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November 25, 2018 - Hope

11/25/2018

THEME VERSE FOR TODAY                                                                   Hebrews 6:19, NLT
This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.

OLD TESTAMENT READING                                                                      Isaiah 40:31, NIV
    but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

NEW TESTAMENT READING                                                          Romans 5:1-5, GW
    Now that we have God’s approval by faith, we have peace with God because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done. 2 Through Christ we can approach God and stand in his favor. So, we brag because of our confidence that we will receive glory from God. 3 But that’s not all. We also brag when we are suffering. We know that suffering creates endurance, 4 endurance creates character, and character creates confidence. 5 We’re not ashamed to have this confidence, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

SERMON                                                   Hope
We hope for many things…

Hebrews 11 begins: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, a conviction of things not seen.” To have hope is an act of faith! My faith in God allows me to hope for things that I believe are within God’s will, hope not as wishful thinking, but that conviction that God’s purposes will be fulfilled. Hope allows me to lean into the future with less worry and less fear, not for a smooth road necessarily, but for a future worth the effort, worth the pain, worth the frustrations along the way. That is the hope that becomes an anchor for my soul, firm and secure, because it is grounded in my faith in God and God’s promises.

An anchor holds a boat or even a ship fast in the water; it can even help it ride out a storm without getting lost at sea. We need that in the stormy waters of our lives when we feel so lost. When the tasks are overwhelming, when someone hurts us, when we receive bad news, when a loved one dies. We need a place to anchor our souls. At those times why wouldn’t we trust the one who breathed that soul into the first human being?

God created all of life, plant and animal, but when God formed Adam out of the dust, God breathed his own Spirit, his ruach, into Adam’s nostrils. As Max Lucado says, God gave him more than oxygen, he gave Adam a soul. He goes on to say, “Your soul separates you from animals and unites you to God.” (Unshakeable Hope, p, 156)

That union takes place not just here on earth, not just in our physical body. The soul is more than that; it rests with Christ in the inner sanctuary, behind the curtain as our theme verse in Hebrews tells us. That inner sanctuary referred in Old Testament times to the most sacred place in the tabernacle God instructed Moses to have built. Behind that curtain rested the Ark of the Covenant carrying the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments. The top to that Ark was called the Mercy Seat, considered to be God’s throne when God held court, if you will, among God’s people. When Moses went into that tent we call the tabernacle, it was to meet with God. When he came out he had to wear a veil, because being in the presence of God’s full glory caused his face to shine so bright, the people couldn’t look at him.

In the Temple that Solomon built, that inner space was again part of the design and was called the Holy of Holies. It could be entered only by the High Priest, and even he could only enter once a year on Yom Kippur to make atonement by sacrifice for God’s people asking God to forgive all their sin. When we talk about Jesus behind the curtain, we are referring to Jesus as the Highest Priest who sacrificed himself to atone for our sin, to grant us mercy and reconcile us with God.

The book of Revelation refers often to that heavenly throne room of God and those who worship there. Here is one example from Chapter 4: “9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the one seated on the throne, who lives forever and always, 10 the twenty-four elders fall before the one seated on the throne. They worship the one who lives forever and always. They throw down their crowns before the throne and say,

11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
        to receive glory and honor and power,
            because you created all things.
                It is by your will that they existed and were created.” (Rev. 4:9-11)

In the final scene of chapter 22 there is this promise: “There will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.” (v.3)

Hope anchors our soul, tied by a life line more secure than the strongest cable, to God’s throne room in the heavens where the Lamb of God, who is Jesus, sits at God’s right hand, and together they reign over this world we know and all the worlds beyond our human grasp. Christ reigns supreme over the entire universe. It is the ultimate image for Christ the King, and that is where hope in Christ, anchors our soul. We are not lost, we are not adrift on the seas of worldly troubles, we are tied securely to the Mercy Seat of God, the throne room of Christ.

When his disciples were caught in a storm on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus walked across those waves, climbed into their boat and commanded the waves and the winds to be still. When are tossed about by the storms of life, Jesus comes to us if we welcome him, and again, can bring peace and stability to our soul. By faith our Hope is anchored in Christ our King.

Max tells the story of a man in Texas who faced such a literal storm with his family. The rains that came down he described as a “once in a century flood…The Blanco River came up twenty-eight feet in ninety minutes.” (p. 158) The family climbed to the second story of their cabin, but eventually clung to a mattress floating the turbulent waters. Jonathan had several broken bones, but much worse lost his wife and two children to that flood. Two weeks later, he spoke at their funeral, was very honest about the pain and grief left by that tragedy, but also managed to share his faith with the verse from our call to worship, to trust God rather than lean on our own understanding. Jonathan knew the reality of the phrase, “cry me a river” and he knew that anger, frustration and confusion that go with such loss. But even so he anchored his hope in the reunion they would one day share in heaven. He expressed that hope and faith not as “I wish,” but as “I know.” (p, 160)

The Bible encourages us to “pray always and never lose hope.” (Luke 18:1) The two do go together. If you have no hope, there is no reason to pray, but if believe in the power of prayer, there is every reason to have hope. Again, our hope is in God’s purpose and plan not just our own limited view or desires.

The scripture I have used as a benediction throughout this series comes from Romans 15:13 and includes the phrase to “abound in hope.” Lucado plays a bit with that word abound. Rain abounds in a downpour. Yosemite abounds with trees of all sizes. A cotton field abounds in fluffy white cotton. We are more likely to see fields that abound with corn, the Mississippi abounds with water, and by the end of today our yards may abound with snow. Does that give you an image of what it means to abound with hope? It is hope that fills us up and overflows, that is beyond the scope of our limited vision.

Sometimes that hope isn’t our first reaction when things go wrong. Max tells a story on himself of taking a break from writing this book and going to play golf. But a message from another staff member didn’t sit right with him. At each successive tee he got more defensive and angrier. He admits that by the fifth hole he had resigned, fired the guy, gone on strike and moved to Mexico, all of course, just in his own mind. Then God reminded him about the book he was writing on Unshakeable Hope, and some of the scripture promises he has shared with us these past few months began to work in him. I will admit that last Wednesday, as I pushed myself to get the house ready for company while still faced with uninstalled furnishings and a mountain of boxes, I got tired and cranky and ran out of hope, even though I had started this sermon that morning. I, too, needed the well-loved verse from Isaiah 40 that was our Old Testament reading today.

    Those who wait on the Lord, shall renew their strength.
    They shall mount up on wings as eagles.
    They shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (v.31)

If life were smooth, we wouldn’t need hope. But if life were too smooth, we would be weak, rather than strong. That is why our New Testament reading reminds us that,

    Trouble produces endurance,
    endurance produces character,
    and character produces hope. (Romans 5:3b-4a)

Trouble will come, but God can use it to build us up. Paul tells us as he wrote to the Romans, that hope abounds by the power of the Holy Spirit. The hope produced by troubles will not disappoint us, because God’s love is poured through us by the Holy Spirit. I begin to get the image that the Holy Spirit is that extraordinarily strong cord that tethers our anchor of hope to the Mercy Seat of God and the throne of Christ our King. God, and none other is the source and the strength of our hope no matter what we face. I pray that as you enter Advent, the season of hope, you will indeed abound in hope inspired by the Holy Spirit, trusting in Christ and in the promises of God.

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November 18, 2018 - Justice

11/17/2018

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PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
Give us ears to hear your Word, O God, minds to comprehend your message for each of us today, and hearts full of compassion to carry out your will.

THEME VERSE FOR TODAY                                                                Acts 17:31, NCV
God has set a day that he will judge all the world with fairness, by the man he chose long ago. And God has proved this to everyone by raising that man from the dead!”

OLD TESTAMENT READING                                                    Jeremiah 12:1-3a, MEV

Righteous are You, O Lord,
    that I plead with You.
Indeed, let me talk with You about matters of justice.
    Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
    Why are all those happy who deal very treacherously?
2 You have planted them; indeed, they have taken root;
    they grow; indeed, they bring forth fruit.
You are near in their mouth,
    but far from their mind.
3 But You, O Lord, know me;
    You have seen me and tested my heart toward You.

NEW TESTAMENT READING                                                             Luke 18:1-8, CEB

Jesus was telling them a parable about their need to pray continuously and not to be discouraged. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected people. 3 In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him, asking, ‘Give me justice in this case against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused but finally said to himself, I don’t fear God or respect people, 5 but I will give this widow justice because she keeps bothering me. Otherwise, there will be no end to her coming here and embarrassing me.” 6 The Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 Won’t God provide justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he be slow to help them? 8 I tell you, he will give them justice quickly. But when the Human One comes, will he find faithfulness on earth?”
                                                                                                    Revelation 20:7-12, GNT

7 After the thousand years are over, Satan will be set loose from his prison, 8 and he will go out to deceive the nations scattered over the whole world, that is, Gog and Magog. Satan will bring them all together for battle, as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. 9 They spread out over the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people and the city that he loves. But fire came down from heaven and destroyed them. 10 Then the Devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had already been thrown; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

11 Then I saw a great white throne and the one who sits on it. Earth and heaven fled from his presence and were seen no more. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small alike, standing before the throne. Books were opened, and then another book was opened, the book of the living. The dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books.

SERMON                                                  Justice

Justice pairs so well with so many words. It doesn’t often stand alone.

My ex-husband and his favorite professor used to debate the pairing of justice and peace. David insisted justice had to come first for there to be peace. Since David grew up as a third world tribal that makes perfect sense from his background. Dale Brown, a pastor and professor in the Church of the Brethren, expected peace to bring justice. This also makes sense coming from one of the three traditional peace denominations. My United Methodist tradition has a Peace and Justice special Sunday about the same time of year as your Presbyterian Peace and Global Witness offering. Whichever comes first, I believe they do belong hand in hand. I think it would be difficult to experience peace without justice. I long for justice and peace to be the daily truth in every land.

Many times, we think of justice as fairness. If someone cheats at a game or anything else, we say it isn’t fair. We see it as unjust. When I hear someone assume that God chooses or favors one people over another, I see that as unfair. I think it’s an injustice to them and to God. We want life to be fair, though it isn’t always. We expect God to be fair, though life’s circumstances sometimes seem unjust. The laws in Leviticus call for fair justice, not to treat anyone differently based on status or economics. Paul told the Colossians to be “just and fair” to their servants. (4:1) Psalm 9 assures us that God will establish justice and judge all people fairly. If we are to live in God’s justice, then we must do the same.

The pairing I have engraved in my mind from Hebrew studies is justice and righteousness, since mishpat and tzedeqah are often side by side in Hebrew scriptures of the Old Testament. They are joined 41 times in the Common English Bible translation. David was said to rule with justice and righteousness. We know that when he did sin, he sincerely repented striving then to do what was right. Psalm 97 says God’s “throne is built on righteousness and justice.” I like this Proverb (16:8) “Better a little with righteousness than great profits without justice.” Isaiah declares that God wants justice and righteousness from us. “I will make justice a measuring line and righteousness a plumb line. Hail will sweep away your refuge of lies, and floodwaters will wash away your hiding place.” (28:17) The prophet Amos was adamant as well. “Doom to you who turn justice into poison and throw righteousness to the ground!... But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” (5:7,24) God takes the combination of justice and righteousness very seriously.

Many of us would put law and justice together meaning that in our judicial system we expect justice in the verdict made by the jury and the sentence pronounced by the judge. That determination is symbolized by the statue of Lady Justice holding her scales, measuring the weight of each argument and the facts of the case.

This would also fit how justice is used in the Bible. In some verses as I looked at multiple translations words like judgement or decision were used interchangeably with the word justice. The Bible has courtroom scenarios picturing God’s justice. Job fearfully imagines going to court with God and wishes for a mediator to come between them. (Job 9)   In the prophet Jeremiah, God declares in Chapter 2 that he will take his people to court for turning away from him. In Chapter 12 as we read earlier, Jeremiah is pleading with God about matters of justice. Another translation simply says, God, if I take you to court, you will win.

What does God’s justice look like? Max Lucado gives three interesting aspects in his chapter on Justice as part of our Unshakable Hope. First, that God will pardon his people. (p.146) Second, that God will praise his servants. (p.148) Third, that God will honor the wishes of the wicked. (p. 150) That’s not what you expected? Me, either, so let me share a little more of what Max says about each of these.

As Paul so bluntly reminds us in Romans 3, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” In other words, if God’s justice is like a courtroom, every one of us would be indicted and take our turn as defendant. It may be for seemingly little things, little white lies or stretching the truth, being jealous of what someone else has or how someone else is treated, complaining all the time rather than giving thanks for what is good, or it might be imagining what it would be like if…you fill in the blank with your favorite temptation…, and dwelling on that in your mind even though you would never act on it. All of these can be sin.

But if we believe that Jesus is indeed our Savior, then our courtroom scene goes like this. Jesus is the advocate standing beside us, and for every charge that is made against us, Jesus doesn’t deny what we did, but states what he has already done to deal with it. The price, the punishment, and our forgiveness were already accomplished at the cross. So, when the case concludes, and the verdict is read, we will hear “Not guilty!” for every charge. This is where I believe mercy is best paired with justice. Thanks to Christ, God’s justice is tempered with mercy, and Jesus has become the Mediator Job requested.

Another aspect of God’s justice according to Max Lucado, isn’t about punishment, it’s about rewards. We are called to be God’s people, to serve God to the best of our abilities. When we have done that, even though we will have had bad days, tough times, and not always lived up to our fullest potential perhaps, if we have always returned to serve God, we hope to hear what the Bible proclaims, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (from Matthew 25:23)

The point Max made that may have surprised you the most is God honoring the wishes of the wicked. But here is what he means by that. Picture again the courtroom scene. You know in our judicial system, that if someone cannot afford an attorney one will be provided. But you also know that the defendant has the right to refuse council and present his case alone. What Max is saying as part of God’s justice is about those who reject God, who don’t accept Christ, who have chosen to stand alone without an advocate by their side. When they come before God for judgement, God will accept that choice and allow them to stand alone without his Son to help them. For each charge read against them there will be no response in their defense. What then do you think their verdict will be? I find that very sad, but I get that it is fair and just.

There are many times in life when it seems like that final justice never comes. We wonder today as Jeremiah did millennia ago why the wicked seem to prosper. Will justice ever come? For some this question churns inside until they begin to think they ought to take matters into their own hands. They can’t trust the human legal system to get it right, so they go out on their own for revenge. That’s a dangerous pairing, justice and revenge. It has a high risk of the innocent being in harms way, of the wrong person being punished, of not hearing with compassion the whole story, of perpetuating a feud that needs to end. The Bible is very clear that vengeance is God’s privilege and God’s only. In Romans 12, Paul quotes it from Deuteronomy 32. “Don’t try to get revenge for yourselves, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath. It is written, Revenge belongs to me; I will pay it back, says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19) Thus, when humans seek revenge, they become guilty as well. Rather than taking justice into our own hands to that extent, our theme verse for today is the promise that God has set a date for the whole world to be judged. Leave justice in God’s hands.

That doesn’t mean to give up or ignore injustice. While we are not judge or jury, warden or executioner, it is our place to speak up, to witness, to tell the truth, to bring the situation to light, and to plead for justice within our human legal systems and with God through prayer. That’s what Max is suggesting by sharing the story of the widow and the judge, a parable Jesus told his disciples to encourage them to never give up. The judge may be tired and want to ignore the widow’s problems, but as she continues to bang on his door, he will in the end grant her justice if for no other reason than to get some peace and rest. Don’t you think advocates and modern-day prophets speaking out for various justice issues feel like that widow banging on the judge’s door? But because of their persistence, someone will eventually listen to the case and hopefully do what is right. A lot of news stories feel like that to me.

We may not see justice on all issues in our lifetimes. We may never know how God chooses to work in the lives of those who strive so hard against all that God intends. But there is an ultimate promise of justice that we cling to as Christians, that Jesus wins the final battle against evil, that the harm caused in this world will ultimately be healed in the next. The imagery in Revelation symbolizes that final battle and Christ’s victory defeating the beast. Daniel already hinted at it in the Old Testament. Both Daniel in Chapter 7 and Revelation in Chapter 20 then show God on his throne in judgement of the world. In that courtroom scene, those who come against God’s people will receive their sentence, and those who have put their hope in God and chosen to serve God will receive their reward.    I like that Revelation goes even beyond that to deal with the hurt and the pain that evil has caused. In Chapter 22 we are shown the Tree of Life, whose leaves are for the healing of the nations.

It is very hard to watch someone you love being hurt or to know a life has been taken away by criminal action. We abhor the violence in our world stirred up by hatred. We want justice! But as I read these scriptures and others, I am reminded that it is our job to witness, to pray, to reach out to victims, and when we are able, to reach out with God’s grace even to perpetrators. We are called to forgive those who hurt us, and those who hurt our family or friends. If for no other reason, perhaps we can do this in gratitude for the mercy Christ has shown to us in forgiving our sin. We are to take a stand and speak up for justice and to live our lives as justly and rightly as we are able with God’s help! But it is not our job to judge humankind. It is not our job to take revenge. Only God can finally fully balance the scales of justice, and we must respectfully let God do what it is God’s work to do. For that we can give thanks, and wait with hope, for the fulfillment of God’s plan to redeem and restore this world that God loves so much. The best pairing for the word justice, I realize I have used often as I write this message; the best pairing for the word justice is that it belongs to God.

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November 11, 2018 - Power

11/11/2018

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THEME VERSE FOR TODAY          Acts 1:8, NCV
When the Holy Spirit comes to you, you will receive power. You will be my witnesses—in Jerusalem, in all of Judea, in Samaria, and in every part of the world.”

OLD TESTAMENT READING      Isaiah 44:2-4, GNT
I am the Lord who created you;
    from the time you were born, I have helped you.
Do not be afraid; you are my servant,
    my chosen people whom I love.

3 “I will give water to the thirsty land
    and make streams flow on the dry ground.
I will pour out my spirit on your children
    and my blessing on your descendants.
4 They will thrive like well-watered grass,
    like willows by streams of running water.

NEW TESTAMENT READING       John 3:1-8, NCV
There was a man named Nicodemus who was one of the Pharisees and an important Jewish leader. 2 One night Nicodemus came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we know you are a teacher sent from God, because no one can do the miracles you do unless God is with him.”

3 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot be in God’s kingdom.”

4 Nicodemus said, “But if a person is already old, how can he be born again? He cannot enter his mother’s womb again. So how can a person be born a second time?”

5 But Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born from water and the Spirit, you cannot enter God’s kingdom. 6 Human life comes from human parents, but spiritual life comes from the Spirit. 7 Don’t be surprised when I tell you, ‘You must all be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wants to and you hear the sound of it, but you don’t know where the wind comes from or where it is going. It is the same with every person who is born from the Spirit.”

SERMON                                                  Power
Today’s message is on power, specifically the power of the Holy Spirit, admittedly one of my favorite topics. The Holy Spirit is the source of power for Christian living and for the Church. Jesus promised his disciples that when he ascended to heaven, he would send the Holy Spirit to them. Luke records it this way, “I am sending to you what my Father promised, so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49, ISV) This promise is repeated in today’s theme verse spoken just before Jesus returned to heaven.

When we talk about the power of the Holy Spirit the illustration I have often used is plugging into electricity. Appliances and electronics all need to tap into a power source or have their batteries charged for the on switch or power button to have any effect at all. Our lives are equally ineffective if we ignore the source of strength and power God offers us through the Holy Spirit. You may think you are succeeding on your own for a while, but sooner or later you run out of spiritual energy or wisdom and need to let the Holy Spirit do its work in you.

Some Christian churches neglect teaching about the Spirit, though it has been a significant part of our theology from the beginning of the Church. I think that has led to Max Lucado’s observation that some Christians think God and Jesus are enough, and they lose out on the Spirit’s benefits. Max points out this is as effective as a two-legged tripod or a two wheeled tricycle. They are unstable without the third leg or the third wheel. Our faith and witness are also unstable without the Holy Spirit. God seems to have a fondness for putting things in threes. A triangle is the most stable form in structural design. I love this verse I’ve often used in weddings; after Ecclesiastes 4 talks about the benefit of two together, it suddenly adds this bit of wisdom, “A three strand cord is not easily broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:12) God works in our lives as Creator, as Savior, and as Spirit. Not one or two but all three are important.

Here’s another illustration from Max on how the Holy Spirit helps us. It gives us a P.U.S.H. I’m used to that acronym meaning Pray Until Something Happens, but Lucado uses it to outline the work of the Holy Spirit in a way I hadn’t considered before. P is for Power; U, for Unity; S, for Supervision; H, for Holiness. We’ll come back to this in a minute, but first Max’s story.

Max let a bike riding friend talk him into participating in a bike race that included a half mile steep climb. Mind you, Max was not in physical condition for this, but the friend said he could do it. As they took off, those in good condition with plenty of practice miles sailed through the course and made it up the hill. The friend crossed the finish line while Max and some others were huffing and puffing, struggling up that hill. Then Max felt pressure on his back, and his move up the hill got easier. His friend had come back and literally gave Max a hand up the hill walking behind him pushing him to keep his promise that Max could finish this race. Wow! (This story is told pages 131-132 in Unshakeable Hope,)

Maybe you can relate to needing that kind of push or helping hand. I sure can, especially through this moving process. But I can also relate to what Max intends by this illustration, to point out that the Holy Spirit gives us that push, that help when we are open to receiving it. I rely on Holy Spirit assistance every day. I am often astounded at the end of the day what was accomplished, knowing the Spirit gave me the time, the words, the energy, whatever it was I needed to do my best.

Back to what Max meant by P.U.S.H. P is for Power. The Holy Spirit is the power behind creation. It was the force that hovered over the face of the deep when God spoke to organize the chaos. The Spirit was the breath of life God breathed into the first humans. The book of Job makes this significance clear. “14 If God were to take back his spirit and withdraw his breath, 15 all life would cease, and humanity would turn again to dust.” (Job 34:14-15, NLT) The Holy Spirit is also the force of rebirth, of making us a new person when we accept Jesus into our lives as we read in Nicodemus story from John 3. Jesus told him, “I assure you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, it’s not possible to enter God’s kingdom.” (v.5) It is then that the Holy Spirit works within us to bring the fruits of the Spirit developing our character toward that of Christ, and the Spirit brings us gifts to enable our ministry on behalf of Christ.

U is for Unity. Ephesians 4 talks about the unity of the Spirit. “3 You are joined together with peace through the Spirit, so make every effort to continue together in this way.” (v.3) Lucado points out that we do not create that unity ourselves. It comes from the Spirit, but we are asked to cooperate with it. We talk about how divided our world is today by people who choose not to get along, not to accept each other. It’s obvious we are not all cooperating with that unity. Isn’t this another aspect of grieving the Holy Spirit? I like this translation of Psalm 133:1, “Oh, how wonderful, how pleasing it is when God’s people all come together as one!” The Spirit of God works toward that goal. Let’s choose to cooperate wherever God gives us opportunity.

S is for Supervision. Everyone needs supervision on some level or accountability in some way. To me, the Holy Spirit provides that as what we call our conscience. John 16:8 tells us, “When the Helper comes, He will show the world the truth about sin. He will show the world about being right with God. And He will show the world what it is to be guilty.” Lucado adds, though, another aspect of a supervisor, the task of keeping things running smoothly. The Holy Spirit has that function in the Church. Max lists several ways the Spirit does this:

Comfort (Acts 9:31)
Guidance (John 16:13)
Revelation (John 16:13)
Intercession (Romans 8:26)
Witness (Romans 8:16)

And more. (p. 135)

H is for holiness. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to make us holy. In Wesleyan terms I learned this as God’s Spirit working in us before we know Christ (Prevenient Grace), acquitting us when we say “Yes” to Christ (Justifying Grace) and changing us from the inside out as we live in Christ (Sanctifying Grace). That last part, sanctification, is the process of making us holy. After listing various sins in 1 Corinthians 6, Paul goes on to say, “Some of you once lived this way. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (v.11, NET)

I keep a scrub brush by my bathroom sink. When soap and hot water don’t seem like enough to get my hands truly clean, I scrub my fingertips to get under the nails. I might also use it to get a spot out of my clothes before the stain sets. You can think of the Holy Spirit like that, scrubbing us clean. We heard this in our Pardon after confession this morning from Paul’s letter to Titus, “He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.” (Titus 3:5b)

As you think over these aspects of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives, in the Church, and in our world, look back at the foolishness of trying to live out our ministry in Christ without the help of the Holy Spirit Christ sent to us. We need the power, the unity, the supervision, and the holiness God’s Spirit provides. Paul wrote bluntly to the new Christians at Galatia, “How can you be so foolish! You began by God's Spirit; do you now want to finish by your own power?” (Galatians 3:3, GNT) To the church at Ephesus he emphasized that the Holy Spirit is God’s seal upon you. “You believed in Christ, and God put his stamp of ownership on you by giving you the Holy Spirit he had promised.” (Ephesians 1:13b, GNT)

God intended for us to cooperate with the Holy Spirit, to live as fully as possible for God’s glory which benefits us as well. There are times when we recognize we aren’t living that way. We might ask ourselves what’s getting in the way. Are there impediments to the work of the Spirit in us? Max lifts several concerns expressed in the Bible. Then he asks these blunt questions: “Are you persisting in disobedience? Are you refusing to forgive someone? Are you harboring hatred? Are you persisting in an adulterous relationship? Immoral activity? A dishonest practice? Are you feeding your flesh and neglecting your faith? If the answer is yes, you are quenching the Spirit within you.” (p.137) Any of these things will prevent you from living the full and abundant life God offers you through the Holy Spirit. Is it worth it? I don’t think so.

We need to let the Holy Spirit work within us, to make necessary changes in our lives. Some of my friends can attest to how much I have thrown out in the moving process, things I no longer need, things that are just in the way. In the same way, there are attitudes and habits, behaviors and hurts, regrets and grudges we need to get rid of from our interior lives as well. Instead we want to be filled with the Holy Spirit to enjoy the good things God wants to give us. I’ve purchased various things for my new home that are a better fit, that will serve me better well into my future. The Holy Spirit wants to do that for us too, planting positive characteristics in us, and empowering us with spiritual gifts to use for God. We can be empowered by the Spirit to do the work God has called us to do and to live abundant and blessed lives as God wants for us. Let’s not settle for anything less!

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November 4, 2018 - Joy

11/3/2018

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THEME VERSE FOR TODAY                                                                Psalm 30:5, NLT
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime!
Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.

*OPENING SENTENCES & GREETING                                             Psalm 47:1-2,5-6, NLT
Clap your hands, all you people!
Shout joyfully to God with a joyous shout!
Because the Lord Most High is awesome,
he is the great king of the whole world.
God has gone up with a joyous shout--
the Lord with the blast of the ram’s horn.
Sing praises to God! Sing praises!
Sing praises to our king! Sing praises

*CONFESSION AND PARDON                                                               1 John 1:9, GW
God is faithful and reliable. If we confess our sins, he forgives them
and cleanses us from everything we’ve done wrong.

Merciful God, we confess that we dwell on the negative side of life, focused too much on what is wrong in our lives and our world. We fail to see the blessings and love with which you surround us. We get bogged down by our inadequacies and fail to rejoice in the abilities you gave us. We get frustrated by the things we cannot do for ourselves and fail to recognize the help you offer through others. We see the problems in our world but don’t pause often enough to celebrate the good news. Teach us to find the joy that you bring to us and to our world, even in spite of struggle or circumstance. Out of that joy, let us live and offer hope!

In Christ there is forgiveness and joy and hope.  Thanks be to God!
OLD TESTAMENT READING                                                             Psalm 30:1-5, GW
    A psalm by David sung at the dedication of the temple.

1 I will honor you highly, O Lord,
    because you have pulled me out of the pit
        and have not let my enemies rejoice over me.
2 O Lord my God,
    I cried out to you for help,
        and you healed me.
3 O Lord, you brought me up from the grave.
    You called me back to life
        from among those who had gone into the pit.
4 Make music to praise the Lord, you faithful people who belong to him.
Remember his holiness by giving thanks.
5 His anger lasts only a moment.
His favor lasts a lifetime.
    Weeping may last for the night,
        but there is a song of joy in the morning.

NEW TESTAMENT READING                                                         John 20:11-18, CEB

11 Mary stood outside near the tomb, crying. As she cried, she bent down to look into the tomb. 12 She saw two angels dressed in white, seated where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head and one at the foot. 13 The angels asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

She replied, “They have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they’ve put him.” 14 As soon as she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she didn’t know it was Jesus.

15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she replied, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him and I will get him.”

16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabbouni” (which means Teacher).

17 Jesus said to her, “Don’t hold on to me, for I haven’t yet gone up to my Father. Go to my brothers and sisters and tell them, ‘I’m going up to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

18 Mary Magdalene left and announced to the disciples, “I’ve seen the Lord.” Then she told them what he said to her.
                                                                                                          1 Peter 4:12-14, NLT

12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. 13 Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.

14 If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you.

SERMON                                                     Joy
Joy comes in the morning. That’s the promise. But oh the nights we may endure before. Our gospel focus this morning continues the Easter theme we began last week. Easter is a source of our joy, and it indeed followed the darkest of nights for Jesus’ followers. Today we look at Mary Magdalene.

Not everyone remembers the beginning of her story, that when this Mary and Jesus first met she was possessed by seven demons. (from Luke 8:2) You can take that literally or figuratively. Either way her life was miserable, and she was likely an outcast.

Liz Curtis Higgs portrays her as an older woman, maybe forties or fifties, dealing with the traumas of life. Unlike the movie portrayals, Liz is convinced Mary was NOT a prostitute, but possibly someone who struggled with mental health issues. Her fictional character based on Mary from Magdala, named Mary Margaret Delaney, is a recluse in Lincoln Park Chicago, who lost her daughter to suicide and her husband to divorce. She is a cutter and a kleptomaniac, who lives in a brownstone, both a cat lady and a horder, a formerly religious woman who is now afraid of God, someone the entire community avoids until Pastor Joshua intentionally befriends her. The real Mary of Magdala had her own issues, ones we can only guess, but we do know that Jesus intentionally befriended and healed her, and her gratitude lasted a lifetime.

Mary Magdalene followed Jesus, listened to him, provided financial support for his ministry, and was always there in the background helping where she could. Jesus gave her back a good life, and she was determined to give her life for him. She was there with his mother, when Jesus was hung on the cross. She saw it all. She watched him die. Can you imagine the grief and shock, the horror and sorrow she endured that night? Of course, you can. You’ve experience grief too often yourselves. The weeping may indeed last through the night, through many nights.

But for Mary, joy did come in the morning, on the morning after the Sabbath when she went with others to complete the task of caring for Jesus’ body. It was the only remaining way she could still serve him. Joy didn’t come immediately with sunrise. She embarked on a sad task. She worried about that great big stone. Then she was startled to find the tomb open and shocked to find it empty. She kept asking where the body had been taken. She was still crying. But then the man she supposed was the gardener spoke her name and everything changed. She knew that voice. It was Jesus. He was indeed alive! Now her relief and joy overflowed.

We know that feeling, too. We stew and worry over something. Things go awry. Fear gets hold of us. Worry consumes us. We are overwhelmed trying to work through the challenges of life. We may even shed tears in our frustration. But then something works. Things fall into place. Help comes. Good news arrives. There is a flood of relief and maybe even tears of joy.

Mary recognized Jesus when he called her by name. God knows you by name. Isaiah 49:16 includes these words, “Jerusalem, I can never forget you! I have written your name on the palms of my hands.” While it is said of a community of people, it is often interpreted as also pertaining to each of us as individuals. I believe it is true for both, for God’s people as individuals and God’s people as community. The Gospel of John quotes Jesus comparing himself to a good shepherd. In John 10:4 he declares, “Whenever he has gathered all of his sheep, he goes before them and they follow him, because they know his voice.” Just as Mary recognized Jesus’ voice, so, he said, would all his followers. We might not take that literally, but as believers we should come to recognize when it is Jesus’ message reaching us, rather than the many other voices of the world trying to get our attention. John 10 goes on later to say, “14 “I am the good shepherd. I know my own sheep and they know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. I give up my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that don’t belong to this sheep pen. I must lead them too. They will listen to my voice and there will be one flock, with one shepherd.” Mary found joy hearing Jesus’ voice and knowing he was alive, so may we find joy in hearing Jesus’ message for us in our daily lives, on our difficult days, after our dark nights of sorrow or turmoil. Jesus brings us not only comfort but even joy. Joy comes in the morning!

Max Lucado suggests we find that joy even in the simple fact that God loves us. He shares this snippet from a priest who visited his uncle in Ireland. After watching the sunset together Uncle Seamus was smiling. The priest commented that his uncle looked very happy. “I am,” he responded. “The Father of Jesus is very fond of me.” (p.123) God is fond of you. God loves you. I know folks who find it so hard to love themselves they can’t believe that God loves them. But everything I believe in the Bible says that God does indeed love you! It doesn’t say you are perfect. Far from it. It doesn’t say you have earned or deserved any special love. These are not the basis for God’s love. God loves you, because God chooses to love you. That’s what makes it so amazing, so special, such a reason for joy!

Listen to that message in the poetry of Psalm 103,
“8 The Lord is merciful and loving,
    slow to become angry and full of constant love.
9 He does not keep on rebuking;
    he is not angry forever.
10 He does not punish us as we deserve
    or repay us according to our sins and wrongs.
11 As high as the sky is above the earth,
    so great is his love for those who honor him.
12 As far as the east is from the west,
    so far does he remove our sins from us.”

Now listen to Mary Cushman’s story from the Great Depression of the 1930s. Her time of weeping came with her own depression during these hard times. Her husband only made $18 a week, but some weeks he was too sick to work. She took in laundry and ironing to help make ends meet. Their five children wore clothes from the Salvation Army store. They had a tab mounting at the grocery now up to $50, and then the owner accused her son of stealing. That was her breaking point. With no hope in sight, at home with her five-year-old, she plugged up the windows and turned on the gas without a flame. As she convinced her little girl to lay down with her for a nap, the radio in the kitchen was still playing. Then came the hymn, “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!” It turned her thinking around. She got up, turned off the gas, opened the windows and doors, and spent the rest of the day giving thanks for her healthy children. They lost the house eventually, but they survived the Depression. They had a future. Those kids grew up and married. Grandchildren were born. Mary found joy again and again, and she knows how much she would have missed if she had given up too soon. (This story is on pages 124-126 of Unshakeable Hope.)

Crying may last the night or many nights, but a morning of joy will dawn, if we wait, if we trust, if we believe. When faced with those hard times we all have, I still cling to a promise that is a favorite for many from Jeremiah 29:11. “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Mary Magdalene’s story lives up to that promise, so does Mary Cushman’s, so does mine, and so does yours, though you might not see all of it yet.
Wait and watch for what joy will come to you!

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November 25, 2018 - Hope

November 18, 2018 - Justice

November 11, 2018 - Power

November 4, 2018 - Joy

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