Matthew 22:34-40, Matthew 28:16-20, Isaiah 6:1-8

Matthew 22:34-40

Matthew 28:16-20

Isaiah 6:1-8

January 25, 2009

“A Great Commitment To Worship”

Part 2 of The Purpose Driven Church series

Read Scripture

A great commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great

Commission makes for a great Church.

That’s what Rick Warren – in his book The Purpose Driven Church – gives as a purpose statement for a great church.

A great commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission makes for a great Church.

A great commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission makes for a great Church.

If we are going to be the Church God wants us to be, we are going to have to have a vision for what we can do for God’s glory in the community and the world. We’ll have an exciting opportunity to begin the Acts 16:5 Initiative – where consultants from the Vital Churches Institute will be working with churches in New Harmony Presbytery – later this year – but at we wait for that opportunity I want us to look at what God may be calling us to do by studying Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Church on Wednesday nights and my preaching on topics from the book on the next 5 Sundays.

The thing we need to remember is that as a Church, we can’t do everything.

Not every Church can do everything.

No one Church can do everything.

But – every Church can do some things.

There are things we can do.

There are things we should do.

In fact — there are things we must do if we are going to be the Church God would have us to be.

Every Church can’t do everything – but every Church can do some things.

We can’t do everything – but we can do some things.

So – what are we supposed to be doing?

What are the things we can do – should do – indeed must do – to be the Church God intends for us to be – and to do God’s work and will in the community and in the world?

What are the things that should define who we should be?

What are the things that we should be focused on as a Church – and that we should do and do well?

What are the things that we should talk about when we talk about Hopewell to others:

“At Hopewell we ….”

What are the things others should talk about when they talk about Hopewell:

“At Hopewell they …”

What are the things that should be our focus – our purpose – that we should use to define ourselves — and that others should use to define us?

What is our purpose as a Church?

Rick Warren writes that

A great commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission makes for a great Church.

A great commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission makes for a great Church.

A great commitment to loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind and loving others as ourselves – that’s what we find in Matthew 23 with the Great Commandment –

And a great commitment to going and making disciples for Christ – that’s what we find in Matthew 28 with the Great Commission –

Makes for a great church!

A great commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission makes for a great Church.

I really like that statement. I believe that it encompasses the things that are most important for us to be doing as a Church – and keeps our focus on God – on others – and on making disciples.

A great commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission makes for a great Church.

But – we can’t just have nifty little sayings such as this one and expect to truly be the Church God wants us to be. It takes much more than just words to do God’s work in the community and the world – it takes commitment – and it takes action.

If we are going to say that loving God with all our hearts, souls, and minds — loving others as ourselves – - and going into the community and the world to make disciples for Christ – is our purpose as a Church – then we have to be focused on these things – and focused on how we can do these things and put actions behind these words. We have to be focused – and committed – to truly being people and a Church that loves God – loves others – and makes disciples.

In his book Warren gives 5 things that a church needs to focus on to truly live out it’s purpose of loving God – loving others – and making disciples. These things are:

Worship

Ministry

Evangelism

Fellowship

Discipleship

Warren ties Worship and Ministry to the Great Commandment – loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind – and ties Evangelism, Fellowship, and Discipleship to the Great Commandment – going and making disciples, baptizing, and teaching.

A great commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission makes for a great Church.

For the next 5 weeks we are going to look at these 5 aspects of the church – and look at how our commitment is to these things at Hopewell.

Worship

Ministry

Evangelism

Fellowship

Discipleship

Let’s begin with Worship.

Jesus says that loving God with all our heart – soul – and mind — is the greatest commandment.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment”

Jesus says in Matthew 22:37-38.

Friends – loving God – and expressing our love for God – is the most important thing for us as Christians.

At it’s best, that is what we do in worship.

When we worship, we should be expressing our love for – devotion for – God.

If we are going to be a Church that is a great Church – and that is focused on loving God and others – and making disciples for Christ – then the first thing we are going to have to be committed to is worship.

A great commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission makes for a great Church.

A great commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission makes for a great Church.

A great commitment to worship makes for a great Church.

Have you heard the story about Gladys Dunn?

It seemed that Gladys Dunn moved into a community and was looking for a Church. She noticed one particularly pretty Church – and attended worship there one Sunday. The Sanctuary was just as beautiful on the inside as it was pretty on the outside – and the music wonderful. But – the minister was boring and dry. As he droned on and on, Gladys noticed that most of the congregation was nodding off. Finally –after what seemed to be an eternity – the minister completed his sermon and said:

“Now – everyone greet your neighbor”

Gladys noticed the gentleman beside her was trying to wake himself from his nap during the sermon — and stuck her hand out to greet him.

“I’m Gladys Dunn” she said.

The man looked at her and responded:

“Me too lady. Me too.”

A great commitment to worship makes for a great Church.

A great commitment to worship makes for a great Church.

If we here at Hopewell are going to be a great Church – if we are going to be a Church that is focused on what we can do for God’s glory in the community and the world, we are going to have to be focused on – and committed to — loving God – and that means we are going to have to be focused on – and committed to – worship – not come in – just sit – and leave with a “glad – it’s – done” attitude – but have a real commitment to loving God – and praising God.

A great commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission makes for a great Church.

A great commitment to worship makes for a great Church.

For Hopewell to be the great church that does great things for God in the community and the world, we are going to have to have a great commitment to worship. We can’t have an attitude of “Glad It’s Done” when it’s over — but an attitude – a heart – a commitment — for worshipping and giving praise to God.

A great commitment to worship makes for a great Church.

Now – maybe you think that when I refer to worship I’m referring to the service that takes place here between 11:00 and 12:00 on Sunday morning. That’s true to a certain extent—the Sunday morning service should be a worshipful experience — but that’s not all there is to worship, because that’s not all there is to life.

Worship is a lifestyle — it’s a 24 hour a day, seven day a week experience.

A great commitment to worship makes for a great Church.

It’s so easy to develop a bad habit if we’re not careful: the habit of “critiquing” the worship service instead of fully participating. It’s easy to attend a service and find ourselves evaluating the music, evaluating the hymns, evaluating the Choirs, evaluating the Sermon — and not evaluating them on how they impacted us spiritually, but on how well they were “performed”. And if they don’t measure up to our standards, we’ll might say something like:

“I don’t know…I just didn’t get anything out of worship this morning… I didn’t like the hymns, the Choir didn’t sound as good as they sometimes do. There were too many mistakes… the Sermon just didn’t speak to me. I just didn’t get anything out of worship.”

You see — the purpose of worship is not so much to entertain you – or to even speak directly to you. There are times you may be entertained by great music or spoken to be a moving message – but that is not the real purpose of worship.

Several of us attended The Ephesians Event in Darlington yesterday and heard Doug Oldenburg – former President of Columbia Seminary and former moderator of the Presbyterian Church General Assembly speak on “Why Go To Church?”. His first reason was not so we will be entertained or so we will even be enriched – but because God calls us to worship Him. Worship is not about “what can I get out of it” – but “what can I put into it”.

A great commitment to worship makes for a great Church.

Worship, then, is not about us and what “speaks to” or “does not speak to” us – but it’s about focusing on God – what God would have be doing as a Church and as individual Christians – listening to God’s call – and responding.

Worship is not so much about us as it is about God.

A great commitment to worship makes for a great Church.

If we here Hopewell are going to be the Church God is calling us to be, then we are going to have to have a heart for worshipping God – and a commitment to worshipping God.

Certainly the music, the choir, and the message can assist you in worshipping God and are important elements of the worship experience – but the main focus for worship must be on God.

It’s not about us – or what entertains us – it’s all about God — it’s all about Jesus. It’s all about having a commitment to love God with and praise God. It’s all about having a great commitment to worshipping God.

A great commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission makes for a great Church.

A great commitment to worship makes for a great Church.

We all need to learn how to have a heart for God – and a commitment to loving God with all our hearts, souls, and minds – and worshipping God. . This is a crucial lesson to learn in order to be the Christians God is calling you to be. It’s a crucial lesson for us to learn if we are going to be the Church God wants us to be.

You have to have a heart for worshipping God – a heart for loving God with all your heart, mind, and soul – and great commitment to worshipping and praising God.

A great commitment to worship makes for a great Church.

If we here at Hopewell are going to be the Church God is calling us to be, then we are going to have to have a heart for worshipping God – and a commitment to worshipping God.

Well – how do you do that?

Our Scripture Passage for this morning from Isaiah 6 teaches three things you can do to develop a heart for worship.

First of all – you can get focused on God.

You need to know who it is you are worshipping.

Isaiah 6:1 tells us:

(v. 1) In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.

Isaiah mentioned King Uzziah. In some ways he had been a good king, but he was just a man and he made many mistakes. His reign was a time of prosperity for Judah, but his pride led to his downfall. King Uzziah decided to rewrite the rules of Judaism, and he was eventually struck with leprosy. So Isaiah begins this chapter by saying – in effect –

“Regardless of what happened with King Uzziah, I saw the Lord. My eyes weren’t on the king; my eyes were on God.”

If you want a heart for worship – which you must have to be the person God calls you to be – and this Church must have to be the Church God is calling us to be, you need to do the same thing Isaiah did:

get your eyes off people and get focused on God.

Instead of looking at people, focus on God’s majesty.

Notice what Isaiah said…

vs. 1 –  I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.

Instead of looking at people, focus on God’s holiness.

Isaiah said…

vs. 3  And they [the angels] were calling to one another: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty…

Instead of looking at people, focus on God’s glory..

Isaiah said…

v. 3 …the whole earth is full of his glory.

When you come to church, don’t look at people as much as you look at God.

Look at His majesty.

Look at His holiness.

Look at His glory.

Love god with all your heart, soul, and mind – and be committed to worshipping him.

A great commitment to worship makes for a great Church.

If we here Hopewell are going to be the Church God is calling us to be, then we are going to have to have a heart for worshipping God – and a commitment to worshipping God. We are going to have to be people who focus on the majesty – holiness — and glory of God – and loving God with all our heart – mind – and soul.

If, as a congregation, we at Hopewell will do this, the same thing will happen here that happened in Isaiah.

Listen to what Isaiah wrote…

v. 4  The glorious singing shook the temple to its foundations.

Get focused on God and see if the worship doesn’t shake you to your foundations.

A great commitment to worship makes for a great Church.

The first step in this is focusing on God.

The second thing we need to do to have a heart of worship – a commitment to worship — is that we need to… Get cleansed by God’s grace.

Get cleansed by grace.

There is something about seeing God for who God is that causes us to see ourselves for who we are.

Isaiah eye-witnessed the glory of God, and then he said,

v. 5) My destruction is sealed, for I am a sinful man and a member of a sinful race.

That’s what happens when you get in the presence of God.

Pride suddenly melts away and you become aware of your own sinfulness, your own inadequacy. You can’t help but respond the way Isaiah did.

“Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.”

It’s not that God wants us to acknowledge our sinfulness merely for the sake of doing it so that we can talk about how wretched we are. He wants us to acknowledge our sinfulness so that we can experience the transformational power of his grace.

Listen to what happened next to Isaiah…

(v. 6-7) Then one of the seraphim flew over to the altar, and he picked up a burning coal with a pair of tongs. He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.”

That’s the purpose of being in the presence of God.

We acknowledge our sin so that we can experience His forgiveness.

If we here Hopewell are going to be the Church God is calling us to be, then we are going to have to have a heart for worshipping God – and a commitment to worship.

A great commitment to worship makes for a great Church.

The act of worship involves recognizing our total dependence upon God’s mercy in our lives. We don’t approach Him proudly. We don’t approach Him on the strength of our good deeds or our acts of righteousness. We approach Him with a sense of humility, with a sense of gratitude for His forgiveness. When you have this attitude, it’s impossible to get distracted by some of the aspects of the service. It’s impossible to get distracted by any superficial thing, because your heart is directed toward God.

A great commitment to worship makes for a great Church.

What this means in our day-to-day life is that you don’t need a Church service atmosphere to enter into worship. You don’t need a Choir or anything else. You can worship him alone, in the privacy of your room, just you and him.

Now obviously it is important that we come together as a body and worship together each week — but this isn’t the only time worship takes place.

It can be a seven-day-a-week experience.

If we here Hopewell are going to be the Church God is calling us to be, then we are going to have to have a heart for worshipping God – and a commitment to worshipping God. .

A great commitment to worship makes for a great Church.

Having a commitment to worship God requires that you:

get focused on God,

get cleansed by grace,

and thirdly…

You have to get ready to go.

Listen to what Isaiah says …

v. 8 –  Then I head the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to my people? Who will go for us?” And I said, “Lord, I’ll go! Send me.”

Worshipping God and working for God go hand-in-hand. Our best response to worship is to say, as Isaiah said,

v. 8 Lord, I’ll go! Send me.

When you have a one-on-one encounter in the presence of God, it affects the way you spend the rest of your day. It affects what you say and how you treat the people in your life.

Warren writes that:

A great commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission makes for a great Church.

The first thing this means is that

A great commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission makes for a great Church.

This means being committed to loving God and sharing God with others – making disciples for Christ.

The first thing this means is that

A great commitment to worship makes for a great Church

As a church and as individuals, we need to develop a heart of worship – a commitment to worship — not an attitude of “glad – it’s done” but a true heart for worshipping God.

We have to get focused on God — get cleansed by God’s grace — and get ready to go into the world and do his work.

That’s what comes when you have a commitment to worship.

So – the question is – Do you have commitment for worship?

Do you have a desire – a passion – for worshipping God – every day?

Do you have a great commitment to loving God with all your heart – soul – mind – and strength – and to worshipping God?

Do you let yourself get focused on God, get cleansed by God’s grace, and get ready to go into the world and do his work?

A great commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission makes for a great Church.

A great commitment to worship.

This makes for a great Christian.

This makes for a great Church.

Amen.

Isaiah 61:1-4,8-11; John 1:6-8,19-28

Christmas Profits And Christmas Prophets

Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11

John 1:6-8, 19-28

Advent 3

December 14, 2008

Read Scripture

We are now well into our celebration of Advent – and our preparations for Christmas.

In the Church we have many things going on to celebrate the coming of God – the coming of Christ – into our lives and into our world. Times of worship and fellowship are filling us with joy and anticipation – not to mention filling our calendars and with busy schedules – as well as our stomachs with good food!

In what some call “the real word” we have many different things to do – shopping, parties to attend, and many other things – and our jobs don’t slow down at this time of year either.

The Christmas season – for many — is about shopping – and the merchants are sure to tap into the shopping sprees. I guess the Holiday Shopping Season really begins the day after Thanksgiving with it’s early store hours and sales – they call it “Black Friday” because the merchants are hoping the sales will help then have a year that is “in the black” – making a profit – instead of “in the red” – not making a profit.

Maybe some of you shopped on “Black Friday” this year – when Sally and I came into town from Camden on “Black Friday” it looked as if there were a lot of folks out at Magnolia Mall and the surrounding stores! Sally used to get up early and take advantage of “Black Friday” – but she didn’t this year.

You know – for many the month of December is about making a profit.

Stores depend on their Holiday sales to make their year profitable.

The profits of Christmas sales is followed on Wall Street and debated on the news and talk radio. Advertisements fill our newspapers and our mailboxes.

I heard about one particular shopper who was so weary that when the “store greeter” wished them a “Happy Holiday” they snapped back –

“What’s so happy about it?”

Yea – even if the “store greeter” had said “Merry Christmas” the shopper may have shot back

“What’s so merry about it?”

Yea – for most of us Christmas is filled with busy schedules – and shopping, shopping, and more shopping.

And the merchants hope it is filled with profits, profits, and more profits.

But – back in the Church – we are not in the Season of Christmas yet – we are still in the Season of Advent.

Advent is a time for promise — for hope — for anticipation — for preparing for the coming of God — the coming of Christ — touching our lives with God’s mysterious love — and compelling us to have our lives changed by that love.

Advent is a time for seeing how God comes to us in mysterious — marvelous — exciting — and life-changing ways — not just with the baby in the manger so many years ago — but also here — and now.

We know that God has come to us in Christ — and made His love known to us in surprising ways – but sometimes we have to take the time to stop and remember what this season is really all about. Sometimes we miss the important fact that God continues to come to us in ways that are just as surprising as a baby in a manger. Sometimes we become so consumed in the world’s celebration of Christmas that we miss the continued work of God in the world – and we fail to join in that work — calling for different lives and a different world.

So – while the Christmas Season in the “real world” may be a time that the merchants hope is filled with profits, profits, and more profits – for us as Christians it needs to be a time filled with prophets, prophets, and more prophets.

Now – it may seem that I just said the same thing.

Let me explain.

For the merchants Christmas may be a time for profits –P R O F I T S.

For us as Christians it needs to be a time for prophets – P R O P H E T S.

For us as Christians it needs to be a time filled with prophets, prophets, and more prophets.

Prophets – that can help us have our vision renewed — and help us see God and God’s work in the world in a new way.

It is a time for prophets that can help us allow the coming of God into our world make a difference in our lives — so we too can be prophets — showing God’s work and will to others in all we say and do.

Christmas can be a time for profits – PROFITS – but it can also is a time for prophets – PROPHETS.

Prophets like Isaiah and John the Baptist – but also prophets like you and me.

Advent is a time for prophets.

Christmas is a time for prophets.

Many of us may contribute to the merchant’s profits – PROFITS – at the local stores and even online –

But do many of us contribute to the voices of the prophets – PROPHETS – who try to point us to God – and the true reason for what we do?

John was a prophet.

So was Isaiah.

Frederick Buechner — a Presbyterian minister and author — writes that prophets never have an easy time in life.

“There is no evidence to suggest” — Buechner sarcastically writes — “that anyone ever asked a prophet home for supper more than once. In fact, no prophet is on record as ever having applied for the job.”

John was a prophet — a man with a mission — and his mission was to tell people of the coming of Christ into the world — indeed the coming of God into the world — and to call people to repentance — to make their lives ready for Christ — who was already among them — but whom they did not see.

John knew his mission — and he carried it out well — but it didn’t make him popular. Many people didn’t want to hear John — or see Christ. They were too interested in protecting their own ideas and opinions of how things should be to see that God was among them — that something new was happening and life could no longer be “business as usual”.

They were too worried about their own profits to listen to this prophet.

Things could be different — very different — but many were missing the new life Christ offered all together. They had no interest in hearing John or seeing Christ because John’s message and Christ’s work would mean change for them — and they liked things the way they were. They didn’t want to let John’s message change their lives — and they definitely were not interested in seeing Christ.

They could not see the one who stood among them.

They refused to see.

But John was a prophet.

John saw — and understood — and proclaimed that God was at work in a new way in the world. God was at work in the world through Christ — who showed God’s will for justice — for love — for righteousness – for peace — ways that would change the way things were into the way God would have them to be.

This understanding — this proclamation — did not make John very popular — but he kept on understanding and proclaiming — for he was a prophet.

An Advent Prophet.

A Christmas Prophet.

A Prophet who was committed to showing God’s will at work in the world – working for God’s will in the world – and proclaiming that God has come into the world through Jesus Christ to change the world.

An Advent Prophet.

A Christmas Prophet.

In our Old Testament lesson we see that John is not the only one who understood how God was going to challenge the ways of the world and establish the ways of God. Isaiah proclaimed that he was anointed with the Holy Spirit — and had a mission in the world to work for salvation — peace — justice — and righteousness.

Like John — Isaiah was a Prophet.

But — people had no intention of listening to either Isaiah or John — or seeing God who was coming to the world through Christ to change the world — they wanted to live their lives as they saw fit — whether it was the way God saw fit for them or not.

Yes — John and Isaiah were prophets – - maybe not popular — but faithful — faithfully seeing God in the world — faithfully proclaiming the presense of God in the world to others.

Yes – - Christmas can be a time for profits – PROFITS – but it also should be be a time for is a time for prophets – PROPHETS.

So – here’s a question for you today:

as you help the merchants with their profits this season – are you also being a prophet for God and God’s work in the world?

Are we prophets — PROPHETS?

We celebrate Christmas — but does the fact that God has come into our world through Christ really make a difference in how we live our lives?

Does it make any real difference to us at all?

Do we let Christ truly change our lives?

Do we see how Christ can and does make a difference in the world — see and proclaim how the coming of Christ can change our lives and change the world?

Or — is Christmas simply a time for us to somehow just nod at the manger and the birth of Christ as we rush about our busy lives — too caught up in the things of the world to see and experience and proclaim the things of God?

Are we Christmas Prophets?

Friends — Christ has come.

God has come into our world.

Christ is among us.

The work of God is among us.

But — do we see Christ?

Here and now?

Does it make a difference to us that Christ has come into our world?

John and Isaiah were prophets. They saw and experienced and proclaimed that God was at work in their world and things could be completely changed for God’s glory. Yes — they were prophets — seeing and proclaiming the things of God.

What about us?

Are we Christmas Prophets – PROPHETS — seeing and experiencing and proclaiming to the world that things can be different because Christ has come — or are we like those who John and Isaiah addressed — those who wished John and Isaiah and prophets like them would just shut up so they could go about “business as usual” – making our own profits – PROFITS — or helping others make their?

Are we more like Isaiah and John — prophets — or more like their skeptical audiences?

We need to let the message of John — the message of Isaiah — sink in.

Christ is among us — and our lives — and our world — can be changed.

Let Christ change the way you live.

Understand your need for Christ — for salvation.

Understand your need for the new life that only Christ can bring.

That life that Isaiah spoke of – of healing – wholeness – peace.

Then — be a prophet.

Tell the world their need for Christ.

Tell others their need for the salvation Christ offers.

Tell others of that healing – wholeness – and peace Christ offers.

Be a Christmas Prophet.

Don’t just talk about people’s need for the life of salvation – healing – and wholeness Christ offers – but see yourself as being a Prophet — sent to – as Isaiah put it –

Bring liberty to the oppressed

Bind up the brokenhearted

Proclaim liberty to the captives

See the needs all around you – and do what you can to meet them with God’s amazing and life changing love. Reach out to people all around you with the good news of God’s love in your words and actions.

Be a Christmas Prophet.

Dare to go against the grain of those only interested in making profits or helping others make a profit – and declare that there is much more to this season that just profits — PROFITS.

There can be prophets – PROPHETS. People who point to God’s amazing and life changing love and lead others to it.

It may not be what the world wants to hear — in fact it probably won’t be. It may not make you very popular. You may confront the way people live — it may not make them comfortable — but — you will be seeing and proclaiming God — and the real message of Christmas – to the world.

You will be a prophet.

We must be prophets — calling for all to repent and believe in Christ — but also being about God’s work by reaching out to the poor — working for and calling for peace when others are working for and calling for conflict — giving to others instead of keeping so much for ourselves — feeding those who are hungry — warming those who are cold — proclaiming that Christ is among us — and the world will never be the same again.

Be a Christmas Prophet.

See to it that this Christmas season is not just filled with profits, profits, and more profits – PROFITS – but also Prophets – Prophets – and more Prophets – PROPHETS. Amen.

Isaiah 64:1-9, 1 Corinthians 1:3-9, Mark 13:32-37

Isaiah 64:1-9

I Corinthians 1:3-9

Mark 13:32-37

“What Are We Waiting For?”

Advent 1

November 30, 2008

Read Scripture

The poet Ann Weems hits the message of our lessons for today — and the meaning of the season of Advent — square on the head in her poem The Coming of God. She writes:

Our God is one who comes to us in a burning bush

in an angels song

in a newborn child.

Our God is one who can not be found

locked away in the church,

not even in the sanctuary.

Our God will be where our God will be,

with no constraints,

no predictability.

Our God lives where our God lives,

and destruction has no power

and not even death can stop

the living.

Our God will be born where our God will be born,

but there is no place to look for the one who will come to us.

When God is ready

God will come

even to a God-forsaken place

like a stable in Bethlehem.

Watch …

for you no not when God comes.

Watch, that you may be found

Whenever – wherever — God comes.

Ann Weems Kneeling in Bethlehem p.13

You know — Advent is a strange season.

It is a season of waiting — nothing but waiting – waiting for something to happen.

Well — what are we waiting for?

In our personal lives we prepare for the Christmas holiday – and wait for Christmas — during the month of December.

In the Church we call the month of December Advent.

As a Church we wait in Advent — we prepare for — the coming of Christ — the coming of God — into our lives. We prepare for God to come to us — touching us and changing us with God’s mysteriously powerful love — a love so great God breaks into our lives in surprising ways — like a baby in a manger who becomes an adult on a cross — and invites us into deeper and more meaningful relationships with Him and others.

But –

What are we waiting for?

We know that Christ has come — the baby has been born — the angels have sung — the shepherds and Wise Men have gathered — and yes — the man has even died on the cross and rose from the dead — returned to heaven — and promised to come to earth again.

So –

What are we waiting for?

Maybe we are waiting for God to come to us in a new way — and really make a difference in our lives.

Maybe that’s why Advent is so important — it forces us to pause – to pause as individuals in our rush towards Christmas and all its frantic pace – to pause as a Church before we rush to the manger and reflect on what God has actually done for us through the Christ child — and even reflect as individuals and as a Church on what the God we meet at the manger is doing for us even now — and how — even now — our lives and our world have been changed because the baby has been born — Christ has come — and continues to come — and will indeed come again — and make a difference in our lives and our world.

So –

What are we waiting for?

Waiting is a predominant theme in the 3 Scripture lessons we heard a few minutes ago.

Isaiah cries to God the pain and anguish of captives desperately waiting for God to do something — to

“Tear open the heavens and come down”

as He had done in years past — and free the people in exile in Babylon.

He and the people of Israel were waiting.

Desperately waiting.

What are we waiting for?

Paul writes in I Corinthians to a congregation getting impatient as they await Christ’s second coming.

Waiting.

Impatiently waiting.

What are we waiting for?

Mak has Jesus telling the disciples that He will return at an unknown time — but unitl that time they are like slaves entrusted with work to do until the return of their master.

Slaves — doing their masters work until their master returns.

Waiting.

Busily — expetantly — waiting.

What are we waiting for?

Do we know?

In all three lessons for this day the people knew what they were waiting for.

Isaiah could speak so boldly to God because he knew what God had done in the past. He was only waiting and praying for God to do it again.

What are we waiting for?

The Christians in Corinth knew they were waiting for the return of Christ in all His glory to come and change the world into God’s glorious kingdom.

What are we waiting for?

The disciples knew what Jesus expected them to do until He returned — all they had to do was do their jobs while waiting for their master to return.

But –

What are we waiting for?

Do we know?

What are we waiting for?

Maybe we are waiting for God to come into our lives and change our world in a powerfully new way. Maybe we are waiting for a new experience of God that will shake us up – shake up the world – awaken us from our complacency – and excite us for God’s work.

Well – if that’s the case —

What are we waiting for?

Hasn’t Christ already come?

Hasn’t God already come into our world — completely changed our world through Christ?

Hasn’t God already changed our lives?

Haven’t we already had our lives shaken up by God?

Haven’t we already been awakened from our complacency — and excited about doing God’s work?

What are we waiting for?

Friends — the truth is — we no longer have to wait.

Christ is born.

Christ has come.

Our lives have been changed.

Our world has been changed.

God has come.

All we have to do is realize it.

All you have to do is let it make a difference in how you live.

Sure — realizing that God has come — and letting God change your life — is a tall order — but God can fill it .

God can change you — God can make difference — regardless of what kind of change or difference has to be made.

Let God do it!

Like the disciples — we have the work of our master to do until He returns. Our work is realizing that God has come to us — and proclaiming the coming of God into our world every day in concrete and specific words and actions.

Yes.

Christ has come.

The baby has been born in Bethlehem.

Our lives — and our world — have been — and can continue to be – changed.

Every day — as we let God change our lives — God comes to us again and again.

Our job is realizing that and proclaiming that.

So –

What are we waiting for?

Indeed — Advent is a time for us to pause before we rush into Christmas — before we let the world get us so hurried — before we as a Church rush to see the baby in the manger – it’s a time for us to pause and remember what God has done for us through Christ — how God has come into our lives — changed us — continues to change us — and calls us to proclaim Him in all we say and do.

It has happened.

God has come.

It is up to you to respond – and to let Christ’s coming make a difference in your life.

What are we waiting for?

Indeed — as Weems writes:

When God is ready

God will come

even to a God-forsaken place

like a stable in Bethlehem.

Watch …

for you no not when God comes.

Watch, that you may be found

whenever

wherever

God comes.

What are we waiting for?

Amen.

Isaiah 49:8-16

Isaiah 49:8-16

God Never Forgets!

May 25, 2008

Read Scripture

What is your deepest human need?

What is it that — more than anything else — you just can’t live without?

Is it food or water or shelter?

Food and water and shelter are basic biological needs, essential to survival. You cannot live long without them. And yet, while you live, you can live without them, for a time. And you are about more than your biology. Life is about more than mere survival. You are spirit as well as body.

What is your deepest human need?

Is it usefulness?

Is it the need to feel useful?

Is it the need to feel that that the time and effort you spend on things matters and makes a difference?

Is it the knowledge that your life serves some higher purpose than just taking up space and using up oxygen?

What is your deepest human need?

What is that one thing you just can’t live without?

Is it dignity?

Is it the need to feel respected and acknowledged – the need to feel that your life is recognized as having value – the feeling that you matter – the feeling that you are not trivial — base — or expendable?

Or is it love?

Is the need for love — the need to matter to somebody – the need to know that you are cared about – the need to be cared for – the need to be remembered — is that your deepest human need?

Is love the one thing you just can’t live without?

Here’s what I think — I think that love is our deepest human need.

When we are loved, we come alive.

Body and spirit alike are animated and energized.

Love can help us deal with the effects of the worst of circumstances of our lives.

Love can drive out fear.

Love can cover a multitude of sins. I am particularly glad of that – for come Wednesday Sally and I will celebrate 25 years of marriage – and I am certain that – in 25 years – Sally’s love for me has helped her deal with the multitude of my sins!

Love can make the deepest pain bearable.

Love can make a poor man rich and a weak man strong, a timid woman brave and a humble woman proud.

Love transcends even death — love’s memory keeps the one who is loved alive in heart and mind.

Yea – I believe that love is our deepest human need.

To feel remembered and loved can make your life wonderful – no matter what else is happening.

To be forgotten and ignored can make your life miserable – no matter what else is happening and whatever else you might have.

A poor person who knows they are loved and make a difference can feel that life is better than a rich person who never feels loved.

Important questions for us are questions such as:

Does anyone love me?

Does anyone remember me?

Does anyone know my name?

Does anyone even care that I exist?

The person who can answer “yes” to these questions is on the road to feeling that their basic needs are being met.

The person who can not answer “yes” to these questions is not.

I once had someone share with me that they could remembered a Thanksgiving they spent alone. They could not get to their family – and had no one with whom to share the holiday. They said that as they sat alone at a table in a

restaurant, eating turkey and gravy, they didn’t feel sad or sorry for themselves – they just felt empty.

Empty and forgotten.

Feeling loved and feeling that you are remembered is indeed one of the basic needs of people.

If you don’t feel loved – and don’t feel that anyone remembers you – you feel miserable.

If you feel forgotten – you feel miserable.

The people of Pearlington, Mississippi knew what it felt like to feel forgotten not long after Hurricane Katrina.

A young photojournalist in Pearlington wrote in his blog about how many people in Pearlington felt a month after Katrina:

I know what it looks like now to watch people fight for their lives, sinking in quicksand. And I’m shouting, help, look, and yet there’s no cavalry to save the day, and the sheriff’s fat and content and sleeping off his binge while people sink and die.

This disaster is huge, and getting bigger by the day. Like the mold that’s slowly eating all their lowly possessions, neglect and incompetence and cronyism are slowly eating these poor people alive.

My mom’s little trailer was in Pearlington. After the storm, Pearlington started off ignored and has slowly devolved into forgotten. When I talked to the one FEMA inspector handling the whole town, he could barely look me in the eye. Not because he was a shady man, but I sensed, because he had been abandoned, too, and he knew the futility and impotence of his mission. Polishing brass on the Titanic would be too charitable a way to describe his task. More like, standing next to the brass, telling you he’s going to be polishing it very soon, as soon as some cloth arrives.

Between you and me, the only help is going to come from you and me. Forget about FEMA. Forget about the Red Cross. We were hopeful when, after three weeks, a Red Cross truck showed up and started serving hot lunches. About the same time they began prepping the local school … as a shelter for the people who were living in tents in their front yards next to the rubble of their homes. The locals were shocked and frustrated with all the demands Red Cross had for the space before they’d use it.

“We need dehumidifiers.” Says Red Cross.

We need air conditioning.” Says Red Cross.

“We need a 100k generator.” Says Red Cross.

“We need to power wash the walls, maybe even repaint.” Says Red Cross.

“We’re afraid of being sued.” Says Red Cross.

After waiting eight days (three weeks after the disaster) Red Cross left, and even took their hot lunch van with them.

The people of Pearlington, Mississippi needed socks and underwear and coffee and sugar and towels and ice chests and boots, but, most of all, they needed to be remembered.

They felt unloved – and forgotten.

Forgotten — like the people of Jerusalem — those few Jews who remained in Jerusalem in the time of Isaiah after the city had been ravaged and most of its population had been deported.

They felt forgotten and abandoned — abandoned by everyone – and abandoned by God.

And – when you think about it – they had good reason to feel abandoned by God.

They had no life – or at least nothing that would resemble a life.

They had no culture — no economy — no government – no Temple –

they felt that they had no hope – and no future.

They probably felt that they were just doing their best to survive as refugees in their own hometown.

Yea — they probably felt forgotten by God, just as many in our day may feel

forgotten by God.

Without feeling loved or remembered –

Without feeling that they made a difference to anyone –

they probably felt that even God had forgotten them.

There are too many people in this world who feel this way.

Too many people like the residents of Pearlington, Mississippi.

Too many who feel unloved – unimportant – not remembered – and who feel that there is no meaning to their lives because of this.

Maybe you feel this way.

Maybe things have happened in your life to make you feel that no one cares – no one loves you – no one remembers you.

Yea – feeling loved and remembered – like your life makes a difference – can be the greatest of feelings – and feeling unloved and not remembered – like no one cares – can be the worst.

But – listen again to what God says to the bereaved in Jerusalem:

Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget,
I will not forget you!

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands

Even though they may have felt forgotten and unloved –

even though they may have felt that their lives did not make a difference to anyone –

the truth was that their lives did make a difference – to God

the truth was that they were loved – by God

the truth was that they were not forgotten – by God

The truth was that God still loved them – still remembered them – still cared about them – and still had a future in store for them that was better – far better – than their present situation.

The truth was that — even when they felt that everyone else had forgotten –

God never forgets!

God never forgets!

That was God’s message to the besieged inhabitants of Jerusalem.

That is God’s message to us today.

God never forgets!

God never forgets!

There may be times when you feel that no one loves you.

There may be times when you feel that no one cares about you.

There may be times when you feel that your life is devoid of all meaning –

But – here is the bottom line:

God never forgets!

God never forgets!

God loves you –

God remembers you –

God does not forget you –

You are important to God –

God never forgets!

God never forgets!

And – because God never forgets – God promises us a future that is far better than your present might be.

God promised the captives in Jerusalem that those who had been taken away from them would return – and that life would be restored.

God promised the captives in Jerusalem that He still card for them – still loved them – still remembered them – and would restore them.

God makes these promises to us also.

God promises that – even when no one seems to love us – He loves us.

God promises that – even when no one else seems to care – He cares.

God promises that – even when no one else seems to feel that we are important – He thinks we are important.

And – God promises that – those times we feel that no one else loves us – cares about us – or feel that we are important – do not have to be the norm for us – but we can look to Him and discover His love – His care – and the value He places upon us.

God never forgets!

God never forgets!

When you feel unloved – look to God and discover His love!

When you feel that no one cares – look to God and discover that He cares!

When you feel that no one feels you are important – - look to God and discover how important He feels you are!

When you feel forgotten – look to God and discover that:

God never forgets!

God never forgets!

God reminded the captives in Jerusalem that they were loved – and remembered.

The residents of Pearlington, Mississippi remembered that they were not forgotten.

On August 29, 2006, the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the same photojournalist who had written of the devastation a year before wrote:

Today is silence for me. Breathe in, breathe out. Respect for all that we’ve

endured, thankfulness for all the help we received. Jaw set tight. It’s still too enormous for me to get my head around, so I won’t try. Words are often useless for me, and today, more so.

So instead, a simple photograph of my mom’s Eden, one year on. She’s sitting on the front porch of what will be her new home soon. It’s risen on the foundation of the home Katrina destroyed, only steps away from her FEMA trailer, and every day she looks out the trailer window a thousand times at it, and her gold smile lights up, and she whispers “Thank you, Jesus.” It’s been built by the sweat and love of volunteers from all over the country. From all walks of life they’ve come into the Gulf to help their brothers and sisters. Normal, average Americans, disgusted by their government’s inaction, they’ve picked up hammers and done it themselves. One day there’s a moldering heap of rubble, the next day hippie volunteers from Burning Man bulldoze it and take it away. One day it’s a flat slab of concrete, the next day a pre-fab home kit is delivered by One House At A Time and New Hope Construction. One day there’s a jumble of materials, the next day a church group from Oregon shows up and builds the frame and shell. A little later a group from Pennsylvania shows up and paints it my mom’s favorite shade of green, and puts a tin roof on so she can hear the rain fall at night. And not to be outdone, a group from Alabama comes over and sheet rocks the interior, then comes back and builds her a deck for good measure.

So today I want to just sit and rest, and enjoy the look of pride and place in my mom’s eyes. We may have far to go, but we’ve come a long way.

We do have far to go, but we will get there, because God will not forget us, and because God will not let us forget each other, because God’s love endures forever, the love that comes alive through our hearts and our words and our hands.

You see – God does not forget!

God never forgets – you!

And – because God never forgets you – you can share that never forgetting – always loving – always making others feel important – love of God with others.

God never forgets!

God never forgets – you!

And – because God never forgets you – you don’t have to forget others – but you can share God’s love with those who may feel forgotten – those who may feel that no one cares – that no one loves them – that no one remembers them.

Here’s the challenge for this week –

Look for someone who might be in a situation in their lives where they might feel that no one loves them or cares about them – that they are forgotten about and do not make a difference to anyone – and show them that you care – that you love them – that you have not forgotten them – because God has not forgotten them – God still loves them – God still cares for them.

Let them know that you have not forgotten them – and that

God does not forget!

God does not forget!

You can find these folks in almost any place – almost any time.

In fact, just make it a habit – every day – to find ways to make people feel important – loved – and not forgotten!

One of my favorite poems is by Emily Dickinson.

Dickinson wrote:

                       
                               If I can stop one heart from breaking,
                               I shall not live in vain;
                               If I can ease one life the aching,
                               Or cool one pain,
                               Or help one fainting robin
                               Unto his nest again,
                               I shall not live in vain. 
               What a great philosophy to have! 
               What a great philosophy on which to build a life! 
               Look for ways – every day – to help those with hearts that are breaking – or lives that are aching – to see that someone cares and loves them – to see that they are not forgotten – but that you remember them – and love them. 
               This is how you will let others know the truth that you know – the truth that God loves us – cares for us – and – that: 

God never forgets!

               God never forgets! 
               Amen. 

Isaiah 50:4-9(a), Philippians 2:5-11, Matthew 21:1-11

Isaiah 50:4-9(A)

Philippians 2:5-11

Matthew 21:1-11

 “Jesus Means We Can Think Differently”

Part 4 of 2008 Lent series: “Jesus Means We Can See Things Differently”

Passion / Palm Sunday

March 16, 2008

            We have made it through the Season of Lent!   

            Today is what we call Passion / Palm Sunday – that special day when we celebrate Jesus coming into Jerusalem with all the palms and parade – riding in on the donkey to the shouts of “Hosanna!”

            But – while we celebrate His coming in Jerusalem and join in the shouts opf “Hosanna” — we also know why Jesus has come to Jerusalem.

            We know that the cries of “Hosanna” will be replaced by cries of “Crucify Him!” – we know that  Jesus will be crucified – we know that He will die – for our sins. We know that the grand celebration of Palm Sunday will be quickly replaced by the passion of the events of Holy Week – but we also know that there will be a  much grander celebration at Easter!

            We’ve used the season of Lent this year to focus on what the life – death – and resurrection of Jesus can mean for us.

            Five weeks ago we looked at one of the most fundamental things that Jesus means to us as we looked Genesis 2: 15-17, 25-3:7, Romans 5:12-18, and  Matthew 4:1-11. – and saw how Jesus means we are given another chance.  

            Four weeks ago we looked at Genesis 12:1-4 (a) and John 3:1-17 – and saw how Jesus means that we can change.

            Two weeks ago we are looked at John 9:1-12 and 24-41 – and saw how Jesus means that we can see things differently.  

            Last week we looked at John 11:1-7, 17-43 – and we will saw how Jesus means that we can have a new life.

            Today – on this Passion / Palm Sunday – we are going to look at 3 passages –  Isaiah 50:4-9(A), Philippians 2:5-11, and Matthew 21:1-11 – and try to imagine what Jesus might have been thinking as He was riding into Jerusalem – towards the cross and all it meant for Him – and discover how Jesus means we can think differently.

Listen to God’s word.

Read Scriptures

I am going to ask you to imagine something with me for a few moments today.

Imagine with me that you live in the village of Bethphage — some 11 miles from Jerusalem – during the time of Jesus.

            You live a fairly normal life – not too bad and not too good either. 

            One day you are shocked to see some men outside your door untying your donkey.  You ask them what they think they are doing — and they give what you think to be the strangest answer you had heard in a long time.

“The Lord has need of it.”

“O!” maybe you think to yourself.

            “The Lord has need of it.

Well — that’s OK then.”

            But — then you start thinking —

            “The Lord?”

            “What Lord?”

            “Whose Lord?”

            “Who are they talking about?”

            As you begin to protest – are gone – with your donkey.

            Well – you decide to follow them.

            You want to see who this “Lord” is they are talking about.

            But – you also want to keep an eye on your donkey.

            You follow them to the outskirts of town — and find a group of people standing around this one man. The man they stood around welcomes the ones who have your donkey —         and then they make Him sit on your donkey.  They begin walking towards Jerusalem — and you follow – keeping an eye on this man – and your donkey .

            The closer you get to Jerusalem – - the more of a crowd this entourage attracts.

            People begin shouting:

“Hosanna to the Son of David!

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

            Well — now your curiosity is really up.

            Who is this man?

            You ask one of the crowd — and they respond:

“He’s Jesus of Nazareth.

But we know he’s the Messiah.”

            Jesus!

            Yea — you’ve heard of Him!  

            You decide to follow Him into Jerusalem — and see what was going to happen next. If nothing else, you need to keep an eye on your donkey.

The parade enters Jerusalem  – and a great crowd by this time is shouting:

“Hosanna to the Son of David!

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

            But – you can see that not everyone is happy.

            The Pharisees are not happy at all.

            They want the people silenced.

            They seem to be willing to go to any length to rid themselves of this Jesus.

            And all you can do is wonder just who this Jesus is — just who this man is who is riding your donkey — attracting so much devotion from some — and so much hatred from others. 

            What’s going to happen next?

            You’re not sure — but you know that something of major proportions was about to happen.

            Well — we all know what was about to happen — don’t we?

            Even though the owner of the donkey may not have been too sure of who was riding his donkey — we know.

            We know that it was Jesus — the Son of God — the Messiah — that entered Jerusalem that day — and we know what happened. He was not coming to Jerusalem to be praised — even though that happened.    

            He was coming for something completely different.

            Something far away from the praise of the crowd.

            But — something that occurred — just the same.

            The people were ready to make Jesus their King.

            Maybe He’s the one who will save them from Roman rule.  Many are probably ready for Jesus to give the word — and they will fight the Romans — and follow Him to victory.

            To them — Jesus is the Messiah — the Savior — the King.

            And — of course – - they are right.

            He is all these things.

            But — He is not the kind of Messiah — Savior — or King the people were expecting. Before the week is over, His crown will be one of thorns — His throne — a cross.  A different kind of King than the people were expecting — He indeed was thinking some deep thoughts.  As He rode humbly into Jerusalem on a humble donkey — He indeed had something on His mind — but what?

            What we He thinking?

            Paul gives us an interesting — moving — and compelling interpretation of what was on Jesus’ mind — an interesting — moving — and compelling picture of what He calls “the mind of Christ.”

Paul writes that:

Christ was in the form of God and yet did not exploit His position

but gave of Himself becoming like us in every way

humbling Himself — even to death on the cross.

            That’s what He was thinking!

            As He entered Jerusalem — even as the crowds praised Him — it was not the praise of the crowd that was on His mind.  His mind was turned to giving of Himself — giving of His Heavenly glory — and dying — dying on the cross — for us — for all people. 

            Can you imagine it?  

            Can you imagine someone who has all the power in the world — but willingly giving it up?

            Can you imagine someone who is God — but willingly becomes a slave — and willingly dies on a cross?

            It is almost impossible to imagine such love — such a mind for giving of oneself for others.

            What must Jesus have thought as He rode into Jerusalem — hearing the praises of the crowd — and yet knowing what He was going into Jerusalem to do?

            What was on His mind?

            Well maybe He thought:

            “Yes — I am a King –

but not as you understand power.

I am more powerful than any of you can imagine —

and yet I am not going to show my power as you

might expect.

I am coming to die — not rule in power.”

            What courageous love it took to ride into Jerusalem that day —

to give of Himself and die for us — for all people.

            What love it took to give of Himself and die.

            But — you know — we can imagine what the owner of the donkey may have thought — and can look at what Jesus might have been thinking —

            But — is this only a day for us to think about what Jesus did — what Jesus may have had on His mind as He rode into Jerusalem — what He may have had on His mind as He died for us — as He gave Himself for us?

            Or — is there a way we can take Palm Sunday out of history and find something there for our lives today?

            Paul writes that we are to have the same mind as Christ.

Let the same mind be in you

hat was in Christ Jesus

he writes – - or — as Eugene Peterson translates it in The Message:

Think of yourselves

the way Christ thought of Himself

            What does this mean – but that we are called to have the mind of Christ — to think of ourselves as Christ thought of Himself — to be thinking the same things Jesus was thinking – thinking of giving of ourselves — just as Christ gave of Himself?

            As we move into Holy Week, we need to examine our lives — our thoughts — our attitudes.  We need to  examine what we are thinking  – and see if we have the same thoughts — the same attitudes — the same mind that Christ had.

            You see – one thing that Jesus can mean for us is:

            Jesus means we can think differently.

            Jesus means we can think differently.

What was He thinking?

What was Jesus thinking?

            Jesus was thinking of giving of Himself for the world.

            Jesus was thinking of giving — of serving

            Is that what we are thinking?

            Is that what you are thinking?

            Do you think of giving of yourself for Christ — for others?

            Jesus’ whole life was built around service — giving of Himself — making a sacrifice for the good of others.

            Is ours?

            Is yours?

            Jesus means we can think differently.

            Jesus means we can think differently.

            Is giving of ourselves for the work of God and Christ in the world our main purpose in life?

            Is giving of yourself for the work of God and Christ in the world your main purpose in life?

 

            Is this our prevailing attitude — the main objective of life for us?

            Is this your prevailing attitude — your main objective in life?

            This was Jesus’ purpose in life.

            Is it ours?

            Is it yours?

            This is what Jesus was thinking.

            Is it what we are thinking?

            Is this what you are thinking?

            Jesus means we can think differently.

            Jesus means we can think differently.

            Mohandes Gandhi once said:

            “Freely accepted servanthood is the greatest force

            the world has ever known.”

            One of the hardest things for us to do is to give of ourselves — to sacrifice ourselves — to commit ourselves to God’s work and to give our all for it — to give of ourselves for the work of God in the world. 

It is hard for us to accept service — sacrifice — and giving.   

            We would much rather have things our way than doing things God’s way.  We make up excuses for not doing anything that requires us to give of ourselves — of our time — to go out of our way to take part in God’s work in the world.  We don’t want to make sacrifices — whether it’s sacrificing our time — or giving of something we have — or sacrificing a part of ourselves for God and for others.

            Too many times we think of ways others can serve us – or nit pick the ways others do not serve us – instead of thinking of ways we can serve others.

            And the church suffers —

            and the work of God in the world suffers —

            and we suffer.

            But — as followers of Christ — we can be different.

            We can think different things.

            You can be different.

            You can think different things.

            Jesus means we can think differently.

            Jesus means we can think differently.

            We can have what Paul called that “mind of Christ.”

            We can — as Peterson translates it —

            “Think of ourselves as Christ thought of Himself”

            Jesus means we can think differently.

            Jesus means we can think differently.

            We can have the mind of Christ.

            We can think the things Christ thought.

            We can let what was on His mind be what is on our mind.\

            Jesus means we can think differently.

            Jesus means we can think differently.

            You can have the mind of Christ.

            You can think the things Christ thought.

            You can let what was on His mind be on your mind.

            Jesus means we can think differently.

            Jesus means we can think differently.

            Jesus means we are to be different – - and we can be different.

            Jesus means we are to think differently – and we can think differently.

We are to have different things on our minds – and we can have different things on our minds.

Jesus means you are to be different — and you can be different.

            You are to think differently – and you can think differently.

            You are to have different things on your mind – and you can have different things on your mind.

            Jesus means we can think differently.

            Jesus means we can think differently.

            We can be people who give — who serve – and are willing to make personal sacrifices to benefit others.

            We can be a Church filled with active members – doing things that need to be done instead of looking to “somebody else” whoever that may be – to do it.

            You can be a person who gives — who serves — who is willing to make personal sacrifices for the benefit of others.

            You can be a Church member that does things that need to be done instead of looking to “somebody else” whoever that may be – to do it.

            We can all look for what needs to be done – and ways we all can pitch in and do it!

            We can all be active in helping others — as a church and as individuals.  We can look for things that need to be done and ways to do it.

We can all be on the lookout for specific things we can do as individuals and as a Church to reach out to our community and the world with the love of God.

            We can be different.

            We can have the mind of Christ.

We can think as Jesus thought.

We can have a mind to serve others.

             Jesus means we can think differently.

            Jesus means we can think differently.

            So – here are some questions to consider:

            Are you different?

            Do you live differently?

            Do you act differently?

            Do you think differently?

            Do you think as Jesus thought?

            Do you have the mind of Christ?

            Commitment — giving — sacrifice — should be our distinguishing characteristics as Christians. 

These should be the mark that Christ puts upon you.

These should be the things you think about.

Jesus means we can think differently.

            Jesus means we can think differently.

 

 

            Are these your characteristics?

            Are these the things you think about?

            This is attitude of Christ.

            This is the mind of Christ.

            This is what Jesus was thinking.

            Is it our attitude?

            Is it our mind?

            Is it what we are thinking?

            Is it your attitude?

            Is it your mind?

            Is it what you are thinking?

            On this Passion Sunday as we begin Holy Week, remember what Jesus did for you.

            Commit yourself to a life of serving others — a life of giving of yourself for God’s work in the world and supporting it with all you have –  a life of seeing needs and meeting them.

            Jesus means we can think differently.

            Jesus means we can think differently.

            God wants to bless you with the mind of Christ.

            Let Him.

            God wants to bless you so you can think as Jesus thought.

            Let Him.

            Let the same mind be in you

that was in Christ Jesus

            Let what Jesus was thinking – the humility — the service — the love of Christ — be what you are thinking. Amen

Isaiah 60:1-6, Matthew 2:1-12

Isaiah 60:1-6

Matthew 2:1-12

A Different Way Home?

January 6, 2008

Officer Ordain / Install

Communion

Read Scriptures

            Our Christmas and New Years celebrations are certainly over by now.   

            All the hubbub has probably settled down somewhat.

            You have probably finished undecorating your tress — your house may be beginning to look the same again —

            The Church looks pretty much “back to normal” –  the Chrismon tree and Chrismons have been packed away – the poinsettias are being taken to their respective homes – the Advent wreath has been packed away with a note made to buy more candles for next year – the ones we used this year have burned down.   

            Maybe you’re feeling a little “burned down” or “burned out” yourself. 

            Maybe you’re feeling like there was so much rush — and then it was over before you had time to enjoy it. 

            These are not uncommon feelings.

            In some ways we all feel “down” after Christmas.

            And New Years?

            So  many promises made — so  many hopes for a new beginning and a better year – - things are going to be different this year — but even now – just 6 days into   into the year — you may wonder if they actually will be better.  Maybe all you see now is the same old routine — no change — no real difference.

            It can be depressing.

            Even in the church – we may feel that Advent and Christmas are glorious times and glorious celebrations — but now what?

            Do we go back to the same old routine?

            What else is there for us to do?

            Is there really something new or different for us?

            O sure – we have ordained a new Elder and installed a new class of service on the Session – but we’ve done all this before.

            Will it really mean anything new and different for us now?

            Will God lead us to new challenges and new things as His Church here at Hopewell?    

            And — if there is something new and different — if we do embark on new challenges — can we rise to meet them — or will we fall?

            To us — in the midst of our questions and uncertainty — the prophet Isaiah has some startling words —

Arise!

Shine!

Your light has come!

A new day has dawned!

A new day has dawned!

            Look!

            Look at what God has done!

            Through Christ — God has come into our world — our world and our lives of confusion, darkness, despair, and routine — even our church and our wonder if anything will ever be new and exciting or if we can rise to the challenges that are before us — –

             God has come — and given us light!

Arise!

Shine!

Your light has come!

A new day has dawned!

A new day has dawned!

            What is God’s message for us on this day as we gather together for the first time this year for worship — as we have gather around God’s table and celebrated the Sacrament – a we have ordained a new Elder and installed Elders to a new class of service?    

            It is the message in our Old Testament lesson for today — the words of God through His prophet Isaiah –

Arise!

Shine!

Your light has come!

A new day has dawned!

A new day has dawned!

            In our Gospel lesson for today, Matthew tells us that the wise men – magi as the New International Version of the Bible calls them — saw the child — had an experience with Christ — and then went home “by another road” as the NRSV puts it.  Other translations say they went home “another way.”   

            Friends — here is the great truth and the message of God for us on this  day – the great truth is that every time we worship Christ — particularly as we celebrate the Sacrament of Communion – and I believe particularly as we ordain and install leaders for our Church — we have the opportunity to go home another way. 

            Now — what do I mean — “go home another way”?

            Some of you have several routes you can take to get to your homes.

            Maybe you think I mean you can take one route to get to Church — and another to get home. 

            Maybe you think I mean you can pass the road to your home – go out  to eat in town — then turn around and return home. 

That would be “going home another way” — wouldn’t it?

            O — come on.

            Surely you know me better than to think that’s what I’m talking about.

            What I’m talking about is this —

            Sure — we have to go home to the same jobs and same responsibilities and same relationships — but — we have the opportunity to go home another way — to go home differently – dare I say to go home different people — because our lives have been changed by our experience with Christ.

Arise!

Shine!

Your light has come!

A new day has dawned!

A new day has dawned!

This is an opportunity for us to see that the light of God has come into our lives through Christ — and let Christ change our lives — so that we can indeed be changed people — changed families — a changed community – yes – even a changed Church.

            This is an opportunity for us to become new people — different people — and create a different Church — a different family — a different community — a different world. 

            Christ can change us and we can be more committed people — more committed families — a more committed Church.

            We can be people — we can be families — we can be a community — we can be a church — who shows the light of Christ to the world.

            As a church, we can use this experience of ordaining and installing Elders and partaking of the Sacrament of Communion as a new beginning – seeking ways to  reflect the light of Christ by the way we worship — fellowship — study — pray — work — and committing  our resources for God and His work.

            We can reflect the light of Christ in the way we reach out to all people with the good news that Christ has come into our lives.

            We can be changed.  We can go home a different way.  We can go home a changed Church. 

Arise!

Shine!

Your light has come!

A new day has dawned!

A new day has dawned!

            As we celebrate this new year — as we celebrate our new Elder and our new class of the Session – as we celebrate the Sacrament of Communion — use this time to celebrate – to commit – and to be changed.   

            Celebrate the light of God that has come into our world — our lives — our families — our community — our Church.

            Commit to living as true disciples of Christ.   

            Hear God’s words to us:

Arise!

Shine!

Your light has come!

A new day has dawned!

A new day has dawned!

            Like Magi in Matthew’s story — follow the light to Christ —

            and let the light of Christ change the world —

            let the light of Christ change your life —

            let the light of Christ change your family –

            let the light of Christ change this community —

            let the light of Christ change this Church – 

            let the light of Christ change you and everything around you.

            Let the light of Christ change you — so you can go home another way — a changed way –  a different way — a new way – a changed person — a different person — a new person — so that we can be a changed Church — a different Church — a new Church!  

            Come — as Isaiah writes — let us

Arise!

Shine!

Your light has come!

A new day has dawned!

A new day has dawned!

Amen.

Isaiah 63:7-9

Isaiah 63:7-9

God Has Blessed Us

The First Sunday After Christmas

December 30, 2007

            For most of us, our celebrations of Christmas are over. 

            Maybe you’ve already taken down your Christmas Tree – or your decorations – or exchanged presents that did not fit or that you found something else you liked better. 

            You may have polished off your last leftover from your Christmas meals – which may explain why you’re needing to exchange some of the gifts you got for Christmas for larger sizes.

            In the Church we are still celebrating the Season of Christmas – the Chrismon tree is still up and the beautiful decorations still in place – some of the poinsettias still here.  The only thing we are missing is the Advent Candle – which has been taken down because we have moved from Advent to Christmas.  We’ll be in the Season of Christmas for a few weeks – until the Day of Epiphany — January 6 – although I can’t promise the tree and decorations will stay in place until then.  

            So – in the Church we are celebrating the Season of Christmas – but in the world outside the Church we are getting ready for New Year’s. 

Some of you may be making plans for New Years Eve – maybe getting together with friends – maybe watching Clemson play Auburn in the Chick Fill A  Bowl in Atlanta or watching the ball drop at Midnight.

Whatever your plans may be, the fact remains that in 2 more days we will start a new year – when we gather next Sunday it will no longer be 2007 but will be 2008.

It will be a new year – a year filled with new possibilities – new potential – - new opportunities. 

            Some of you may plan to make New Years Resolutions – promises to yourself and possibly to others to improve some area of your life.

 Maybe some of you will make a resolution to lose weight. That seems to be one of mine every year.

Maybe some of you will make a resolution to exercise more.  That’s another one I make every year.

Maybe some of you will make a resolution to spend more time with your loved ones.

Maybe – just maybe – perhaps – some of you will make a resolution to spend more time with God or in serving others.

 Maybe. 

Perhaps.

Some of you may do really well with your resolutions.

Some of you may struggle.

And some of you may not make any resolutions at all.

One year I was with some friends on December 31 — when we met another friend.  The one we met turned to one of the others I was with and said:

“Well – you’re probably misbehaving today so you can get it all out of your system – because I’m sure your New Years Resolution will be to behave next year.”  

We all laughed. 

And my friend just shook his head and said “no comment” – knowing better than to make such a resolution.

But – whether you will make New Years Resolutions or not – whether you will keep them or not – it can not be denied that beginning the day after tomorrow  it will be a new year – and it indeed can be – if we will let it be – a time for new possibilities – new potential – - and new opportunities.

But we have to let it be that for us.

We have to let ourselves take advantage of the new possibilities – new potential – - and new opportunities that may be before us in  the new year  – or the new year will not be any different than any other.

When I was young I used to want to stay up until midnight on New Years Eve and “see the New Year in”.  When I was about six – I don’t know why that became the magic number except for maybe Mom and Dad couldn’t take my begging any more — my parents decided they would let me stay up. 

I was excited! 

I was ready to stay up to “see the New Year in” – but around 10:30 my tiredness caught up with my excitement. 

I decided I would lie down for awhile – but slept through the whole thing.

 On the morning of January 1 awoke – disappointed that I had missed the New Year coming in – but raced outside to see how the new year looked.  

 I think I expected things to look different. 

A New Year had come in. 

Surely things would look different.

But – guess what.

Things did not look different.

Things looked the same.

Dissapointed again – I went back inside – and told my parents that I did not know what the big deal was – everything looked the same to me.

Is that how the new year will be for us – just the same?

Or – will we see and take advantage of the new possibilities – new potential – - and new opportunities that lie before us?

The new year can new possibilities – new potential – - and new opportunities – we can do things in a new way.

Or – it can be “business as usual” – same thing as always – just the same.

It’s up to us.

It’s up to us to make the new  year – with the new opportunities that lay before us – what we will make of them.

            One way we can make it a new year – with new possibilities and new potential – one way we can do things in a new way – is by celebrating.

            That’s right – celebrating.

            I don’t mean celebrating with champagne or parties or lots of food – although these things in moderation are not bad things – but I’m referring to celebrating what God has done for us in the past – and celebrating what we know God will do for us in the future.

            We need to celebrate how God has blessed us – and how we know God will continue to bless us.

            Listen to God’s word from Isaiah 63:7-9 – as we look at how the Israelites celebrated what God had done for them and what God was going to continue to do for them.

            Read Scripture

            In the ancient calendar used by the Romans, from which our calendar was created, the name of each month had a meaning. One month in the ancient Roman calendar that had an especially descriptive name was January. Historians believe that the name January is derived from the name Janus, a common household god among the Romans that was often depicted facing in two directions. Basically, Janus was looking forward and backward.

As get ready to enter the month of January in 2 days — and more importantly a new year — we might naturally look back over where we have been and where we are going. As worship God today we might want to look at that has past and the year that lies ahead – but not to just recount what has happened – but to remember and celebrate what God has done for us – and to remember that God will continue to bless us.

God has blessed us.

God has blessed us.

I think there are 2 ways we can consider and celebrate the fact that God has blessed us and will continue to bless us.

First – we need to look back.

We need to look back at what God has done for us – but not just to remember what God has done – we need to look back with appreciation at all God has blessed us with – all the ways God has blessed us.

God has blessed us.

First – we need to look back with appreciation.

God has blessed us.

Look back with appreciation.

Our text for today – from Isaiah 63:7-9 — comes close to the end of Isaiah’s prophecy. Isaiah had described the changes the Messiah—the promised Savior, would bring to God’s people in the chapters before our text. Here he went on to describe the effect His preaching would have on those in Israel who were faithful to God. He introduces the final section of his prophecy by using the prayer of someone who recognizes all that the Lord has done for his people.

Let me read that prayer again:

7 I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD,
the deeds for which he is to be praised,
according to all the LORD has done for us—
yes, the many good things he has done
for the house of Israel,
according to his compassion and many kindnesses.

8 He said, “Surely they are my people,
sons who will not be false to me”;
and so he became their Savior.

 9 In all their distress he too was distressed,
and the angel of his presence saved them.
In his love and mercy he redeemed them;
he lifted them up and carried them
all the days of old.

To this prayer we would all say, “Amen.”

This prayer reminds us that the Lord has been kind to us – that God has blessed us. It reminds us to tell of God’s kindnesses and deeds for which he is to be praised. This prayer from Isaiah’s prophecy reminds us to look back in appreciation of God’s grace that is shown to us.

It reminds us to:

Look back with appreciation at what God has done for us. 

God has blessed us.

Look back with appreciation.

You know – we really don’t have to look very far back into our pasts to be reminded of how God has blessed us – and see the things we need to appreciate that God has done in out lives. Just looking back one week and our celebration of Christmas we were reminded once again God came into our world through Jesus Christ – was born – lived the same life we do but without sin – died for our sins – - then rose again for our salvation. That is the clearest and most complete reminder of God’s kindness and love for us – the greatest blessing God has given us that we need to show God appreciation for. We rejoice that we have had the privilege to once again celebrate His birthday and speak about His great love for us. 

Look back with appreciation at what God has done for us. 

God has blessed us.

Look back with appreciation.

But obviously our spiritual blessings are not confined to Christmas. Every Sunday we gather to worship God we are blessed.  Some Sundays we follow Jesus to the cross, other Sundays we shout, “He is risen!” We listen to the words and works of our Savior God as we hear God’s word read and proclaimed.  When we gather for Bible Study or Sunday School we find healing and hope. When we gather together for fellowship times we feel God’s love expressed to us through others, and when we reach out to others with God’s love we feel His love for us all over again. On those Sundays and other times of worship when we come around God’s table and celebrate the Sacrament of Communion we hear and share with each other and with others that we are the forgiven children of God as we receive the body and blood of Christ in the Sacrament. 

We need to be reminded to:

Look back with appreciation at what God has done for us. 

God has blessed us.

Look back with appreciation.

The person praying the prayer we have here in Isaiah 63 acknowledges that the Lord had done many good things for his people. The Lord had brought his people out of slavery in Egypt. He gave them a land flowing with milk and honey. He defeated their enemies. Through mighty miracles He had protected His people and prospered them. He blessed their crops and their other sources of income. He did all these things because of his compassion and love. They were God’s people and they enjoyed all the benefits of being God’s people.

Isaiah reminds the people of Israel to:

 Look back with appreciation at what God has done for us. 

God has blessed us.

Look back with appreciation.

This reminder of what God has done for His people of old reminds us of what God does for His people today.

He still does great things for us.

Who of us can’t tell of the kindnesses of the Lord – the way God has blessed us? Look back with appreciation at what God has done for us. 

God has blessed us.

Look back with appreciation.

Take a moment to look back in appreciation at all that the Lord has done for you this past year.

Who of us can’t tell of the deeds for which God is to be praised?

Our Lord has given us shelter, food, and clothing this past year.

We have enjoyed the blessings of family and friends.

We have enjoyed God’s creation for another year.

The Lord has provided us with blessings beyond belief, way more than we can use or deserve.

Look back with appreciation at what God has done for us. 

God has blessed us.

Look back with appreciation

Personally – I am amazed when I look at all of God’s blessings to me.

From a wife who loves me and forgives my many mistakes to a family who loves me to a Church family that I serve filled with folks who love and forgive my many mistakes to the honor and privilege God blesses me with to share God’s love with each of you – God has indeed blessed me in amazing ways.

Look back with appreciation at what God has done for us. 

God has blessed us.

Look back with appreciation

How about you?

What are some things God has blessed you with?

Isaiah calls upon us to

 Look back with appreciation at what God has done for us. 

God has blessed us.

Look back with appreciation

Looking back with appreciation at what God has blessed us with can help us make the coming year a year a year filled with new possibilities – new potential – - and new opportunities.

Now – some might say that not that has happened in their lives have been   all that good. Someone might say, “I have troubles and problems.” Maybe they have  lost their job. Maybe they have been sick. Maybe they have faced financial problems and other troubles.

Yes, we face the temptation to feel that way and have those kinds of thoughts.              But when Isaiah recorded this prayer he could have said something similar to that. He and others faced persecution. Their country was under the threat of foreign invasion. Outwardly speaking things were very bad and seemed very uncertain. Yet, Isaiah knew that no matter how bad things looked God was with him and his people. Isaiah knew that he could only see things from a human perspective. If he could look at things from God’s perspective he would know that God was concerned about him and doing everything for his eternal good.

Because of God’s grace all of us can look back at our lives with appreciation. No matter what has happened the Lord has been good to us.

Look back with appreciation at what God has done for us. 

God has blessed us.

Look back with appreciation

When a baby giraffe is born its mother does something that we might consider cruel. The mother gives her offspring a good kick. When it doesn’t get up the mother gives it another kick. This process is repeated again and again until the baby giraffe slowly stands up. Then the mother knocks the baby giraffe down again so it remembers how it got up. Why does the mother do this? The baby giraffe has to be able to walk very quickly after birth. There are lions, hyenas, leopards, and wild dogs that enjoy baby giraffes. If the mother didn’t do what looks like a cruel thing the baby would never survive. The Lord does a similar thing to us through trials and troubles. He knocks us down to teach us how to get up. He teaches us where to go for help. He teaches us how to be strong and face the attacks of the devil and this word. Our struggles can make us stronger Christians. They can teach us to   rely on God more fully. You know — we can even look back on the bad things of in our lives with appreciation. God has been with us. God has carried us and protected us.

Look back with appreciation at what God has done for us. 

God has blessed us.

Look back with appreciation

One way to make the coming year a year a year filled with new possibilities – new potential – - and new opportunities and not just “the same old thing” is to look back with appreciation at what God has done for us in the past.

 God has blessed us.

Look back with appreciation

But – like the Roman god Janus – we also have to look forward.

We have to look forward with anticipation for how God will bless us this year and on into the future.

  We have to look back with appreciation.

We have to look forward with anticipation.

God has blessed us.

Look back with appreciation

Look forward with anticipation.

Part of our New Year’s celebrations usually involves looking ahead.

We make resolutions. We make plans. We look forward to another year of God’s grace.

           That gives us a great advantage over many who will celebrate New Year’s.      We go forward with God’s grace. We can look ahead to 2008 – and on into the future — with anticipation.
              Of all the things you might look forward to with anticipation in 2008, God’s mercy and grace are 2 of the greatest things you can look forward to and anticipate.  We know that we will fail many times. We know that we will fall short of God’s perfect and holy will. But we also know that our Lord’s mercy is new every day. We know that our God will forgive us for our sins and shortcomings. No matter how badly we stumble next year or the next or on into the future, our God will have mercy on us. We will blow it many times in the future, but God will forgive us. We can look ahead with anticipation of God’s grace and forgiveness.

God has blessed us.

Look back with appreciation

Look forward with anticipation.

We can also look ahead to 2008 with anticipation because we will have the blessing of God’s Word for another 52 Sundays.

Once again we will find hope and comfort in the Word.

For another year we will be built up in our faith and find guidance for our life. We will grow in love for one another as we fellowship together for another year – and grow in our love for others as we reach out to them with the love of God.

God has blessed us.

Look back with appreciation

Look forward with anticipation

Some may choose to look into the future with fear and trepidation.

What will the new year hold?

Will the economy be good or bad?

Will I be blessed with health or have sickness?

Friends —  the fact remains that – although we will have our share of hardships in the future – we can be confident that the no matter what happens God will be with us and care for us. He promises to provide all that we need. We may experience setbacks but the Lord will only do what is best for us.
           What if some disaster strikes?

Again we hear the words from verse 9 of our text:

In all their distress he too was distressed,
     and the angel of his presence saved them.
      In his love and mercy he redeemed them;
       he lifted them up and carried them
      all the days of old.

In any distress that might come our way in 2008 or on into the future, God will be with us. He will rescue us and carry us through even the worst of times.

 God has blessed us.

Look back with appreciation

Look forward with anticipation
             So — how does our knowledge of God’s grace and goodness in our lives in the past affect the way we look at and live into the future?

How do we look ahead into the future with anticipation?  

As we look forward to the new year with anticipation we recognize that it will only be by God’s grace and only according to God’s will that we have made it as far as we have – and only by God’s grace and only by God’s will that we can make it in the future.

God has blessed us.

Look back with appreciation

Look forward with anticipation

In the good times and in the bad times God is with us.

That thought – that ideal – that God has blessed us and will continue to bless us – can give us joy for the past and commitment for the future. 

That thought – that ideal — that God has blessed us and will continue to bless us is what can give us hope for the future – and what can help us make 2008 a year filled with new possibilities – new potential – - and new opportunities and not just “the same old thing”. 

Yes –

 God has blessed us.

We can look back with appreciation

We can look forward with anticipation

Amen

Isaiah 6:1-8, Romans 8:12-17, John 3:1-17

Isaiah 6:1-8, Romans 8:12-17, John 3:1-17

“What’s The Difference?”

June 3, 2007 (Trinity Sunday)

Read Passages

GLORY BE TO THE FATHER

AND TO THE SON

AND TO THE HOLY GHOST

AS IT WAS IN THE BEGINNING

IS NOW AND EVER SHALL BE

WORLD WITHOUT END

AMEN. AMEN.

            The beautiful words of The Gloria Patri that we sing every Sunday are not only beautiful — they are filled with praise — and are filled with power. 

These words are filled with the power of God as we sing our praises to God –

one God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

            Today is Trinity Sunday – the day when the Church celebrates God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  We actually celebrate this every Sunday as we sing The Doxology  – but today is a time to stop and think about what it is we profess as we sing these words — what it really means that we worship one God — who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

            What does the doctrine of the Trinity mean?

            The doctrine of the Trinity is vital -  - not because it is something to merely know and accept -  - even if we do not understand it — but the doctrine of the Trinity is vital for us because of what it can tell us about God.

              When we look at the doctrine of the Trinity, we begin to learn some things about God.

            But is it all that important?

            What’s the difference?

            What  difference does the doctrine of the Trinity make in how we think about God – or more importantly how we experience God?

What’s the difference between God the Father – God the Son – and God the Holy Spirit?

            Does the Trinity matter?

Does it matter that God is Father – Son – and Holy Spirit –

and if so – what does it mean that God is Father – Son – and Holy Spirit?

What’s the difference?

Well — figuring out the real difference between, say, the radio broadcasts of Amplitude Modulation (AM) and Frequency Modulation (FM) might requires a little research.

Defining the Trinity may require a whole new dictionary!

So – let’s consider 2 situations and see if we can tell the difference in the terms of each:

1. A mosquito lands on your arm and, feeling it alight, you slap it with your hand and kill it.   

Have you committed murder or manslaughter (or, I guess, in this case, bug-slaughter)?

2. You’re traveling in your car on a back road listening your radio.  There’s a lot of static – but you can tell the song playing prominently features stringed instruments played with a bow.

Are you listening to AM or FM radio – is the instrument called a fiddle or a violin — and is the music called bluegrass or country?
Subtle differences, you say?

Six in one –  half-dozen in the other?

No real difference?

Well — not so fast. Let’s see how well you did.
As far as the difference between murder or manslaughter –

If you premeditated your attack on the mosquito, grabbing a fly swatter as a weapon, sneaking up on it before you killed it — you committed murder.

If you just reactively slapped it out of momentary panic – you committed manslaughter.

You see –- there is a difference. And if you had done that to a person instead of an insect, the difference would be more pronounced and would be part of your defense in court. 

            And as far as the type of radio station you are listening to in the second situation, the name of the instrument playing the music, and the type of music being played:

If you hear static, it’s probably an AM radio station.

The instrument is the same instrument at a symphony or a hoedown, but if it’s playing “The Orange Blossom Special” — it’s called a fiddle  – and if it’s playing one of Mozart’s “Brandenburg Concertos”  it’s called a violin.

 And as far as if it’s country music or bluegrass you’re listening to — if you hear more mandolin, fiddle and banjo than guitar, bass, and drums, you can call it bluegrass.

Again – subtle differences – but important ones. 
Knowing these subtle-yet-important differences is important in some             cases.

Knowing the difference between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit is important, also. 

Words like Trinity can evoke some serious head-scratching. 

Ask the question, “What is the difference between God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit?” and you’re likely to get some blank stares.
             And why should it matter?

Well — we describe ourselves as monotheistic — which means that we believe in one God. But we also affirm the deity of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit “God the Father.”
              It sounds like three Gods, not one God – doesn’t it?

But if it is one God, then it would seem that we have — truly — an awesome God at work in the world today who invites us to join Him in the proclamation of the good news: through Jesus, we have been reconciled to God.
            Many have tried over the centuries to explain this concept that the Bible itself doesn’t lay out with clear delineations and definitions (the word trinity doesn’t even appear in the Bible ).

Many children learn in Sunday school that the Trinity is like water — which can be a gas, a solid or a liquid but is still and always is water at a molecular level –  

or the egg with its yolk, white and shell –

or the executive, judicial and legislative branches of government –

St. Patrick’s cloverleaf metaphor is also one that is used.

You can probably think of a lot more of these “object lessons” — all trying to explain the concept of being one-in-three and three-in-one.
             The mathematical approach is also attractive, the equilateral triangle being the most popular math symbol for the Trinity.

And as one person noted, while 1 + 1 + 1 = 3 doesn’t work to explain the Trinity, 1 x 1 x 1 = 1 works much better.
           All these metaphors and explanations, though, fall short and we’re left with poor explanations. Despite our best efforts at explaining the Trinity, a full understanding seems to elude even those of us who’ve been lifelong churchgoers. Church history itself reveals an eclectic and often violent debate over the metaphysics of the whole thing.
           But here’s a thought:

           In our desire to define all the terms correctly, maybe we’ve missed the whole idea altogether.

          Trying to use definitive terms to describe God is a bit like nailing Jell-O to a tree — eventually the whole thing falls apart.

         Human language has limits in trying to define the divine. So rather than quarreling about the nature of Father, Son and Holy Spirit , maybe we should be focusing on the real essence of the Trinity —

The power of relationships.

In our Old Testament passage from Isaiah 6, the Prophet does not try to give a concrete description of God – but a vision of God’s majesty and power.

In John 3 Jesus talks about the Spirit of God in beautiful terms
that touch the heart – even if our heads, like Nicodemus’, might be left a bit confused.

In Romans 8, Paul doesn’t try to line out a systematic theology of how God works. He uses trinitarian terms interchangeably — the Spirit, Father, Christ — but doesn’t try to make it a treatise on theology. Rather, Paul sees God at work in a uniquely relational way.  After admonishing his Roman readers in verses 12-13 to discern the difference between living in the flesh (focusing on the self-oriented life) and the Spirit (focusing on the God-oriented life), Paul then shifts the language to relationships —

those who live by the Spirit are adopted by the Father as children of God and co-heirs with Christ, whose glory is realized through suffering (8:14-17).

Whatever the Trinity is in being, the purpose of God, the three-in-one/one-in-three, is to bring humans back into relationship with God, rescuing us from having to try to define ourselves through self-destructive pursuits.

You can approach this passage and others that seem to reference the Trinity in two ways:

1.      You can try to figure out which Person of God is coming and going and doing what and when, like trying to determine a train schedule.

2.      You can simply focus on the fact that God’s very nature, God’s being, God’s focus, is internally and externally relational.

Our connection with the Trinity is not to be a head trip where we simply meditate and think about the nature of God, but a heartfelt relationship that is made real through the Spirit of God/Spirit of Christ/Holy Spirit

“bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (8:16).
That’s a view of God that you can not get from a chart or a theological explanation. 

Do you remember the Robin Williams movie “Dead Pots Society”? You may remember the scene where Mr. Keating, an English instructor played by Robin Williams at an elite preparatory school, asks his students to rip out the “Introduction to Poetry” essay from their literature textbooks. The essayist had instructed students in a method of grading poems on a sliding scale, complete with the use of a grid, thus reducing art for the heart into arithmetic for the head. The students looked around at each other in confusion as their teacher dismissed the essay as rubbish and ordered them to rip these pages from their books. And at their teacher’s loud prodding, the students began to rip. Mr. Keating paces the aisle with a trash can and reminded the students that poetry is not algebra, not songs on American Bandstand that can be rated on a scale from 1 to 10, but rather pieces of art that plunge the depths of the heart to stir vigor in men and woo women.

You know — too much of our time is spent trying to chart God on a grid — to understand instead of experience God – or to argue about this or that idea about God — and too little is spent allowing our hearts to feel awe – and experience God. By reducing Christian spirituality to formulas, we deprive our hearts of wonder.

When I think about the complexity of the Trinity, the three-in-one God, my mind cannot understand it — but my heart feels wonder and awe  and praise. It is as though my heart, in the midst of its euphoria, is saying to my mind: “There are things you cannot understand, and you must learn to live with this. Not only must you learn to live with this, you must learn to enjoy this.”

 Perhaps we’ve made too much of the distinctive shape of the Trinity, which we see most often depicted as a triangle with three hard sides.   

The thing is that triangles are not that common in the natural order of God’s creation.

Think about it — where do you see such hard edges naturally occurring?

 Rocky mountains jutting upward — maybe some leaf shapes … but not too many other places.

You could make the case, then, that triangles are, more often than not, human constructs and that our triangular, pyramid-based diagrams and explanations about God’s nature are just that — human attempts to define the divine. 
            So — what about a different shape — an alternative description, a subtle shift of perception?

Well, John of Damascus, one of the early church fathers who lived during the late seventh and early eighth centuries, changed the normal definitions and calculated reasoning about the Trinity and came up with a wholly different term for the oneness and threeness of God —

He came up with the term perichoresis, which loosely translated from Greek means “circle dance.”
              In other words, the Trinity is not primarily defined by the distinctiveness or unity or “substance” of the persons involved, but rather as a circle — a dynamic community defined by love. To see one is to see all — to dance with one is to dance with all — being invited into the circle and into a love relationship where we see God face to face, as children holding hands and dancing with loving parents.
           Circles are natural, appearing everywhere in nature from the sun and moon to the earth itself. It makes sense then, that we should be thinking of a circle as the dominant shape to  our understanding of God’s creative and relational nature.

You can’t define a circle by its points.

You can only define it as a whole.

The truth is that we’ll probably never understand the Trinity by trying to define it. Even Paul, one of the most prolific writers and theologians of his day, runs around the idea. The only way we’ll really “get” the Trinity is to join the circle and live into that relationship – to drop the attempt to understand God and begin trying to experience God – to drop the attempts at differentiating between the parts of the Trinity and begin experiencing the parts of the Trinity – experiencing the love of God as God is revealed as – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – for ourselves.

Wow!

What a difference that would make!

Indeed –

GLORY BE TO THE FATHER

AND TO THE SON

AND TO THE HOLY GHOST

AS IT WAS IN THE BEGINNING

IS NOW AND EVER SHALL BE

WORLD WITHOUT END

AMEN. AMEN.

Amen.

Isaiah 6:1-8

Isaiah 6:1-8

August 6, 2006

Part 3 of “The Great Ends Of The Church” Series

As Sally and I are packing and preparing for our move to South Carolina, I have been – as I have told you the last several weeks — praying and thinking a lot about what messages God would have me bring to you these last few weeks we have together.  As I continue to pray about this, I continue to be struck with the feeling that God would have us to look at what it means to be a Church – what the Church is to be about – what the Church is to be doing.

The past 2 weeks we have been doing this by looking at one of the first statements in our denomination’s Book Of Order – which has become known as “The Six Great Ends Of The Church”. 

Listen to what the Book Of Order says:

The great ends of the church are the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind; the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God; the maintenance of divine worship; the preservation of the truth; the promotion of social righteousness; and the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world. (G-1.0200) 

 

These are great words!  They also give us a vision for what it means to be the Church — what the Church is to be about – what the Church is to be doing. 

You see – the Church is not about the building – it’s not about the Minister  – it’s about God – it’s about Christ – it’s about people who are trying to fulfill these “Great Ends” the Book Of Order lay out for us. If Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God wills for it to be, then it will have to be a Church that is committed to living out these “Great Ends”.

Listen to them again:

The great ends of the church are the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind; the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God; the maintenance of divine worship; the preservation of the truth; the promotion of social righteousness; and the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world. (G-1.0200)

6 “Great Ends”. 

1.      the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind

2.      the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God

3.      the maintenance of divine worship

4.      the preservation of the truth

5.      the promotion of social righteousness

6.      the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world

2 weeks ago we looked at the first of these Great Ends — the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind – and saw that – if Wentworth Presbyterian is going to be the Church God is calling it to be – then you are going to have to be people who are committed to the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind – or evangelism.  Whether or not Wentworth Presbyterian is the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be depends – first on foremost – on your commitment to this first Great End of the Church — the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind. 

Last week we looked at the second Great End of the Church – the second thing necessary for Wentworth Presbyterian to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be.  That is:

the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God – or LOVE.

If the Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God intends for the Wentworth Presbyterian Church to be, you are going to have to be committed to be loving people – people who experience God’s love for yourself – share it with each other – and share it with the world.

So – 2 things that are needed if the Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be – 2 things for you to be committed to:

1. the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind – or evangelism

2. the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God – or love.

But – there is more!

Not only do you need evangelism and love – but the third Great End is also needed:

the maintenance of divine worship

the maintenance of divine worship

Listen to these words of Isaiah 6:1-8 that describe a worship experience Isaiah had – and give us some clues as to how we can develop a heart for worship:

READ ISAIAH 6:1-8

Worship is one of the things necessary for Wentworth Presbyterian to be the church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be.

For Wentworth Presbyterian to be the church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be, you are going to have to have an attitude of worship – a heart for worship. 

Now — when we refer to worship, most people think we’re talking about the meeting that takes place here between 10:00 and 11:00 on Sunday – or 11:00 and 12:00 on Sunday morning at most churches.  That’s true to a certain extent—the Sunday morning service should be a worshipful experience—but that’s not all there is to worship, because that’s not all there is to life. What we need to realize is that worship is a lifestyle; it’s a 24 hour a day, a seven day a week experience.

We can develop a bad habit if we’re not careful: the habit of “critiquing” the worship service instead of fully participating. We’ll attend a service and find ourselves evaluating the music, evaluating the hymns, evaluating the Choir, evaluating the Sermon —and not evaluating them on how well they impacted us spiritually, but on how well they were “performed”. And if they don’t measure up to our standards, we’ll say something like:

 “I don’t know…I just didn’t get anything out of  worship this morning… I didn’t like the hymns, the Choir didn’t sound as good as they sometimes do. There were too many mistakes… the Sermon just didn’t speak to me.   I just didn’t get anything out of worship.”

Now – I must say that Joyce, the Choir, and I strive to make every aspect of the service the best that it can be. We want the music to speak to you, we want the message to be uplifting and life-changing. We do that because it’s our gift to God.    But the fact is that we don’t hit a home-run every Sunday in every area—and if the only way you can get something out of worship is for us to be brilliant every week, you’re missing out on the heart – and the purpose — of worship.

The purpose of worship is not so much to entertain you – or to even speak directly to you.  There are times you may be entertained by great music or spoken to be a moving message – but that is not the real purpose of worship.

Soren Kierkigarrd was a Danish Christian Philosopher who developed theory about worship that he termed the “theatre of worship.”  He pointed out that too many people attend worship services as if they were attending a play.  They see the ministers, musicians, and choirs as the actors – and themselves as the audience. Looking at it in this way, they feel they can critique the service as to how it touched them or didn’t touch them. They feel they have a right to say: 

“I just didn’t get anything out of worship this morning… I didn’t like the hymns, the Choir didn’t sound as good as they sometimes do. There were too many mistakes… the Sermon just didn’t speak to me.   I just didn’t get anything out of worship.”

But – Kierkigarrd admonished people to change their view of worship.  To Kierkigarrd, worship was more of a time when the ministers, musicians, and choirs AND the congregation were the actors – and God is the audience.  This means that we can’t judge the service, but only God can.

Worship, then, is not about us and what “speaks to” or “does not speak to” us – but it’s about focusing on God – what God would have be doing as a Church and as individual Christians – listening to God’s call – and responding.

Worship is not so much about us as it is about God.

If the Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God is calling it to be, then you are going to have to have a heart for worshipping God. 

Certainly the music, the choir, and the message can assist you in worshipping God and are important elements of the worship experience – but the main focus for worship must be on God.

If the Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God is calling it to be, then you are going to have to have a heart for worshipping God.

Mike Pilavachi is the pastor of a contemporary church in England that has seen some incredible worship leaders (or musicians) in the past several years. Many of their worship leaders have written some of the greatest contemporary Christian music out there today. 

Well, Mike noticed that a tendency had developed among the congregation  to focus too much on the performance of the music. He noticed that the focus of the services became about the music, and not about Jesus. He said the church needed to be brought back to the place where each one is bringing their own contribution to the worship, not just watching the band and grading their performance. So he made a drastic move. He “banned the band” and said, “We’re not doing any music for a while—we’re going to take some time to get re-focused on who it is we’re here to worship.” They had several services with no performed music, and this became a time of renewal for their church. Eventually they began doing music again with a band leading the worship songs—but it was with a new focus.

Out of this experience, one of the musicians –  Matt Redman –  wrote one his best known songs. It goes…

When the music fades, and all is stripped away

And I simply come, Longing just to bring something that’s of worth that will bless your heart

I’ll give you more than a song

For a song in itself is not what you have required

You search much deeper within

Through the way things appear You’re looking into my heart

I’m coming back to heart of worship

And it’s all about you, All about you Jesus.

I’m sorry Lord for the thing I made it

When it’s all about you, it’s all about you, Jesus.(The Heart of Worship © Kingsway 1999 Thank You Music)

If the Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God is calling it to be, then you are going to have to have a heart for worshipping God.

That’s the heart of worship. It’s all about God.

It’s all about Jesus.

It’s not a matter of how well Joyce plays or how well the choir sings or how well you know the hymns – even though Joyce and the choir are usually a true blessing –

It’s not a matter of how well I preach –

it’s a matter of where your heart is.

 I’ve been all kinds of churches throughout my life—and attended worship at many conferences.   I’ve found that it’s possible to attend services where the piano is  hopelessly out of tune,  the pianist plays like they are playing a dirge, the sermon is  long and dull — and yet a connection with God can be made in a very real, very personal, very intimate way.

I also found that it’s possible to attend services where the music was awesome, the sermon dynamic—and leave just as stubborn and self-willed and cold-hearted as when you walked in the door.

Worship is not about the production quality of the service, it’s about the state of your heart.

If the Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God is calling it to be, then you are going to have to have a heart for worshipping God.

We all need to learn how to have a heart for God. This is a crucial lesson to learn in order for us to be the Christians God is calling us to be.  This is a crucial lesson for you to learn in order for Wentworth Presbyterian to be the Church God wills for it to be. 

The third Great End of the Church is: The maintenance of divine worship.

 Friends — if the Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God is calling it to be, then you are going to have to have a heart for worshipping God.

To be the Christian God is calling you to be, you have to be involved with a church, but you can’t focus your eyes on the church. You have to participate in the the service, but you can’t focus on whether the service “speaks to you” or not. You have to learn from the messages and Bible studies, but you can’t focus your eyes on the minister.   You have to have a heart for worshipping God.

For Wentworth Presbyterian to be the Church God is calling it to be, you are going to have to develop a heart for worshipping God.   

The story in Isaiah 6 that teaches three things you can do to develop a heart for worship.

First of all, this passage teaches us to…

1.      Get focused on God.

You need to know who it is you are worshipping. 

I was once talking to someone who – by the way – attended another Church – who told me:

 “I went to church today, but my heart wasn’t in it. Knowing what I know about the pastor, I just couldn’t worship.”

Now, her pastor was not involved in anything illicit, he’s was just a little hard-headed, and he and she don’t see eye-to-eye on a couple of administrative issues. Apparently he was a little stern with her husband in a board meeting, and it made her mad.

Iterestingly, her husband shrugged the whole thing off. He just said, “I don’t go to church to worship him. I go to worship Jesus.”

Isaiah 6:1 tells us:

(v. 1) In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.

Isaiah mentioned King Uzziah. In some ways he had been a good king, but he was just a man and he made many mistakes. His reign was a time of prosperity for Judah, but the book of 2 Chronicles says,

But after King Uzziah became so powerful, his pride led to his downfall. (2 Chronicles 16:16)

Basically, King Uzziah decided to rewrite the rules of Judaism, and he was eventually struck with leprosy. So Isaiah begins this chapter by saying – in effect – 

“Regardless of what happened with King Uzziah, I saw the Lord. My eyes weren’t on the king; my eyes were on God.”

If you want a heart for worship – which you must have to be the person God calls you to be – and this Church must have to be the Church God is calling it to be,   you need to do the same thing Isaiah did:

 get your eyes off people and get focused on God.

Instead of looking at people, focus on God’s MAJESTY.

Notice what Isaiah said…

(v. 1) … I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.

Instead of looking at people, focus on God’s HOLINESS.

Isaiah said…

(v. 3) And they [the angels] were calling to one another: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty…

Instead of looking at people, focus on God’s GLORY.

Isaiah said…

(v. 3) …the whole earth is full of his glory.

When you come to church, don’t look at people as much as you look at God.

Look at His majesty.

Look at His holiness.

Look at His glory.

If the Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God is calling it to be, then you are going to have to have a heart for worshipping God.  You are going to have to be able to focus on the majesty – holiness –  and glory of God.

This doesn’t just apply to Sunday morning. It applies to everyday of the week. If we’re not careful, we can let the imperfections of others prevent us from focusing on God. Maybe someone you work with is not as good of a Christian as you think they should be. Don’t let their imperfections prevent you from seeking God. Maybe your boss claims to be a Christian but you don’t like the way he or she does business. Don’t let your boss’s imperfections prevent you from seeking God’s presence in your life.

If the Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God is calling it to be, then you are going to have to have a heart for worshipping God – and if you want to have a heart for worship—if you want to develop a worshipful lifestyle — stop looking at people and get focused on God.

If, as a congregation, the Wentworth Presbyterian Church will do this, the same thing will happen here that happened in Isaiah.

Listen to what Isaiah wrote…

(v. 4) The glorious singing shook the temple to its foundations.

Get focused on God and see if the worship doesn’t shake you to your foundations.

The third Great End of the Church is: The maintenance of divine worship.

 Friends — if the Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God is calling it to be, then you are going to have to have a heart for worshipping God.

The first step in this is focusing on God.

The second thing we need to do to have a heart of worship is that we need to… Get cleansed by grace.

Get cleansed by grace.

There is something about seeing God for who God is that causes us to see ourselves for who we are. Isaiah eye-witnessed the glory of God, and then he said,

(v. 5) My destruction is sealed, for I am a sinful man and a member of a sinful race.

There’s a story in Luke 5 where Jesus told Peter to put his net into the deep water. Peter answered by saying that they had worked all night and had caught nothing, and continued by saying, “Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” Peter didn’t exactly sound enthusiastic about it. But you know what happened next:

“They caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break.” (Luke 5:6)

In fact, when they began to load the fish into the boat, there were so many that the boat began to sink. Peter realized that he was in the presence of not just a man, but the living Christ. His response was that…

..he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” (Luke 5:8)

That’s what happens when you get in the presence of God.

Pride suddenly melts away and you become aware of your own sinfulness, your own inadequacy. You can’t help but respond the way Isaiah did.

“Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.”

It’s not that God wants us to acknowledge our sinfulness merely for the sake of doing it so that we can talk about how wretched we are. He wants us to acknowledge our sinfulness so that we can experience the transformational power of his grace.

Listen to what happened next to Isaiah…

(v. 6-7) Then one of the seraphim flew over to the altar, and he picked up a burning coal with a pair of tongs. He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.”

That’s the purpose of being in the presence of God.

We acknowledge our sin so that we can experience his forgiveness.

If the Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God is calling it to be, then you are going to have to have a heart for worshipping God.

Having a heart for worshipping God means focusing on God – and it means that we recognize this crucial truth: we aren’t able to approach God on the basis of our own worthiness; we are only able to approach God because He has made us worthy. We are made worthy through what Jesus has done for us. Because Jesus died on the cross for our sins, we can be in the presence of our holy God. The book of Hebrews says,

We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Hebrews 10:10)

The act of worship involves recognizing our total dependence upon God’s mercy in our lives. We don’t approach Him proudly. We don’t approach Him on the strength of our good deeds or our acts of righteousness. We approach Him with a sense of humility, with a sense of gratitude for His forgiveness. When you have this attitude, it’s impossible to get distracted by some of the aspects of the service. It’s impossible to get distracted by any superficial thing, because your heart is directed toward God.

What this means in our day-to-day life is that you don’t need a Church service atmosphere to enter into worship. You don’t need a Choir or anything else. You can worship him alone, in the privacy of your room, just you and him. Now obviously it is important that we come together as a body and worship together each — but this isn’t the only time worship takes place.

It’s a seven-day-a-week experience.

So – the third Great End of the Church is: The maintenance of divine worship.

 If the Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God is calling it to be, then you are going to have to have a heart for worshipping God.

Having a heart to worship God requires that you:

get focused on God,

get cleansed by grace,

and thirdly…

3. You have to get ready to go.

Listen to what Isaiah says …

(v. Then I head the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to my people? Who will go for us?” And I said, “Lord, I’ll go! Send me.”

Worshipping God and working for God go hand-in-hand. Our best response to worship is to say, as Isaiah said,

(v. Lord, I’ll go! Send me.

Here are a couple of things I’ve learned about worship.

 First, right worship leads to right living.

When you have a one-on-one encounter in the presence of God, it affects the way you spend the rest of your day. It affects what you say and how you treat the people in your life.

Do you want to become a better person?

Do you want to be holy?

 Spend time in the presence of our holy God each day.

Right worship leads to right living.

Right worship also leads to evangelism. The more time you spend with God, the more you want to share God with others.

Also, right worship leads to acts of compassion. It is impossible to be unmerciful to others when you have just been drenched in the mercy of God. It’s impossible to be unforgiving toward others when you have just basked in God’s forgiveness. And it is impossible to turn away from the needs of others when you have had a personal encounter with God’s goodness.

The Six Great Ends of the Church are:

1. the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind

2. the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God

3. the maintenance of divine worship

4. the preservation of the truth

5. the promotion of social righteousness

7.      the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world

Evangelism and love are the first two.

The third Great End of the Church is: The maintenance of divine worship.

If the Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God is calling it to be, then you are going to be committed to evangelism – committed to experiencing God’s love and sharing it with the world – and you have to have a heart for worshipping God.

As a church and as individuals, you need to develop a heart of worship: you need to get focused on God, get cleansed by God’s grace, and get ready to go into the world and do his work. That’s the lifestyle of worship.

And that’s the third Great End of the Church.

 

Amen.

Isaiah 6:1-8, Romans 8:12-17, John 3:1-17

Isaiah 6:1-8

Romans 8:12-17

John 3:1-17

“What’s The Difference”

June 11, 2006 (Trinity Sunday)

GLORY BE TO THE FATHER

AND TO THE SON

AND TO THE HOLY GHOST

AS IT WAS IN THE BEGINNING

IS NOW AND EVER SHALL BE

WORLD WITHOUT END

AMEN. AMEN.

 

            The beautiful words of The Doxology that we sing every Sunday are not only beautiful — they are filled with praise — and are filled with power.  They are filled with the power of God as we sing our praises to God — one God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

 

            Today is Trinity Sunday – the day when the Church celebrates God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  We actually celebrate this every Sunday as we sing The Doxology  — but today is a time to actually think about what it is we profess as we sing these words — what it really means that we worship one God — who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

 

            What does the doctrine of the Trinity mean?

           

            The doctrine of the Trinity is vital -  – not because it is something to merely know and accept -  – even if we do not understand -  – but the doctrine of the Trinity is vital for us because of what it can tell us about God.

 

              When we look at the doctrine of the Trinity, we begin to learn some things about God.

 

            But – what’s the difference?

            What’s the difference that the doctrine of the Trinity seems to push for?

What’s the difference between God the Father – God the Son – and God the Holy Spirit – and why do we need to think about the difference?

 

            I mean — does the Trinity matter –

does it matter that God is Father – Son – and Holy Spirit –

and if so – what does it mean?

What’s the difference?

 

Well — figuring out the real difference between, say, the radio broadcasts of Amplitude Modulation (or AM)  and Frequency Modulation (FM) might requires a little research.

Defining the Trinity may require a whole new dictionary!

 

So – let’s consider the following situations and see if we can apply the proper term to each:

1. A mosquito lands on your arm and, feeling it alight, you slap it with your hand. Have you committed murder or manslaughter (or, I guess, in this case, bug-slaughter)?

2. You’re traveling in your car on a back road in a southern US state listening to a radio with crackling static in the background on which a song plays that prominently features stringed instruments played with a bow. Are you listening to AM or FM radio, a fiddle or a violin, and is the music bluegrass or country?

Subtle differences, you say? Six and a half-dozen are the same? Not so fast. Let’s see how well you did.

As far as the difference between murder or manslaughter –

If you premeditated your attack on the mosquito, grabbing a fly swatter as a weapon, sneaking up on it and such like, you committed murder.

Reactively slapping the little bugger out of momentary panic is manslaughter.

 And as far as the type of radio station you are listening, the name of the instrument playing it, and the type of music being played:

If you hear static, it’s probably AM radio. As for the instrument playing it –    it’s the same instrument at a symphony or a hoedown, but if it’s playing “The Orange Blossom Special” –  it’s a fiddle. And if you hear more mandolin, fiddle and banjo than guitar, bass and drums, you can call it bluegrass.

Knowing these subtle-yet-important differences is important in some cases. But knowing the difference between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit is important, also. 

 

Words like Trinity can evoke some serious head-scratching.

Ask the question, “What is the difference between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit?” and you’re likely to get some blank stares.

And why should it matter?

Well — we describe ourselves as monotheistic — we believe in one God.

But we also affirm the deity of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit and a person frequently identified as “God the Father.”

It sounds like three Gods, not one God – doesn’t it?

And if one God, then it would seem that we have — truly — an awesome God at work in the world today who invites us to join Him in the proclamation of the good news:

through Jesus, we have been reconciled to God.

Many have tried over the centuries to explain this concept that the Bible itself doesn’t lay out with clear delineations and definitions (the word trinity doesn’t even appear in the Bible ). Many children learn in Sunday school that the Trinity is like water — H2O — which can be a gas, a solid or a liquid but is still and always H2O at a molecular level — or the egg with its yolk, white and shell — or the executive, judicial and legislative branches of government — St. Patrick’s cloverleaf metaphor. You can probably think of a lot more of these, all trying to explain the concept of being one-in-three and three-in-one.

The mathematical approach is also attractive, the equilateral triangle being the most popular math symbol for the Trinity.

And as one person noted, while 1 + 1 + 1 = 3 doesn’t work to explain the Trinity, 1 x 1 x 1 = 1 works much better.

All these metaphors and explanations, though, fall short and we’re left with little satisfaction by way of explanation. Despite our best efforts at explaining the Trinity, a full understanding seems to elude even those of us who’ve been lifelong churchgoers. Church history itself reveals an eclectic and often violent debate over the metaphysics of the whole thing.

But here’s a thought:

In our desire to define all the terms correctly, maybe we’ve missed the whole idea altogether.

Trying to use definitive terms to describe God is a bit like nailing Jell-o to a tree — eventually the thing falls apart. You might as well try to milk a gnat or sneak sunrise past a rooster.
Human language has distinctive limits in trying to define the divine. So rather than carping about the nature of Father, Son and Holy Spirit (or Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier, or whatever terms we’re using these days), maybe we should be focusing on the real essence of the Trinity — the power of relationships.

 

In Isaiah 6, the Prophet does not try to give a concrete description of God – but more a vision of God’s majesty and power.

 

In John 3 Jesus talks about the Spirit of God in beautiful terms
that touch the heart – if not the head.

 

In Romans 8, Paul doesn’t try to line out a systematic theology of how God works. He uses trinitarian terms interchangeably — the Spirit, Father, Christ — but doesn’t try to make it a treatise on metaphysics. Rather, Paul sees God at work in a uniquely relational way. 

              After admonishing his Roman readers in verses 12-13 to discern the difference between living in the flesh (focusing on the self-oriented life) and the Spirit (focusing on the God-oriented life), Paul then shifts the language to relationships —

those who live by the Spirit are adopted by the Father as children of God and co-heirs with Christ, whose glory is realized through suffering (8:14-17).

 

Whatever the Trinity is in being, the purpose of God, the three-in-one/one-in-three, is to bring humans back into relationship with God, rescuing us from having to try to define ourselves through self-destructive pursuits.

             You can approach this passage and others that seem to reference the Trinity in two ways:

either you can try to figure out which Person of God is coming and going and doing what and when, like trying to determine a train schedule.

Or, you can simply focus on the fact that God’s very nature, God’s being, God’s focus, is internally and externally relational.

Our connection with the Trinity is not to be a head trip where we simply meditate and think about the nature of God, but a heartfelt relationship that is made real through the Spirit of God/Spirit of Christ/Holy Spirit “bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (8:16).

That’s a different view of God than you can get from a chart.

I like that scene in the movie Dead Poets Society in which Mr. Keating, an English instructor at an elite preparatory school, asks his students to rip out the "Introduction to Poetry" essay from their literature textbooks. The essayist had instructed students in a method of grading poems on a sliding scale, complete with the use of a grid, thus reducing art for the heart into arithmetic for the head. The students looked around at each other in confusion as their teacher dismissed the essay as rubbish and ordered them to rip these pages from their books. And at their teacher's loud prodding, the students began to rip. Dr. Keating paced the aisle with a trash can and reminded the students that poetry is not algebra, not songs on American Bandstand that can be rated on a scale from 1 to 10, but rather pieces of art that plunge the depths of the heart to stir vigor in men and woo women.

Too much of our time is spent trying to chart God on a grid, to understand instead of experience God — and too little is spent allowing our hearts to feel awe – and experience God. By reducing Christian spirituality to formulas, we deprive our hearts of wonder.

When I think about the complexity of the Trinity, the three-in-one God, my mind cannot understand it — but my heart feels wonder and praise. It is as though my hear, in the midst of its euphoria, is saying to my mind:

“There are things you cannot understand, and you must learn to live with this. Not only must you learn to live with this, you must learn to enjoy this.”

Perhaps we’ve made too much of the distinctive shape of the Trinity, which we see most often depicted as a triangle with three hard sides as mentioned above.

The thing is that triangles are not that common in the natural order of God’s creation.

Think about it — where do you see such hard edges naturally occurring? Rocky mountains jutting upward, maybe some leaf shapes … but not too many other places. You could make the case, then, that triangles are, more often than not, human constructs and that our triangular, pyramid-based diagrams and explanations about God’s nature are just that — human attempts at divine definition.

            So — what about a different shape — an alternative description, a subtle shift of perception?

 

John of Damascus, one of the early church fathers who lived during the late seventh and early eighth centuries, eschewed the normal definitions and calculated reasoning about the Trinity and came up with a wholly different term for the oneness and threeness of God — perichoresis, which loosely translated from Greek means “circle dance.”
              In other words, the Trinity is not primarily defined by the distinctiveness or unity or “substance” of the persons involved, but rather as a circle — a dynamic community defined by love. To see one is to see all — to dance with one is to dance with all, being invited into the circle and into a love relationship where we see God face to face, as children hold hands and dance with loving parents.

           Circles are natural, appearing everywhere from the sun and moon to the earth itself. Makes sense then, that we should be thinking of a circle as the dominant shape to  our understanding of God’s creative and relational nature.

You can’t define a circle by its points.

You can only define it as a whole.

And it’s pretty easy to differentiate a circle from a triangle — easier, say, than trying to figure out the difference between murder and manslaughter.

 

The truth is that we’ll probably never understand the Trinity by trying to define it. Even Paul, one of the most prolific writers and theologians of his day, runs round the idea. The only way we’ll really “get” the Trinity is to join the circle and live into that relationship – to drop the attempt to understand God and begin trying to experience God – to drop the attempts at differentiating between the parts of the Trinity and begin experiencing God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – for ourselves.

 
What a difference that would make!

 

Amen.