find yourself singing/humming the songs from the previous week of worship?  What's it like when you arrive to church for worship?  Are you filled with anticipation for how God will meet us as we gather as God's people?

We use the word, "ascent" because to journey to Jerusalem, you literally had to ascend and make a gradual climb to reach the city.  Tired and exhausted, just think of how incredible it must have been as you looked up and finally saw the Temple off in the distance.

I have a friend who is there now.  It must be a moving experience for him as he walks in the footsteps of God's people from centuries past. 

Psalms of Ascent give us a glimpse of what it means to travel to worship with the people of God week after week.  Before we arrive to church each week, let's make sure that we already have a song on our heart.
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