Small seed to mighty bush - Sermon on Mark 4:26-34 - 06.24.2018

Listen to the gospel and sermon here.

GOSPEL: Mark 4:26-34

[Jesus] said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground,27and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. 28The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. 29But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.”  30He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? 31It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; 32yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” 33With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; 34he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.

With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it?  In the 4th chapter of Mark, Jesus is in parable mode. He is fresh into his public ministry.  After resisting temptation in the wilderness, Jesus wastes no time taking to the streets to heal and teach.  The author of Mark’s gospel is eager to place Jesus in the public eye. Prior to today’s gospel reading Jesus has offered healings on multiple occasions, even on the Sabbath.  He has dined with sinners and driven out unclean spirits. His actions have ruffled the feathers of religious leaders. His own family even raises a stink and calls him out of his mind.

As baptised Christians reading back we can appreciate Jesus who heals the paralyzed, eats with the unclean and unwanted.  Jesus who speaks with authority and challenges authority. Jesus who embodies empathy and compassion for the least and the forgotten.  We know who Jesus is and what he is up to. We’re privy to the entire story. 

But for the crowds of Jesus’ day who gather around him, they flock with intrigue and curiosity, not really knowing what Jesus is all about.    They surround him with wonder and awe. And whether they’re supportive and empowered by this new radical, challenging, inclusive dude, or they are weary, hesitant, and fearful of his influence...they flock.  They gather. The surround him to see what’s going on.

In all of Jesus’ actions thus far he has shown what the kingdom of God looks like.  So the people have gathered, and now Jesus will use parables to teach them what life in God’s family looks like.   

With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it?  Jesus says, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how.  

The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.

Now I think it’s worth emphasizing that for the majority of the crowd that has gathered, the notion of God’s kingdom is not something of which they are well versed.  In fact, perhaps their best understanding of kingdom is limited to their experience with the roman empire and the jewish authorities. For them a kingdom was big and strong.  It was paved walkways with pillars, large stone structures. Rome’s kingdom was fortified and strong. It was wealth and status. It was militarized and political. 

And although the people surrounding Jesus may not have encountered Romans on a daily basis, they were certainly aware of Rome’s influence, persuasion, and power.  The kingdom, it would seem was impenetrable and solid. It was sturdy and stable. It was not to be messed with.

And so, in the shadow of this fierce empire, the kingdom of rule at the time, Jesus unsuspectingly comes from nowhere to stir up the crowds with intrigue.  And he proposes a different kingdom. 

This one, God’s kingdom…is like a seed.  Not just any seed. A small seed. The smallest seed, in fact.  For Jesus, God’s new kingdom would be a seed sown upon the ground….oh and when it grows….it would grow into the mightiest and greatest shrub of all shrubs.

For the longest time I had this child-like sentimental understanding of the mustard seed.  Jesus uses the mustard seed on several different occasions to talk about both faith and the kingdom.  And Growing up I remember children's’ sermons in which the pastor would show us the small seed in a jar and talk about how this tiny seed will grow into something mighty.  Something established and fruitful. As a kid I had no problem imagining such a transformation. And the connection to God working in the same was somewhat easy to see.

But as I’ve grown older something about this parable seems incredibly off.  In the shadow of the mighty kingdom that people are familiar with, Jesus proposes just about the exact opposite.  The mustard seed was far less than mighty, and Jesus implies that this tiny seed will yield a Kingdom...but the mustard seed doesn’t grow into a mighty tree like we might anticipate in Jesus’ parable.  No, the mustard seed yields a shrub. Albeit and impressive shrub. But a shrub none-the-less

I don’t know, but it feels a bit detrimental to Jesus’ point to pitch the kingdom of the almighty God as a tiny seed the grows into a mighty shrub, doesn’t it?

With what can we compare the kingdom of God?  So maybe Jesus’ illustration of the shrubby kingdom isn’t necessarily about its size and strength.  Perhaps there is something specific, unique, vital even about the mustard seed that teaches a valuable lesson about the Kingdom of God. 

What’s really interesting about the mustard seed isn’t necessarily its size, but its ability to grow.  The plant grows fast. Out of something small the plant quickly expands beyond its initial planting. The mustard plant grows rapidly and produces thousands more seeds.  And when those seeds hit the ground they germinate almost immediately. The mustard seed often spouts earlier than most seeds and requires less water than others. And something we don’t often know or think about is that in many countries the mustard plant is considered a weed.  Does that throw anyone off? The kingdom of God is like a tiny weed?

We experience weeds as a nuisance.   Ugly, relentless plants, vines, or greens that terrorize our gardens or yards.  Despite our every effort to rid ourselves of the weeds, they always seem to grow back.  Our experience with weeds make the idea of God’s kingdom being a weed a bit distasteful.

With what can we compare the kingdom of God? A small seed that grows into a weedy bush? I suspect that Jesus is actually very intentional in his usage of a mustard seed to describe the kingdom of God.

Much like a mustard seed, small and humbly planted, the breaking in of the Kingdom of God begins with Jesus.  God’s salvific plan planted among us in a tiny baby boy. 

And Much like a mustard seed, the kingdom of God will grow.  Quickly. Rapidly. It will spread. Like an invasive and relentless weed, the kingdom of God will grow.  It will grow into an impressive shrub that will produce a thousand more seeds just like it. Those too will grow.  Despite our every effort to impede the progress of the kingdom, it will grow.

As a new homeowner, I have the pleasure of mowing my own yard.  I recently got a lawn mower and about once a week I trek it around my yard to cut the grass.  I also pull out the weed eater and edge the driveway. Sometimes I even have pull climbing vines off the side of my house.  In the end it's some satisfying work. 

But what drives me crazy everytime is when I back the car out of my driveway, despite how beautiful my yard may look...I always notice the daggum weeds growing between the cracks of my concrete.  Between two poured concrete slabs...weeds find a way to break through. It’s obnoxious. Anybody know what I’m talking about?

What’s really remarkable about these weeds is not necessarily their ability to never die...or their perseverance to find the surface...but if left alone, these weeds have the power to put cracks in my driveway.  To unsettle my foundation. They can be incredibly disruptive. Seeking life even among, through, around, and in between the hardest and darkest places. Persevering through all adversity.

And if that’s true, them maybe it isn’t much of a stretch to think about the kingdom of God as a weed.  A kingdom that seeks life, especially among, through, around and in between the hardest of hearts and the darkest of places.  God’s kingdom that perseveres and not only survives but sets the mark for how every seed after it is to live.

Jesus isn’t naive and uninformed.  I think he knows good and well what he’s saying.  

The kingdom of God is completely contrary to the kingdom of his time.  The kingdom of God is not one of wealth, status and strength. 

It is one of humility, equality, equity, and love.  

The kingdom of God is not one of persuasion, deceitful influence, or personal ambition. 

It is on one community, equity, mutuality, support, and care.  

The kingdom is not fortified and impenetrable.  

It is humble, open, welcoming, inclusive, and empowering.  

The kingdom of God isn’t one that battles the earthy kingdoms toe to toe.  

No, God’s kingdom cracks the very foundations on which our earthly kingdoms rest.  Despite every effort to subdue it.

With what can we compare the kingdom of God?  A small, unsuspecting, mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, and most importantly, it offers life. Like the the birds of the air making their nests in its shade...the kingdom of God is one of life. 

And the good news my friends, is that it never stops growing.  God’s kingdom is invasive in the best way. 

It grows in all the places we wish it didn’t.  

It unsettles our foundation.  

It nudges us and makes us move.  

It calls us to speak out against earthy kingdoms.  

To fester in the cracks of powerful systems.  

To always be seeking life.  

Make no mistake, God’s kingdom is powerful...just not the same kind of power the world would have us to believe.   

It’s the power to choose love above all else.  God’s kingdom will find a way in. 

And it is always for the better.  

It does not, can not, and will not stop growing.  

Hard as we might try to stand in its way, build on top of it, divert it, rip it apart, or ignore it.  

Even on our darkest days as a humanity, the kingdom of God prevails.  

With what can we compare the kingdom of God?  

That’s something to think about today when you pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as is in heaven.”

Amen. 

Relationship - Holy Trinity Sunday B Sermon - 05.27.2018

Listen to the gospel reading and sermon here:

Romans 8:12-25

¹²So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— ¹³for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. ¹⁵For 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!” ¹⁶it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷and 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. ¹⁸I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. ¹⁹For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; ²⁰for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope ²¹that 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. ²²We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; ²³and 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. ²⁴For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? ²⁵But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

John 3:1-17

3Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. ²He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” ³Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” ⁴Nicodemus said  to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” ⁵Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. ⁶What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ ⁸The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”⁹Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” ¹⁰Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? ¹¹“Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. ¹²If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? ¹³No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. ¹⁴And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. ¹⁶“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. ¹⁷“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Grace and peace to you in the name God, the father, the son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Happy Holy Trinity Sunday.  Today is a festival Sunday dedicated to celebrating our triune God.  Three-in-one. One-in-three. Simple enough, right. God is the creator of all things, known and unknown, seen and unseen.  God became incarnate in Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Jesus, fully human AND fully divine walked this earth to teach, preach, and offer a new way of life.  By the power of God, Jesus conquered the grave and rose to new life and ascended to heaven. Of course, we can’t forget the presence of the Spirit. In creation the breath of God blew across the waters like a wind.  The Spirit descended like a dove into Jesus at baptism. Jesus promises that the Spirit will abide with us, and at Pentecost that promise is fulfilled as the Spirit descends, dances, and swirls.

It’s the Holy Trinity.  A Sunday dedicated to this uniquely perplexing doctrine of faith. One-in-three, father son and Holy Spirit working together seamlessly yet individually.  Father, son, and Holy Spirit as God, Three-in-one. Remarkably Interconnected and intertwined, yet distinctly individual and unique in their ways. The three-in-one, each completely dependent upon the others, and yet the one-in-three, each completely self-sufficient and independent.  And today we celebrate this beautifully complicated yet simplistically divine doctrine of God. Seems simple enough. So, happy Holy Trinity Sunday everyone.

The Holy Trinity as a doctrine is incredibly elusive.  It seems that any time we get close to understanding, defining, and explaining it we find ourselves trapped in some form of heresy.  How is that three distinct beings can wholly be one. And one distinct being can wholly be three. 

I think that second to Holy communion, the doctrine of the Trinity is one of the most widely debated doctrines of faith in all of Christian history.  For example, the Nicene creed, which we typically use for festival seasons and Sundays..it was initially written and approved in 325. It was edited, debated, argued, and fought over for another 50 years until they settled on a the Nicene creed.  But even in the 6th century some churches changed the language about the relationship between God and the son. As of 20 years ago, the Vatican was still having debates and discussions of proper grammar of the creed to avoid heresy. In a few moments we’ll confess together the Athanasian creed. It was written in the 6th century and it goes to incredible lengths to shed light on the Trinity.  For nearly 2000 years, since God became incarnate, Christians have dedicated their lives to explaining the divine doctrine of the Trinity. The three in one, the one in three.

And yet today, we’re supposed to celebrate the Holy Trinity.  How do you celebrate something that doesn’t make sense. So on this celebration of the Holy Trinity, I feel confident is saying two things about the Trinity. 1) I can not fully explain the trinity to you.  Just being honest and 2) There is nothing I can say about the Trinity that hasn’t already been said or debated in the previous 2000 years of Christianity. 

The other week I was in Tony’s office and we were talking through the events of upcoming Sundays.  As we got to Holy Trinity Sunday, I sat down in the chair and lamented, “Oh what can I possibly preach on about the Holy Trinity that isn’t heresy.  This incredibly complex yet beautifully simple doctrine of faith is a nightmare for pastors, and I would bet that 9 out of 10 would tell you they lament preaching on Holy Trinity Sunday more than any other Sunday.

So what is it about the Holy Trinity that makes it so elusive...so unable to define?  What is it about the trinity that has the power to cripple our language and imaginations at every effort to define it.  What is it about the Trinity that makes it feel so close to us yet so distant. Why dedicate a Sunday to the Holy Trinity and call it a festival?

Each and every single week our worship revolves around the Trinity.  I stand up there and say “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”  We talk about the Trinity. We just sang about the Trinity in our opening hymn: Holy and blessed three, Glorious Trinity, Wisdom, love, might! Boundless as ocean’s tide, Rolling in fullest pride, Through the earth, far and wide, Let there be light!.  We pray in the name of the Trinity.  We confess the Trinity. We believe in God the father almighty...I believe in Jesus Christ God’s only son.  We believe in the holy Spirit…Our worship is drenched in Trinitarian language.

The truth is, we may never fully understanding the Holy Trinity.  The three-in-one and one-in-three. If 2000 years of debate haven’t sorted out some form of Christian consensus then the reality is that we may neverput the power of the Trinity into a complete and comprehensive definition.  And honestly, I think there is something completely freeing about that. 

So rather than devote ourselves to gaining knowledge of the trinity and how it works...rather than over analyze and stress about the details of the divine, I think we are well off to devote ourselves to embracing and sharing our experience of the trinity.  Rather than how the Trinity works, we might consider what the trinity teaches us. 

Because deep down, as the foundation of every theological attempt to define the trinity..at the core of each creedal statement is relationship.  

The Holy Trinity...the three-in-one, one-in-three is about relationship.  It is all about relationship. God and the Trinity of God is first and foremost a witness to us of the relationship that God created us for.  The type of relationship that God invites us to participate in. 

The creeds teach us that the three persons of the trinity are so interconnected and interdependent, spiraling togethering in a divine dance, and God invites us into that dance--the dance of the Trinity. 

This relationship begins for us in baptism.  In the waters of baptism our very lives in Christ are tied to the  Holy Trinity. When we were washed and named, we were claimed in the name of God the father, God the son, and God the Holy Spirit.  Our new birth into the body of Christ is rooted in the Trinity. We are born anew as relational beings, and God created us and deeply desires for us to be in relationship with God and one another. 

In our gospel text, Nicodemus approaches Jesus with theological curiosity.  Now Nicodemus is a Pharisee, with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities.  He has scriptural and theological education and training. And yet, he has observed something new and intriguing about this jesus character that urges him to know more.  So he asks Jesus about being born anew, about the kingdom, and how one comes to participate in the kingdom. 

So Jesus says, “no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”  According to Jesus there is some different way of living that makes one aware of the kingdom of God.  There is something different about a life apart from God and a life within God’s kingdom.

Life in the kingdom of God is a life rooted in and created for relationship.

You and I are created to be relational beings.  We are created to care for, depend on, nurture, love, sustain, encourage, lift up, compliment, and accompany one another.  In the waters of baptism we are interconnected and interdependent beings. We are welcomed into this divine dance between God, the father God the son and God the Holy Spirit. 

We are welcomed into a relationship that is so filled with love, that God would even sacrifice part of God’s self for the world.  A sacrifice of God for something God created in the first place. And in the death and resurrection of Jesus, the savior, God welcomes all nations, all peoples into the relationship of salvation. 

God’s salvation means living a life of relationship with God and one another.   And when we come to understand the Trinity in light of this relationship of God’s love for the world, we begin to have the wisdom of the trinity.  

Whereas generations before us have sought knowledge of the trinity, seeking facts and definitions…. it is our experience of God’s love poured out for the world in creation, God’s love through Jesus Christ to offer salvation, God’s love in the Spirit to accompany us in our journey of faith that gives us wisdom of the Trinity. 

Martin Luther suggested that the Holy Trinity is the greatest mystery in heaven and on earth.  We celebrate the Holy Trinity today not strictly as mystery of theological doctrine that we may never fully understand.  But we celebrate the trinity because it is a true witness to the outpouring of God’s love between God the father, God the son, and God the Holy Spirit that we may never fully understand.   Each member of the trinity empties itself of love for the others, but is in turn overflowing with love poured out. Love for a world in creation. Love for a world in salvation. Love for a world that continues to try and figure it all out.  

And until we do figure it all out, perhaps God would have us live into the kingdom created for us.  A kingdom built on a relationship of love. A kingdom inviting us to be in a loving relationship with God and one another.  And perhaps...just perhaps...once the whole world has come to witness and participate in that relationship of love, we might truly know God.

Amen.

The Spirit is Always Up to Something - Pentecost B Sermon - 05.20.2018

Listen to the gospel and the sermon here.

ACTS 2:1-21

1 When the day of Pentecost had come, [the apostles] 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.  5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6 And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7 Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” 12 All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”
  14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 15 Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. 16 No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
  17 ‘In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.  18 Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.  19 And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist.  20 The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.  21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ ”

John 15:26-16:15 

²⁶ “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. ²⁷ You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. ⁵ But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ ⁶ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. ⁷ Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. ⁸ And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: ⁹ about sin, because they do not believe in me; ¹⁰ about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; ¹¹ about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.
¹² “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. ¹³ When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. ¹⁵All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

 I have come to believe wholeheartedly that the Spirit is always up to something.  I think our understanding of scripture and the Christian tradition teaches us that Spirit is always moving, always stirring, she’s always up to something.  The Spirit challenges us, pushes us to the realization of things that we cannot come by on our own fruition. The Spirit is enlightening, she is encouraging, she is breathing and moving.  The Spirit, at times can even be a real nuisance, relentless annoying, but nevertheless she persists. 

We are blessed with this weird, power-struggle of a relationship with the Spirit.   It seems we’re either praising the Spirit for being active and abiding in a certain situation, or whether we’re blaming the Spirit because she nudged beyond our comfort zone or calls us into a situation that will undoubtedly result in personal change, transformation, or growth.  The Spirit, as Jesus promised does not leave us alone. The Spirit abides with us through our lowest of lows, standing firm as our punching bag...graciously taking the blows of our emotions. The Spirit abides with us through the highest of highs, demonstrating humility and grace.   From one extreme to the other, the Spirit abides. Faithfully. As Jesus promised. And in those moments it is easy to consult the Spirit...whether through anger and yelling or by praise and thanksgiving.

But what about every moment in between?  When life is content? When everything feels settled, normal, routine, comfortable.  You feel far from a crisis and close to joy. It is precisely those moments that the Spirit stirs.  Ready or not, here she comes.

The story from Acts today is a familiar story.  The disciples have been through some incredibly rough waters, from living with Jesus to watching him die.  From mourning his death to him being alive again. From celebrating that new life to watching him ascend. Last week the disciples rolled dice to replace Judas and restore their numbers to 12.  They did this to fulfill scripture. 

So the disciples and the crowds around them have grieved together.  They processed all of the recent events in light of all that Jesus has said and done, and they seem to be at a place of comfort or at least content.  They have their mission and they understand, for the most part, what it is they are called to do. Whether they know it or not, they have become...vulnerable to the power of the Spirit. 

From Acts, “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.”  

I think it’s good to remember that Pentecost is not strictly a Christian celebration.  Pentecost began as a Jewish festival, specifically the festival of Weeks. Or better yet, the harvest festival.  Jews celebrated this festival 50 days after the festival of Passover meal. It was a festival of harvest, of first fruits, of grain.  The festival also has connections to people of Israel in Exodus and God giving the Torah to the whole nation at Mount Sinai.

So the disciples, along with devout Jews from other nations were gathered in one place for the festival of weeks.   They were gathered to celebrate the harvest. Per tradition and cultural norms, they were going about their lives as they would have any other year.  Devout Jews from every nation aren’t gathered for Jesus’ sake. They’re not there to console the disciples or even inquire about the once-dead, now-alive-but risen Christ.  And it is precisely this moment that the Spirit chooses to descend and stir up a holy chaos. 

Sarah and I regularly visited a Starbucks in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.  And as we sat there drinking coffee and working I paused to listen. Everyone around was speaking in a different language.  Tamil, Malay, one of three Chinese dialects, even some German, and of course English. Now there was no rush of a wind or tongues of fire to help me understand my neighbor, but it was by far the closest I’ve come to appreciating this story from Acts. 

Devout Jews from every nation were gathered for the Festival.  And they didn’t speak the same language or dialect. As they traded their harvests and carry about daily living they couldn’t communicate with one another verbally.  And as I’m sure you’ve experienced, if you can’t communicate easily with someone then chances are you don’t interact at all. So, come Holy Spirit.

The disciples, unsuspecting and vulnerable to the power of the spirit are lit up with tongues of fire.  The rush of a mighty wind fills the room and divided tongues, like fire, rest on each of them. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking other languages.  

This holy chaos draws the crowds in and Devout Jews from multiple nations gather with curiosity and intrigue.  And beyond their wildest dreams, they heard their native tongue being spoken by strangers from another land. The Spirit was moving. 

And rather than shrug it off or explain it away, Peter embraces the Spirit and proclaims the word of God.  Peter speaks and all hear and all listen. The Spirit moves and the good news of God is proclaimed. 

And I don’t think the point of the story is that Peter is a good, faithful proclaimer...It’s not that the Spirit is bilingual or a good translator.  What is being proclaimed through this story is that Spirit is alive and moving. The Spirit is stirring. And whether we like it or not, here she comes.  Just because we are unsuspecting, content, comfortable, or settled doesn’t mean the Spirit will wait on us to be ready to move. She is always swirling, always stirring, always moving, always challenging, always up to something.

And if that’s true, then people of God, watch out.  Be alert. Because life in the Spirit yields growth, change, and transformation.   I won’t have you raise your hand, but how many of you have had an experience in life where you just know, you can sense it and feel it, whether you like it or not that the Spirit is stirring within you.  The Spirit is calling you to do or be in a way that will make you uncomfortable...push you beyond your bubble. And this calling, this gut-turning flow of the Spirit will transform you. We call those growing pains.  Because a life in the Spirit means never being settled, never being content, never being comfortable. The Spirit is always up to something.

And here is the crazy part, did you know we actively and consciously pray for that swirling and stirring.  We knowingly call upon God to move among us. Come, holy Spirit. In worship we call upon the Spirit to fill our hearts, bless us in worship, in bread and wine. Come, Holy Spirit.  We urge God to wrap us in the mighty rushing wind. We sing it. We pray it. We chant it. We intentionally plea for the Spirit to move.

The same Spirit that will drive the disciples beyond Jerusalem to a life in service and faithful proclamation.  The same Spirit that will lead the disciples to be arrested and persecuted. The same Spirit that will accompany the disciples as their flogged and stoned for proclaiming Jesus.  The Spirit that leads to transformation and growth. The Spirit that draws you out, challenges you, takes you beyond comfort and into struggle. 

The Spirit that waits eagerly for your to say “here I am God, send me” and the Spirits says “please stow away your tray tables and put your seats in their upright positions.  Keep your arms and legs inside the vehicles at all times. Ready or not, here we go!” That’s the Spirit we pray to. We call upon. And I don’t think we’re that naive or uninformed...so Are we just crazy?!  

Peyton, Naomi, Tahiana, Miora.  In just a moment you will stand before this congregation and make a public declaration to continue in the promises made on your behalf in Baptism.  Whether you know it or not, the Spirit is moving in that. You will kneel and the altar, and I will say “Father in heaven, for Jesus’ sake, stir up the gift of your Holy Spirit.” Now let me tell you a secret. When I say that prayer you will not instantly understand God, Jesus, or the Spirit.  Your mind won’t be opened to all knowledge and understanding of Faith. Everything will not be made crystal clear. Nor are you declaring that you understand and believe everything forever. 

Rather just like the disciples and devout Jews gathered that Pentecost day, you promise to be receptive to the Spirit.  Open with curiosity and intrigue. You declare that you are vulnerable to the power of the Holy Spirit and you are prepared, as best as you can be at this moment in your faith, for the Spirit to stir up holy chaos.   Or at least, that’s what I’ll be praying for.

People of God, Pentecost is not simply a celebration of Jesus’ promise fulfilled in the gift of the Holy Spirit.  It’s not just a reminder that some 2000+ years ago the Spirit descended in a fiery chaos to change the world. Rather, Pentecost is a faithful proclamation that not only does the Spirit relentlessly abide, but also that the Spirit is forever stirring in our lives.  Forever stirring in this community of faith. Stirring in the world. 

Some may fight the Spirit.  Sometimes we just ride the wave.  Often times we just need to get out of the Spirit’s way.  Regardless, as Christians, baptized in the water and claimed by God we are vulnerable to the power of the Holy Spirit.   We are created and called for the Spirit’s swirling. In our individual lives. In our communities. Here at St. Mark’s. Make no mistake, the Spirit is up to something.  And in the name of God, I promise she’s up to something good. So ready or not, here she comes. Amen

© Preached by Pastor Daniel Locke on May 20, 2018 @ St. Mark's Lutheran Church

Business (not) as Usual - Sermon Easter 7B - 5.13.2018

Listen to the gospel and the sermon here.

John 17:6-19

⁶”I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. ⁷Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; ⁸for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. ⁹I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. ¹⁰All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. ¹¹And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. ¹²While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. ¹³But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves.¹⁴I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. ¹⁵I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. ¹⁶They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. ¹⁷Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. ¹⁸As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. ¹⁹And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.

On Thursday this past week we celebrated the Ascension of Jesus Christ.  Our friends from All Saints Episcopal Church across the street joined us in worship and celebration.  And on Thursday, the 40th day of Easter we not only celebrated Jesus’ joyful ascension, but we recalled Jesus’ commission to the disciples.  To be witnesses to all the ends of the earth.  From Jerusalem to Samaria and beyond.  Jesus lifted his hands to bless the disciples and while he was blessing them he left them and was taken up into heaven.  The disciples were left looking to the sky

The disciples have had a rough few weeks haven’t they?  For starters they dedicated their lives to following a rabbi, trusting and hoping for him to be the Messiah.   And in a matter of weeks everything seems to come unhinged. First they paraded into Jerusalem knowing good and well that they’ll face opposition.  They share an intimate meal with Jesus not knowing it’d be his last.  Jesus speaks a bit prophetically about things to come.  While praying Jesus is taken into custody.  He is tried, beaten, crucified and murdered.  Their hoped-for Messiah is dead.  But wait, three days later he’s alive, appearing to them behind closed doors and on a dusty road to Emmaus. They rejoice for he is alive and once again among them.  And then there is the Ascension, where Jesus blesses them one last time and then ascends to heaven.  And just like that he’s gone again.  

What a emotional and spiritual whiplash their relationship with Jesus is. They’ve crossed the highest mountains and the lowest lows….through fear, joy, death, betrayal, denial, and hiding, and now after all of that the text says they returned to Jerusalem with great joy...praising God.  

The disciples return to Jerusalem, and it’s back to business as usual. The disciples regroup with a crowd of about 120 people, let’s call it a congregation.  And Peter steps forward to remind them that they down one member, they’re a council member short.  If you recall, Judas who betrayed Jesus chose money and greed over his relationship with Christ and he then took his own life.  So Peter, council president, reminds the congregation that Scripture foretold this moment, and therefore the time has come to fill Judas’ place among the disciples.  So they hold an election.

Maybe I am biased, but does this whole scenario not seem a bit weird?  Hear me out.  We’re only weeks from the shock and awe of Jesus’ death and resurrection.  Days after Jesus commissions them and Ascends to heaven.  And this is their priority?  Jesus said go and tell and they said, “yah ok, in a minute…”

Sure replacing Judas fulfills scripture and therefore must take place, but the timing of the whole situation seems odd.  Call me crazy, but your best friend, your rabbi, mentor, teach, messiah was brutally murdered.  He was dead and buried. You were in mourning. Then he rose from the grave. He came to you in your hiding on multiple occasions telling you to hit the streets and spread the word.  

Finally, the once dead now alive Messiah blesses you and tells you to go to all the world and spread the good news…and the first thing they do is check the constitution and its bylaws?

Nevertheless, the nominating committee identifies two among them suited to serve ...Joseph and Matthias.   They cast lots to avoid human influence on the election and the lots fell the Matthias.   So Matthias joined the other 11 disciples in order to fulfill scripture.  Business as normal. Easy enough.

Last Sunday was a Spirit-filled morning. We celebrated the resurrection together over word and wine.   Then I hung out with 4 of our St. Mark’s kids to talk about first communion.  We made bread.  We talked about the sacrament of communion.  We talked about God’s promise of love and grace in the meal.  We talked about Jesus being present through the bread and wine.  We talked about welcoming everyone to God’s table to be fed and nourished.  We even broke bread together over lunch.   I was on fire with the joy of the Spirit when I left this church home! I mean every Sunday those 4 kids reach out their hands to me at the rail, begging to taste and see.  Obviously the Spirit was moving and I was excited.  But the moment I walked in my house, set my stuff down, and let my dog out, I nap.  Apparently my fervor for the Spirit was no match for the couch.

Perhaps it is that I take the Spirit for granted.  I know that Spirit is at work and I know that the Spirit will continue to be at work...so in the meantime I’ll focus on me and the pressures of the world...and I’ll catch the Spirit next week.  

When I woke up from my nap, I made my to-do list.  From washing dishes and vacuuming...answering emails and scheduling appointments.  I was back to business as usual.

What about you?  When you come to this nave, to be among friends and community, siblings in Christ.  When you worship God, receive forgiveness, sing alleluia, and pray for the world.  When you come to the table to be fed and nourished…when you hear the word of God proclaimed, the love and grace of God who loved the world so much that Jesus came to walk among us and experience the depths of life…After all of that, and the Spirit alive within you...what do you do next?  Do you take to the ends of the earth, or do you settle back into business as usual? 

Maybe the disciples had thought they had seen it all.  Death and resurrection. The story of Easter, what could the Spirit possibly do next that they hadn’t seen already. Between resurrection and ascension, was it really possible for the Spirit to catch them off guard...there will be plenty of time for proclaiming the gospel and living out Jesus’ commission later…“yah ok Jesus, in a minute…”

Have you ever experienced this “setting-aside” of the Spirit.  Almost as though we compartmentalize God and the call?  Maybe we feel an immense presence of the Spirit in worship, and like the disciples we’re looking to the ascended Christ in awe,  Yet some time between 11:00 and noon today we might set that aside.  Check it off the list.  Put the lid back on the box until next week?  It’s back to business.

It seems easy to put faith aside.  To prioritize the busy-ness of life over the Spirit.  Give me just a minute God and I’ll be right there.  Hang on for a few days and let me finish these other tasks and then I promise I’ll make some time for the Spirit to lead. It’s easy to move from one thing to the next, carrying on our lives business as usual, unaccepting or unaware that just maybe the power of God in Christ might have actually changed us. 

It is precisely those moments when the Spirit intercedes.  We think we have a handle on things and then the Spirit wakes us up and shakes the priorities of our lives.  Just as we get comfortable the Spirit will be up to something.

I give the disciples a hard time.  And it’s easier looking from the outside in.  At first glance it seems like they haven’t been changed at all by the events that just took place.  But in the midst of their logistical business we glimpse or sign of what’s to come.  The text tells us that they selected two among them as candidates for this apostleship ministry.  And before they cast lots….they prayed.  They prayed “Lord you know everyone’s heart.  Show us which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship.”  Before they cast lots the disciples prayed, “Lord, thy will be done.”  Just as Jesus had taught them.  Lord, thy will be done.

It’s a minor detail in the overall story, but I think it’s a testament to their lives in Christ.  Maybe it’s a tiny change, but it is a powerful change. Even in the midst of their mundane logistical business, they seek God’s guidance and the Spirit’s presence. And if they truly have been changed by God in the death and resurrection of Jesus as well as the commission to proclaim the gospel, then business will never be as usual. That small moment of prayer is a symbol of their new lives in Christ. From here on, everything they do and say, every action they take...Thy will be done. 

Friends, the same is true for us. The Spirit is alive and well within us.  And the Spirit is up to something.  Even in the nuances of our lives...the busyness of work and family...even in the trivial check-list items of our everyday living, the Spirit is working. Make no mistake, we can not separate ourselves from the Spirit.  No matter what we do, we do not go without the presence of the Holy Spirit.  

This is what Jesus promised the disciples at the Ascension.  Jesus promised they we will never walk this journey of life along.  Though he may no longer be physically present, the Spirit accompanies us in our life of faith.   We can not and will not be detached from that truth.  In the resurrection of Jesus we are forever changed.  And perhaps, just maybe...the disciples returned to Jerusalem with great joy...praising God because they finally knew this to be true.  

They may have no idea what the Spirit will do next, and nor do we, but in the meantime, even in the logistical tasks of the early Christian church, the disciples give witness that God’s will be done. I think we would do well to follow their example.  After all the Spirit is not something we can dismiss or defer our attention.  The Spirit is always present.  So rather than delay faith or set the Spirit aside, God would have us embrace her.  It is God’s promise to us..even during tests or projects, exams or deadlines, from reports to elections, to-do lists and beyond...The Spirit abides in us.  It is God’s gift for us. Amen 

© Preached by Pastor Daniel Locke on May 13, 2018 @ St. Mark's Lutheran Church

Sermon Easter 6B - 05.06.2018

Listen to the gospel and the sermon here.

John 15:9-17

⁹As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. ¹⁰If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. ¹²“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. ¹⁶You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. ¹⁷I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another. This is my commandment, “that you love one another as I have loved you.”  “Love one another as I have loved you.”

Look, Full Disclosure: I’m going to preach a sermon about Jesus telling.. commanding us to love one another in the same selfless, sacrificial way that Jesus loves us.  I promise to preach with sincerity and humility, but the honest truth is...try as hard as I might...by the end of the day I will likely fail at this commandment.  “love one another as I have loved you.”  Within hours of today’s service the odds are high that I will cast judgement for no other reason than being judgmental.  I’ll probably mumble something under my breath at someone driving in traffic.  I might sigh or dismiss someone’s story or experience...and it will all likely happen without me thinking about it.

This is my commandment, “that you love one another as I have loved you.”   There’s something to be said for straight-forward, no guessing, tell it like it is Jesus.  The parables and metaphors might be a bit confusing, but at least we can interpret them in ways that allow us to to hide or avoid the parts that feel convicting.  But when Jesus speaks so...explicitly, it’s almost a bit frustrating. My heart and my mind tell me that Jesus is right.   He is preaching absolute truth and it’s a commandment, but everything else in me says, “Yah right Jesus...easier said than done.”  Or better yet, Jesus, I’m willing to meet you halfway.  I’ll love my neighbor just as you love me...as long as I get to pick and choose who my neighbor is.

Today’s text are about love.  For those of you counting, our lessons today use the word love 14 times.  And by the end of the sermon I’ll have used the word love 90 more times.  But despite how many times we read or say it, there is an enormous loss in translation from the original text to English. 

In English, we’re a bit loose with the word love.  We tend to toss it around from one extreme to another and rely on our tone of voice to convey how much affection we put behind the word.   I love board games.  I love sweet tea. I love my NC State Wolfpack.   I love fried shrimp.  I love my dog, Cooper.  I love my family.  I love my wife.

Somewhere in all of that there is an implied understanding as to how much, or how deeply I love.  Surely my love for sweet tea or fried shrimp doesn’t register on the same scale as my love for my wife, let alone my love for God. 

The original biblical language, the greek does well to account for the breadth at which we use the word love.  The Greek has 4 different words for love, and I won’t get into those specifics today, but three of those words...three of those greek words parse out all of my aforementioned loves.  Right, my love for food or drink...love for pet..love for family or spouse….All of those implied understandings are parsed out in Greek by these three different definitions of love.  

But there is a 4th word for love.   Agape.  And what’s important to know, is that the Greek reserves this one word for love, Agape, to describe God’s love for God’s son, and Jesus’ love for us.  Agape love, is a selfless, sacrificial love.  It’s not a romantic or emotional love.  It’s not a kinship or friendship type of love.  No Agape is reserved to intentionally to describe the power of God’s love in Christ, and Christ’s love in us.  Agape love is the kind of love that is unconditional, unwavering, unlimited.  Love that Christ laid down his life for our salvation.  It is agape love that God created the world.

And Jesus says, “this is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”  Jesus uses Agape when he talks about the command to love. In fact, every single use of the word “love” in today’s texts is the word Agape.   So like it or not, Jesus is commanding, not suggesting, or encouraging… he’s commanding that we love one another as God love Christ and Christ loved us. Not to love one another as we love a TV show or a favorite restaurant. Not to love someone as we love the Jags, Noles, Gators, or Steelers.  Not to just love in a warm and fuzzy, emotional way.  Not to love someone like we love a sibling or family member.  But rather, Christ commands us to love one another with the same selfless, humble, life giving, sacrificial, unconditional, unwavering, unlimited love that Christ showed us.  A Love that consciously risks everything for someone else.  

And the disciples, the saints,.. you and me…we’re commanded to this love...this agape love, which until this moment was reserved in scritpture to only talk about the way God loves the world and the way Christ loves us.

OK, Jesus, I hear ya, I do,” but again I say that’s going to be easier said than done.”  

What do we do with this command?  In a world and society that is more receptive to divisiveness, greed, self-destruction...people hurting one another...what do we do with this command from Christ?  

With countries at war, fighting over land, oil, terrorism, nuclear capabilities...as borders are defended, attacked, and destroyed...nations against nations...what do we do with this command from Christ to love one another?

Even this weekend as almost 200 refugees caravan to the US border, or the thousands more out of syria, the middle east, and beyond who travel to various other countries...as they flee in fear seeking a place to live peacefully...what do we do with this command from Christ to love one another?

Or in the midst of such significant cultural movements…from #me too to #black lives matter.  From march for our lives to #times up.  What do we do with this command from Christ to love one another? 

To be sure, the list goes on.  Our communal lives together in society and in the world are inundated with conflict, divisiveness, terror, fear, disagreement…you name it...So what are we to do with this command from Christ to love one another?

Sometimes it seems so hard, so unachievable, so impossible to reconcile Jesus’ command to love with the realities of our daily living. I think that we view this command from a distance as something we all agree should be the standard.  And we do our best, we try our best, we ask God to help us, but for whatever reason we struggle to achieve such a level of love.  I fear that we view this command of love as something for us to strive towards or achieve.  Hide behind that.

But the truth is, in Jesus, the command is quite the opposite.  This agape love is not a hoped-for outcome, or a worked-towards goal.  This agape love is not unachievable or so far off that we can write it off.  Rather, it is who we are created to be.  As Jesus said, you did not choose me, but I chose you.  God claims us in the water and makes a new, loving servants of Christ.  We are Christ’s body in the world.  And rather than lament or excuse that we may never do as Christ commands us to do, we would do well to remember that is is who we are.  We are Christians, washed and saved by love so that we might be love. 

And look friends, agape love for one another doesn’t mean everything everyday is perfect and peaceful. It doesn’t mean we won’t have conflict or disagreement.  It doesn’t mean we won’t clash over personal opinions, morals, or ambitions.  After all, Jesus had his fair share of encounters with political, social, and religious opposition.  Even his best friends, his disciples argued with him.

But what this command DOES mean is that we are called, commanded, created to begin and sustain each and every relationship with a foundation of Agape love.  Agape love for one another is a starting point, not a hopeful ending. Love for another as Christ loved us.  Because that is who and whose we are.So what do we do?  Where do we start?

Well, we usually start with confession. Before God and one another that “We are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves.”  Sin that pits us against one another and distances us from the source and command to love.  We confess that we have not loved with our whole heart and we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.”   

And in that confession God forgives us and reminds us the we are claimed children in the body of Christ.  For God chose us, we did no choose God. God entered into a relationship with us and that relationship is rooted in love.  Agape love. Selfless and sacrificial. It is unwavering, unlimited, and unconditional.  That is the foundation for God’s relationship with Christ and with us.  And God willing, by Christ’s command, may it always be the starting point for us and one another. Amen. 

© Preached by Pastor Daniel Locke on May 06, 2018 @ St. Mark's Lutheran Church