Sermon for June 16

The reading

Psalm 113:1-9

1 Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord; praise the name of the Lord.
2 Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time on and forevermore.
3 From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the Lord is to be praised.
4 The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.
5 Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high,
6 who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?
7 He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
8 to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.
9 He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the Lord

The message 

As Summer begins, we are starting a 4 week series on the Psalms.   These writings are literally songs, written to be accompanied by stringed instruments and to be used during worship in the temple in Jerusalem.  Last week, we took a few minutes during coffee hour to talk about faith, to sit with each other and talk about “if and where we see God acting in our lives”, about our own Pentecost or Holy Spirit encounters.  People had a chance to share faith experiences, from short and simple meetings with others to complex, years long challenges.  The Psalms were an ancient way of doing that same work, they were deeply personal and started in people’s experiences of God.    

King David writes Psalm 51 as an act of contrition and seeking mercy for his sins (in particular sending Uriah off to die so David could marry Uriah’s wife). During his life, Martin Luther often turned to the Psalms. In his 1528 preface to a commentary on the Psalms Luther wrote “It could well be called a “little Bible” since it contains, set out in the briefest and most beautiful form, all that’s to be found in the whole Bible.  Luther’s most famous hymn, A Might Fortress is Our God is based on rewriting the words of Psalm 46. Many people, famous and not, have turned to the words of the Psalms to express their feelings of frustration, joy and hope in the Lord.   

The Psalms cover a great range of human experiences and history with honesty and faith.   Around one third of the Psalms are laments.  Those typically follow a pattern: calling on or invoking the name of God, a complaint that describes a particular distress or suffering, an appeal to God for help and a declaration of trust.  Another significant portion of the Book of Psalms are hymns. They offer praise to God and celebrate God’s presence in the world, with a focus on creation and redeeming (today’s Psalm fits into that group).  The pslams can be individual, the protests and begging for help of one individual struggling to see God in the world and remain faithful in suffering, or they can be communal, an invitation for all to worship, one person’s celebration of joy at God’s grace or giving voice to an entire community’s mourning a loss in battle.  

The Psalms we will go through over the next few weeks are based on a very specific outline. This worship and preaching series on the Psalms is written to show experience the life of faith. The series is based on Pastor and well known Old Testament professor Walter Brueggemann's overview of the Psalms.  In life we move through a pattern of ups and downs:

Orientation: When life is stable and the world seems trustworthy (Psalms 113), to Disorientation: When the bottom drops out and the traditions feels like a lie (Psalm 69), to Reorientation: When faith in a trustworthy God and creation are found again, but the experience of disorientation is not forgotten (Psalms 27 and 40).  

Today is orientation, a song of praise and thanksgiving, a time to celebrate and share God’s love.  The joy flows out, how can I keep from telling you, you are loved.  That push, that joy and peace, that’s what inspires the writer of Psalm 113 to share these words, to put that feeling and experience in the center of the community, for all to share in.  If we are not doing that, we have to ask and wonder why.   

This week, I had an experience that lead me to say praise the name of the Lord.  I have seen a transition and change in our food ministry program.  A new church joining our work, who are bringing prayer, who are helping us to care for spiritual needs, we are giving out this food because we care, we fight food insecurity, we envision a world where no one is hungry and we wont have to do this on Saturday morning anymore but we are also giving out this food because we know God loves you and we want to share that news.

Psalm 113 focuses on the name of the Lord

1 Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord; praise the name of the Lord.
2 Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time on and forevermore.
3 From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the Lord is to be praised

I am bad at remembering names and that is bad.  “Oh yeah I know what’s her name” “ yeah, me and that person with the job, who does that thing someplace, we are really close”.  We are reminded that Jesus invites us to call God father, Abba.  Our relationship with the unknowable, unseen, all powerful, incomprehensible, is one of caring parent and child and that is good news we need to tell.   

Sermon for Pentecost

The readings

Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Romans 8:14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, "Abba! Father!" 16 it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. 18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; 20 for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; 23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. 26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. 27 And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified. 31 What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? 33 Who will bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered." 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The message

Today was an amazing day at church.  I changed the order of our service.  Virtually every part of the service was moved to a different (and unexpected, incorrect place).  After church, during refreshments, I turned a scheduled bible study for the interested into a “forced” or “guided” conversation about our own faith experiences for everyone.  It was awkward and uncomfortable but most people participated and were able to share faith stories (in some cases for the first time).   

Here is a rough outline of my message (no manuscript this week)

The first time I walked into a Lutheran Church was about 15 years ago.  I had just finished college. I had lost interest in the Roman Catholic Church, getting to the point where I disagreed with so many different things, it didn’t make sense to stay there. I didn’t lose interest in the Gospel, the bible or  Jesus teachings.  In school I was introduced to some different Christian traditions, which all seemed very similar.  I ended up at the Lutheran Church because when I was growing up, we used to go to Karate class in the basement there which our teacher rented. I was familiar with the building so one Sunday morning off I went.

There are two things I remember about that morning.  1- within about 10 minutes of walking into the church, I was an usher, by the end of the service I was on the schedule for next month. What  a large, loving risk, the face of welcome who doesn’t know anyone, a virtual stranger who now knew where the lights, doors and all the keys were, What an amazing way to say you are welcome here.

The other thing I remember was being surprised by how similar the worship service was.  The order was almost identical, the readings where the same or close, the hymns familiar, the order and rhythm the same.  It was not boring, it was familiar, It was not disappointing, it was comfortable.  People would ask “what was it like” and I could honestly say “like church”.  

In case you didn’t notice, this morning, we are not having that familiar worship service, which followed me from one faith tradition to another.  There has been a few changes. This is a big deal. Our church service and order are very intentional, centering around Word and Sacrament, with hymns and prayers to remind us whose words we hear and who we meet in the sacraments, all working together, guiding people through an experience of God, at least on paper.  One reason for the change today is a reminder that to unchurched people, to people unfamiliar with church, worship services or beliefs, what we normally do makes no sense.  Today’s service also  speaks a reminder of God’s disruption   

This experience is very disruptive. We have done this out of order thing for the past 2 or 3 Pentecost Sundays. Since September, we have gone through the bible starting with the first books of the Old Testament and completing it today with the story of Pentecost.    

Most of the events in scripture are disruptive. Creation was a very disruptive event, the heavenly court, the chaos, the nothing, all of a sudden Noah and the flood,  a new covenant too,  Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Joseph, the prophets are all disruptive, moving great distances, leaving behind, making witnessing that God is in control.  Individuals are disrupted, communities are disrupted, whole cities and even empires are disrupted.  Jesus ministry was disruptive.  Palm Sunday was so disruptive, the city of Jerusalem literally shakes, Good Friday was disruptive, Easter was a very disruptive event. The missionary work of Paul, James, Peter, disturbs the world, Love replaces hate, Community replaces isolation, welcome replaces exclusion, being children of God replaces being unequal, life replaces death, grace replaces the consequences of sin.  

We are part of a church, a community of sinners forgiven by God, we are invited to disturb anxiety with trust in God’s promises.   

Sermon for June 2

The reading

Romans 6:1-14

What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound?

 By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it?

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 

Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin.  For whoever has died is freed from sin.  But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.  The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Therefore, do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness.

For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

The message

We continue to go through Paul’s Letter to the Church in Rome. This is Paul’s last, longest and most theologically in depth communication with a church. Unlike Corinth, Phillipi, Ephesus and others, Paul did not found this church and did not know its members. Romans is a summary of faith, why Jesus death and resurrection matters, what the gospel of salvation through Christ means for us, an appeal for prayer and support and an exhortation for holy, Gospel living. Paul also dedicates several chapters to divisions over leadership and welcome between Jews and Gentiles in the church there. The letter is organized based on formal Greek debate, including introduction, points, arguments, supporting evidence and addressing possible counter arguments.

As Paul had a limited number of times he could write to a particular church and information between a community and an outside teacher was slow moving, Paul would try to address questions that might come up, anticipating reactions from hearers, outside teachers who might come in with other, not so good news and trying to address them in advance. The first 5 chapters speak to being saved by faith, not works, saved through gift not accomplishment, saved by Jesus death and resurrection not our good actions. That brings up the question “So what now”.  Paul anticipates that people will ask if being saved by Grace is true, if we are free from the consequences of sin, “why be good”, “why follow the law” why not just sin a lot so more is forgiven, publicly flaunting victory over sin by sinning and not caring. (this way of thinking was very influential in the life and activities of Russian figure Rasputin in the 19th Century, one of history’s creepiest twisters of religious teachings).       

Paul wants to stop, cut off these ideas before they catch on, start to influence the church and pull people away from God’s joy and peace.  To believe that we should continue to sin so that grace may abound only makes sense if we make 2 assumptions: 1- God’s grace is just to relieve us from the punishment of sin and 2: we think sin is definitely more fun. These are the ideas that Paul goes after.  Paul describes a challenging and complete reorientation, what we value, enjoy, even where true happiness comes from have all changed.  We are made new, we are free from sin, we have new life, why live the old life. Jesus death and resurrection matter for today and forever.  This good news shapes us, pulls us away from sin and towards the peace and joy of God’s love. God’s gifts are more than something we think about, accept, teach, or keep to ourselves. we live them. I think of the old hymn This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. Hide it under a bushel - NO! I'm gonna let it shine. Hide it under a bushel - NO! I'm gonna let it shine. Hide it in the church, no. im going to let it shine Hide it on the top of a hill, no im going to the city Hide it from the rest of the week on Sunday morning, no im going to live it

We are now a little more than 40 days after Easter. We just passed the Acennsion, when after appearing, eating, teaching and assuring his followers of God’s promises, Jesus is taken up into heaven. The first Christians, and all who follow, accompanied by the Holy Spirit, work out what to do now that Christ is Risen, now that we have been to the empty tomb. How do we live now that Christ is Ascended, what does being saved by grace look like for me and in our organized life together.  On Wednesday, I had the chance to preach and celebrate communion at Leif Erikson Day School in Brooklyn.   This Lutheran ministry is closing its doors after over 50 years of service and faith based education to the community (education that includes my Pre K year). The things learned there will go out into the world with all the teachers, staff, empowerd kids.  We gathered to mark the Ascension, the time, 40 days after Easter, when Jesus is taken up into heaven.  In this, we hear people going out to use the gifts of God

 So when Jesus and his disciples had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?”  Jesus replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.  While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them.  They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

 Jesus knows that the disciples are wondering, what now. The Ascension is about what comes after it, what Jesus first followers, the future church, go and do in the days, weeks, months and years after Jesus blessing.  Do not just stand around here go live in faith, be faithful knowing your sins are forgiven, go and tell the others Christ is Risen, go and follow Jesus instructions to teach and baptize, to welcome, to love, to fight for peace and justice,    Each week, we say don’t let these gifts stay here, after communion, we clear the altar each week as a visible sign that the gifts of God go out into the world with us.  That can be scary, what we talk about is so different.

I imagine that the Ascension was a frightening moment for Jesus disciples, the group still with him, who watched him heal the sick, restore the lame, raise the dead, walk on water, cast out demons and evil forces, calm the storms, teach with authority, feed the crowds, die and rise again. All of this was done with Jesus there, when something was misunderstood, he was there to explain it, when a demon could not be overpowered, Jesus could, when a challenge from a religious authority could not be answered or shut down, Jesus was there to answer, when a crowd could not be fed, Jesus was there to serve them.  Now, at the Ascension, it seems like Jesus is gone, the disciples will be the church, they might not have that place to come back to. 

Of course, Jesus has equipped and prepared them in advance. . In each report of the Ascension, there are some different deta ils, blessing, commission but each one includes the promise of the Holy Spirit.  They are to wait.  Jesus also equips his followers with example, what to do when someone outside needs help (help them), what to do when you are anxious (pray),  what to do when someone is teaching something wrong or self interested or against God’s vison, (you say something), what to do when you struggle (go to a community)

There is an overlap in what we do now that we are saved by Grace and now that Jesus is Ascended, each one calls us to a living, vibrant life where God is at the center.   

Sermon for May 25

The reading 

Romans 3:28-30 and 5:1-11

3:28 For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law.  Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also?

Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one; and he will justify the circumcised on the ground of faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.

And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,  and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,  and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.

Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God.

For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life.

But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

The message

In a few days we will mark the Ascension, Jesus departure from the world 40 days after his resurrection.  Jesus public ministry from Baptism to Ascension, start to finish stretched over about 3 years (30 -33).  From these events and work of Jesus followers after, our faith has come to us today. We can try to summarize our faith, the few thousand pages of scripture, 800 or so pages of the book of concord (the written confession of the beliefs of the Lutheran church), the countless words and ideas of those who have gone before us in faith and the experiences of God’s people of the Holy Spirit in all different ways. One attempt is about 20 words pulled from today’s reading.  For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the law therefore we have peace from God. We could make it even shorter and just say “faith alone”

Of course very few people would be able to fill in the gaps, anyone new to Christianity, curious, unfamiliar with our faith, even people at church all the time, would struggle to understand that statement. I struggled with it in seminary, as I went through courses on those 800 or so pages of the book of concord, other students and I kept adding to it, including some sort of work, thinking the death and resurrection of Christ was a lot but we still a little part to do, that Jesus half, 60, 70, 80 or even 99 percent saved us, then you have to accept, decide, follow.  I wanted highlight faith alone with our bulletin cover this morning, taking off the page number, church name, the date and all the other stuff that is usually on the cover, leaving just faith alone.  On Tuesday, as we were putting together the bulletins, I was talking with Pr Sam and mentioned “hey look how clever this is, see its faith alone on the cover”.  He points out a few details that I missed, its not faith written by itself, its faith alone, it is also in latin (sole fide) and it’s in a decorative box.   We sure do add to it, little things but there is the constant pull away from Christ and the cross to other helpers for salvation.     

We continue to look at the Holy Spirit inspired, Holy Spirit driven and Holy Spirit guided work of Jesus first followers in the days, weeks and years after his death and resurrection, as we do this, we remember that Jesus first followers had the same struggle. Jesus only left his disciples a few bits of instruction, The invitation to come and see the tomb is empty, to know he is risen before doing anything else. Then there are the commands to go and tell the others, to baptize all nations in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and to fearlessly teach what Jesus taught through their words, actions, rituals and even organization.

Jesus followers are left to figure out the how part, get together answers to questions that those others would raise, to prayerfully understand what does all nations mean, to struggle against that radical inclusion which went against every thing they knew and the ways of the cities and world, to ask what does The name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit mean about the being of God, where is the best place to see the tomb is empty, who is authorized to go and tell the others.  These questions are all figured out by listening to and experiences of the Holy Spirit in the midst of them. 

Perhaps the biggest question was what exactly did the death and resurrection of Jesus do, for our salvation, our relationship with God, what about the previous ways, the covenant, the ancient promises and law that God makes with the people.

Romans Chapter 3 starts with a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law.  Faith is not our work: (the Greek commentary is from working preaching) It starts with strong words, “therefore, having been justified/made righteous” (the same Greek work is translated in English as either justified or made righteous).

In the original Greek, the beginning is even more dramatic and powerful. In Greek grammar the word ‘therefore’ cannot start a sentence: the first word is, then, “dikaiothente” (having been made righteous). It sounds like a great victorious shout -- ‘having been justified’. The grammar of “dikaiothentes” indicates that Paul is describing a state of being, the condition of his hearers’ lives. The word is an aorist participle in the passive voice: this is something that has happened to the hearers.

The biggest place that this was causing tension was in the relationship with Judiasm. The question did you need to be circusimed in obedience to the covenant with Abraham, did you need to keep the social and dietary laws before being baptized. The church in Rome was founded and started by jewish converts, After a few years the Jews (Christian and not) are exiled by the Roman empire, and a group of gentiles continue the church.  After some time, Rome allows the jews to return which leads to a power and welcome struggle in the church. Paul sets faith above cultural and religious differences, and he will justify the circumcised on the ground of faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.  This faith, to share a quote from Luther’s introduction to Romans:  Faith is a living, unshakeable confidence in God's grace; it is so certain, that someone would die a thousand times for it. This kind of trust in and knowledge of God's grace makes a person joyful, confident, and happy with regard to God and all creatures .This is what the Holy Spirit does by faith.

Chapter 5 helps us see what it means for someone to be justified by faith

Paul goes on to write a series of “so what”,  this series of Therefore, since we are justified by faith:  Therefore since we are justified by faith we have peace with God, we know this is true because of Jesus. This is not good weather news, it is all we need to endure all.  

We can share our own as well Therefore since we are justified by faith

Therefore since we are justified by faith, the church is open to all people, the gift of faith is given, the power of faith is stronger than   Therefore since we are justified by faith, we are to go out

Therefore since we are justified by faith, we can come and see the tomb is empty, we can go and tell the others, we can baptize all nations in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and we can boldly teach as Jesus taught (even when its socially, religiously, culturally offensive)

Therefore since we are justified by faith, we struggle against unfairness  Therefore since we are justified by faith, we celebrate together,

Sermon for May 19

Romans 1:1-17

 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,  which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, 

the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, 

To all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the world. 

For God, whom I serve with my spirit by announcing the gospel of his Son, is my witness that without ceasing I remember you always in my prayers, asking that by God's will I may somehow at last succeed in coming to you. For I am longing to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you or rather so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine.

 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as I have among the rest of the Gentiles. I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish hence my eagerness to proclaim the gospel to you also who are in Rome. 

 For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, "The one who is righteous will live by faith."

The message

During the past 2 weeks, we heard readings from the Book of Acts.  The full name of the book is the Acts of the Apostles and that pretty much tells us what it is.  It tells the story of the Holy Spirit guided, Holy Spirit listened to, Holy Spirit centered actions of Jesus first followers in the years after his death, resurrection and ascension. It is the Holy Spirit that prompts and gives Peter the words on the first Pentecost, the preaching that leads to

 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers,^[i] what should we do?” ³⁸ Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.” ⁴⁰ And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” ⁴¹ So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. ⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Acts isn’t just all preaching, teaching and success. It is the story of how a group of imperfect people go into the world to show the others the tomb is empty, to tell the others Christ is Risen, to baptize all nations in the name of the father, son and holy spirit and to teach what Jesus taught through their lives, words and actions. The main characters include Peter, James and the apostles (excluding Judas who betrayed Jesus and then hung himself). These are the people who started following Jesus in the beginning, who were called from their work as fisherman and tax collectors and other jobs for something much more important. They see Jesus heal, teach, cure, calm the storms, multiply food and welcome all people.   There are also new believers in Acts, people like Barnabas who travels with Paul on missionary journeys and Lydia, who is baptized, instructed in the new faith and then runs the church in her home in Corinth.  Throughout Acts, one of the major tensions is “do you need to convert to Judiasm, keep the law, learn the rituals, observe the sabbath and dietary laws, before being Baptized and part of the church.  This is part of a larger struggle to understand what is the power of the Gospel,  who and how are we saved. What does Christ is Risen mean for us, for our neighbors, just how world changing is it. (turns out to be an amazing amount).     

Today, we jump ahead a number of years and we start Paul’s Letter to the Romans, a letter he writes to the church in Rome.  This is the only church Paul writes to that he did not plant, start, teach or even know the members of.  It is probably the last letter that Paul writes and it is his most refined theology, his summary of what the gospel of salvation through Christ means,an appeal for prayer and support and an exhortation for holy, Gospel living. Paul also dedicates several chapters to divisions in the church there.  Rome was a divided church, started by Jewish believers, who were exiled. The church is continued by Gentiles and then when the Jews are allowed back into Rome, there is conflict between the 2 groups.  (same today, we started it, well we grew and cared for it in the hard years, yeah but we were here first and forced out, not our fault, well what about us). 

It is a standard ancient letter, with introduction, points, arguments, supporting evidence and addressing possible counter arguments. We hear some of Paul’s conclusions in these opening verses, statements he will explain and defend throughout the rest of the letter. In terms of the question that filled acts, who and how is some saved, by the law, by good works, by Jesus  Paul answers.  For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written in the book of the prophet Habbakuk, "The one who is righteous will live by faith."

This might sound familiar to some of you who remember your conformation, small catechism, Lutheran classes of all kinds. This is faith alone, sola fide, These 2 verses, Romans 1:16-17 are what starts the Reformation, where Luther finds the answers to his struggles with knowing forgiveness  and  dissatisfaction with the church.   In 1515-1516, Luther was lecturing on Paul’s letter to the Romans. He was also personally struggling with the question “how can I know I am forgiven, I am saved, I am not going to hell”.  The sacrament of Confession and Penance weren’t cutting it for him (and many others). You can’t just say “well this sucks” without an explanation and an alternative. He finds the explanation and alternative in those verses.  In Luther’s preface to the Book of Romans, he explains what faith is and how it saves.   

  Faith is not that human illusion and dream that some people think it is. When they hear and talk a lot about faith and yet see that no moral improvement and no good works result from it, they fall into error and say, "Faith is not enough. You must do works if you want to be virtuous and get to heaven." The result is that, when they hear the Gospel, they stumble and make for themselves with their own powers a concept in their hearts which says, "I believe." This concept they hold to be true faith. But since it is a human fabrication and thought and not an experience of the heart, it accomplishes nothing, and there follows no improvement.

Faith is a work of God in us, which changes us and brings us to birth anew from God (cf. John 1). It kills the old Adam, makes us completely different people in heart, mind, senses, and all our powers, and brings the Holy Spirit with it. What a living, creative, active powerful thing is faith! It is impossible that faith ever stop doing good. Faith doesn't ask whether good works are to be done, but, before it is asked, it has done them. It is always active. Whoever doesn't do such works is without faith; he gropes and searches about him for faith and good works but doesn't know what faith or good works are. Even so, he chatters on with a great many words about faith and good works.

Faith is a living, unshakeable confidence in God's grace; it is so certain, that someone would die a thousand times for it. This kind of trust in and knowledge of God's grace makes a person joyful, confident, and happy with regard to God and all creatures. This is what the Holy Spirit does by faith. Through faith, a person will do good to everyone without coercion, willingly and happily; he will serve everyone, suffer everything for the love and praise of God, who has shown him such grace. It is as impossible to separate works from faith as burning and shining from fire. Therefore be on guard against your own false ideas and against the chatterers who think they are clever enough to make judgements about faith and good works but who are in reality the biggest fools. Ask God to work faith in you; otherwise you will remain eternally without faith, no matter what you try to do or fabricate.

Sermon for May 12th

Acts 13:1-3; 14:8-18

13:1 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the ruler, and Saul. 2While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

14:8 In Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet and had never walked, for he had been crippled from birth. 9 He listened to Paul as he was speaking. And Paul, looking at him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, 10 said in a loud voice, "Stand upright on your feet." And the man sprang up and began to walk. 11 When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in human form!" 12Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates; he and the crowds wanted to offer sacrifice. 14 When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, 15 "Friends, why are you doing this? We are mortals just like you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. 16 In past generations he allowed all the nations to follow their own ways;17 yet he has not left himself without a witness in doing good—giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filling you with food and your hearts with joy." 18 Even with these words, they scarcely restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.

The message

This is our second and last week with the Book of Acts.  This Biblical book tells the story of the very early church, the faith actions of Jesus first followers.  The main characters include the disciples like Peter and James as well as new converts like Paul, Barnabas and Lydia. It is the story of people trying to follow the words of the risen Christ, the invitation to come and see the tomb is empty and the instructions to go and tell the others, to baptize all nations in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and to teach what Jesus taught in words and actions.

Last week, we saw how the early church settled the first big church fight, one that pitted St Peter against St Paul. The question was “do you need to become Jewish before you can become a Christian”.  This was decided after a series of events. First there is Peter’s vision from God of unclean animals and the instruction to break the law, “to kill and eat”.   This does not settle it.  Peter wakes from this vision “extremely confused”.  Days later, Peter witnesses another Pentecost as the Holy Spirit descends on a group of non-Jewish people in Macedonia.  If the Holy Spirt could welcome them , how could the church not welcome them too.

Everything in Acts points away from people and towards God, active through the Holy Spirit. That is the main point in the book of acts. The Holy Spirit is the force behind and in the church. God is always present with these first followers, for guidance, strength, reassurance and correction.  The heros of our faith, the people who walked with Jesus, who have churches named after them, who raised the dead, restored the blind and heal the sick, do nothing by their own strengths or gifts alone.  Today, as Paul is sent on his first missionary journey, he is set apart by the decision of the Holy Spirit. There is no debate over who speaks the best, who is most well suited for that community, who has friends or connections in Lystra, who has free time or a busy schedule, who is needed there in Antioch, who went last time,  there is fasting to focus on God and there is community prayer.

The followers of Jesus will need this help.  They will be pushed to their limits, enter places that are difficult, be rejected, misunderstood, shipwrecked, imprisoned, laughed at and killed. They also. face their own internal, spiritual struggles. Peter’s vison pushes him to change lifelong sacred beliefs and practices. When faced with the unclean food, Peter talks back to God three times, insisting “I have never eaten anything unclean”. Paul starts off as a persecutor of the church, a Pharisee committed to ending this dangerous cult before it grows.  He hated these people and they hated him.  

The book of Acts tells us about events that happened almost 2000 years ago in far off areas of the world but it is not history. This is not an explanation of how the early church started out.  It is an example of what people can do when the listen for God and trust God. The members of our church and community, the people who pray here, who work everyday to further the gospel in their lives, we do nothing by our own strengths or gifts alone. either. 

The book of acts is a guide for how we are supposed to be church so that is exactly what we are going to do. I invite everyone to listen for the Holy Spirit. We are going to wait for someone or someones to step forward, to talk about the work God has called them to, and pray over him or her.  No one was preselected and I didn’t make phone calls this week asking “if no one comes up, would you mind doing it”  This is not a show, if no one comes, that’s fine  As Paul and Barnabas were sent out, so will each of us be.

After a few minutes, one of our members did come up, talked about her call to teach so I invited whoever wants to come up and pray with her (5 or 6 people did) just as many had a look of “is he serious”  I never thought of / did anything like this in a sermon before,    

Sermon for May 5

The reading

Acts 10:1-17, 34-35
1 In Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian Cohort, as it was called. 2 He was a devout man who feared God with all his household; he gave alms generously to the people and prayed constantly to God. 3 One afternoon at about three o'clock he had a vision in which he clearly saw an angel of God coming in and saying to him, "Cornelius." 4 He stared at him in terror and said, "What is it, Lord?" He answered, "Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa for a certain Simon who is called Peter; 6 he is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the seaside." 7 When the angel who spoke to him had left, he called two of his slaves and a devout soldier from the ranks of those who served him, 8 and after telling them everything, he sent them to Joppa. 9 About noon the next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat; and while it was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw the heaven opened and something like a large sheet coming down, being lowered to the ground by its four corners. 12 In it were all kinds of four-footed creatures and reptiles and birds of the air. 13 Then he heard a voice saying, "Get up, Peter; kill and eat." 14 But Peter said, "By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is profane or unclean." 15The voice said to him again, a second time,

"What God has made clean, you must not call profane." 16 This happened three times, and the thing was suddenly taken up to heaven. 17 Now while Peter was greatly puzzled about what to make of the vision that he had seen, suddenly the men sent by Cornelius appeared. They were asking for Simon's house and were standing by the gate.

34 Then Peter began to speak to them: "I truly understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him

The message

We have completed our time with the Gospel of Matthew (and we are coming up to the end of the narrative lectionary, the  4 year cycle of readings we stated in 2015).  Matthew ends with  God’s instructions: Come and see the tomb is empty, go and tell the others Christ is Risen, baptize all nations in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, teach what Jesus did as Jesus did, through word and deed, with trust in Gods power .

Today, we start The book of Acts. Written by the same author as the Gospel of Luke, The book of Acts tells how the first followers of Jesus tried to follow those commands of God that end Matthew.  Early on Christians were called people of “the way”,  they would meet in secret, face persecution and travel great distances to reach all nations.  Acts is a drama, complete with moments of great tension. Acts it also an action story with long journeys, shipwrecks, last second rescues, miracles, signs of power that witness to God’s truth
and improbable events. 

The main characters in the book of Acts include Peter and James who have been with Jesus from the start of his public ministry, people who walked around the sea of Galiee with him, who witnessed Jesus teach, heal, cure, confront, be betrayed, go on trial, die and rise again. They are not perfect. These are the disciples who got scared, fell asleep, hid in fear and even denied ever knowing Jesus.  Mistakes are learned from, Those things are forgiven and they are restored.  For instance Peter, denies knowing Jesus 3 times in the courtyard of the High Priest as the trial begins. In John 21, we hear this moment of restoration between Jesus and Peter.   When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep”. Peter’s weakness in the face of danger and public denial of Jesus will
not be held against him, it will not be an obstacle.

The disciples are entrusted with being the church, the witness to Jesus in the world.  They will not do this work alone.  There are also new people, men and women like Lydia, Phoebe and Barnabas who hear the good news, that Christ is Risen and respond with joy and action In Acts 9, we hear one of the most significant events in the life of the church, a new person who joins in the Church’s work.  Saul is an intense persecutor of the church, a Pharisee and well respected scholar. He is traveling to Damascus, empowered to round up (and likely kill) any followers of Jesus that he finds.  On the road, he is struck blind by God’s light and knocked off his horse. At Damascus, he is Baptized and taught about Jesus. This work is done by a very reluctant Ananias, a follower of Jesus who knows of Saul and doesn’t particularly want to welcome him into the church. Annais rationally knows the church would be better off if this guy is left blind. Can we really trust, forgive, accept, deal with this guy.. God insists, Saul’s life as persecutor will not be held against him.

God’s insistence on how the church will be built and shaped is a big part of today’s reading as well.  I think of Peter’s vision as the end of the first really big church fight.  Throughout history there have been some big ones, homosexuality, the ordination of women, who can  take communion, what exactly happens at Baptism, the use of icons, the divinity and humanity of Jesus, the literalness of scripture or the authority of the church. Many of those are still ongoing, dividing Christians and creating lots of separations in the church.

Before all those, before scripture was written and cannoized, before male only leaders was a thing, there was the first big church fight. The argument was a simple question “do you need to become Jewish, before you can be a Christian”.  Do converts need to follow all, some of, the law and get circumcised On one side was Peter and James, who insisted new followers did need to keep the law. Jesus was Jewish, they all were Jewish, even the last supper was observing a Jewish holiday, Jesus focuses on the right interpretation of the law and the prophets, the spirit of the law, brining people to relationship with God. but insists he did not come to replace the law.  Jesus does heal, welcome outsiders but he never specially teaches to leave the Jewish faith. On the other side were people like Paul and Barnabas, who immediately start to serve as missionaries to the gentiles, going to all nations, including many people who have no idea what Judiasm is.  Teaching  this, putting up all these requirements, were osbatalces to the Gospel, barriers to seeing Christ is Risen, telling the others, Baptizing and teaching. Jesus never specially tells anyone to convert to Judaism as a pre-resquite to following him .

Like the restoration of Peter and baptism and teaching of Paul, God intervenes to settle this one as well.  Peter is in the midst of prayer when he sees an unexpected (and unwanted) vision, one that will forever change the path of the church. He sees a sheet filled with all sorts of unclean animals (ones that the Jewish law prohibits people from eating or even having contact with). A voice tells him to kill and eat.  Peter never doubts for a moment that this vision is from God  but he still insists on keeping the law (maybe it just 3 times to get through to him).  I imagine by the third time, God is “Yo, its my law and im telling you something new, I get its really strange and uncomfortable but shut up and listen”.  Overall this vision does not even seem to get through to Peter, he leaves “greatly puzzled” Immediately after the vision, a group representing a Gentile comes to Peter to seek teaching and help for their boss.  From here, Peter will witness another Pentecost, the Holy Spirit will descend on  this group of non-jewish people, just like it did on Peter and the first followers of the way.  This vision, witness, prayer and listening to each other will led to the church being open to all people, you did not need to become Jewish before becoming Christian.

There are some lessons we can take from this story.  It is a reminder that this is God’s church and that God is still speaking.  We are reminded to be certain about salvation but not be so certain of our ways of sharing it.   The grace forgiveness and welcome of God is wider than Peter thought and wider than we often think. We are also reminded of the need to listen and to understand other perspectives  Even after agreeing, there are still disputes and struggles over what of the law, covenant and traditions.  Even today Christians of all groups and people of all faiths wonder about others.