Do As I Say

Do As I Say

Isaiah 58: 2-14; Luke 13: 10-17

My friend planted a garden this year in her backyard. One of her favorite things is cucumbers, so she planted several. The first one came in, and it was gorgeous, vivid green, and looked delicious. When it was ripe, she brought it in and cut it open to make a salad with it. The inside was completely rotted out and eaten by a worm that had been trapped inside. There was no salvaging any of her first cucumber to grow in the small garden. At least the flowers did well, I guess. 

Our Gospel lesson for today gives us a look at what it means to have a rotten core within the context of faith. In fact, both Luke and Isaiah address a common issue in many congregations and houses of worship. The worship looks and appears right, but it is lacking in any faithful substance. Both get to a similar core problem in the lives of those who are at worship—the acts are there, but the hearts and actions are filled with hypocrisy. What Jesus is saying to us is that it’s woefully insufficient to look like the church if we do not also act like the church which follows Christ. 

The scripture in Isaiah is pretty terse. It comes in many ways as an indictment of the people of Judah. The problem Isaiah notes is not the people being in worship. They come to the Temple daily. They act righteous. They fast. They act humbled in many ways. They even dress in burlap and cover themselves in ashes. Every act of worship, they follow, and they follow it correctly. But it is hollow and empty. It is ceremony without any substance. It is all the appropriate content and ritual, but without any Godly motivation. 

Through the prophet, God gives them a list of what God wants them to do: free the wrongfully imprisoned, end oppression, share food, give shelter, give clothing, live a life that reflects the acts of worship to God. In essence the prophet is saying that simply keeping the ritual of the Sabbath is not holy at all. The people need to live a life that reflects righteousness over hypocrisy, and Godly acts over formalities. God’s indictment comes because they are now practicing all of the same infliction of suffering on others which they endured in exile. The cruelty they escaped is the cruelty they are now inflicting. 

And God has no patience for it. In chapters 56 and 57, God tells them that the leadership is wicked and has wrongfully guided the people, and God says there is no hope for the wicked leaders who created this false righteousness. But God provides a way out for the misguided people. If they truly honor the Lord and truly honor the Sabbath, they will find forgiveness and restoration of relationship to God. 

The same problem is seen in our Gospel lesson. The synagogue leader follows the rituals to the letter, but he lacks the kindness and compassion required of God’s people. Jesus does a double honor for this woman. In her day, she was little more than property, for women had no real status in life. Jesus not only healed her of her physical deformity, he called her a daughter of Abraham, giving her a strong place of significance and dignity in life. This is one of the few times Jesus lays on hands to heal. It signifies both a healing and a blessing. She was released from her suffering and from her shame and embarrassment. By calling her a daughter of Abraham, Jesus essentially gives her a much higher/equal status in the kingdom. 

Jesus criticizes the synagogue leader because he chose ritual over the needs of the suffering. One commentator noted that if you don’t rejoice in the work of God’s kingdom, you will eventually have no place in it. The leader lived with hypocrisy. His acts of religion were just as bad and condemnable as those in Isaiah. In doing so, he had no value for this woman of faith nor cared about her suffering. 

As followers of Christ, we cannot turn a blind eye to the suffering and struggle of others on this earth. It is a messy, difficult, and often uncomfortable undertaking. Jesus’s main criticism of the synagogue leaders is this: they take care of their own needs on the Sabbath, but they were cold and heartless to a woman who came to be helped in her suffering. Faith cannot be simply a cold and dead ritual. Following Jesus means we live with this warm and engaging desire to love others, help those in need, heal, lift up, and live as people of God in the kingdom of God in a world that is often cruel and mean. If we are not different from the world, what would draw people to this faith? 

But devaluing people, and especially women, isn’t just a relic of Jesus’s day. A Christian minister from Idaho recently said in a CNN interview that, “Women are the kind of people that people come out of.” He also alluded to the idea that women are not fit to speak in church, nor should they be allowed to vote. I have a hard time reconciling that with a Jesus who called this healed woman a “Daughter of Abraham,” a title, of Abraham, being typically reserved for men. But it gets even harder when you think of Deborah as Judge, Queen Esther, Ruth, Rahab, the women at the tomb who proclaimed that they had seen the risen Lord, Lois and Eunice, Priscilla and Aquilla, noted in the scriptures who were heroic and leaders in a very, very patriarchal society. 

Perhaps that is why Jesus said, “Judge not, lest you be judged.” As for me and my faith, there are many faith-filled women who have taught me in Sunday School, Zoom Bible Study, from this pulpit, and in times of fellowship together. If it were not for women, and especially my mother and the women of First Christian Church, Macon, Georgia, I don’t know where my faith would be today. 

What Isaiah and Jesus are both saying is that hypocrisy is found in any faith community that loves formality over the faithful, who choose ritual over mercy, who believe in a cold and dead piety that devalues God’s people and fails to do God’s kingdom work in this world. For the people of Israel, grace was needed. They had the works down, but none of the grace. For the synagogue leader, mercy was needed. He understood all the law and commandments, but he lacked in mercy for others. Christianity is about doing the kingdom work of God here, so that people understand what living the kingdom of God really is. 

When I think of someone who lived that I think of Dot Jackson. Since I was too sick to officiate the funeral, I pondered on what a true, faithful person she was. Every time you met her, you could feel the grace and love flowing from her. As a self-conscious 25 year old pastor in a church filled with people, shall we say, a few years my senior, I had questions of what I could really preach or teach this church. I confessed this to her on a home visit shortly after I started her. Her response warmed my heart. Now it was already 82 degrees in that house, but I was warmed in the spiritual way. She said to me, “Well, I always get something out of church and your sermons, so don’t worry about none of that.” It warmed my heart and gave me confidence. It was the kind of grace I needed from a Child of God, a follower of Christ, just like Jesus spoke of the value offered by a daughter of Abraham.

Friends, faith is a beautiful and amazing thing. But faith is also a daily practice of walking with Jesus, even when it’s hard, even when it seems messy. It takes both the belief in God and God’s work to make faith. If you only have belief, you end up in the hypocrisy of Isaiah’s day or the synagogue leader. If you only have the good work, you lack the hope needed to make life worthwhile, but both, together, make a faith that heals, restores, and redeems each and every soul who seeks it out. 

As we live our faith on earth, remember that it is not a, “Do what I say, not what I do” endeavor. Our love of Jesus is shown in how we live as his followers here on earth. If we don’t actually follow Christ and live as he teaches, then our claim to faith is just as rotten as my friend’s cucumber. But what joy when we allow Jesus to guide us. When Jesus touched the woman and healed her, we are told, “How she praised God!” Thanks be to God. 

Worship Service Video https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/676031434751653/

Bitterness

Bitterness: Genesis 45: 1-11; Luke 6: 27-36

A young woman fell in love with a handsome young man, and they got married to live a happily ever after life. They had money and anything you could want. But just a few years later, the man cheated. His loving wife forgave him and they moved on. But it kept happening. He cheated again, and again, and again. And each time she forgave him and welcomed him back. Years later, as an elderly woman, she was asked how she could forgive him. She said, “At some point you have to choose commitment even if your partner does not, and that means letting go of their short comings and keeping bitterness out of your life. Also, I put a large dose of laxatives in his food every time he cheated, so he would poop himself in public.” Now, Biblically, delight in revenge and forgiveness do not go hand in hand. But we are taught to forgive, love, and stay away from feelings of bitterness where we have been wronged. 

Some of Jesus’s teachings on love and forgiveness are the hardest instructions to follow. They go against our instincts, our pride, and our sense of self-preservation. But God’s ways are not our ways, for God’s ways are holy. And they often go against the human ways we would handle things. From our scriptures, we can learn three lessons: first, bitterness is overcome by forgiveness; second, love your enemies…and yes you have to…; lastly, life must go on. 

First, bitterness can be overcome by forgiveness. If anyone has a right to be bitter, angry, and vengeful, it is Joseph. After the way his brother’s treated him, he would have been fully justified in giving them a little hefty payback. With all of the power of Egypt behind him, he could have executed them, let them starve, imprisoned them, or any manner of horrible things. But God was with Joseph, and Joseph had faith in God. Joseph’s overflowing emotion, however, was not anger, instead, it was forgiveness. He told them that all of their bad ways had been used for God’s good work. 

Even after they had conspired to kill then sell him into slavery, Joseph offers a place for them to live where they will be taken care of. He offers love and care to those who were once his abusers and enemies. Now, they are not totally free of the consequences. They have lived with guilt this whole time, which is evident from the earlier interactions with Joseph. And at some point, they have to explain to their father how they sold of Joseph, and he wasn’t attacked by an animal. But neither they nor Joseph are held hostage by the anger and bitterness that could have been present in this situation. 

If you hold on to the wrongs other people have done to you, you will never escape them. If you dwell on the bad actors and enemies of this life, you will be too blinded by bitterness to see God’s blessings. If you hold on to all of this, you will poison yourself with someone else’s evil intentions. Bitterness will kill you, but forgiveness will set you free from someone else. 

Second in our lessons, we must love our enemies, and yes, we have to do it. This is one of those places where Jesus is very clear. Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, and give without expecting a return. What distinguishes us as followers of Jesus is that we love in this strange, unconditional way. Jesus was the embodiment of God’s love. Throughout all of the Bible, God often had to punish and correct bad behavior. But in Jesus, a way of reconciling, redeeming love was created for all of humanity. 

Joseph gives us an insight into what that looks like. He loved his enemies, namely his brothers. Joseph did good to those who had once hated them. And he gave grain to them, even though there was nothing they really had to offer to the administrator of one of the largest, wealthiest empires on the planet. Just as God loves the closest follower and the most antagonistic rejecter, we too are called to love just as God loves us. 

 I came across a poem by Susan Mark Landis entitled “Enemies Aren’t Loveable by Definition,” and I wanted to share a bit with you. Lord, the hardest thing you asked / Was that we love our enemies. / We know how we’d like to love them: / We’d love to our enemies to be far away. / We’d love them not to compromise our security. / We’d love them not to scare us or change the way we live. / We’d love them to be loveable. / You know, God, / We’d love it to be popular to love enemies. / We’d love our neighbors to respect us for this good deed. / We’d love the people on the news to provide examples of how to love. / But then, if loving enemies was easy, / Jesus wouldn’t have told us about the tax collectors and gentiles, / Who only love their friends. / If loving enemies was easy, we know / We wouldn’t need God’s strong arms to bear us up in difficult times. / We wouldn’t need…Christ to save us from human sin. / We wouldn’t need the Spirit flowing among us, wiping our tears. / We wouldn’t need the Bible telling us what the world does not.” 

Joseph made love and forgiveness look easy. It is not. That kind of love—for those who hurt us, enemies, the cruel of this world—that takes the strength of God and the example of Christ. Don’t try to do it on your own, because the outcome may not be so loving. Follow the examples of Jesus and Joseph knowing that God can work even where humans have chosen what is wrong and evil. For God works in all things, even our dumbest decision. 

Lastly, in all situations, life must go on for us. Part of what made Joseph so successful is that he kept on going. Whether it was slavery, prison, or in the palace, Joseph never stopped and never gave in to the negativity and bitterness. Joseph had clearly even made plans to bring his family down where he was and provide care for them. He could have planned revenge for years, but instead he planned ways to be good to them. 

They absolutely did not deserve it. Joseph’s brothers were deceitful, cruel, and rather crazy. But Joseph showed love and compassion, just as God is loving and compassionate to us. Jesus gave us an example as well. Even from the cross, he offered forgiveness for those who caused his suffering. We cannot let the trauma of life make us stuck. Whether it’s family drama, intimate relationships, the struggle of growing older, or even generally the whole world at this moment, we cannot become stuck. Joseph had a plan to save his family. God had a plan to save the world. As Christians the work of redemption and grace is part of our spiritual DNA, and in all times and situations we are to work for the most loving, forgiving, grace-filled, and redemptive solution. Why? Because we follow Jesus, who did exactly that. 

Bitterness and revenge can be an easy trap to fall into. And the temptation is that both can feel very satisfying. If your spouse wrongs you, I’m sure it would be very satisfactory to give them a big dose of laxatives and send them on to work. But cruelty does not solve cruelty. Punishments don’t save. And faith cannot be an angry and legalistic endeavor. As people of God, we have the hope of grace, and we ought to live that hope and grace each and every day. 

Remember that Jesus teaches us to forgive the deserving and undeserving. Jesus teaches us to love unconditionally, both those who love us and our enemies. And Jesus teaches us to move on in life continuing down the pathway where God is leading us. As we wrap up our series on Joseph, we see a man who had a choice at every point of life: follow God or let the struggles overcome him. At every point and time in his life when the hardest struggles came, he chose God. May that lesson speak to us, and encourage us as we live our days on earth.

Worship Service Video https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/1434319867785201/

Hard Times

Hard Times:

Genesis 41: 28-36, 46-49 ; Matthew 6: 19-21

 Some friends and I played a game the other night. What is your favorite struggle meal? By that, we mean what do you eat when payday hasn’t quite hit, but the previous pay day is a little too far away to buy the groceries you need. Here are a few of the answers: ramen noodles with frozen vegetables, fried bologna sandwiches, cabbage soup (simply cabbage, water, and a bullion cube), “ham-dogger,” or hamburger shaped like a hot dog, and SpaghettiOs with mashed potatoes. We all have our childhood…or sometimes adulthood…struggle meal. 

In our Hebrew and Gospel lessons for today, we learn about how to deal with and overcome hard times in our lives. These can be financial, situational, mental, or any other kind of hard time where we experience a deficit of something we need to bring a balance in life. There are three lessons we can learn from these scriptures when hard times fall upon us: first, do not resign yourself to disaster; second, look for where God provides solutions; third, lean into your God-given creativity. 

First, in hard times, do not resign yourself to disaster. After Joseph had been forgotten, when Pharaoh has a prophetic dream, the cup bearer suddenly remembers Joseph and recommends him to Pharaoh for his dream interpretation abilities. Joseph is cleaned up and shaved then presented to Pharaoh. If you think about hard times, Joseph spent two years—two full years—in prison awaiting God’s movement and the cup bearer’s poor memory. He made the best of his situation, but it certainly wasn’t easy for him. Now he is in one of the grandest palaces in the known world: from nomad in the wilderness, to slave, to prisoner, and now to the halls of Pharaoh, Joseph never resigned himself to disaster, for he trusted that God had a plan. 

Pharaoh’s dream is indeed hard—seven fat cows followed by seven skinny cows who devour the fat cows and never gain weight. But Joseph has the answer. There will be seven very good years of abundance, followed by seven years of famine, which will eat up all the abundance. Joseph’s advice to Pharaoh is to start now saving up grain and goods to prepare for the famine. This was a not a time for Egypt to resign itself, or Pharaoh to resign himself to disaster, for Pharaoh had options of what to do. He had choices for how to approach the hard times that were coming. He could ignore it, or he could trust God’s vision and prepare. 

It is often easy for us to simply sit down and let disaster wash over us. We used to joke growing up that our family motto was this, ”When in danger or in doubt, run in circles, scream, and shout.” But we don’t have to wait for disaster because we, as people who follow Christ, store up treasures in heaven, and not here on earth. Whatever blessings come and go here on earth. We have to remember that our ultimate blessing, our ultimate good time is in the eternal. 

That’s often easier said than done when we are accustomed to receiving God’s blessings. It’s a little harder when the hard times come, or when we feel that we’ve always been blessed. Sometimes it feels cruel, sometimes it feels painful, but we must remember those words, “where our treasure is, there our heart will also be” is about much more than just our money. If we have nothing else in life, but we still have faith, then we are never on hard times, for we have God’s ultimate blessing. 

In hard times, we must also look to where God is providing solutions. Part of what got Joseph elevated to a position of power again and again is that he was a problem solver. He learned how to make Potipher’s house run efficiently. He learned how to make the jail function as well as a jail can function. He now provides a solution to Pharaoh for the coming famine. The problem with a famine is that it wasn’t very predictable in ancient times. They were reliant on the river to flood and saturate the lands. But if there was drought or a particularly bad rainy season, then a famine could easily result. Here, God gave a word well in advance, so preparations could be made. 

And this wasn’t just to help Egypt. The abundance that Joseph stored up as Pharaoh’s go-to person was tremendous, overwhelming. It allowed for a global saving from the famine. All of the lands known to them dealt with this famine, but God used Joseph and this dream to save all of the known world from a brutal seven year famine. And in it all Joseph gives credit to God. 

One of my pastoral requests early on is that if someone brings me a problem, particularly with the church, they must also come with an idea for a solution. I’m happy to be a listening ear, but if all we do is complain, then what is the point? When we find ourselves in hard times, God always provides the opportunities to problem-solve or find solutions. Humanly, we often don’t want that. We store up treasures on earth, and those treasures are our pride, our sense of self-sufficiency, our desire for control. We cannot fix spiritual problems with human solutions. In those times we need God. Like Joseph, we need God’s vision, God’s interpretation and explanation, and to follow God’s plan. 

Lastly, we must lean into the creativity God gives us. Joseph was not a prophet. Joseph was not a king. He was simply a man with God’s favor and gifts available for the task at hand. He simply allowed God to work through him for creative ways to save people from starvation. It would be unheard of in any other scenario for a Hebrew slave to become the Prime Minister of Egypt, right under the power of Pharaoh. Only God could have orchestrated something so extraordinary and creative. And it’s especially miraculous that it was Egypt which was the only country around known for its exceptional granaries and store houses. God’s solution was creative, incredible, and planned in a perfect way. 

Joseph did have to struggle and go through tough times along the way. The journey was not easy, but the outcome was undeniably incredible. Likewise, God can work in and through us to achieve amazing things in times of hardship and struggle. When we read the Gospel lesson, it tells us to store up treasures in heaven. But there’s a big opening for creativity in this teaching. There’s nothing that says HOW to store up treasures in heaven. Jesus’s teaching leaves room for the holy creativity of God working through us when we are willing and listening. 

 Let me give you an example of how that works. A pastor friend of mine is head of a new church start in Vienna for the United Methodist Church. Now, I’ve never been to Vienna, Georgia, but based on the testimony of others, I gather it is not exactly Midtown Atlanta. But this faithful congregation have decided to let God do some incredible and creative things through them—school supplies, health fair, welcoming those whom other churches have hurt, embracing the idea of meeting at a campground with some fun outdoor things. They are willing to let God speak to them and work creatively through them. 

 My friends, hard times are part and parcel of the human experience. There may be days when you pick up the filet, the $22 burger, or get the extra vegetable at the Bears Den because times are good enough to treat yourself. Then there may be times you are on your last can of Campbells. An easy life is not a promise. Joseph and God’s people of ancient times had to live with years of plenty and years of famine. Yet in all of it God was there. 

We must be bold enough to choose God’s path in the midst of disaster’s onset. We must be willing to seek out and follow the solutions God’ provides us, and we must be willing to go along with God’s inspiration or God’s creativity in all of our lives. We serve a God who loves us, who works in and through us to do the work of saving grace here on earth. Wherever we are in life, may we always remember that if our treasure is in heaven, and if our heart is trusting in God, then we are always truly blessed.

Worship Service Video https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/741311188764668/

Feeling Forgotten

Feeling Forgotten

Gen. 39/40; Luke 15: 1-7

 When I think of movies that traumatized me as a child, one of the worst was a 1993 movie titled “Homeward Bound.” It tells the story of three house pets who feel abandoned after being boarded on a ranch by their owners who are away for a few months. The three pets decide to trek across the mountains to find their home and beloved owners. While there is, of course, a happy ending to the movie. The deep sadness the two dogs and cat have at feeling abandoned is overwhelming. Indeed, many times we feel abandoned and forgotten in life: when friends make plans without us, when family members forget a birthday or anniversary, when we become older and have to live in a place we don’t want to be. 

Joseph and our Gospel lesson both talk about feelings of being lost and forgotten—this sense of loneliness and abandonment that can often weigh on us in life. There are three things we can learn in this scripture: first, feeling forgotten is literally like being in your own personal prison; second, when we feel forgotten, we must take the opportunity to strengthen our spiritual gifts and our faith; lastly, we are never forgotten, for God searches for us when we feel most lost. 

When we feel lost for forgotten it is like being in a prison, just like Joseph was. A little context to the story here is needed. Last week, Potipher’s wife tried to sleep with Joseph and he runs away leaving his cloak. In her anger and embarrassment, she accuses Joseph of assault, and an enraged Potipher throws Joseph into prison. Joseph is wrongfully thrown into prison with no recourse because he is a slave, and he has no rights. When we are forgotten, we feel trapped, hurt, left behind. It’s like we sit trapped in our own prison back and forth between what do I do and why was I left behind. In older translations, they use the word forsaken instead of forgotten. 

Joseph certainly could have felt forsaken in prison. But Joseph doesn’t give up. He reminds me of that old saying, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” Joseph, though he may feel forsaken, chooses to put all his talents to work and become the top prisoner in the jail. Instead of becoming a problem because of his problems, Joseph chose to solve problems. 

It’s likely the same in the Gospel lesson. A man has 100 sheep, and one wanders off. It is the lost sheep. The whole passage is a metaphor for us. Sometimes we wander away from God and become lost in things that don’t speak to our soul. Sometimes we are pushed out of the fold by unkind, alleged Christians. Sometimes, it is as simple as we wake up one day and realize we have goofed up. But sometimes we isolate and let ourselves become forsaken and forgotten. I remember once my dad called after it had been a while since we talked. He fussed that I hadn’t called and spoken to him for some time, and that I shouldn’t let it go that long. Feeling a bit salty and spicy all at once, I replied, “Well, Dad, phone works both ways, and I didn’t see you calling or texting either.” 

Being forgotten and forsaken is bad enough in life. But self-isolating is dangerous. We need people around us to engage and talk. We need this fellowship of believers to pray, counsel, and eat…yes especially eat…with us to sustain us and help us when we need a faithful community to rely on. Joseph had no one but God. He was enslaved in a land with a different language, culture, religion, and way of life. Yet sought ways to thrive. Even when he was ultimately forgotten again by the cup-bearer who promised to help Joseph. 

But Joesph didn’t waste his time away. He worked at strengthening his spiritual gifts and his faith even as he felt forgotten. Maybe we simply need turn that saying about lemons around. Instead of making lemonade, my friend says, “When life hands you lemons, squirt them in life’s eye and run away.” Joseph knew God had something in store for him. Joseph trusted in God to lead him to that blessing. Nowhere in here do we see God making an explicit promise to Joseph like was made to Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob. Joseph went solely and completely on trust, believing that God would do right by him and bless him. 

Joseph began to hone his administrative skills again. He began to work on his organizational abilities. He soon became the head of the prison. Perhaps top inmate in the jail isn’t the best place one could be, but it’s about the best out of several awful choices. What Joseph built, though, was his own integrity and trust. Just as he trusted in God, he modeled a faithful behavior that let Potipher (at one point) and now the Jailer to completely trust him. 

He also began to interpret dreams. Dreams had always been part of Joseph’s life of faith, and now he is able to interpret and explain, through God’s power. This shows not only is he an administrative whiz, he also has great depth of wisdom for a still relatively young man. Each trial, each step of his life is sharpening his skills and abilities to be ready for God’s blessing in his life. 

When we feel forsaken and forgotten, it is easy to simply shut down—to be overcome by anger and irritation, to give in to the sadness, to let a broken heart define our days and nights. But just because you’re in a forgotten place doesn’t mean you are actually forgotten. God is not just God in our miser, but God is also the source of our blessings. And we are called in every season of life to continue being a blessing to others. It reminds me of an old hymn, “Lord, Send Me,” which says, “There is much to do; there’s work on every hand. Hark the cry for help comes ringing through the land.” And soon enough, all of Joseph’s trials and labors would be used to respond to a cry for help ringing through the land. 

And finally, we must remember that we are not alone, forsaken, or forgotten ever in our lives. A couple of years ago, I went to Atlantic Station for dinner with friends. The parking deck there is a monstrosity on a good day. But in the dark, it’s impossible to navigate the color and letter-oriented system. I lost my car. Searched for 30 minutes. Then I had to ride around on the security cart for another 45 minutes to find it. In that time, I was certain it had been stolen, though, I’ve yet to figure out anyone who WANTS to steal a Prius. 

In those moments were we feel a sinking feeling, panic rising, anger and hurt tears welling up in our face, we must remember this Gospel lesson. God goes and seeks out the one lost and lonely sheep. That’s because every single one of those sheep was valuable. Every single one of those sheep had a purpose, and every single one was valuable to the shepherd. Friends, it is the same for us. We are not too old, not too infirm, not too forgetful, not too broken, not too anything for God to use and work through us. And in those times we forsake ourselves, God will come and find us, just like the shepherd sought out the one missing sheep. 

God was with Joseph in the well, in his being sold to the caravan, in his time at Potipher’s house, in his false accusation, and in prison. In all of these forgotten, forsaken, and lonely times, God was with Joseph, and Joseph felt God’s presence strongly enough that he always remained faithful. Even if your mind betrays you and you forget everything else in life, God does not forget you, ever. And just like God was with Joseph, God will be with each of us to the end of our journey. 

The movie Homeward Bound traumatized me as a child. I spent the entire duration fretting over the forgotten and lonely feeling of the pets and worrying they’d never make it home to see their beloved kids again. But as an adult, with a thimble full more of wisdom, I know that in every lonely, forsaken, and scary spot in life, God is with each of us. The same God who never left or abandoned Joseph, and who searches for one little lost sheep will surely love us and hold us close in that loving embrace. Never forget who God is: Immanuel, God with us. 

Worship Service Video https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/1290113042720881/

Overcoming Temptation

Overcoming Temptation:

Gen. 39: 3-12; I Cor. 10: 12-17

A friend of mine struggle greatly with temptation. He seems to live life by the a motto attributed to author Oscar Wilde, “I can resist everything except temptation.” My friend indulged in women, food, beverages, partying…every single self-gratifying thing you could imagine. Now, in his late 40s, all that engagement with temptation has earned him the three Ds: divorced, diabetic, and a dumpy body. He said to me once, “As you get older, the only thing temptation gets is more expensive.,” and I believe he is right about that. 

Temptation is something we often face. Whether it is food, fun, avoiding work, or anything else, we will all face some level of temptation in life. In our scripture for today, we read of the example of Joseph’s temptation in Genesis, and how he responded. We also get a very clear instruction on dealing with temptation in I Corinthians. There are three lessons for us on wrestling with temptation: first, temptation is…well…tempting; second, temptation is an idol which leads to destruction; lastly, look for the way out God provides. 

First, temptation is a very tempting thing.  We read in our lesson from Genesis that Joseph was handsome and well-built. In modern terms, I think one would say he was a stud or a hunk. Potipher’s wife began to look lustfully at Joseph. The Message translation says Joseph was “strikingly handsome,” and calls this an infatuation. The King James leaves out Joseph’s appearance but says she “cast her eye upon him.” Either way, it is safe to conclude that Potipher’s wife found Joseph irresistible, perhaps even very tempting as a short-term companion. 

The problem with temptation is that it is so tempting. In the creation story Eve is tempted to eat the forbidden fruit because of the potential power it can give her. Potipher’s wife was tempted by Joseph’s attractiveness. King David was tempted to kill Uriah because of his compound temptation to have an affair with the man’s wife. The disciples were tempted to sleep while Jesus prayed in the garden. And when my diabetic self walks into the sweet shop on St. Simon’s Island, I understand the meaning of, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.” No one is tempted by stale broccoli. It is the allure of something we shouldn’t have which makes temptation so strong. 

When we give into temptation, we allow a desire for immediate gratification to overwhelm our better logic. In a time of stress and vulnerability, it is easy to let our guard down and fall into a pattern of temptation. Humankind wrestles with all manner of temptation: sexual, food, bad behavior, retaliation and anger, power, money, politics. If it can be a blessing, it can become a temptation. That is why we must be on guard and evaluate ourselves. 

 The problem with temptation is that it is an idol in our lives and carries destructive consequences. I Corinthians talks about temptation. And it couches it in terms of idols. The exact words are, “So, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols.” The church at Corinth was a large and strong church, but they engaged in some very pagan and problematic practices. Many of those practices were self-gratifying in the same way temptation is. Temptation will come in between us and our relationship to God. And that’s exactly what an idol is. How many times do we read of temptation and idolatry going hand in hand? The Israelites were tempted and worshipped a literal golden calf. Jesus’s temptation in the wilderness would have led him to worship Satan had he given in. If Joseph had given in to Potipher’s wife, he would have been valuing her over his closeness to God. 

This has real and destructive consequences for us—physically and spiritually. If your temptation is sugar, you will become diabetic. If your temptation is intimacy, you may very well catch something infectious. If your temptation is power and money, you will lose your faithfulness and humanity to the almighty dollar you’re your temptation is drugs and alcohol, you risk death from something toxic to you. Giving in to our worst temptations has consequences. It damages both our faith and ourselves physically. It’s not a punishment, a God-orchestrated chaos in our lives. It’s usually just the simple consequences of actions. 

Paul wrote in I Corinthians, “Flee from the worship of idols.” That is exactly what Joseph did. When Potipher’s wife came with a proposition that was wrong and in appropriate, Joseph said no and walked away. I am sure she was alluring. I am sure the idea of getting favors by giving in to her desires would have been a good offer for Joseph. But the temptation was wrong, and Joseph placed his relationship with God above his most carnal desire. 

When temptation comes our way, we must look for the way out. I Corinthians tells us, “God is faithful. [God] will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, [God] will show you a way out, so you can endure.” For Joseph, that way out was to simply flee from the sexual advances of Potipher’s wife. But also, for Joseph, there was risk all the way around. He was a slave in this home. He had no rights to assert against Potipher or his wife. Sometimes we simply have to say firmly and resolutely, “NO,” to whatever temptation comes to us in life. Then we rely on God to help us. 

 Jesus is no stranger to temptation. As part of his time here on earth experiencing the human condition, he endured temptation from Satan in the wilderness. He was tempted with food, with excitement, and with power. Yet each time, despite his hunger, weariness, and vulnerability, Jesus said no to the temptations brought to him. As followers of Christ, we can rely on Jesus to bear us through when life’s temptations become more than we can bear on our own. We cannot always control struggles in life as trials and troubles may come without warning. But we can always control our response to temptation, with Gods help. 

A coworker from many years and jobs ago learned first-hand the trials and struggles of temptation. He and another co-worker did not get along, and that other co-worker was being very, very difficult. Unable to stand anymore, my first coworker gave into the temptation, and cussed him out in a room full of people before stomping off. I talked to him later on. He admitted that in the moment of letting loose it felt so good to give into the temptation of blessing out the other coworker. But, he admitted, in the long run, he has ruined his respectability and integrity within the profession. Both later resigned. 

It is easy to be swept up and give in to things that tempt us, but temptation never comes from a good place. Temptation is a sneaky issue that appeals to our instant pleasure, but it costs us dearly in the long run. But in addition to Jesus, rely on those in the faith with you to help overcome. Joseph was utterly alone, except for God. Yet we have a family of faith together who can support us and help us. Paul writes, “Though we are many, we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that we are one body.” The strength of our faith is that we never journey alone. We have a body of believers, a family, that will be with us in every difficulty. 

 So, then,  when you face temptation remember that it’s going to be tough because it will appeal to every sense of immediate gratification you have. But we cannot give in to temptation because it represents an idol between us and God, and the outcome will always be detrimental to our spiritual and physical well-being. In those times, we can let Jesus guide us through. Jesus understands temptation and the struggle we face, but Jesus also can help us overcome. When we feel like there’s no option but to give in and say, “I can resist everything but temptation,” remember that with God’s help, we can. Our faith, like Joseph’s, will guide us through. 

Worship Service Video https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/1483335226170625/

“When Jesus Comes to Call”

“When Jesus Comes to Call” -Joel Tucker

Worship Service Video https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/1183307297169561/

Overcoming Betrayal

Overcoming Betrayal: Gen. 37: 19-27, 39: 1-2; Luke 22: 1-6, 47-48

[SLIDE 1] With a British grandmother, I have grown up watching a lot of British TV. [SLIDE 2] One of my favorite movies is Wicked Little Letters. It’s a comedy about this conservative town of Littlehampton receiving dozens of letters with crude insults and profanities. In particular one very staunch church lady named Edith receives the bulk of the hateful letters. The local Irish immigrant, Rose, is accused because of her noticeably foul mouth and bad history with Edith. But in a shocking betrayal to the entire town who loved her and sympathized with her, Edith is revealed to be the poisonous pen pal sending the hateful letters all over town. 

Betrayal is a real and horrendous thing we all deal with. Betrayal is one of the few things that can literally break a person from within and without. [SLIDE 3] There are three things in our lessons for today we can learn in coping with betrayal: first, it’s never about you; second, be prepared because it’s going to hurt; and last, we must refocus on God when we are betrayed. 

[SLIDE 4] First, betrayal is never about you or anything you could do differently or better. Self-blame is a huge part of betrayal, but it’s not a cause of betrayal. In our Gospel lesson, we read of this unholy conspiracy among Judas, Satan entering him, and the religious leaders who bought and paid for the betrayal. There is no indication Jesus did anything triggering, problematic, or wrong. Judas betrayed Jesus because of the unchecked evil within himself. Judas betrayed Jesus because the worst parts about him, his greed and faithlessness, were fed by the religious leaders and their offer of money to sell Jesus out. 

[SLIDE 5] Likewise, Joseph did nothing to deserve his betrayal by his own brothers. He might have been a somewhat obnoxious teenager, but that requires a little discipline and grounding, not selling them off into slavery and faking their death. The betrayal came from the brother’s own worst self within—their jealousy, their anger, and their heart-heartedness. The betrayal also came from Jacob’s preferential treatment and creation of a dangerous family dynamic. This evil of betrayal was created and thrived on the bad intentions of the betrayers. Betrayal is never the victim’s fault. If you have lived with disappointments, broken promises, irritation at folks who don’t live up to what they should, it’s on them, not you. You are not responsible for the bad choices someone else makes, especially if that choice is to break and destroy your trust. 

[SLIDE 6] But the sad truth is that betrayal is always going to be a painful experience. The only way betrayal really works is when it comes from a place of trust. It’s not some stranger causing you a problem. Betrayal comes from someone close to you, someone whom you may love. That is why it is so devastating—that element of trust that is inherent in any betrayal. Joseph’s betrayal came from his brothers. His family was filled with dysfunction that stayed hidden, lurking just under the surface. So, not only were their deeds and intentions horrific, the destruction of their trust and relationship with Joseph was equally as devastating. Joseph went out there to check on him. If he knew their real feelings, I am certain he would have stayed home in safety. 

Likewise, Jesus’s betrayal did not come from some religious leader far removed, from Rome, the oppressive empire, or someone from without trying to destroy him. Betrayal came from one of his 12 disciples, Judas. And his betrayal was sealed with the kiss of friendship. Betrayal hurts us on two different fronts: first there will be real consequences and outcomes, second, the broken love, relationship, or trust will hurt our soul and spirit. 

[SLIDE 7] Very often, I don’t think a betrayer realizes the gravity and consequences of their actions. If we continue on in the stories of Joseph and Jesus, we learn that both sets of betrayers come to regret their actions. That is because all the way around betrayal is ugly, destructive, and corrosive to the faith and spirit of God within us. 

When we hear stories of betrayal: spouses who betray one another’s trust and fidelity, a thieving business association who steals from the company, friends who sell one another out, a boss who throws their employee under the bus…all of these instances show real consequences: lost jobs, broken relationships, destroyed marriages. But the hurt within the soul of the betrayed is often just as bad as the real consequences themselves. Jesus ended up dying on a cross. Joseph ended up trafficked to a foreign country. But we all have a choice on how to handle betrayal. Betrayal sets up a choice within us: will we be bitter and broken, or will we build on our faith in God? Once trust is broken, it is very hard to earn back, or for the victim to learn how to trust again. 

[SLIDE 8] The answer to the ugliness of betrayal is to refocus on our faith and hope in God. The outcome of Jesus’s betrayal was ugly and brutal. But it was also a work of hope and redemption. The outcome of Joseph’s betrayal was also very ugly and horrible. But we also read in Joseph’s story, “The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master.” In all of the suffering and horrible aspects of Joseph’s betrayal, God was with him. We have this choice—to become bitter and broken or to lean ever more on God’s strength in our lives. 

God never breaks God’s promises to us. God will never betray us. And always, through all of life, God is with us. God was with Joseph when he put on the coat of many colors. God was with Joseph when his brothers conspired to kill him then sold him into slavery. God was with Joseph when we will hear he is falsely accused, when he’s left in prison, and in his eventual triumph. In all of the good and back of Joseph’s life, God was with him. If betrayal is the poison, then seeking God’s love and leadership more in our lives is the antidote. 

[SLIDE 9] A couple of months ago, I took Lilly to be groomed, which she hates. I tricked her by putting out some of her favorite cat food to keep her from hiding, then when she was eating, I snatched her up and put her in the cat carrier. Throughout the entire grooming process, she stared at me with death stares for the betrayal. I was certain the cat would murder me shortly after getting back home. But after a few hours, she came back up beside me on the couch and flopped herself against me. Now she was facing away, and wouldn’t look at me, but it was the start of rebuilding that trust again. 

[SLIDE 10] Friends, after we have suffered a betrayal, our trust, emotions, and our spirits may feel damaged beyond repair, but we cannot sacrifice our ability to have trust simply because a sinful soul exploited it. Trust is a very precious and delicate thing, but we must never let it die within us. A friend of mine often says, “It takes years to build up trust, but only seconds to destroy it.” When that happens, we can rebuild our hope and trust in the One who loves us and is with us in all times of life—both the good and the bad. 

So, remember, when you are betrayed by someone close to you, you are never responsible, guilty, or at fault. Betrayal comes from the hard-heartedness and bad intentions of others who would prey upon us and our love of them. When you face betrayal, it is going to be a painful ordeal. Your heart may ache. Your spirit may feel broken. There is no getting around this, but there is a path to getting through it. That path is a choice—to let the hurt and bitterness overwhelm us, or to let our trust in God overtake the bad. [SLIDE 11] My friends, you are not defined by those who hurt you and exploit your goodness. Lean on God, who loves you always and in all ways.

Worship Service Video https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/661197346925688/

Overcoming Opposition: Ourselves

Overcoming Opposition: Ourselves—Gen. 37: 1-17; Matt.19: 16-22

[SLIDE 1] Every self-help guidebook everywhere has a few similar quotes: [SLIDE 2] “You are your own worst enemy; Be yourself, but be your best self; Sometimes the best way is to get out of the way.” But most days it feels like the self-help quote we are living is this, “If you think everything is going really well, just wait.” Much of life is about overcoming obstacles, trials, and forging through when times are tough. [SLIDE 3] Life may not be a constant battle, but there are parts of life where we will have to fight: when we cause our own problems, when we are betrayed, temptation, feeling abandoned, hard times, and the creeping destruction of bitterness. For the next several weeks, we’re going to journey with Joseph in Genesis, looking at how he overcame struggles in his own life, with God’s help. Joseph’s first big problem was his own self. In our scripture for today we see three big internal struggles: overthinking, self-doubt, and desiring excess, greed, or gluttony, however you call it. 

All of us become overthinkers at some point or another. We see it in Jacob. [SLIDE 4] When he hears of Joseph’s dream, he chides Joseph for such a silly thing, but he doesn’t just go on. He ponders what the dream meant. Jacob was a savvy man, who had a close relationship with God. Jacob, remember, is the one who wrestled with God and had visions himself. Jacob could have gone to God and asked for clarification. He could have talked more to Joseph. This wasn’t outside the norm for Jacob or his family, yet he chose to dwell on it instead of addressing it. 

[SLIDE 5] Friends, one of the things that will challenge our faith the most is overthinking and “stewing” on things as the old saying goes. God has designed that we work through troubles with forgiveness and love, but also that we take our confusions and problems to the Lord in prayer. If you don’t address an irritation in under the skin, it soon becomes an open wound, painful and dangerous. By not addressing the dreams as a family, Jacob allowed the hatred of Joseph’s brothers to grow and foster until it was too late. One of the worst ways we damage ourselves is overthinking and allowing problems to go unaddressed. Take it to God in prayer, and have a gentle, open conversation. 

[SLIDE 6] Another way we cause our own faith struggle is with self-doubt. Look to Joseph’s brothers. They allowed their father’s favoritism to foster a murderous hatred of Joseph. They allowed his dreams to consume their whole thought process until they desired to kill him. Joseph was a child when they sold him off into slavery…only 16-17 years old. There’s no denying Joseph was arrogant and obnoxious at this point in his life, but it wasn’t his fault. Jacob spoiled him. His parents fashioned him into the favorite with all the entitled behaviors. Joseph’s brothers doubted themselves, their station in the family, their father’s appreciation, and saw themselves as less than in the family. And they took it out on Joseph instead of their father who caused it. 

Self-doubt can make us act in unfaithful ways. When God blesses someone else in ways that make us jealous, we grow in anger towards that person. God’s love is not a competitive sport. There is more than enough of God’s love, grace, and welcome to go around. Many of us struggle with this. Nowadays they call it “Imposter Syndrome.” Enough people struggle with self-doubt that they made a whole mental health disorder. The truth is that Joseph’s brothers didn’t need Jacob’s approval, competition with Joseph, or any other kind of dysfunction. God loved them, and they could have the same connection with God that anyone else did. Their life journey was not Josephs’s or Jacobs, or Rachel’s or anyone else’s. Faith is not a competitive sport. 

[SLIDE 7] I saw a quote the other day that speaks to this, “You’re seeking validation from a world that crucified a perfect man.” We must focus on our walk with God, our relationship to God, through Christ, and how Jesus teaches us to live in relationship with one another. We can run the self-doubt list all day: how I did as a parent, am I good enough for my co-workers, what do my neighbors think, and so on. But the only thing that really matters is how we trust God and follow Christ.

[SLIDE 8] And lastly we see a struggle with excess. This comes in several different things: greed, gluttony, coveting…all mean the same thing…an obsession with excesses in life. Independence Day allowed us to celebrate freedom, blessings, constitutional rights, and the ability to shoot off fireworks until 11:59 PM. But I fear there is some corrosion in the framework. Consider the idea of the American Dream—to work hard enough to become wildly successful and wealthy in this nation that is the wealthiest in the history of the world. How does this collective sense of wealth and success jive with our Gospel lesson? 

[SLIDE 9] The man came to Jesus asking how to have eternal life. He didn’t even seek to follow Jesus or become a disciple. He only wanted eternal life—the promised hope that Jesus taught about. He had followed the rules, he had obeyed the sabbath, he had done all the things legally required. But there was one sticking point—his wealth, or more aptly, his greed. Jesus told him to sell all he had, give it to the poor, and follow him. It was a bridge too far. There is no sinfulness in being a wealthy person. However, when we choose our riches over following Jesus, we have failed at our faith. 

Nothing in here says this man was bad, evil, or cruel to others. By all accounts he was very good—rule oriented—and wise in his actions. He had strived in his life to live according to the Commandments that God had given. He was a good, moral, upstanding person, but he chose what he had in life over following Jesus. No one can serve two masters. 

I spent Independence Day with my friend’s family. They are Mexican immigrants who have lived here for years. They aren’t rich by any means, and they live very simply having raised 5 kids on one job and a stay-at-home mom. There was food, fireworks, and cake. They decided my name was boring and translated poorly, so I was renamed “Tonio,” which I, too, find more interesting than Will. The whole gathering was different from any other 4th of July I have ever been to. 

[SLIDE 10] One of the greatest ways to overcome ourselves, our blind spots, our sense of isolation and insulation is to spend quality time with people very different from ourselves. This was exactly what Jesus did. He met the Samaritans, the Gerasenes, impoverished beggars in the streets, and even with Nicodemus, a man rich and powerful in his day. Jesus calls us to turn our sights from what we have to whom we should follow. 

Sometimes in life, the hardest thing to overcome is ourselves. Joseph’s dad, Jacob, was an overthinker. He had been all his life. He was known in his youth as a trickster and constantly bargained with God and acted in deceit to get what he wanted in life. Joseph’s brothers lived with self-doubt. They felt constantly unworthy to Joseph, knew their father favorited him, and grew in their hate and bitterness because of Joseph’s preferential treatment. 

Joseph, though, presents as arrogant and entitled in these early chapters. He gladly wears his fancy coat. He proudly tells of his dreams where his more senior family is bowing to him. Though these dreams are prophetic, there’s an undercurrent of disrespect to his parents and family. When we become our own worst enemy, we must make a choice to give in to all the cluttering thoughts or make a solid choice. 

[SLIDE 11] The young man of the gospel lesson was presented with a choice. As moral and good as he sought to be in this world, he still had an idol, yes, we’ll call it an idol, ahead of following Jesus. When anything comes before Jesus, we are choosing ourselves over God. May we, each and every day, choose to follow Jesus, our Redeemer and Sustainer, over anything that feeds our human self.

Worship Service Video https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/1966621687481014/

Just Don’t Look Back

Just Don’t Look Back—Genesis 19: 23-29; Luke 9: 51-62

[ONE] There are a few things from childhood that I expected would factor in more greatly into my adult life. [TWO] One of those is Algebra. I have not, since 9th grade, solved for x on anything or graphed an equations. Another of those is my Blockbuster card. I have not rented a DVD since 2009, but I probably still have that card somewhere in a desk drawer. But there is one thing above all others that I thought would be a big part of my adulthood and isn’t at all, and that is quicksand. [THREE] Think about it…Indiana Jones, Bugs Bunny, Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, any adventure cartoon or sitcom, at some point and time, there was quicksand. I have yet to encounter quicksand in my adult life. What I needed to learn, taxes, banking, social skills, and general life skills were not in a single class. 

[FOUR] But sometimes, what we expect, and what God does, don’t always align. I imagine, if we look at our Hebrew lesson for today, that Lot expected to live out his life in comfort and ease in Sodom and Gomorrah. There’s a very jarring disconnect in that God sees this abundance of wickedness, but Lot and his family seem to be oblivious to all the bad things going on around them in the city. 

But two angels showed up at Lot’s door and changed his entire family and their lives. They leave the city as refugees, homeless, and fleeing for their lives based solely upon God’s command and angelic visitation. Were they to stay, regardless of their personal faithfulness to God, they would have been burned up with the city, for it was NOT going to be spared that day. God would have spared the city for 10 righteous people. In the end only four were led out. And only three made it all the way to safety. 

[FIVE] One of the harder stories in the Bible is Lot’s wife being turned to a pillar of salt. While I understand she violated God’s command not to look back, in a very human way, we ache for Lot and his daughters who had to continue walking ahead even as their wife and mother’s life was ended and her body turned into salt. It’s a ghastly tale. And it is very hard for those of us who are blessed with comfort and privilege in the United States to understand. I daresay that it is far easier for us to identify with Lot’s wife than it is with Lot and his daughters. 

That’s because as we get older, we tend to look back. Lot’s wife wanted to stay where she was, in a place and situation which made her happy. But her happiness in the city didn’t detract from the evil that was happening in the city itself. In looking back to a place filled with sin, it proved her heart and soul were not devoted into going where God was leading them to safety. Her looking back was not without reason. By all accounts, she, Lot, and their family had a good life, a house, the resources to accommodate guests, and still were connected to God. But they couldn’t stay there. That place had turned wicked. 

[SIX] I said in the introduction that I thought quicksand would be much more prominent in my adult life. I meant that in the literal sense, but what I think many are not prepared for is that there is a lot of quicksand in our lives, but it’s spiritual. We get stuck on something or stuck in places, often where we don’t need to be. This escape was actually perilous for Lot and his family. He hesitated and hesitated to leave until the angels literally took him by the hand and drug him out. His wife looked back and turned to salt. Don’t be deceived into thinking this was cruelty. She looked back because her heart was still in the city, and she would follow on no more. If you are stuck, and if you look back, you can no longer follow Jesus because you’ve taken your eyes off of him. 

[SEVEN] The Gospel lesson gives us other examples of folks who become stuck and cannot follow Jesus, no matter how much they want to do so. One person says to Jesus that they would follow Jesus wherever. Jesus tells of difficult existence he lives and the difficulties they would endure, not even a place to lay one’s head. We can assume they turned back and chose not to follow. 

Jesus called on another to come and follow him. The man agreed to it, but wanted to go bury his father, a very noble and necessary thing. He was still looking back. Another agreed to follow but wanted to say bye to his family. This is also a very good thing. But it’s no different than Lot’s dawdling in leaving city. Jesus adds that anyone who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is unfit. Common sense says you don’t plow a field backwards. You have to move forward, or it’s a failure. None of these requests, none of these things are unreasonable for potential followers to ask to do. 

But compare them to the disciples who dropped everything they were doing and immediately followed Jesus. Their priority was following Jesus and working for the kingdom of God. For these folks, God was not the priority. God was the fascination and hobby. They were curious about Jesus but not committed to Jesus and his mission. 

Where do we find ourselves stuck? Where are the places of spiritual quicksand that we cannot escape? Where do we look back and find ourselves a bit salty about the future work of the kingdom God calls us to? I think too many Christians are stuck today. They are stuck in mode of ministry and evangelism that doesn’t exist anymore. They are stuck in social beliefs that sound more like a political theory than a theological truth. They are stuck in the 1950s and 1980s because no one was real thrilled with the 60s and 70s. 

Christians who always look back to where they came from cannot see where God is leading. Christians who are stuck somewhere else will never find Jesus’s call to begin with. The truth of the Gospel of Jesus is unchanging. But the way the church lives and preaches that Gospel must change. And for heaven’s sakes, we all need to find a bit of urgency about our calling from God. In this day, people need the peace and love of Jesus more than ever before. If you don’t believe me about the need to grow and change, remember this: Isacc Watts was scorned and almost expelled from the church for writing and singing hymns like “Joy to the World.” The church in his day ONLY sang Psalms from the Psalter. 

We even are given an example of this change in today’s reading. For their wickedness trying to sexually abuse the visiting angels, God saw the depth of wrongdoing in the city and destroyed it. When the Samaritan village refused Jesus entry under threat of physical abuse, he rebuked the disciples for wanted to rain down fire upon it. Jesus preached and practiced mercy, which was clearly on display here in our Gospel. 

[EIGHT] The church of God is a living, breathing, growing, and ever-changing thing because it is not made up of walls, buildings, books, or papers. It’s made of people, generations, who in their lives try to find a way to follow Jesus and grow in their faith in him. It’s this weird sense of two things at once. I like to compare it to the modern hymn, “Ancient Words.” There’s a line that says, “Truth unchanged from the dawn of time,” and yet the very existence of that modern praise hymn proves just how much the church of God changes over time. 

[NINE] I thought some things would affect my adult life much more than they have: algebra, video rental, shopping malls, pleated pants, but most of all was quicksand. Every single adventure show growing up had quicksand in it. But perhaps that is more of struggle than any of us realize. My friends, I pray we never become stuck in a place where we cannot follow Jesus. I pray we never look back and lose our lives because our hearts lost a love for God. [TEN] But most of all I pray that each and every day were are changed to follow Jesus more and grow in our faith. The only way forward in our lives of faith is to follow Jesus. So, let’s be on our way. 

Worship Service Video https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/23891966867080329/

An Unenthusiastic Response

An Unenthusiastic Response—Psalm 42; Luke 8: 26-39

[SLIDE 1] A couple of weeks ago, I came across a performance from a music festival. The festival is called Coachella, and it’s held near Los Angeles, California. It is every bit as California as you would think it is. The folks there dress up in the latest fashions, which I describe as homeless mid-90’s chic. One of the performers was a man named Benson Boone, and he sang a song by the band Queen, popular in the 1970s and 1980s. [SLIDE 2] Out of nowhere came Brian May, the 77-year-old guitarist from Queen. He is still recovering from a mild stroke, but played in a way that would put any 20 or 30 year old to shame. 

And yet, I sat there aghast at the performance. The crowd was quiet. I expected yelling, shouting, an absolute mind-blowing response like the young women of the 60s when the Beatles or Elvis came out. But there was nothing. They were unenthusiastic and painfully quiet. Unfortunately, the same happens in faith. All of our enthusiasm and hope is met with a dousing of cold water. Increasingly, the story of our faith and hope in life is met with this unenthusiastic response. 

But that should not be so surprising. Jesus seems to have encountered the same thing. [SLIDE 3] Most people focus in on demon slaying part of this gospel lesson, but there’s a part more troubling than the possession itself. After the man is healed, he comes and sits normally at Jesus’s feet. We can assume from this that Jesus was either teaching or meeting with people in some capacity. After such an incredible miracle being done, one might expect the Gerasenes to embrace Jesus, be overjoyed, welcome him with open arms. None of that happened. They were afraid, and they begged Jesus to leave. They didn’t want more of him. They wanted him to go away. It has to be the most unenthusiastic response to any of Jesus’s miracles in the Gospel story. 

One commentary said that though they recognize the mystery and power of what has been done, they cannot make a place for it in their lives. They are unwilling and incapable of finding room for Jesus and his power within the lives they live. Perhaps that’s not surprising. The Gerasenes were at odds with the Jewish people. They were unclean because of raising pigs. They lived outside of the general area of the closely knit Jewish people. But most importantly, they were aligned with the Romans. Most scholars say those pigs were going to be fed to Roman soldiers as the Gerasenes had an ongoing deal with the Romans. That’s why the demon is named Legion after a Roman Army Legion. Jesus highlighted their wrongdoing and their betrayal of others. They had no room for repentance and no desire to see more of Jesus. 

[SLIDE 4] Many in our own lives will struggle in the same way. They know right from wrong. They know when they are failing. They know what it takes to do what is right and follow the goodness of God, but they’re just not there yet in the doing part. Though the folks we love may know Jesus, may know truth, may know what is right, they’re not ready yet to follow. They haven’t made room in their hearts and in their lives for the truth of who Jesus is, and what he has said. 

[SLIDE 5] Jesus tells the man he healed, “Go back to your family, and tell them everything God has done for you.” So, he went all through the town proclaiming the great things Jesus had done for him.” Tell the story of grace and mercy even if people are not ready to hear it. Tell the story of God’s love even if the response is woeful or unenthusiastic. Tell of a welcome that says all should know the redeeming love that spans across all humanity, even if they don’t believe it, or others say they don’t deserve it. Go and tell was Jesus’s command to this man. 

Why does Jesus say this? At some point, hearts will be turned. A friend asked his preacher, “How many times do I tell someone about God’s love?” The preacher replied, “As many times as it takes for them to believe it.” Many will not. And many will not want to hear anything about faith. The church has done itself no real favors on this front. Instead of relying on God’s life-changing love and grace, we’ve tried a lot harder to scare the Hell out of people…literally. It is not fear that changed anyone in the gospel. Jesus healed, showed mercy, compassion, taught of love, tore down barriers between the people and God. That’s what changed frozen and sinful hearts, not fear, legalism, and oppression. 

At some point, every single person, will need to find the holy in their lives. Psalm 42 tells us, “As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.” At some point, we will all crave and need the living waters in our lives. Stagnant and still water will literally kill. Anyone who goes into an abandoned building or an uncleaned pool can tell you deadly things grow in still water and stagnant places. At some point, we will all want the living water of God. 

[SLIDE 6] That is why we must keep speaking, praying, and imploring. The commentary on Psalm 42 says, “Human life depends on relatedness to God.” And that is because God is a necessity of life. We can try to go through life without God, being self-directed. But there will come a time when a trouble, a situation, a sadness, or some aspect of life is too hard and too much. In that moment, we will call for help, and that is when the truth of humanity’s need for the holy is made real and known. This Psalm is a call to those who rely on self-direction and self-care to place their dependence on God for all things. 

Our job here on earth is to continue speaking, continue praying, continue imploring others to seek out and live the grace that Jesus teaches. Now, that is not the grace of people who would manipulate faith for their own gain. And that is not a worldly sense of grace from those who know and ignore the way of love. Too often we see the Golden Rule used in the sense of do unto others to get what I can, or do unto others before they get me first. Grace teaches us to offer mercy, love, dignity, and redemption to every person who is seeking something holy and something nourishes the soul. 

Growing up in church, there was always a time of prayer requests and prayer between the singing and the preaching. There was a woman who requested prayer for her husband to find faith every single Sunday…morning and evening service. She asked us to pray diligently and weekly that he would find something holy in his life. This wasn’t a sense of religious fear and fervor that she just wanted him to go to heaven. She loved him and wanted him to find peace, hope, help for trials and troubles that had plagued him for years given the trauma of his work. 

One day he faced a trial that was too much to handle alone. It was a health scare and the inevitable concern about health risks that getting to a certain age can cause. Finally, after decades of prayer and pleading, he asked her about what having faith actually does for her. Friends, I tell you this because it reminds that every heart and soul is beautiful and valuable, and that every single one can be changed to something holy and good. 

[SLIDE 7] I still believe in a volatile and fearful world that the love of God can change each and every heart and mind. I believe that our faith, our prayer, and our living of what Jesus practiced and preached can testify to how grace and mercy can change a life that is destructive or even cruel. Be undaunted when you receive an unenthusiastic response. Jesus said to the man he healed, “Go and tell your family,” and indeed all who would listen to him. Jesus’s departure wasn’t a goodbye at all; instead, it was a call—“Let’s get to work!” 

[SLIDE 8] Your words and faith may be met with a dose of cold water. When one of the greatest musicians and guitarists in the world took that stage at Coachella, the crowd was as dull as tarnished silver. The response may be unenthusiastic. But at some point in life, love can change each and every heart if we are consistent in our lives, our prayers, and our story of Jesus’s grace. May it be so.

Worship Service Video https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/1071276141626713/