Freedom of the Servant

This sermon was heard at the Federated Church in Weatherford, Oklahoma on Sunday June 26, 2016, the Thirteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time.

2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14
Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20
Galatians 5:1,13-25
Luke 9:51-62

May the words of mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen

The Reverend Chip Andrus is the Pastor at South Salem Presbyterian Church in South Salem, New York. I knew Chip when he was the Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Harrison, Arkansas. He’s one of those people I want to be when I grow up. If envy wasn’t a sin, I would covet his musical talent. I tell people I’m musical, but not musically talented. Chip is both.

A few years ago Marie and I went to Sunday worship at First Harrison and the sermon had to do with being a servant. The choir didn’t do an anthem that day. Rather than the full choir and organ, Chip and a small combo of guitars gathered around the font. They sang the first single released from Bob Dylan’s 1979 studio album “Slow Train Coming.” It was his first release since becoming a born again Christian. They played “Gotta Serve Somebody” and played it quite well. During the sermon, Pastor Chip quoted the song:

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes
You're gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody

There are two things from last Sunday’s sermon that I want to say again. The first is this paraphrase of Paul from Galatians, “there was a time when the nation of Israel lived under the custody of the Law, the Torah, until the faith could be revealed. The Law acted like a guardian taking care of the nation. Then the Christ came and we are now justified by faith and now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.”

I bring this back because this leads us to the beginning of our reading from Galatians. The words found on the cover of our bulletin, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

In the days of Jesus, the Pharisees literally turned the law into a yoke of slavery. To be right with the law was to be right with the Temple Elite was to be right with the Pharisees. If you didn’t do as the Pharisees wanted, your relationship with God would be brought into question. In Jerusalem, at a time when everything revolved around the temple, if you ran afoul with the leaders you could be kicked out. Being kicked out would lead to spiritual, social, and financial ruin.

In the sacred and the secular, the Pharisees had the people in a yoke of slavery made from the law. In and of itself, the law was not bad, but when people use the Law, the word of God, to make the people slaves, that is bad.

We are no longer under the guardianship of the law, but that doesn’t mean we don’t need safeguards. Without rules people have a tendency to get off the leash and run. Folks can become overzealous. Our gospel reading from the New International Version says, “Jesus sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him.” Remember, the Jews and the Samaritans were cousins who didn’t get along. Back to the story, “[they did] not welcome him because he was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, ’Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?’ But Jesus turned and rebuked them.”

Another translation, the New American Standard Bible, includes a comment by Jesus not found in earlier manuscripts. In this translation, Jesus rebukes the disciples saying, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” In that translation, not only do we know that James and John were rebuked, but how they were rebuked.

James and John were two of the most trusted disciples. They will see the transfiguration. They will accompany the Lord to Gethsemane when the time comes; and they get scolded for offering wrath when that is not the will of God. The Samaritans are the Hatfield’s to their McCoy and the nuclear option looks pretty good, but that is not the will of God.

To live in the age of grace that follows living under the law, we need to live in the right spirit, the Holy Spirit of God in Christ. To do that, I first want to bring back the other thing from last Sunday’s sermon. In the conclusion I said, “This is the good news of Jesus Christ. The God who sent his Son to show us a better way, to be the better way, became the living Torah so we can live by faith and not under the law.”

It’s not wrong to ask the question “if we don’t live under the law, then what do we live under?” You might even ask me if I am “anti-law-and-order.” Rest assured I love order contrary to the appearance of my desk at any given moment. But I heard it said that laws and rules are written for society’s dumbest people. Why is there a speed limit? So people don’t drive 145 mph through downtown OKC. Why does the NFL make football stadiums quit serving adult beverages after the third quarter? To reduce the number of drunk drivers. Why can’t you drive drunk? It’s about safety, the drinker’s and everybody else’s.

As Paul writes, the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit and what the flesh wants is, “sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.” Paul sure knows how to make a list, doesn’t he?

When talking about Jesus as the Living Torah, the Law of God that came to be with us and to be one of us, we must remember that the Messiah only wants what is good and right for the children of God. Nothing bad can come from Jesus. I’ll say that again. Nothing bad can come from Jesus. This is the breadth of God’s love for us. The Lord who can do all things from creation to destruction, chooses love. There is no hate, no spite, no arrogance, no ignorance, no impatience, no grudges in the name of God.

In this “What Would Jesus Do?” moment, we have to remember that the answer is to live in the spirit of God. Paul has a list for what it means to live in the Spirit too, ‘love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” He ends saying, “Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

Our reading from Paul’s letter to the Galatians ends with an admonition that can be read as a prayer, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” He tells the Galatians that they live in the Spirit! Yes, they live in the Spirit!

Paul says freedom is in Christ. When we stand firm in Christ the burdens others place on us are gone. That doesn’t mean everything in life will automatically be peaches and cream; there are people who will try to put the yoke of the law around your neck again and again. There are Pharisees in every age who will tell you what to think and how to act and will do it in the name of God. When done to lift up what is not Godly, Paul tells to beware, “If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”

Yes, people err. People goof. People make mistakes. You know the old expression, “To err is human, to blame is also human.” This is the nature of sin which we will not escape this side of glory. We can rejoice that while to err is human, to forgive divine. Living under the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we are not servants to the law or, more importantly, the Pharisees, whether ancient and modern, who would bind us with it.

Pastor Chip quoted Bob Dylan saying:

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes
You're gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody

I love Chip as a friend, pastor, and colleague in ministry. I follow him on Facebook, but not as a prophet. I am not a servant of Chip. As for Dylan’s music, I like this song. The album got fair to good reviews and the song won a Grammy. I’m not a servant of Dylan or his music. We are servants of Christ, and as his servants we are free from the yoke of the law. We are free. Free to live by the Spirit, serving one another humbly in love, for the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Half Right

This sermon was heard at the First Presbyterian Church in Marshall, Texas on Sunday October 21, 2012, the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Job 38:1-7

Psalm 104:1-9, 24, 35c

Hebrews 5:1-10

Mark 10:35-45

May the words of my mouth and the mediations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer.  Amen

You know me well enough to know that sometimes, I get an image burned into my head. Sometimes it’s worth sharing, more often than not there’s the reason I keep it to myself or share it only with Marie. Well, the first part of this passage did just that, and today I’m sharing.

I see the dreamy eyes of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, the sons of Thunder, as they approach Jesus. In their minds eyes they are sitting next to Jesus, everyone wearing white robes, everyone’s hair flowing in the wind, riding on the back of a classic Ford Mustang convertible, the Homecoming King and his honor attendants.

You know the wave: elbow, elbow, wrist, wrist, wrist. Smiling and waving at the appreciative crowd. In my hometown they would have been riding on the back of the convertible on Johnson Drive all the way from the high school down to Nall Avenue, just short of the Baskin-Robbins where I worked. Crowds of people along the way would be getting ready for the big game, but not before showing their undying love for the three in the car.

Jesus is in the middle surrounded by admirers and disciples, sitting in the glory seat. He’s the one everyone adores; but everyone can see James and John, the next most popular kids in the senior class.

Jesus can’t be matched, everyone knows that, but to be next to the Lord, one on his right and the other on the left in his glory, that is the greatest place they could ever hope to be. They sit and wave and bask in the Lord’s reflected glory and just know everyone wants to be like them. That's what they want.

Suddenly, Jesus busts their dream bubbles. “You might think you can get in the car, but do you think you’ll be able to take the ride all the way to Nall Avenue? Will you be able to wear the crown and sash? Will you be able to take everything the crowds have to give?”

I’m sure James and John imagined sharing the love and adulation. “Oh, yes, we most certainly will be able to take it all.” I’m just as sure they didn’t imagine the jealousy, envy, hatred, and scorn.

Jesus gives the blushing boys a nod and tells them the truth they don’t understand, “Well guess what; you will get wear the crown and the sash and you will get to know it all, but whether you’ll be riding in the classic Mustang or not, that’s not up to me.”

That’s when the scenario in my head dissolves into the rest of the homecoming court, the ten who are sitting on hay bails on the flatbed truck behind the classic Mustang, they get upset with the upstarts. You know the rest, kicking, scratching, hair pulling… I can’t decide if my re-visioning of this passage is like a bad teen movie or the spoof of a bad teen movie.

If this reading is giving you a feeling of déjà vu, it should. This is the third time we find the Passion-prediction, apostle-slip, harsh-truth pattern in Mark’s gospel.

The first time is back in chapter 8 when Peter affirms Jesus is Lord. It began when Jesus tells the apostles there will be pain and suffering. Then Peter takes Jesus aside to tell him how to be the Messiah. Then Jesus dropped the bomb, “Get behind me Satan!”

The second time was found in chapter nine, “Then they came to Capernaum; and when [Jesus] was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the way?’ But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another over who was the greatest.” [1]

Today’s Passion description precedes our reading from Mark. In it Jesus says, “We are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles; they will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog him, and kill him. Three days he will rise.”[2] Then James and John ask to be second in command. Then Jesus tells them what’s going to really happen.

This is the third time Jesus had told his disciples that he will be mocked, spat upon, flogged, killed, and after three days raised from the dead.  It is completely absurd that immediately after this teaching, the third repeat of this same teaching, the Sons of Thunder ask if they can sit next to Jesus in his glory.

There’s an old expression: “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” So what do we do when the apostles are fooled a third time? Jesus does what he did each of the other times; he showed them where they were half right and tried to teach them the other half. If the end game is redemption of the whole of creation, what else is there to do? That’s grace in action.

What makes this painfully human is James and John asking to sit next to Jesus in his glory. They were seeking power and glory in this earthly kingdom, seeking the good things power and glory can bring. This is what they thought his glory would be. They asked and Jesus told them they would share his baptism and share his cup.

What they didn’t grasp was that his full glory was on the other side of the Passion. What didn’t get through their skulls was that the cup wasn’t anything anybody would want to share. “Cup” often meant a cup overflowing with misery and woe. They are anxious to be next to him in his ecstasy but not in his agony. Holy Week shows us this. On the heels of his last Passion prediction, they ask Jesus if he will let them hear the cheers, but nobody asks to scream in terror.

There’s a holy “nannie-nannie-na-na” to hearing Jesus tell James and John that those places on the left and right are not for him to grant. It is glorious to hear that those places are “for those for whom it has been prepared.” In a grim turn, those places will belong to two bandits, one on his right and one on his left.[3] We want to bask in his reflected glory, that’s the easy part. It’s not so easy to share the anguish. We beg to be next to Jesus in his glory, but nobody wants a piece of Golgotha, the place of a skull.[4]

Let’s not sugar coat this either, Jesus knows his fate will be horrific.  And he knows that being fully human, born from the womb of a woman; he will feel the pain.  He will know the horror of crucifixion. He will know the horror of abandonment by those closest to him. Being the Messiah does not come with its own spiritual morphine.  He is God and he is human, he will know the pain of a crucified man.

Being baptized in his own blood walking to his death? Drinking from the cup of the Passion? The passion Jesus told them about three different times? I wonder if they would have asked the same question if they had known what they were getting themselves into. It’s the good old fashioned “Beware of what you ask for, because you just might get it.” I wonder if this little heart-to-heart came to mind when the promise that they will be baptized with the same baptism and drink from the same cup was being fulfilled.

One more time, Jesus tells them what true leadership means. Jesus tells the disciples that the powerful lord their authority over the Gentiles. And the high officials lord their power and authority over those leaders. It’s a power struggle. It’s a top-down power struggle and as long as you can push your load downhill it’s all good. It’s being covered in what rolls downhill that gets nasty.

Whether it’s taxes or being forced to carry a soldier’s pack one mile, or any of the other nasty things the Romans or the Temple elite could require the people to do, being at the bottom of the ladder has no perks at all.

There’s one more truth about this fact, it’s not what Jesus wants us to do. “Not so with you,” he says, “instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.” Microsoft Word warns me that that sentence has “verb confusion.” If that’s the only confusion it carries that would be enough, but what’s confusing in this sentence extends beyond the verbs.

He says “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.” Here’s an important point that often gets missed, to be a servant or a slave you must have a master. Let me say this again, to be a servant or a slave you must have a master. So here’s the question Jesus leaves unasked. He doesn’t ask the apostles. He doesn’t ask the disciples. He doesn’t ask the Jews or the Gentiles. He doesn’t ask the civil or temple leaders. He asks “Who are you going to serve?”

In 1979, Bob Dylan released his “Slow Train Coming” album, much to the dismay of the listening audience. Suddenly this young Jewish man who had played folk and rock suddenly took a turn into gospel and Christian rock long before it was cool. The big single on “Slow Train Coming” was “Gotta Serve Somebody.” The chorus rings out as plain as day:

You're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed

You're gonna have to serve somebody,

It may be the devil or it may be the Lord

But you're gonna have to serve somebody.[5]

It doesn’t get any easier than this. It’s an either/or choice. Like Dylan sings you have to serve somebody and our choices are the devil or the Lord. Jesus proclaims “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant” and “whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.” Jesus shows how he has made up his mind, “for even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve.”

Jesus tells us to be servants, slaves of all. That is the example he has set for us and continues to set. Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve. His life has been given to pay the ransom for many. That is what we are called to do if we are going to be great. That is what is required because this ransom was paid for us. This is the example Jesus sets for all humanity.

It may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you’re gonna have to serve somebody.

Often people say they have no master. Nobody has command over them. There’s a fierce independent streak among westerners in general and Americans in particular that insists no man is master over me. That’s not the good news because when we become our own masters we let bad things become our masters.

For an easy example, some of us are slaves to chemicals. Whether it’s tobacco or alcohol or chemicals we get legally or illegally, sometimes these chemicals become our masters. On November 1 I will celebrate 25 years without a cigarette. It’s been a long time coming, but I have to tell you, there are still days when I crave a cigarette. It’s been 25 years and I can still feel that hot smoke fill my lungs and sinuses and remember how it made me feel.

It may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you’re gonna have to serve somebody.

Power, authority, and prestige are also things we think we can control, but in the long run they can gain control over us. This is what tempted the sons of Zebedee, the sons of Thunder. If we say we know better than that we make the devil’s favorite mistake, we forget we’re just as human as they were. When we want the things that bring us glory, we are hoping for the wrong things. Certainly this was a part of James’ and John’s thinking; after all they were only human.

Yesterday was Homecoming at East Texas Baptist University. Homecoming is this coming weekend at Marshall High School. That's a lot of custom cars with lots of pretty young ladies and handsome young men. They’ll be flying the colors and waving the flag. They’ll be cheering on the home team. They’re making a commitment, a decision. Not the most important one they will make, but still, they’re showing their loyalty.

We have two choices about who we serve, Jesus or the world. It may be the devil and it may be the Lord but we have to serve somebody. In the end, we need to remember that by the grace of God, through the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, we have been bought and paid for. God wants us to behave like this matters to us. God wants us to be first by being the slave of all. The disciples got it half right. It’s up to us to seek Christ’s way, even the baptism and the cup, and continue God’s work, getting the other half right too.

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[1] Mark 9:33-34

[2] Mark 10:33-34

[3] Mark 15:27

[4] Mark 15:22

[5] Dylan, Bob. “Gotta Serve Somebody.” Columbia Records, 1979.

The Decider

This sermon was heard at the First Presbyterian Church in Marshall, Texas on Sunday November 20, 2011, the 34th and last Sunday of Ordinary Time. This day is celebrated as Christ the King Sunday.

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Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24

Psalm 100

Ephesians 1:15-23

Matthew 25:31-46

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer.  Amen.

The Morrill Land Grant Act of 1862 set aside federal land in every state to establish a state university. The act required the universities to establish what we call today Reserve Officer Training Corps units. It also required instruction in agricultural, technical, and mechanical arts. The county extension service was also created under this act to improve agricultural and homemaking skills throughout the states. The Morrill Act created what we know as the A&M’s, A&T’s, and State Universities.

Because of the land donation, the law encouraged the universities to be built in rural and out of the way areas of the state. This helped reduce urban distractions that detract from higher education. Looking at the locations of the land grant schools in this region makes this point. Some of the fabulous cities which host these universities include College Station, Texas; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Stillwater, Oklahoma; Manhattan, Kansas; Las Cruces, New Mexico; Auburn, Alabama; and the possibly aptly named Starkville, Mississippi.

Yet one hundred fifty years after the Morrill Act was passed, these university towns are among some of the most livable cities in America. Forbes list of most livable cities often include the land grant school cities of Madison, Wisconsin; Lincoln, Nebraska; and Fayetteville, Arkansas. The question of what shaped the quality of life in these towns is a chicken-and-egg thing; were these cities always livable or did the university make the city livable? The truth is that the university serves as a hub for business and industry and arts and leisure that make these cities livable. Without the universities these cities wouldn’t be destinations, they’d be the middle of nowhere.

Everyone wants to defend their alma mater, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but I ask: Would you want to go to College Station or Baton Rouge if it weren’t for the university?

There is one problem with the cities that host these universities. These small towns often end up with big city problems like poverty and crime. By the insulated nature of these communities and the university itself, these problems and others are often swept into corners and hidden. They don’t happen often, and that’s not bad news, but because of this lack of frequency first responders and law enforcement officials don’t have the experience their big-city brethren have.

Often, these issues are ignored hoping they will go away. A couple of weeks ago, these issues came together in a perfect storm of horror in at State College, Pennsylvania a former coach, at one time the heir apparent to become head coach, was named in a grand jury report concerning several horrible incidents of child abuse.

I won’t go into the full story as I know it; because not only do I not know the full story, but the full story hasn’t unfolded yet. Still, some things must be asked and answered. These questions include “Who knew what and when did they know it?” and “Who should have done what?” Pundits and parents are asking about the differences between fulfilling “legal responsibilities” and following “moral imperatives.” People don’t seem to be asking “Did this really happen?” In American jurisprudence this is important because every accused person goes to trial with the presumption of innocence. This question is also the reason people add the word “alleged” when specifying names and crimes.

There’s also an old expression for times like this, “There’s a special place in hell for someone who would harm a child like this.”

By the way, I’m not going into the similar controversy happening with the basketball program at Syracuse University because it is now just coming to light. That and the ‘Cuse doesn’t fit my “land grant school” motif.[1] This morning Marie asked me if coaches were becoming the new “Catholic Priests” and all I could say was “yes.”

So I want to reiterate this: I believe there is a special place in hell for someone who would harm a child like this. This is where we connect to our gospel reading this morning.

I have often undersold the story of the sheep and goats and that’s my loss. Jesus tells a wild, wild tale. Beyond a story, it’s in my opinion the wildest prophetic view of end times, the second coming and eternal judgment in Matthew’s gospel.

Our reading begins with the word that sets the stage for the apocalyptic prophecy, “when.” Using this definite adverb, Jesus begins by proclaiming this event will happen like it has already happened. “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.” Jesus has told all of his disciples that he will come in his glory.

At this point, all of the nations come gathered; collected before Christ the King on his throne. There he separates the people just like a shepherd separates sheep and goats. These images are intentional. Jesus is referred to as the Good Shepherd in scripture so this is not an accident. In fact, these images sound a lot like our reading from Ezekiel. Jesus chose this image carefully.

The nation of Israel is often referred to as sheep. The Lord has had a special relationship nation of Israel since the beginning, since Genesis. These images and thoughts come together in verse 34 when King Jesus says to the sheep, “take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”

This portrayal of the sheep is good as far as it goes. Matthew’s gospel was directed toward Jewish believers, but this particular prophecy also has an eye toward those who spread the word of the risen Christ and those who support those them. Those gentiles who support the Kingdom of Heaven, supporting the church and those who spread the Good News, they are also included in the sheep of this fold.

In this passage Jesus tells us that those who hear his voice work on behalf of his kingdom. This is true; the sheep of his fold are those who hear his voice and follow his commands. Those who love the Lord hear his voice and follow his commands. By this, some people say that we can be saved by works; some read this to say that if you’re good you will enter into the kingdom. We in the reformed tradition stand firmly against this. We are saved by grace through faith, and we demonstrate our faith in responding to God’s grace in word and deed. It is up to us to share the Good News of the risen Christ and support those who share the good news.

We need to remember that in the ancient of days there were those who persecuted Christians. There were Christians who are hungry and thirsty and there was no one to give them something to eat or a cool water to drink. There were evangelists who traveled to share the Good News who had no place to lay their heads. There were missionaries who were imprisoned for doing what the Lord called them to do. There were even rabbis who shared the difficult words of life, not just the popular ones, and they were cast aside because the message was too much for some to hear.

As true as this was then, it is just as true today. This passage is about the missionaries and evangelists who share the good news yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Even more so, it is for those who support them.[2]

What’s interesting about this passage is that everybody seems to be surprised to be included in either the sheep or the goats. Everyone asks “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?”

The righteous and the cursed both ask this question. Both groups, the sheep and the goats, don’t recognize when they have served and when they have failed. In Matthew’s reading, nobody really knows which variety of livestock they will be lumped in. Neither group can tell. They just don’t know.

So, this gets back to where I began. I do believe there’s a special place in hell for someone who would harm a child, but here’s the rub, it’s not up to me to decide who the sheep are and who the goats are. No matter what I think, no matter how “well qualified” I think I am to make that judgment; it’s not up to me. With what happened at Penn State, I am not qualified to decide who gets to go to the “special place.” The responsibility for that decision has been given by the Father to the Son to decide.

Returning to scripture, the answer to “who judges the righteous and who judges the cursed?” are right in front of us. Verse 32 tells us “[The Son of Man] will separate the people one from another. Verse 34 then tells us “Come, you who are blessed by my Father…” Matthew’s gospel tells us it is the Father who blesses the righteous who are separated from the cursed by the King at the final judgment.

As for the others, Matthew doesn’t call them the evil or the unrighteous; he simply calls them “you who are cursed.” Jesus doesn’t say who curses them; he just says they are cursed. To say they are cursed by the Lord is to say a defendant’s guilt is caused by the judge. The judge only put the state’s seal on the proceeding.

Matthew doesn’t say the devil is the one who curses them either. The devil and the cursed will share the same punishment, but the devil can’t force anybody to do anything. Tempt, yes. Coerce, no.

There is no time when it is up to us to decide who are the sheep and who are the goats. It is not up to us to decide who will be with Christ the King in the Kingdom of God and who will be with the devil in eternal torment. This is up to the Lord. So if we don’t decide who’s a sheep and who’s a goat then what do we get to decide?

We are called to make choices for our lives and our families. It is up to us to choose how we live. It is up to us as parents and as the Body of Christ to raise disciples who are able to make good decisions. Are we to choose the life scripture calls us to lead or are we to go and do what we want? Are we to be tempted to keep our own agendas or are we to work for the good of God’s good earth? Are we to reject the great unwashed or should we remember that when we do for the least of people around us in truth we serve the Lord?

It is our choice, and as for me and this house, we will serve the Lord.

We come together today on Christ the King Sunday to declare that God is sovereign. We come and testify that Christ is King. One of the king’s responsibilities is to judge creation, and Matthew shows us this will happen. He doesn’t say when, he doesn’t go into all of the twists and turns of apocalyptic prophecy. Matthew simply tells us the Son of Man will come in his glory and when he does he will sit on his throne and judge. Nothing more, nothing less.

Matthew doesn’t say that the goats will be sent in the realm of the devil. On the contrary, we read that those who are cursed will be sent into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. The devil isn’t the king of this kingdom, he isn’t the king of anything. He’s just another soul writhing in agony. Christ is the King of all creation.

It is up to us to judge our own behavior. It is up to us to judge the behavior of others to say “this is a good role model.” It is up to us to judge the behavior of others to say “that is no sort of behavior for me, for a follower of Christ.”

Christ is the king, we are the servants. It is up to us to share God’s word with the world and support those who share the word. It’s not up to us to decide who will be saved and who will not because Christ the king makes that decision. Taking time and energy to make this judgment ultimately distracts us doing what we are called to do. It is up to us to feed the hungry and give a cold drink to the thirsty, to offer shelter to the sojourner, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and imprisoned.

By this we don’t earn our salvation. By this we participate in the salvation of the world. By this we decide to join in with God’s redemptive work in creation.

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[1] Syracuse University has a historical connection to the United Methodist Church.

[2] “The New Interpreter’s Bible.” Leander Keck, General Editor, v. VIII, Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1995, page 456.

The Sons of Zebedee

This sermon was heard at the First Presbyterian Church in Berryville, Arkansas on Sunday October 18, 2009, the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Job 38:1-7, (34-41)
Psalm 104:1-9, 24, 35c
Hebrews 5:1-10
Mark 10:35-45

May the words of my mouth and the mediations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen

You know me well enough to know that sometimes, I get an image burned into my head that I just can’t get rid of until I share it. Sometimes it’s worth sharing, more often than not that’s the reason I keep them to myself or share them only with Marie. Well, the first part of this passage did just that.

I see the dreamy eyes of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, as they approach Jesus. In their minds eyes they are sitting next to Jesus, everyone wearing white robes, everyone’s hair flowing in the wind, riding on the back of a classic Ford Mustang convertible, the Homecoming King and the attentive court.

Actually, the image in my head was Homecoming Queen because my high school didn’t do a Homecoming King, but I don’t want to make this image any more unorthodox than it all ready is.

Still, you know, the wave: elbow, elbow, wrist, wrist, wrist. Smiling and waving at the appreciative crowd; riding on the back of the convertible along the parade route. Crowds of people along the way would be getting ready for the big game, but not before showing their undying love for the three in the car. Sure, Jesus is in the middle, surrounded by admirers and disciples, sitting in the honored seat. He is the one everyone adores the most; but everyone looks to the Sons of Zebedee, James and John, as the next most popular kids in the senior class.

Jesus can’t be matched, everyone knows that, but to be next to the Lord, that is the greatest place anyone could ever hope to be; a place that can’t be matched. James and John sit and wave and bask in the Lord’s reflected glory and know everyone wants to be just like them.

Suddenly, Jesus busts their dream bubbles asking, “You might think you can get in the car, but do you think you’ll be able to take the ride? Will you be able to wear the crown and the sash? Will you be able to take everything the crowds have to give, the love, the adulation, the jealousy, the envy, the hatred, the scorn?”

“Oh, yes, we most certainly will be able to take it all.” It’s almost as if they didn’t hear the second half of the litany Jesus laid out.

Jesus gives the blushing boys a nod and tells them the truth they don’t understand, “Well guess what; you will get to wear the crown and the sash and you will know the love, the adulation, the jealousy, the envy, the hatred, the scorn. But whether you’ll be riding in the classic Mustang or not, well, that’s not up to me.”

That’s when the rest of the homecoming court gets upset with the upstarts. You know the rest, kicking, scratching, hair pulling…

I can’t decide if my re-visioning of this passage is like a bad teen movie or the spoof of a bad teen movie. If this gives you the willies, just imagine what I share only with Marie and then imagine what I keep to myself.

As silly as my re-visioning of this scene is, what is even sillier is its context. The disciples are on the road going up to Jerusalem during this passage. Immediately before our reading, Jesus shares this with the disciples, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles; they will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise again.”[1]

This isn’t even the first time Jesus had predicted his Passion; his death and resurrection. This is the third time Jesus had told his disciples that he will be mocked, spat upon, flogged, killed, and after three days raised from the dead. It is completely absurd that immediately after this teaching, this repeat of this teaching; the Sons of Thunder ask if they can sit next to Jesus in his glory.

Perhaps what makes this entirely too sinfully human is that James and John ask to sit next to Jesus in his glory; this glory they anticipated would be far greater than any earthly kingdom. Their question, absent any reference to the Passion, would have been a request to sit as princes in this earthly kingdom. They were seeking power and glory; I hope they were also seeking the good things power and glory can bring.

They are anxious to be next to him in his ecstasy, but not in his agony. On the heels of his last Passion prediction, they ask Jesus if he will let them hear the cheers, but in this scene nobody asks to hear the cries.

It’s easy for us to swell with knowing as Jesus tells James and John that sitting at his left and right is not for him to grant. It is glorious to hear that those places are for those for whom it has been prepared. There’s a certain ethereal joy knowing there is a place is prepared for the Church Christ ordains. It gnaws at the pit of my stomach when I read that with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left.[2] People, we beg to be next to Jesus in his glory, but we hardly beg for a place at Golgotha, the place of the skull.[3]

In the meantime the rest of the disciples get angry with James and John. While scripture is particularly silent on the reason, I suspect that they were angry with them for their request. The others were probably angry that James and John had done an end-around on them and asked for the good seats. I wonder if they were angrier because they hadn’t thought of it first. I can’t imagine they were ticked because they wanted be the first to share in the terror Jesus predicted.

I wonder if they would have asked the same question if they knew what they were getting themselves into. How often do we remember the Passion when we hear Jesus say, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized.”

I hope James, and John and the rest were thinking about justice for the poor, care for the hungry, healing for the sick; things that a Godly kingdom brings. I hope they were thinking about the things Jesus talked about in his words on how Gentiles lorded power over one another. Jesus warned about exercising power like tyrants; warning against capricious laws, greedy taxes, and lustful appetites.

The Presbyterian Lay Committee is a group of Presbyterians who come together and share common concerns and seek common interests. There are dozens of such “affinity groups” scattered around the Presbyterian Church, running the political gamut from very liberal to very conservative. I do not think it is a disservice to categorize the Lay Committee as one of the more conservative affinity groups.

What follows is a commentary by the Rev. Parker Williamson from the September 4, 2009 edition of their newsletter, “The Layman.” Rev. Williamson is Editor Emeritus of “The Layman,” consultant to the Presbyterian Lay Committee, and an honorably retired PC (USA) minister.

Health care is not an entitlement issue. Those who frame public discourse on this subject in the language of “rights” – sadly, this is the approach employed by political lobbyists for the Presbyterian Church (USA) – reveal their ignorance of Scripture and of the human condition.

If human beings had a right to good health, then billions of us – ultimately, all of us – may file a grievance against our Creator. Some of us are unhealthy at birth. All of us are born hosting bacteria that under conditions beyond our control can result in illness and death. Scripture informs us that there is a time to be born and a time to die. These times are not set by us, and they most certainly should not be set by our government. They are the province of God.[4]

I can’t read that without sorrow. Williamson holds up the “human condition” in the same way antebellum American slave owners held up the “Curse of Ham” from Genesis 9:22 to say that Africans were cursed to be slaves. “God ordained their slavery; it says so in the Bible. The plantation is just one way to help every cotton-pickin’ one of them live into their godly office.” He holds up birth defects and grave childhood illness as an expression of Ecclesiastes 3:2, “Hey, there is a time to die, and some die sooner than later. Can’t stop it, God’s plan.”

In fairness, there are some valid points in the commentary. Williamson goes into the fact that for many, lifestyle is a factor in health, obesity for example. For these folk, he recommends a bootstrap approach. He quotes Jesus to the man at Bethsaida asking the, question “Do you want to be healed?” He implies that those who do not wish to take care of themselves in the first place really don’t want to be healed. Sure they want symptom relief, but not healing.

The article ends with this: “We [the Lay Committee] will respond to the Lord’s call for compassion, challenging the wisest among us to implement that compassion through policies that define reciprocal partnerships between donor and recipient.”[5]

This statement seems a bit unwieldy, so let me share what I think it means. I read “donor” as the one who pays for health care reform and “recipient” as the one receiving health care services. By virtue of his place in the organization, Rev. Williamson is saying the Lay Committee will support a call to compassion, but only one that calls people to lead a healthy life and that people be healthy before the “donor” pitches any pennies in their direction. The Lay Committee is willing to respond to the call for God’s compassion, but not willing to lead.

When I read Rev. Williamson’s words, what I see is not compassion; I see pity for people who do not live healthy lives. There is disdain for those who do not live up to his expectations. These folk may be pitiable creatures, but they do not deserve his helping hand.

I don’t read compassion for those whose injured lifestyle damages their health. I don’t sense the Lord’s call to compassion in his words. I sense blaming people for hurting themselves and taking money from his pocket to help subsidize their unhealthy lifestyle. I sense a laissez-faire approach to compassion; let them care for themselves first.

When I read his remarks, I read that he supports a program that calls for the Lord’s compassion. As for action, he is willing to say no to plans being considered right now, but not willing to suggest alternatives. He is not willing to go out and touch all of God’s children who are hurting right now where they are right now. It seems in this case he is not willing to say “we who are great among you must be your servant, for whoever wishes to be first must be slave of all.”

I say this is a shame. As the children of God, we must be willing to reach out. To be great means to be the slave of all.

James and John wanted to sit at the right hand of the Lord to bask in his glory and exercise his power. Jesus says that it is for the Son of Man to come, not to be served but to serve, and give his life for a ransom for many. Jesus knows that we cannot take on the obligation that he alone fulfills.

Jesus calls us, as his blessed children, to go following his example. Jesus sits with the poor; Jesus breaks bread with sinners; and yes, Jesus heals the sick. We are called not to be served, but to serve. Yet, we cannot save anyone; that alone is his work. He alone is the great High Priest. He gives his life for a ransom for many. We cannot save the world; instead we are called to be the hands, eyes, ears, voices, and hearts he will use to save the world.

We are called to live our lives in his service. We are called to live as the children of God, not the children of Zebedee.

[1] Mark 10:33-34, NRSV
[2] Mark 15:27
[3] Mark 15:22
[4] Williamson, Parker, The Layman, http://www.layman.org/News.aspx?article=26338, retrieved October 16, 2009.
[5] Ibid.

Waiting Expectantly

This sermon was heard at the First Presbyterian Church in Berryville, Arkansas on Sunday December 7, 2008, the 2nd Sunday in Advent.

Isaiah 40:1-11
Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13
2Peter 3:8-15a
Mark 1:1-8

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.

I have a problem when reading this lesson, and I wonder if you don’t share the same problem. When I read it, I immediately go to verse nine, “In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.” I mean I immediately go there. There is precedent for this; the Greek word for “immediately” is found fifty-one times in the New Testament. Mark’s gospel uses it forty-one of those times. In Mark’s gospel, so much happens immediately that it’s hard for us not to do the same thing.

It’s also not so uncommon because we know what comes next. We know that immediately after we meet John, Jesus appears. Of course we jump to what’s next; we do it because we know what comes next. No waiting, just go ahead.

As for me, I know what comes next so I don’t particularly want to wait. Do you? I’ve used the “royal we” a few times and it may just be me and the mouse in my pocket, but I don’t think so. There is evidence to show it’s more than just me.

Waiting is something we don’t do well as a culture. Wal-Mart opened the Christmas Store on November 1st, All Saint’s Day, the moment after Halloween. While kids were smashing pumpkins and tee-peeing houses, the Wally-World Elves were busy hiding the garden center for two months. Sure enough, on Boxing Day, December 26th, the garden stuff will begin to come out again. Say what you will, that’s amazing. Time waits for no man, and neither does Wal-Mart.

Advent is coming, the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Still, there is always a big hurry to celebrate Christmas, and Advent is overwhelmed by a wave of Christmas music and Christmas mercantile. Gregg Easterbrook, who writes a column for ESPN.com, has been warning readers about “Christmas Creep” for years. This year, his readers report several examples of Christmas merchandise on shelves in a column dated September 1, 2008.[1] Yes, Christmas stuff was hitting the shelves in Sam’s Club and Hobby Lobby in late August. Advent is coming, but when Christmas starts before Labor Day, it doesn’t stand much of a chance.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “Celebrating Advent means being able to wait. Waiting however is an art that our impatient age has forgotten…We must wait for the greatest, most profound, most gentle things in the world; nothing happens in a rush, but only according to divine laws of germination and growth and becoming.”[2]

Last week, the seed was planted. This week, John the Baptist tends the soil with the waters of baptism. This watering will lead to germination, growth, and becoming. No one knows this better than farmers and ranchers. People who live by the soils and the skies know this waiting better than anyone else. So by this, the Christian is called to learn the lesson of the farmer and the rancher, the lesson of Bonhoeffer, and wait. So we wait, we wait expectantly.

Living in Austin, Marie was admitted to the hospital on several occasions. There was nothing worse than waiting. When she was in surgery, I waited for the doctor to come with news of the procedure. The one thing that made the waiting easier was that I knew if my wait was short, it was because something dreadfully wrong had happened. Then if the wait seemed too long, I would fear something dreadfully wrong had happened. So I waited expectantly.

She and I would also wait expectantly for her to be discharged. It was a glorious moment when the doctor would come in and say, “Yes, I will be discharging you today. You can go as soon as the orders are processed.” Now that was waiting expectantly! Any minute I would get to take Marie home. Hooray, any minute now, and hours later it would still be any minute now.

As a hospital chaplain, I get to see the joy in the faces of those who are discharged, and the impatience of those waiting for the orders to come. It usually takes only about twenty minutes for the joy to become impatience; and it usually takes longer than that for the orders to come. So we wait, we wait expectantly.

We are reminded to wait in our reading today from Mark. Jesus doesn’t appear immediately in this gospel. He is the second player. We have to wait for him because John was ordained to be the first, the one who would baptize the man simply referred to as Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee. We even have to wait one more verse for the Spirit to descend upon him like a dove.

So we wait. We wait another eighteen days for Christmas. We wait seventeen days to sing Christmas carols because we wait to sing them until Advent passes and Jesus comes. We wait expectantly because we know what comes next. We wait because Jesus will come, Jesus has come and Jesus will come again. And as the old song goes, “The waiting is the hardest part.”[3]

We want so badly to see the work of God’s hands. We hope and desire it so badly that it makes us hurt in anticipation. We see the injustice in the world against the sick and the poor and those who are pushed to the margins. We want to see the hand of the Lord in action in our lives and in all creation.

We wait expectantly, but that doesn’t mean we are to wait passively. You see, there are at least two ways “to wait.” Waiting can mean staying, lingering, or remaining. This is one way we wait; we are to wait for the coming of the Lord. Still, to wait also means to serve or to work or to care for others. As we stay, we are also to serve. As we await the coming of the Lord, we minister to one another so that God’s work will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

We are called by God to wait, and as we wait we are to wait on others. We are not just called to wait for the hand of the Lord; we are to be the hands of the Lord. How? Drop your change in the Salvation Army kettle the next time you go shopping at Wal-Mart. The Salvation Army’s slogan this year is “Expect Change.”[4] Isn’t that a great reference to putting change into the kettle? Yet it is also a reminder that only by being the agents of change can we ever expect anything to change.

This year, the Session asks you give toys to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. Local donations are being accepted at Dollar General and Wal-Mart in Berryville and Huntsville.[5] The Session has also directed us to collect the PC (USA) Christmas Joy Offering[6] in a couple of weeks. This offering supports retired church workers and the Presbyterian Racial Ethnic Schools and Colleges.

As these are wonderful and glorious ways of giving, we must give from all of the gifts we receive from the Lord, not just treasure, but also time and talent. So thanks to you who serve on the Session. Thanks to you who came and decorated last weekend. Thanks to you who clean the church. Thanks to you who helped at Vacation Bible School last summer. Thanks to you who work at the Food Bank. Thanks to you who lead worship. Thanks to you who worship at the Berryville Alliance of Churches services. Thanks to you who visit those in the hospital and those who are home bound. Thanks to you who call and write notes to those who need a pick-me-up.

And all praise to God who empowers us to wait on others.

We wait because it is how we prepare for the coming of the Lord. We wait in service because it is how the Lord wants us to wait. We wait and we reflect on the season, especially on the days when we read the gospel anticipating the Lord’s arrival. We wait expectantly as we wait for the Lord to come again.

We wait together because that is how the Lord wants us to wait. We wait because Jesus has come. We wait because Jesus is here now. We wait because Jesus will come again.

When we read this part of Gospel, it is oh so tempting to go immediately onto the next verse, but we mustn’t. We mustn’t go past today’s reading without waiting. So we wait—remaining and serving the Lord because there is no other way.

To quote the old song again, “You take it on faith, you take it to the heart/The waiting is the hardest part.”[7] Advent teaches us to wait for the coming of the Lord and to wait on the coming of the Lord. Let us wait together, let us wait expectantly, but let us not wait passively.

[1] Easterbrook, Gregg, “TMQ, 2008 NFC Preview” http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=easterbrook/080826, retrieved December 6, 2008.
[2] Bonhoeffer, Dietrich, “Christmas with Dietrich Bonhoeffer.” Manfred Weber, Editor. Minneapolis: Augsburg Books.
[3] Petty, Tom, “The Waiting.” Found on “Hard Promises” Gone Gator Music, 1981. From LyricWiki, http://lyricwiki.org/Tom_Petty_And_The_Heartbreakers:The_Waiting, retrieved December 6, 2008
[4] Image found at http://salvationarmyusa.org/ retrieved December 4, 2008. You can follow this link to give online to the Salvation Army too.
[5] For more locations, check out http://www.toysfortots.org/, retrieved December 6, 2008.
[6] For more information and a link to give, go to http://www.pcusa.org/cjoffering/, retrieved December 6, 2008.
[7] Ibid, Petty.

Gifts

This sermon was delivered on Sunday January 14, 2006 at the First Presbyterian Church in Berryville, Arkansas.

Isaiah 62:1-5
Psalm 36:5-10
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
John 2:1-11

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.

Ten years ago, about nine months before Marie and I got married, we were invited to the wedding of our friends, Nicole Hernandez and Greg Young.[1] Nicole was the Director of Student Activities and Greg was the Head Basketball Coach at the community college where I worked in Colorado. Marie asked me to be sure to find out where they were registered so that we could get them something nice. So I went down to Nicole’s office and asked where she was registered. She was in a hurry to get to a meeting so she said, “Oh, don’t worry, we have what we want and need,” and she was off. Well, it’s just plain rude to go to a wedding empty handed, we had to get something.

I had an idea, so I checked with Marie and we decided to do something a little different. Instead of getting china, or a setting of the silver, or some serving bowl, we got them a Black and Decker VersaPak Drill. This was one of the first generation of cordless tools made for the home market. It had those removable rechargeable power cells that you could put into any number of different tools.

So imagine if you will… it’s a couple of weeks or so after the wedding, and Nicole and her sister and her mother and Greg were sitting around the house opening the presents. Greg was thrilled. For a guy, there was nothing like sitting around opening wedding presents because you never knew when you would get china, or a setting of the silver, or some serving bowl. Then Nicole opened the drill. She knew what it was, of course, but she was surprised. After all, it wasn't china, or a setting of the silver, or some serving bowl. Greg was overjoyed! Suddenly there was a gift for him! He could hardly wait for the batteries to charge so that he could begin to assemble the buffet cabinet. He was so happy, after a long afternoon of stuff for her; there was finally a gift for him.

Wedding gifts can be a tricky thing. I love a bride who registers and hope that there is still something left on the list by the time we get to the store. The custom of wedding presents was important during Jesus time, maybe even more important than it is today because of the hospitality codes. Jesus had begun his ministry and had just commissioned his disciples. When you get down to brass tacks, an itinerant preacher who has just begun his ministry and commissioned his disciples was probably quite poor. Not bringing a gift did not seem to bother Jesus, it sure bothered his mother. Social graces and hospitality are motherly things to worry about. Anyway, the lack of wine left an opening for Jesus to provide a gift. After motherly prompting, the miracle happens, water becomes wine, and Jesus’ wedding gift is given not just to the wedding party, but to the world. Not just for that day, but for all time. The banquet master is the first to discover this gift. He declares to the groom that his fine taste in wine is a delight, even though he was wasting it on the late hour when no one would be able to appreciate it. It was the custom in that day to bring out the good wine first and when the guests could not tell the difference, bring out the lesser stuff. But anyway, it is a treat; a treat which will be enjoyed.

What strikes me in this passage is the role of the servants, the word we translate as deacon. The way the passage is written, the servants who drew the water into the pitchers, the ones who drew it for the banquet master, drew the liquid with consequences that extend far into the future. And so it is we still talk about “changing water to wine.” I wonder if they knew just how important what they were doing was? I wonder if they could have imagined that the one for whom they are drawing water was the Messiah? How could they?

Giving good gifts is important, and it is important for us that the Lord God is the giver of the greatest gifts. The Lord our God has given us his Son, Jesus Christ, and from them both come the Holy Spirit. This gift is followed by more gifts, the gifts of the Spirit mentioned here in 1Corinthians. And while there are many gifts, there is only one who gives them. There are many different types of service, but only one Lord. There are many different types of activities, but only one God who activates them. According to scripture, each of us is gifted, but there is only one gives such wondrous gifts. Yet the gifts God gives are not only the charismatic signs; the gift is in the work done with the gift as well.

If you remember the story from earlier, a Black and Decker drill is a petty good gift, but it wasn’t until it built the buffet that it begins to meet its potential. Wisdom is not just to be wise and saying, "I would have done that differently." So too the gift to prophesy isn’t just about the ability, it is about the prophecy that follows. Faith and healing are about more than just the ability, it is about the work the gifts require for the benefit of the church and the world.

In the next couple of weeks, we will ordain and install new Elders to the Session. When they are ordained, we will ask if they will fulfill their office in obedience to Jesus Christ, under the authority of Scripture, guided by the confessions. We will then ask them if they will be faithful elders, watching over the people, providing for their worship, nurture, and service sharing in government and discipline, serving in governing bodies of the church, trying to show the love and justice of Jesus Christ.[2] This is a high calling, and a desperately important one. Surely these new elders are gifted, the nominating committee prays about this during its discernment process. It is not a responsibility taken lightly.

It is tempting to say that there is no higher calling; it would certainly honor both the office and those who serve in it. But that isn't where the honor belongs. We must remember…all service is honored by God, and given to glorify God. So imagine taking these vows: professing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, renouncing all evil, and declaring the intent to participate actively and responsibly in the worship and mission of the church. These vows are weighty, important, and substantial. And these are the vows we accepted ourselves, or were accepted on our behalf, when we were baptized.[3] These are the same vows taken when joining this or any other PC (USA) Church.[4] Ordained ministry is a high calling, but we need to remember our first call is to be a Christian, professing Christ, renouncing evil, and working in the worship and mission of the church. There is no higher calling than this.

As foreboding as this sounds, here's the good news, all are gifted. Paul was writing to the church when he said each is gifted. He did not say the pastor is gifted. He did not say the ordained Elders are gifted. He said each is gifted as the Spirit chooses. And the gifts are given to the church for the common good.

About five months before we were married, Marie took me to Pier 1 and Target where we registered. When we went to the hardware section at Target and we registered for a Black and Decker VersaPak drill and VersaPak flash light. While I was looking at some other tools, she asked if I needed one of these. She was holding the VersaPak reciprocating saw. As I have told you before, I love watching “This Old House;” it's one of my favorite shows. And these guys cut things with reciprocating saws I only dream about.

They take down decks. They cut openings through interior and exterior walls. They cut timbers and plumbing. I once saw Master Carpenter Norm Abram demolish an old bump-out kitchen using just a reciprocating saw. I could imagine the damage I could do with one of those things. I looked at the saw and I looked at Marie and I said, "No, and if I ever tell you I need a reciprocating saw, then ask me a lot of questions." There is no good reason for me to have a saw like that. I can work a drill without causing harm, but I have no business with that saw. There are those of you here today that could use that saw, but not me. If we had given that saw to Greg and Nicole, it would have been used, but not to build a buffet. The Spiritual gifts are given this way too; the Spirit gives the church the necessary gifts. And they are given for an intended purpose. If misused, they are not effective. But when God gives a gift, the gift is perfect.

The Spirit then makes people capable of using the gift putting us in places to use the gifts. Not only are all gifted, but the Spirit prepares us, enables us to use those gifts. For some, this leads to ordained ministry, but for many it does not. If this seems difficult, don’t worry. If Jesus can change water to wine, imagine what he can do with us.

As a part of this church, I see people pray, and sing, and play. I have seen people serving at times of joy and times of grief. I have seen people work at Loaves and Fishes. I have seen people act with great compassion, and most of the time this isn’t done by active session members, it is done by members acting with might exercising the gifts of the spirit to fortify the church and to glorify God. The gifts are given to the entire church for the world by God for God’s glory.

Earlier I mentioned the servants at the banquet. While their roles seem quite limited, they were in direct service to Jesus, delivering the fruit of his first public miracle. Imagine the banquet master: Not only did he announce the miracle; he announced it to the groom with joy and bravado. But he makes the announcement with qualification; the gift will not be fully appreciated by those who receive it. This reigns true for us today. We receive gifts that we don't expect or don't recognize—and we aren't fully aware of what they are, or their value, or what to do with them. But Jesus accounts for this. He knew the wine would be perfect and he knew it would not be properly appreciated. And he gave, Jesus gave.

It reassures me that Jesus seemed reluctant to exercise his power. When his mother tells him there is no more wine, he asks, "What’s that to you and to me?" Then he tells his mother that it's not his time, not yet. Yet his mother persists, telling the servers to do whatever Jesus tells them to do. Then he exercises the power and miracles happen. When we use the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we are able to do so much more than we can without these gifts. We can do miracles. They may not even be noticed. They certainly may not be appreciated on earth, but when they are exercised, miracles happen for the glory of God, not just by the ordained, but from all members of the church. Not just for the church, but for all of creation. Just as the banquet master proclaimed this wine to be the best, we must glorify the name of the one who provides the wine, and all that the wine represents. The gifts are important, what we do with them is also important, and thanking the one who gives them is vital.

[1] I was given permission to share this story by Greg Young in 2004. Here’s to good friends!
[2] PC(USA) Book of Order, 2005-2007 edition, Governance Section G-14.0207.
[3] Ibid, Directory for Worship, W-3.3603.
[4] Ibid.