Stewardship of Earthly Blessings

Stewardship of Earthly Blessings: Isaiah 58: 1-8; Acts 2: 42-47

A year or so ago, I was visiting a friend up in Atlanta. Now she is a big fan of antique stores and looking for historic and interesting things around antique stores, and basically seeing what they have available. So, knowing her love of this, I politely, if hesitantly, agreed to go with her…to the non-air conditioned antique store…in August. While walking up and down the aisles, sweating, we came across this gorgeous small kitchen table. It was beautiful wood, fantastic gold stenciling, ornate, lovely, and she instantly fell in love with it. 

The store owner told us this long history of how it was almost 100 years old, where it came from, and how well preserved it was. But something, something in the back of my mind was saying there’s a problem. This table in TOO good of shape for its age. So I got under the table and started looking around. The shop owner immediately and tersely said, “What are you doing?” And then I found it. In small gold stenciling on the underside of the table…Made in China, 1995. How authentic.

Authenticity plays a major role in our lives and in our lives of faith. If we lack authenticity in our worship, our prayers, our witness, then we will utterly fail in our walk with God. Authentic is defined several ways: worthy of belief as being based in fact, conforming to an original, not false, and true to one’s own spirit or character. We see it used in a variety of ways: authentic Mexican food, authentic antique table, and a sincere and authentic personality. Authenticity in our faith and in our worship is vital, and I daresay, the lack of it is the main cause of the decline in church attendance. 

In Isaiah, we are told that the worship of the people was not authentic. They went through the motions: showing up at the temple, learning about God, fasting, appearing righteous, pious actions, and so on. They had quite carefully and literally done all the right things, so what’s the problem? Their worship was for appearance, and not for God. God tells them that they are doing it to please themselves. Then God gives them the dreaded list of what is wrong: fasting while still oppressing workers, while fighting and quarreling, going through the motions, failing to truly and authentically live the faith that they act out. 

God tells them that their faith should be authentic, and that is seen by how they live and act: free those wrongly imprisoned, go easy on those who are laborers, free the oppressed, share food with the hungry, shelter the homeless, clothe those who are in need of good clothing, and do not hide from family who need help. I can almost feel myself choking and sputtering at that list. It’s tough, condemning, convicting of those who say they are faithful to God. 

In the book of Acts we are given even more tough instruction: they performed miraculous signs and wonders, they met together and shared everything, they even sold their property and possessions to share the money with those in need, they prayed, they communed, they praised God, and they enjoyed the goodwill of all people. The earliest church was a community, not an institution, and I fear as we we have moved away from that sense of community, we have lost our authenticity. 

The church’s mission should center on worship, strengthening relationships to God, helping others find faith, and serving the community. These cover the big areas including the daily worship of the early church, the signs and wonders, and the selling off of everything they had to give to those in need. When the pulpit and the church is used for anything else, the church falls into the trap of Isaiah 58’s warning. 

For instance, the church should never be used to advocate for politics or politicians—we must get back to the idea that we render to Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God, and the church has never belonged to Caesar but is, has been and always will be God’s and God’s alone. And that sinfulness spans all sides of the political spectrum. It is my job, as a preacher and pastor (and indeed of other pastors), to introduce you to Christ and to show you what is in the Bible so that you can work out your salvation, your faith, and your Christian walk with God, to support and help you on your walk of faith., and to work on behalf of the oppressed,, poor, and suffering as listed in Isaiah.  

When we are stewards of our earthly blessings, we are authentic in our worship and we are authentic in our charity and giving, not because of a tax break, but because of our Christian desire to help the poor and those in need. Jesus was never stingy with his blessings, with his healing, and with his love of the people, including those who were outcast, untouchable, and foreigners. He offered them healing, restoration, and grace when they needed it the most. 

My friends, that is the job of the church and the job of us as Christians. to make sure our actions align with our faith, with what the Bible says, and with how Christ speaks to us. There are parts of the Bible that make us uncomfortable. These few verses in Acts 2 make us uncomfortable. So, we try, then, to explain it way—give only so much to those in need, there’s a percentage. Well, weekly worship is sufficient—I’m getting my dose of faith that way. Once a quarter should be sufficient for the Lord’s Supper, right? NO! No, No. We cannot compromise the truths of the Bible where it makes us uncomfortable or puts a holy strain on our lives. That is not being a good steward. The believers devoted themselves to their lives of faith daily. They gave with wiling hearts, with love, and knowing that they had to walk by faith and not by sight. That, that right there is an authentic way to walk with God. 

We must get back to a faith, to a walk with God, that echoes the words of the hymn: “All to Jesus, I surrender. All to him I freely give. I will ever love and trust him; in his presence daily live. I surrender all.” Authentic faith is not that difficult, really. God doesn’t ask for our money, God doesn’t ask for our time, God doesn’t ask for our service. Instead God asks for us, just we ourselves…I surrender all. Over and over Jesus says, “Come follow me.” It may be in the context of giving us rest, of sending us out to be fishers of people, or even to take up a cross. 

Those details of our calling (money, time, and talents) will work themselves out as we learn and walk with Christ. We don’t have to know each step of the way because we walk by faith, not by sight. But first and foremost, before we work out the details, before we nail down exactly how this faith thing works and how to be stewards of the tools God gives us here on earth, we must first find an authentic way to worship and follow God. First and foremost, before anything else, Christ calls to us, “Come and follow me.” May we have the conviction to say, “All to thee my blessed Savior, I surrender all” 

Stewardship of Our Heavenly Blessings

Steward of Heavenly Blessings: Isaiah 42:1-9; Matthew 6:19-21

As kids, we often play games using our imagination, creativity, and coming up with elaborate ideas and plans. When I was little, very often we would play games of going on a treasure hunt which involved some wild adventure. I’m sure at some point my Nanna grew incredibly tired of all the make believe games, but she was a good sport about it. In fact treasure hunts appeal to us on a variety of levels. We read books about hunting for treasure, watch movies such as the Indiana Jones movies, and so on. Our Gospel lesson speaks to this curiosity with treasure hunts telling us “wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” 

So what kind of tools would we need for a treasure hunt? In the life of a follower of Christ, our greatest tools for a treasure hunt are faith and prayer. Over and over in our scriptures today we are told to look toward heavenly things. We are told in the Gospel to store treasures in heaven. In Isaiah it talks about God’s spirit being upon the chosen one, and that God “will take [him] by the hand and guard [him].” That close communion with God through prayer and faith is required to store up our treasures in heaven. 

We hear the importance of prayer and faith sung in songs throughout churches: “Faith is the Victory, Sweet Hour of Prayer, My Faith Looks Up to Thee, and Prayer is the Soul’s Sincere Desire.” In that last one, we hear the words, “Prayer is the Christian’s vital breath, the Christian’s native air, his watchword at the gates of death; he enters heaven with prayer.” For where our treasure is, there our hearts shall be. Faith and prayer are the tools which keep us connected to God in Christ, which humble us, open our communication with the Holy One, and keep us grounded in what we believe. Indeed, faith and prayer our are greatest tools on our heavenly treasure hunt. 

Faith and prayer, though, are not just things we have—things which are convenient to keep around. They are tools, and tools are meant to be used. I’m often amazed at the number of Christians, who, when asked about the last time they really prayed, cannot even remember it. If you don’t use them, tools grow rusty, dull, and we quickly lose the ability to use them. Prayer and faith need to be used…more than just two sentences over dinner and more than just a few quick words here and there when needed. 

Why are these tools so important? The answer is that in any treasure hunt there will be danger along the way, which we must find a way to face. Our Gospel lesson tells us that if our treasures are stored here on earth then we face a threat to our treasure: moth and rust destroy them, and thieves break in and steal. So, the only thing standing between you and your earthly treasure is a little dry rot and a savvy burglar. The truth is that real treasure is found in our faith, in our trust in God, and in our heavenly blessings. Here on earth, we will face danger all the way on our treasure hunt. 

I was sent an article this week about a carjacking in the parking lot over at Vineville Christian Towers. Other news stories around it included stories about armed robbery, shootings, violence, poverty. We see on our national news about escalating war tensions throughout the world and especially in the Middle East. It reminds me of an old hymn in the Lutheran church, “I walk in danger all the way. The thought shall never leave me that Satan, who has marked his prey, is plotting to deceive me. This foe with hidden snares may seize me unawares if I should fail to watch and pray. I walk in danger all the way.” 

Our lives are filled with danger, and with 24 hour, readily available news, we are even more well-reminded how dangerous life can be. But if our treasure is stored in heaven, trouble and danger will not seem quite as scary to us. Those tools of faith and prayer can give us strength, courage, and security when the pathway of our treasure hunt becomes treacherous. If you only focus on the danger, you will never be able to make the journey. We have to trust that God is walking with us, guiding us, and leading us each and every step. As Isaiah says, “God, the Lord, created the heavens and stretched them out. He created the earth and everything in it. He gives breath to everyone, life to everyone who walks the earth. And…[he] will take you by the hand and guard you.” It’s a promise, and that’s why our treasure should rest in heavenly things. 

Finally, we must remember that the treasure awaits us. We can invest all the things we want on earth—money, business, looks, talents. Everything under the sun can be saved up and invested in here on earth, but eventually those things will fade. That is why we must invest our treasures in heaven, where we can develop time, talents, abilities to sustain us throughout our entire lives. Theologian Stanley Hauerwas reminds us, “Just as an athlete with natural gifts may fail to develop the fundamental skills necessary to play their sport after their talent fades, so people [of] faith may fail to develop the skills necessary to sustain them for a lifetime.” 

Here’s the idea—you must develop the basics of faith—invest your treasure in heaven—in order to sustain your trust in God for a lifetime. You may be the most talented preacher, best singer, most beautiful pray-er in the church, but if you have not developed the basics and made the investment, you will fall to the danger on the way. As an example, being a native Kentuckian, we always watched basketball instead of football. Now, I would like to think that’s because basketball is the sport of my state; however, I’m pretty sure it’s simply because we are pretty awful at football. 

If you watched some of the young basketball stars recruited by the University of Kentucky, you can see them doing these fancy jump shots, swinging from the net, elaborate defense and trick moves. But they can’t shoot a simple free-throw from right in front of the basket. They failed to develop fundamental skills, and when the talent faded, there was no support left for them to play the game. If we do not invest in heavenly treasures, in developing our faith and prayer abilities, of working out our trust in God daily, then we will not have good enough fundamentals to sustain our faith when the treasure hunt gets dangerous. 

Our hope, our trust, and our faith must be built on the solid rock which never fails us. So get ready for your treasure hunt—sharpen and prepare your tools of faith and prayer making sure they are strong and well developed. Prepare for the danger that lurks on your journey, and remember what treasure awaits you when you trust in God and walk with Christ. That will be the greatest treasure you find—no rot and rust, no burglars waiting to take your treasure away. Invest your time, talents, and faith in God, for where your treasure is, there your heart will also be. 

The Magi: Gift-Givers of the Greatest Sort

The Magi—The Great Gifts: Isaiah 60: 1-6; Matthew 2: 1-12

This morning I want to tell you the story of simple gifts, yet great gifts given at Christmas which changed lives and made hope real instead of merely a wish for a couple of children. A married couple, who are friends of mine, decided a few years ago to become foster parents. They figured that they were pretty good with kids, so how hard could it be? After all, most of the work was respite or short-term care. But one year, they got a call at night, and specifically a night or two just before Christmas. 

Could they take a couple of young children? Could they provide care and watch them for awhile? My friends assumed this would be fine. But as the two young children were dropped off, they learned the hard truth. The parents of these two kids were in jail. It was not certain what the kids had endured, and worst of all, there was no other family coming to take care of them. The kids were now in the home of strangers just days before Christmas with almost nothing to their name. 

My friends’ family wasted no time and sprang into action. They bought and scrounged up extra clothes for the kids, ran out at the last minute and picked up some of the remaining toys to wrap for the children, and threw in  a little extra food for the Christmas dinner. The children ended up having a fantastic Christmas with great gifts and lots of attention from their borrowed family. And as for my friends, I could not be more proud of how they’ve handled the situation. But there was a moment of sadness right at the end of Christmas when the little girl looked at the gifts and said, “Do we have to give them back now, or can we keep them?” 

As we celebrated Christmas this week, I sometimes worry that we’ve made the act of gift-giving cold, institutionalized, commercialized or, even worse, a burdensome requirement for the holiday. Christmas is, at its core, about gifts. Epiphany, though in recent years has focused more on the light of Christ, is also about gifts. Even if you go back years ago to movies and shows from the 1930s and 1940s when times were hard, money and provisions scarce, you still see the people going out to the local shops, (and on Christmas Eve no less!) to buy even just small gifts for their loved ones. 

For years, Christmas has been celebrated with gifts and the act of gift-giving. We read at this time about the Magi, or Wisemen, as some call them. The whole climax of their story is giving their gifts the the infant Christ. We tend to focus on the actual gifts and their meaning: gold given to Christ as King, frankincense given to Christ as the Holy One of God, and myrrh to symbolize his coming sacrifice. But also important to this giving of gifts is the context in which they came and gave gifts. 

First of all was the long and difficult journey for the Wisemen. They traveled likely from Persia or around Iran and Iraq in the modern day national boundaries. Some scholars even theorize they may have been from as far away as India. The journey would have been incredibly dangerous over desert and mountain, and lasting months or more. They followed a star based on an ancient prophecy from their own culture. These were cultured, powerful noblemen who had status in their own country to afford such expensive and extravagant gifts for a child they knew nothing much about and had no idea what to expect. 

That’s why they first came to Herod. They expected a new-born king to be in a palace. But Christ was not in a palace. Christ was not haunting the halls of the rich. Instead they found him living likely in a small rented room in Bethlehem—a poor child, a humble child. To the poor, the meek, they brought their expensive gifts and humbly knelt before him as king, as God, and as sacrifice. 

It was all part of God’s plan. You see gifts are given for a reason—usually because we need whatever the gift is. Jesus and his family would need these gifts. What happened following the Magi’s visit was a devastating tragedy. In his rage at the challenge to his throne, Herod ordered all boys under age two be executed. To escape, Jesus went from poor and humble to refugee status. His family escaped to Egypt where they lived in refuge outside of Herod’s terror-filled reign until Herod died. Though the Bible doesn’t say this directly, I’m sure the gold allowed the family to live safely in Egypt until they could get back to Nazareth, and likely the frankincense allowed them to continue to offer their prayers and faith to God. Those gifts came with both symbolic and practical meanings. 

But then we come to the final gift: myrrh. The myrrh would have been used years later when Christ became the greatest gift to the world on the cross, the gift being himself. You see very often at Christmas we start out by asking what one another needs as a gift. This year I told mom I needed new pillows, socks, and a watch. She laughed and said, “Well those aren’t very fun gifts.” After thinking about it, I’ve learned that I’m at the point in life that I ask for what I need more than what I want at Christmas. 

The greatest gift that we need at Christmas time and always is Christ. The world needed Christ. He may not be what the world wanted, what the world expected, but he is exactly what the world needed.. And every day as I watch this world I realize we need him more and more. Even those of us who have followed carefully for years in the walk of faith, as trials get tougher and shadows darker, we need this gift of Christ—his strength, his love, and his peace more and more. 

This Christmas may have been tough for a number of us: we continue to struggle with the loss of loved ones; we have families that are creatively dramatic; or we may have something as simple as a stomach virus causing a really nasty Christmas. But Christ has given us the gifts which can guide us and help us. As the hymn says to us—“I gave my life for thee; what has thou given for me?” For two children this Christmas, one family gave them love, comfort, and happiness beyond anything they could hope for being pulled into foster care. 

For us, Christ has given us himself to be with us, to give us love and forgiveness. Just like the little girl at the end of Christmas asked, so too do many people wonder about Christ’s gift, “What do I do with it…is it mine, or do I have to give it back?” That is a simple answer. You must share it, but no, you do not have to give it back, for nothing can separate us from the love of God. 

Mary: Resolute Despite Turmoil

Mary—Resolute in Turmoil: Isaiah 7: 10-16; Luke 1: 26-38

Mary is, perhaps, one of the most unlikely characters in the Christmas story. I think over the years Mary has become somewhat misunderstood in who she is and how she reacts to this calling from God. Many sermons, illustrations, and interpretations portray Mary as a meek and mild almost pawn in the whole story. But what we see in Luke’s account of the angel’s visit is a young, strong, resolute woman whose strength is almost superhuman and whose faith is unparalleled. She, after all, is about to become the mother of Christ, the son of God, born to love and redeem the world. 

Many instances where we see women in the Bible, they are engaged in some kind of domestic act, or in something that would have been considered “appropriate” for women in this time. Rachel in the Old Testament is drawing water from a well. Bathsheba is taking a bath. Martha fusses about the kitchen. Sarah prepares meals and dutifully follows Abraham on his journeys. But here, Mary is traveling, risking her very life and happiness to follow God in a mighty and powerful way. Mary is a powerful and resolute pillar of faith in the New Testament, and every bit as powerful as the great figures of the Old Testament. 

She is described in the prophecies of Isaiah: “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God with us’).” This was to be the ultimate sign to the Israelites. At this point in the book of Isaiah, the kingdom of Israel had split into Israel and Judah (the North and South kingdoms). Israel had turned away from God and allied themselves with Syria in an effort to destroy Judah, the kingdom which was still faithful. The sign of Mary, of Immanuel, is a reminder that one day God would bring ultimate redemption for the people even as things were seemingly crumbling around them. 

We hear those same prophetic words echoed in the lesson about Mary today. Mary was engaged, but unwed at the time the angel visited her. There’s no indication of age; however, in Hebrew tradition, a female could be betrothed, or given in marriage, anywhere from the ages of 12 to 16. To us, that may seem young, but you have to remember the average life expectancy was around 40. 

When the angel comes in, Mary is hailed as being filled with grace and having found favor with God. We see a young woman who is strong and resolute. She challenges the angel asking how can all this happen since she is unmarried. And then we see her statement of faith and her resolve to follow God: “I am the Lord’s servant. may everything you have said about me come true.” Now here’s a real challenge—this is not some guard bringing a decree. Gabriel is a messenger not power play. He is calling to Mary, asking her to follow God,. God will call us to follow, but ultimately that choice to obey is ours. Mary agrees at the end. She chooses to obey. 

What, then, do we take from this? When we are called to follow God, we should have the same resolve, the same fortitude as Mary. She asked questions, she challenged the angel on how things could happen, and ultimately she made the decision to follow and obey God’s calling. What does Mary get in exchange for this resolve? She has peace. Initially, we see Mary worried and afraid. I think anyone would be worried if an angel showed up in their home. Gideon, Jonah, Jacob, the shepherds, and even Abraham were all startled by the sudden presence of an angel in their midst. 

But as the angel tells her of God’s calling, of her powerful place in history, she becomes strong, resolute, and at peace with what her role in history will be. We, too, can be at peace when we resolve to follow God. It reminds me of the song “Safe in the Arms of Jesus” by Fanny Crosby. The third verse says this: “Jesus, my heart’s dear refuge, Jesus has died for me; firm on the Rock of Ages ever my trust shall be. Here let me wait with patience, wait till the night is o’er; wait till I see the morning break on the golden shore.” 

Mary had to face tremendous trials in her journey. Being an unwed, pregnant woman in that day and time could earn a woman a death sentence. The same could have cost her all of her family, her marriage to Joseph, everything she had in life. But she was resolute. Mary had to journey to Bethlehem in what was likely the 8th or 9th month of her pregnancy. Childbirth was dangerous in those days, period. But imagine just how grueling that trip would be on foot or on a donkey 90 miles from Galilee to Bethlehem. Some of the way was flat but much of it is hill country. Both the terrain and way was dangerous with falling on a hill or even nefarious people trying to do them harm. But Mary was resolute. 

Mary had to endure knowing that she was raising the Son of God, and likely, she also understood that her son would one day die. The knowledge of who her baby was and what he had to do must have weighed heavy on her mind and on her spirit, especially with a mother’s desire to protect. But Mary remained resolute. And because she was resolved to follow God’s call in her life, she was at peace. In her own words, “May everything you have said about me come true. I am the Lord’s servant.” Such faith! Such strength.

In our own lives, there will come times when we are challenged, when we must face a treacherous road or a difficult calling. There will be trials and struggles that we must face. I challenge you, with a bit of a tease, to fight like a woman—to fight like Mary, with resolve, with strength, filled with God’s grace and power. 

The journey may be long and the road may be dangerous, but we never journey alone. Mary never journeyed alone. The same God with whom she found favor was with her in her room as she spoke her faith, was with her as she faced the fallout of her call to follow, was with her as she journeyed to Bethlehem, and was with her in the stable as she gave birth to God’s love in human form. And because of that holy presence, Mary had peace. May we have the same resolve to say like Mary, “Be it unto [us] according to Thy word.” 

John the Baptist: Yelling into the Void

John the Baptist: Isaiah 11: 1-10; Matthew 3: 1-12

The phrase “yelling into the void” is a rather descriptive way of saying that nobody is listening to you. Pastors, teachers, parents of teenagers are all apt to feel the meaning of this phrase. For instance one example of the phrase is this: “Every time I tell my teenager to clean his room, it’s like I’m yelling it into the void.” My grandfather also provides a great example. He would say something funny. After an appropriate amount of time where no one responded, he would would say loudly, “That was a joke…nobody laughed.” Usually that got the desired response of giggles and snickering. 

John the Baptist is probably the ultimate Biblical example of someone who is yelling into the void. John was the one who brought the forewarning of Christ’s coming. His message, according to Matthew, was “repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near!” The prophet Isaiah foretold of John saying, “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him.’” Now that phrase “shouting in the wilderness,” has a very literal meaning. John the Baptist lived in the wilderness clothed with coarse camel hair and leather belt, eating wild honey and locusts. I am certain he was quite a terrific and terrifying sight to see and hear. 

But there’s a more subtle meaning as well to shouting in the wilderness that is more similar to “yelling into the void.” Though many heard John’s word and repented in their hearts, his message set in motion the desire to kill him in Herod’s palace and in the temple. John called the Pharisees a “brood of snakes.” Other translations have this as “brood of vipers.” Many have asked why John didn’t try to help, to convert, to reach out to the wayward Pharisees. 

It’s a simple answer—they would never have listened. We see the same throughout history—a heart is so hardened by its own self-righteous understanding that it only ever listens to respond and never to hear and understand. And much in the same way a bad attitude ruins everyone, a hardened heart that fails to listen will lead to ruin. A hardened heart can never make room for hope, and a truly hardened heart will make sure no one else can hear about hope either. 

And that hope is ultimately the message John the Baptist came to bring. Now it was wrapped up in a crazy appearance, wild demeanor, and forceful yelling, but the coming of love incarnate, the Savior, the Messiah, was at its core, a message of hope for humankind. 

If you read Matthew 3: 11-12, you see how John lays out the plan: “I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon, who is greater than I am…he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” This was a promise, a breath of fresh air, a word which brought untold hope to a people defeated and desolate…to a people longing for a Messiah. The people in Jesus’s day were weary and worn down by the difficult daily life oppressed by Rome, their own leaders, and the Temple leaders as well. It was a society who was focused on the legalism of religion and had forgotten any of the spiritual side of it, almost as if that part had ceased to exist. 

Into that world came John the Baptist talking about repentance, the Spirit, fire, and a faith which empowered, gave hope, and reminded the people of God’s power, not of the political power all around them. It’s the kind of hope which liberates, or frees, people. That is the kind of hope that Christ brings to us. When the world, our lives, and the struggle of our own wrongdoing has us oppressed and constrained, Christ comes to free us, to remind us of his power within us, and to encourage us along each step of the way. 

But we must be prepared to listen with hearts opened to the message of hope. We must have a faith that lifts up and encourages. John gives a rather stern reminder that “even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever…yes, every tree which does not produce good fruit will be chopped down…”So let us listen, let us listen to hear and understand. Let us listen to share a word of hope with others who are struggling and oppressed. May we bear good fruit. 

Isaiah gives us the picture of what bearing good fruit looks like. It is a portrait of justice: obeying  God, not judging by appearance. not deciding on hearsay. Instead there will be justice for the poor, fairness to the exploited, righteousness and truth will be at the forefront. As Christians we are called to teach and live justice. Many have come to believe that when they hear the word “justice” preached in a sermon that it’s something bad or political or the lead up to one of “those” sermons. But the truth is that the Bible talks a lot about justice. 

Here we see a long passage on it. In the New Testament, John calls for people to live and act in a just way. In Malachi, we hear the words, “do justice, love mercy.” In fact the Bible has over 2,000 verses talking about justice in some form or another. By comparison there are 141 verses using the word salvation in one form or another. We have from this a rather clear call to do justice, to live justly, and to oppose injustice when we see it. And I hope in saying such that I am not the one yelling into the void. 

What does justice look like? We just read a glimpse of it: the spirit of the Lord will give wisdom and understand. And from that spirit, we read the following: He will delight in obeying the Lord; he will not judge by appearance, nor make decision based on what someone else says; he will give justice the poor, and make fair decisions for the exploited. 

At its root, our faith should protect the vulnerable. This is at the heart of what John the Baptist was preaching—the hope he was trying to give. He called out the proud and the powerful while offering hope and redemption to the broken, the contrite, and the changed. They were the ones willing to listen and who were willing to respond to God’s call. A proud heart cannot make room for God to move and work within. A proud heart will only seek to shut out challenges instead of listening to wisdom, accepting hope, and seeking justice.

When I read the story of John the Baptist, I hear the challenges, the harsh call to repentance, the urgency, the pull for people to give up old ways and be willing to accept God’s hope and grace. And then I wonder what happened. I worry that John’s words, his fervent call to repent and change, were simply shouted into the void and never really, truly heard. We must pick back up the banner of preaching hope, teaching about repentance, working for justice, and standing against injustice and oppression. Christ will baptize you with the Spirit and with fire, so may we find that fire in our lives when we speak and when we live. May we ever stand ready to speak God’s truth, even if we, too, are yelling into the void, for it is a far better place to be than living in it.  

I Don't Like Green Bean Casserole: A Lesson in Gratefulness

Thanksgiving 2019: Psalm 100; Philippians 4: 4-9

Nothing steals my joy at the holidays like looking down at the table and seeing green bean casserole. I cannot stand the stuff. Now, I have no problem with green beans, nor with cream of mushroom soup, and I’m not fond of those little crispy onion things. They’re not a deal-breaker, though. But when you put it all together, it’s a great big nope from me. I’ve seen other folks who struggle at the holidays, from the ones who stare at a perfectly cooked turkey like it’s going to attack them, to the ones who joke about mashed potatoes being wall paper paste, to the folks who avoid pumpkin pie like it’s nuclear waste. 

The holidays, and specifically Thanksgiving, are meant to be a time of gratefulness, of gratitude, of reflection, and kindness. But what is often missing from the mix is joyfulness or simply, joy. We are tired from travel, from cooking, from so much family and friends at one time. We may feel alone, sad, depressed and without the people we want most around us. Or we may look down at the table and realize we have to struggle through Auntie’s crazy casserole concoction for yet another year. We are given three ways to change and tune our hearts to praise for this holiday season. 

First we must turn our words from complaint to joy. The Psalm tells us, “Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Come before him singing with joy. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving […and praise].” I have always loved this psalm. It’s simple, easy to remember, and jam-packed with energy. It starts off with the words shout with joy. Just the sheer excitement in the words of the psalm should help to lift a grumbling soul. I have a friend who said that every time she is down and struggling she re-reads this Psalm to hear the reminders and to feel the excitement that comes from this Psalm of praise. 

The Psalm also tells us the reasoning for all the excitement, joy, praises, and thanksgiving: “For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.” Even in those times when we have lost our joy or we have stopped feeling any kind of happiness or praise in life, we must remember that we are still not alone. God’s unfailing love continues forever; even when we are grouchy, even when we complain, even when we feel forgotten and alone. 

So let’s start out slowly. We need to think and catch ourselves every time a complaint comes out of us, every time a harsh word enters our thoughts, and every time we are tempted to let something well up from any bitterness that lives within us. Change first our words from negative to praise, to thanksgiving, to words of joy. It’s not some verbal hocus pocus, Changing our way of speaking forces us to change our way of thinking because hopefully we think before we speak. Even Philippians 4: 8 says, “Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Then we can begin to live as the hymn says, “Come thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy praise.” 

Second we must acknowledge and address our worries. Philippians 4 tells us, “Don’t worry about anything, instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for what he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace.” Many times complaints and worry go hand in hand. It’s hard to praise God, to be thankful, and to have joy when we are constantly worried about something. Worries can go from the very real and overwhelming such as “where will I live” or “where will my next meal come from” to worries that are only perceived. These make up the “what if” game. 

Let’s focus more on the “what if” type of worries. Too many of us live with these on a daily basis, and I think that’s the kind of worry that is being targeted by the teaching, “Don’t worry bout anything; instead, pray about everything.” If we live our lives in the place of “what if this happens?” we will miss the “what does happen,” and the “what can happen,” in a positive sense. Jesus also famously teaches not to worry about tomorrow. 

I remember a friend years ago was talking about faith and worry. He was facing some medical and family issues in his life, enough that the average person would likely be very worked up and concerned. He always had these great sayings, for instance, “Stop focusing on being the average person, and think instead as the extraordinary Christian.”  But when he faced these life issues, he said something I’ll never forget: “There comes a time in life where you have to make a choice between your worry and your faith. I, my friend, choose to trust God, and that will be enough for me.” I know I use it a lot, but I can’t help going to back to the old Ralph Abernathy quote, “I don’t know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future.” Lay aside the worries and focus on trust in God. 

Lastly we must fix our thoughts and actions on the joy God gives us. The scripture in Philippians wraps up with this: “Fix your thought on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Keep putting into practice all you have learned and received.” Psalm 121 adds, “I look to the mountains—does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth…The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.” 

When we are tempted to grumble and complain, we must remember the power and strength we find in our Savior. I heard a pastor once say that if we were to use our time fixing our thoughts on things that are honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable, we probably wouldn’t have much time to think about anything else. And then we put our thoughts into practice. We should live in ways that are honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable, for we are an example of faith to others. That should be a very powerful thought weighing on our conscience. We are the example of Christ—and the joy found in Christ’s love and grace. 

So remember in these holiday times that we should have joy in Christ. We should remember that our thoughts should be tuned to Christ’s praise and our words to speak our gratefulness instead of our complaints. We should cast aside unfounded worries—what if, what if? Do not fall into the “what if” trap. Christ has power and strength. And lastly we should fix our eyes on God and God’s holiness, laying aside the things on earth. The truth is I’m probably never going to like green bean casserole. But I can be grateful for the one who took the time to make it, to care, and to labor in love. May we all count our blessings this Thanksgiving and rejoice in God’s love and provision with gratefulness on our hearts and in our words. 

How to Deal with People

How to Deal with People: Exodus 32: 1-14; Ephesians 4: 1-6

Sometime back an ex contacted me on facebook messenger  and said, “I miss you. I miss us, what we had.” I kind of sat back and looked at the message much like one looks at what would come up out of a clogged drain. What we had was about three weeks, two of which were miserable. And I thought I had made the “let’s not talk again” part fairly clear, but apparently not so much. So, I sat there holding my phone, remembering all of the moodiness, attitude, neediness, trouble, and aggravation from that short-lived relationship. I read the words again, “I miss you. I miss us…what we had,” and I replied, “I don’t. Bye.” 

We read in many parts of the Gospels about faith and grace—how to obtain it, how to live it, and how Jesus gives salvation. That’s clear enough to us. But then, there’s this huge portion of the Gospels and all that follows in the New Testament that tries to sort out and give a few guidelines for the overwhelming messiness of dealing with people. That, perhaps, is the most difficult part of living in Christ…all the other folks and various personalities we’ve got to deal with. Therefore, today, we read these two scriptures: one tells us quite literally about how God decided not to smite people off of the face of the earth, and the other provides some more gentle reminders and guidelines as we look and learn how we deal with people. 

In our Old Testament, we hear how Moses went up to Mount Sinai to receive the law and instruction from God, specifically the Ten Commandments. The people down in the valley, however, seem to have no conviction, no depth of faith, and no loyalty whatsoever. Mind you, this occurs after the plagues, after the first passover, after the parting of the Red Sea, and after the pillars of cloud and fire. The people had seen God’s might and power. Yet, even still, when Moses takes his time returning, they cry out to Moses’ brother, no less, to make them gold, graven images to worship. They they proclaim, “O Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of Egypt.” 

God then becomes angry, and rightfully so, I believe. God tells Moses that he will destroy all of the people (including Moses’ family) and will make a great nation out of Moses. But Moses pleads and intercedes with the Lord. And here is where we learn our first lesson. We see the growth and maturity in Moses. In his early days Moses was the impetuous one who killed an overseer in Egypt, begged the Lord to get anyone else for leadership, whined, cried, and complained the whole way in his early days. But here we see a wise and mature Moses speaking as a prophet and as a leader. 

Moses realizes the people have done wrong , that they have hurt and grieved the Lord deeply God’s angry, yes, but mostly God is hurt by the disloyal, conniving people who would turn their backs on God. Moses, however, pleads for grace. He calls on God not to let Egypt have the last laugh at the destruction of the people, pleads with God to remember Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to remember the promises made. Moses essentially calls on God to deal with the people accordingly and not harshly or deservingly. 

The people were not fully spared, though. In the end, the ones who continued in their rebellion died, and the ones who repented were made to wander in the wilderness till their children were old enough to inherit the promised land instead of them. But the real struggle was that the Lord no longer traveled in their midst as God had before. They were not destroyed, but they were also not free from the consequences of a broken relationship and ruined trust. God stayed with them, but God’s relationship to them was never the same. God did, however, remain close to Moses, spoke to him, guided him, and was present with him, for Moses had not only shown his loyalty and love, but also wisdom, faith, and maturity. 

So, if we are to live with wisdom, faith, and maturity, what are we told about how to deal with people? Paul starts this portion of Ephesians with words that echo Moses’ commitment. He says to them, “[I] beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.” And then we receive a few good guidelines to follow: be patient with each other, make allowances for each other’s faults because of your love, make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, bind yourselves together with peace. 

Why these instructions? In society we hear the advise of “just walk away.” But Ephesians gives us a different instruction. New Testament scholar and professor Daniel Wallace was asked once what the general theme of Ephesians is, and he responded like this: “Christians, get along with each other! Maintain the unity practically which Christ has effected positionally by his death.” In fact, all of Ephesians is a discussion on how to get along in relationships. Many have questioned why Ephesians would put us in such a vulnerable position of offering grace, overlooking faults, stay united and bound together, and be patient with messy people. 

The true mark of faith, wisdom, and maturity, according to Ephesians, is finding ourselves unconcerned about the actions and behaviors of others, and instead, ultimately concerned about the example we set. In the same way you don’t let a toddler’s tantrum control your life, neither should an adult’s bad and manipulative behavior. Correct it, then set the proper example. 

And we are told why: there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism. There is one God of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all, and yes, even the most irritating, difficult, obnoxious one you encounter. God is still over all, in all, and living through all. Thus, the way people behave is a problem between them and God, so Paul tells us to set an example in our behavior and relationship, then turn them over to God. 

I read a little statement the other day that said this: “I heard someone say ‘don’t cross oceans for someone who wouldn’t cross a puddle for you.’” I thought that was good advice. But then someone else spoke up and said, ‘No, Do it. Cross oceans for people. Love all people, no conditions attached, no wondering whether they are worthy. Cross oceans, climb mountains. Life and love isn’t about what you gain, it’s about what you give.’ And then, I changed my mind.” 

Perhaps the best way to deal with people is found in Christ. Be safe, be firm, be honest with people, gently correcting their faults and holding them accountable. But do so with grace, with gentleness, remembering that we are the ones called to set an example for what Christ’s presence and love looks like on this earth. It’s hard to find a balance between love and grace and not letting people manipulate and take advantage of you. But ultimately I am convinced that God will deal with hearts and minds sorting out how people live and act. But as for us, how do we deal with people? We offer them love; we offer them grace; and we give them to God, who has unending power to change hearts, change minds, and fix what may be broken. 

The Final Word

The Final Word: Job 19: 23-27; Luke 20: 27-38

A friend used to tell me about her parents’ often epic arguments. She said they were never hateful, never demeaning or mean, but they could debate like lawyers paid by the hour on and on. It was almost as if both of them wanted to be the one to have the final word. She then giggled and told me how things would finish up. She said her dad always, ALWAYS had the final word in the argument. That word was, “Yes, dear.” That seems to be a common practice in most arguments and debates. Each party wants to be the one to get the final word. 

We read today in Luke 20 how Jesus, once again, showed the religious leaders and teachers who challenged him that Jesus himself has the final word, even when they ask the trickiest questions they can think of. Now, for a bit of context, the Sadducees were a religious sect in Jesus day similar to the Pharisees.They often were the ones who maintained the temple and fulfilled various political, social, and religious roles in and around the temple. Very often they came from the upper ends of society. 

The Sadducees could be very different form the Pharisees we most often hear about. Sadducees believed in more of a civil religion: no afterlife, no rewards or punishments after death, and they did not believe in spirits or angels or any non-human beings outside of God. This discussion comes in a series of arguments between the religious leaders of that day and Jesus. Over and over Jesus has criticized, humiliated, and spoken against them. They are looking for any way to challenge Jesus’s authority that they can. 

Enter the Sadducees with a complex question. They set the stage: “If you follow the law of Moses, then if a man dies, his brother should marry the widow.” Then they go on through seven different brothers and ask Jesus whose husband she would be in heaven. The only point of this question is to trip Jesus up. It is not designed to teach, to help, or to encourage. But Jesus has the final word. He tells them, “Marriage is for people on earth,” and not those in the afterlife. 

But Jesus goes further. He doesn’t stop at confounding them; he also demolishes their attempt to discredit him. He tells them that marriage is not a thing in Heaven, that they will never die (like the angels the Sadducees don’t believe in), and that they are children of God in the resurrection. But Jesus goes even further! He tells the tricky Sadducees that even though they don’t believe resurrection, Moses himself proved it to be true at the burning bush when he refers to God as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God is the God of the living and not of the dead, for they are all alive in God. 

We see here that Jesus had the final word. Not only did he not fall for the trap of the Sadducees, he completely shut down any response they might have had to his reply. So why is this important to us, you might ask? Sometimes we still challenge God in the same way the religious leaders did. We say to God, “Well, God, if you will do X, then I will do Y.” And we say it, not as a promise, but as a challenge. Instead of humility, listening, and following, we instead test God every step of the way whether we can, whether we should. 

I hear this problem most often in relationships. One of the people in it will set little tests and traps to see how the potential date or spouse will do. I had a friend who used to bait his potential girlfriends with certain questions to see how they answered. The problem with that is he did it to everyone else as well, whether he realized it or not. It made him annoying and a relationship or friendship too difficult to maintain. Every single encounter felt like some kind of trial instead of something warm, welcoming, and friendly. 

The bigger problem is this: God is supposed to have the final word. It may be encouraging, powerful, and important in our lives when God meets or responds to our preset tests in order to believe, but that is not how faith is supposed to work. God does not follow our tests, fit into our checklist, or wait for us to be convinced. We are supposed to follow God because God has the final word. We follow because we have a relationship with God built on trust in God’s guidance and through Christ’s love dwelling in our lives. 

We would do well to remember that there was one specific instance where someone attempted to test God and give Jesus a checklist of things to do to prove himself. It comes in Matthew 4. Jesus is asked to prove himself as the Son of God by turning stones into bread. Jesus is tested to prove himself by leaping off a high place. And Jesus is tested where his loyalties lie. His response to all of this is found in Matthew 4:7—“The scriptures…say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’”  The one who tests Jesus who places checklists in front of him for Christ, the Holy One to have to prove himself is Satan. Do not fall for the scheme that puts proof before faith, tests before trust, and indifference before love. 

For when we talk about love, we see that there, too, God has the final word. Job makes, in our Old Testament, one of the most powerful speeches testifying to God’s power that one can read: “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. After my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God. I am overwhelmed at the thought.” It is one of the most resolute and empowering things Job says during his time of suffering and struggle. 

The words come just after his former friend Bildad insists and humiliates Job accusing him of sinfulness and wickedness due to the suffering state he was in. It is almost as if you can watch Job for yourself stop the questions, the doubts, and the uncertainty and proclaim God as redeemer with power and authority. Job starts out by saying, “How long will you torture me? How long will you try to crush me with your words. You should be ashamed of treating me so badly.” Job adds with fire and conviction, “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last.” 

Yes, indeed, even as Job says, our Redeemer lives and our Redeemer has the final word in our lives over sin, and death, and punishment. That is why we can have a relationship built on trust and love in God. It is easy to doubt, to test, to worry, and to beg for signs. But We must remember that God has the final word, and there is no reason to live without faith in our lives. So let us have our faith, our hope, and our trust in God be the final word in our Christian walk. 

A Life Well-Lived

All Saints Sermon 2019: Psalm 149; Luke 6: 20-31

As a pastor, I’m often privileged to preach at funerals for the members here at the church, and a couple of times, I have also preached for members long ago, whom I’ve never met. In each case I listen as the family members tell me stories about this person. Inevitably I learn that sometimes you learn a whole lot more about the person and who they are when the pastor is NOT around. I’ve been privileged over the years to hear about the love of family, the business prowess, artistic creativity, funny stories, skills, and talents of so many members here at FCC Macon and for friends who needed a pastor as well. 

In reading over this scripture, I pondered over the stories I’ve heard, the personalities I’ve learned and grown to love, and there was this lingering question: what does it take to have a life well-lived? Now, in the immediate answer, you might say, “Faith! Belief!” And in fact, faith in the Holy One to save and restore is so very important, but what about after that? As we navigate our lives as Christians, how do we end our time here on earth with a life well-lived? 

The Gospel for today gives us that very insight. We hear a shorter re-telling of the Beatitudes: God blesses the poor, the hungry, and those who weep (or mourn). We are told that such folks who are poor of suffering in some way will be lifted up. The poor are told the Kingdom of God is theirs. The hungry are told they will be satisfied. And those who weep are told their sadness will turn to joy. This stands in contrast to the warnings just a few verses later. Those who are rich are told that their happiness is only temporary. Those who are proud and prosperous will soon face hunger. Those who are praised should remember that their ancestors praised false prophets. 

These words are a reminder to us that faith is meant to lift up the broken, to heal the hurting, to redeem the unworthy, and to seek out the forgotten or excluded. In Jesus’ day this would have been a rebuke to those who were high and mighty and also quite proud of it. There is nothing wrong with prosperity, praise, and success, so long as you are still following Christ and living in Christ’s way of grace and humility. A life well-lived is not measured by success in the world’s estimation, but by the depth of faith in Christ and how that faith is lived here and now. 

We see that very notion reflected in Jesus. He could have very quickly and easily redeemed, saved, and gotten the heck out of Dodge. But, instead, Christ spent time healing and helping, rebuking the abuses of the high and mighty, speaking truth, and loving all, but especially the outcast and the stranger. We must do the same. Rather than being caught up in worldly measures of greatness, and success, and power, we must seek to be close to Christ and to live as differently and radically as he did here on earth. 

We are warned, though, of the difficulties. The Gospel also tells us that we will be hated, excluded, mocked, and cursed with evil, for the ancient prophets were treated the same way. But Christ tells the disciples to look beyond to the blessings that await, to the joy and the reward in Heaven for those who endure such trouble and heartache. If we are to have a life well-lived, we must be willing to accept that faith is not a cure for all trouble here on earth. Christ did not come to spare us every difficulty, but instead we are given the tools with which to overcome our trouble here on earth. One of the things I’ve learned form all the folks  whose funerals I’ve preached is that they overcame their trouble with grace, strength, and tremendous faith in Christ. 

Now, it is simple enough for a life well-lived to follow Christ closely, to live humbly, to seek God’s will and way in all things, and to look for joy in the troubling times, but the final part of the Gospel presents us with a real challenge: “but to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies.” I am sure that all who were listening to Jesus caught their breath just a bit. But he didn’t stop. “Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.” Jesus even gives examples: to turn the other cheek if slapped, give more than asked even if your very coat is demanded of you, don’t try to get things back if someone takes them from you. 

I’m sure everyone who has heard this or read it had the same collective thought: “I really could have done with out this particular list of stuff.” I suggest, however, that this is what distinguishes us as Christians, not the bumper sticker, the t-shirt, or the facebook posts; but in how we live. If there is nothing about our lives that is different, powerful, and Christ-like, then we have failed utterly. As an example, I think of the recent trial of the young female police officer in Texas who shot the unarmed man in his own apartment. She is white, and he was black. The case was carefully followed all around the country. 

At the sentencing hearing, the victim’s brother spoke. He could have easily and justifiably been angry, upset, called for extensive punishment, but he didn’t. Instead he told her that he forgave her for killing his brother. He told her that he loved her just as he would love anyone else, and he wished the best for her. He told her to go to God, so that God can forgive her as well. In the end, he gave her a hug to show that there was love and forgiveness even in the face of tragedy and pain, and even though she had just been convicted of murdering his brother. 

All of these lessons are summed up well in the final sentence of the Gospel lesson: do unto others as you would like them to do to you. It’s such an important rule, and it is actually found in almost every major religion around the world: in the Baha’i religion, Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Native American spirituality, Sikhism, Taoism and so many others. It is a careful test for us. Before you speak or act, think: would you like this same thing done, said, or acted out to you? If the answer is no, then don’t do it to others. 

So what does it take to have a life well-lived? We see in our Gospel that we must seek to humbly and closely follow Christ, we must measure ourselves in the grace that Christ gives and not based on worldly markers of success and privilege, we must love our enemies even as Christ loved and forgave those who crucified him on the cross. And we must remember in all things how to treat others around us: to do unto others as we would then to do unto us. May God give us the strength for our journey here on earth, so that when all is said and done we may have a life well-lived, marked and measured in the grace of Christ. 

When All Is Said and Done

When All Is Said and Done: Joel 2: 23-32; II Tim. 4: 6-8, 16-18

Sometimes, when all is said and done, people leave a bit of humor behind them, specifically as an epitaph or quote on their headstone. One such person, out of humor, had engraved on his headstone the words, “I told you I was sick.” There are others just as strange and comical, such as Susan who would tell people asking about her fudge recipe, “Over my dead body.” Her family had the recipe printed on the back of her headstone…over her dead body. What do we say, what will be the takeaway from our lives when all is said and done? 

In our New Testament, we read portions of a letter Paul wrote to Timothy. Some scholars debate whether Paul wrote this, or a follower of Paul wrote it a little later, but here we are going to look at the letter to Timothy as authored by Paul. We encounter an Apostle Paul later in life, close to his death by execution in Rome. This is the closing chapter of Second Timothy, and Paul starts it out with some very famous words. He writes, “As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.” 

That is, perhaps, one of the greatest claims to be made about our lives when all is said and done. We have fought the good fight. We have finished the race. We have remained faithful. It’s the kind of statement that reflects a robust, deep, and mature faith. And Paul has indeed learned his lessons through trial by fire. He faced beatings, imprisonment, being outcast, trials, shipwrecks, and all kinds of danger in his mission to spread the Good News of God’s love and grace. Those trials, those tests of endurance have grounded his faith and helped it mature to a place where he is truly and fully at peace. 

Paul even tells how, when he came to be tried and judged, he was abandoned and alone. Jesus was denied and Paul was abandoned. It’s a sad indictment of those Paul had counted on for support. But we hear that for Paul, whose faith was strong and powerful, we hear his words of forgiveness, “May it not be counted against them.” But we hear further that “the Lord stood with [him] and gave [him] strength” to preach the Good News for all in Rome to hear. When all was said and done, Paul stood firm, Paul spoke the truth, and Paul had faith which was deep and powerful. But Paul also leaves a reminder for Timothy and all who read this: “Yes, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom.” 

When all is said and done, will we be able to have that kind of faith like Paul, a faith which is deep, expansive, and powerful? Few of us will ever face the kind of trial and difficulty that Paul did, but even in what we face in life, will be hold firm to say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful?” You see this great difference in Paul from his early days: contentious, restless, ready to argue and debate. But here we see a Paul who is older, resolute, and wholly at peace with whatever comes at him in life. Paul’s growth and maturity in faith should be an example for us, to grow and mature in the same way in our walk with God. 

But, when all is said and done, it is not just us as individuals in faith who are to grow and mature. God will also redeem and inspire humanity and the world itself on a grand scale. The book of Joel is a judgement and prophetic vision of restoration. After locusts destroy all of the crops and overwhelm the towns, God offers a word of hope: “Rejoice, you people of Jerusalem! Rejoice in the Lord Your God…I will give you back what you lost.” Whereas we deal in faith, God deals in restoration and redemption. 

There are a number of promises made to the people: the plague of locusts would disappear, food will be abundant again, they will no longer face disgrace, God’s Spirit will be poured out on them. And in this prophetic word God promises that the daughters will prophesy, the old men will dream dreams, the young men will see visions. It is a promise that God’s Spirit will redeem, restore, and energize the entirety of the people, because when all is said and done, God will not leave God’s people desolate and abandoned. 

Sarah Corson was a missionary to Bolivia in 1980. She was there with a team of seventeen other young people trying to bring the Good News to different parts of the remote regions of Bolivia. The team traveled down some of the deadliest and most dangerous roads, crossed treacherous and swollen rivers to both teach of Christ and to bring training of sustainable agriculture for a more reliable food supply. But there was a danger lurking in these remote regions that she did not count on. 

The military junta which seized power after the president died believe the American missionaries were encouraging the resistance and wanted to eliminate the missionaries entirely. Sarah and her team were discovered by the soldiers and in those few moments before capture, she prayed hard. After she was attacked, shoved to the ground, and had guns aimed at her, she began to share with the soldiers how she loved them, and how Christ loved them as well. The soldiers were amazed by her actions and inspired by her words and her faith. The commander said to her, “I could have fought any amount of guns you might have had, but there is something here I cannot understand, I cannot fight it.” 

Eventually, she was released and went on to continue to co-pastor a Bolivian church which was packed with people the Sunday after the raid, and because of her actions, even the military commander showed up to church that Sunday and found God. Not only was Sarah able to change hearts and minds, she also changed their farming habits, so that the people had a regular supply of food and no one would go hungry. 

When all is said and done, what will be said of us? Have we embraced the God who redeems and restores the people, enlivening and encouraging them? Or will we live our lives weak in faith and struggling in our hope and strength? The Apostle Paul looked forward to the result of his life in faith: “and now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on this day of his return.” 

Paul also give us that same hope reminding us, “And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.” So, therefore, let us live in faith and hope knowing that our God redeems and restores. One day when all is said and done there will be a lasting word or understanding of us. I pray that each of us have the faith that we may say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith.”