Sacred Secular, July 26, 2015

Sacred Secular

Proverbs 8:1-11, 22-36

Pastor Joshua Noah

July 26, 2015

Humans like categories. Dividing lines. Definitions. Clear boundaries. We like such structures because they make us feel safe. They make us feel secure. They make us feel as though we know what to expect. Psychology tells us that establishing such boundaries helps individuals feel secure. Children who have no limitations or rules tend to either act out or attempt to create rules and boundaries for themselves. Give any group of kids a chance to create their own game, and they will immediately create lists of rules and regulations.

At the same time, this need to create boundaries – even ones for our safety – often causes a whole host of other issues and even furthers divisions among people such as the racial profiling of people of Middle Eastern descent following September 11 or higher rates of incarceration among African-Americans.

We LOVE categories and order within the church – especially the Presbyterian Church. Our motto is “Everything decently and in order.” We love our polity – our system of church government – and all the guidelines and regulations that come with it. We have the Book of Order, Roberts Rules of Order, the Book of Confessions, Presbytery by-laws, local church by-laws, committees, and councils, etc. We even have our own “unspoken” rules within the church – such as our “assigned” pews, the person who always chairs this event, and so forth. And when someone violates those unspoken rules, it often comes with swift and unchristian-like retaliation.

We also like to make clear distinctions over what “belongs” in church and what does not. When we get to church on Sunday mornings we always make sure that we dressed in our Sunday best, that we check our bad language at the door, that we make sure we act a certain way, and that we don’t talk about certain topics – like sex, drinking, or politics – unless of course we are condemning them. And we often feel that when we come to church we are gaining some kind of special insight, some form of special wisdom that we can’t get anywhere else in the world. That this is the place where only the sacred resides. The rest of the secular world just doesn’t understand things the way that we understand things.

On some level, that is true. We do profess a particular truth. We profess Jesus Christ as Lord. As the Son of God. God in human flesh who came to bring about our salvation and freedom from slavery to sin. And we are commanded to see the world differently – through the lens of the Gospel – and to help bring about the Kingdom of God here on earth. However, problems arise within our faith when we leave our Gospel glasses in our church pew.

In our text this morning, we find Wisdom personified as a woman – Woman Wisdom. Woman Wisdom calls out to us, asking us to seek her out and to learn from her. We also learn later in the text that Wisdom is a creation of God – brought to life before the beginning of Creation – and we learn that God delights in the presence of Woman Wisdom, working alongside God as the foundations of the earth are marked out. And now Woman Wisdom inhabits the earth, calling out to us to seek her and learn from her. The interesting thing is where Woman Wisdom is found. She is not found in the temple. She does not call us from the synagogue. She does not cry out from heaven above. Woman Wisdom invites us to take up her course of study not from the places humans have labeled as sacred, but from the secular streets and the city gates. From the places that are accessible not just to a select few who belong to the established religious order, but places that are in the public arena where all can learn from God’s Wisdom.

In ancient times, the city gates were major centers of human social activity. At the city gates were large structures that contained rooms which would house public debates, public court proceedings, public classrooms, public auctions, and more. Today those public structures would be our town halls, courthouses, schools, and marketplaces. Wisdom calls us to learn from these places – these public, secular places – knowledge and fear of the Lord.

But why? That doesn’t make any sense! Why would we be called to learn about God in the world outside of the church? Doesn’t God understand that the rest of the world is not holy, not sacred, like God’s church? The root of the word “secular” even means – “Not belonging to a religious order.” Why would we be called to learn about God out there?

Maybe it’s because everything in the world – both the things we call sacred and the things we call secular – is created by God. There is no sacred/secular division for God because God created it all! Things that may be seemingly secular – as not having any holy significance one minute – can become sacred the next because of God’s providential power.

Look at the story of Moses and the burning bush. Moses passed that bush many times before in his work as a shepherd in the land of Midian. Day after day, week after week, year after year, Moses passed that seemingly unassuming bush, and nothing out of the ordinary ever happened with that bush. Then one day, God took what was seemingly secular to humans and made it especially sacred. One day, the bush was ablaze with fire – yet it was not consumed by the fire. One day God spoke to Moses through that seemingly secular bush – and the history of the people of God took a dramatic turn. 

And that is why Woman Wisdom calls to us from the streets, from the public markets, from the courthouses, and from other places outside the church. Because you never know when a burning bush is going to show up. When the secular suddenly becomes sacred.

At the same time, the seemingly sacred can become simply secular. Those of us in ministry keep seeing this happen over and over again. Churches more concerned about the secular than the sacred. Churches more concerned about maintaining particular structures and programs than about whether or not they are truly engaging their community. Churches who would rather die doing things the way they’ve always been done rather than try to follow the Spirit into the unknown. The saying most commonly heard in any dying church is: “That’s not how we’ve done it before.”

In Trenton, New Jersey, an aging Presbyterian congregation was met with an interesting dilemma. The church was literally dying. The average age of the membership was increasing while the worship attendance was decreasing. The massive sanctuary, which once housed hundreds and hundreds of worshippers each Sunday, sat empty most of the time – simply sucking away money as the remaining members kept it heated and air conditioned. Then suddenly, thanks to the work of the youth director – which the church shared with two other congregations – a new group of young people began attending the church. These kids were from inner city Trenton. Most of which walked many miles in order to attend the church. There were close to twenty of them in all that sat together during the worship service and participated in the fellowship hour afterwards.

However, these young people had never been a part of a church before. They didn’t know how to “behave” during church. How to participate in the liturgy. How to be a part of the life of such a community. They didn’t know the unspoken rules of the church. That this pew is where Mrs. Thomas always sits. That Alice always sets out the cookies during coffee hour. That food is not allowed in the church parlor. As such, these young people began to be seen as a nuisance by many of the members of the congregation instead of as the opportunity of mission that the Holy Spirit presented them to be. Yes, they were noisy and disrespectful during what should be a sacred time of reverent worship. Yes, they ate all the snacks during fellowship hour, and didn’t offer to help clean up afterwards. And so, the session of elders got together, discussed the concerns of the congregation, and voted to ask the young people to leave the church and not come back. (In my humble opinion, on that day, that church signed their own death certificate.)

Here was a perfect example of the Holy Spirit crying out to this congregation and giving them the opportunity to engage in a new ministry. Even placing the ministry right in their laps! The secular was brought right into the sacred. Yet instead of finding ways to engage with these young people. Instead of finding ways to mentor them, to walk alongside them, to befriend them and love them, to make disciples out of them – this church rejected them. And in doing so, it rejected the Holy Spirit, and the wisdom that God was offering to them. This church rejected these young people because their very presence threatened the way that the church had always done things. The old programs and structures were not going to work with these new young people. When the youth director, a colleague of mine, desperately tried to talk to the session and offer new ideas for how to work with these young people, and develop new and different ways the church could invite them into the greater life of the church, the session uttered those deadly words: “That’s not how we’ve done it before.” Perhaps it would have done them some good to listen to Woman Wisdom in verses 35-36: “For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord; but those who miss me injure themselves; all who hate me love death.”

Why do churches do this? Why do they keep on doing things the same way year after year? Why do churches lament the loss of young people, yet don’t make the necessary changes that make the church welcoming, even when young people do show up? Why do they worship the “way things have always been” over the glory of the Spirit’s movement among them, even when it happens in strange and unfamiliar ways?

It’s because people prefer the misery they know, to the mystery they don’t know. God understands this about humanity. God’s been dealing with this human flaw for thousands of years. Even the Israelites complained that they would rather go back into slavery in Egypt than risk starving to death in the desert. And it all comes down to trust. Do you trust God? Do you trust what the Holy Spirit is doing? Even when God tears down everything that you once knew and loved, do you trust that God will bring about something greater? Do you trust that God can be found in places outside the church, even in places that might frighten you? Even among people that may make you uncomfortable?

Woman Wisdom teaches us that those are the places where we can learn the wisdom of God. And try as we might to create boundaries and borders, God keeps breaking them down. God keeps opening a new door. And if we don’t attempt to cross those boundaries, to walk through those open doors on our own, God will find a way to push us out into those spaces – or in the case of the Trenton church – God will push the boundaries into our own self-created sacred spaces. Because there are no divisions between sacred and secular with God.

Jesus understood the importance of breaking down barriers. That’s why he did his ministry on the margins. With those who were cast out from the temple and the synagogue. He sought out those everyone else shunned aside. He went to them, saw them for who they really were – who God made them to be – and offered them love – something they had never known before.

How can we begin breaking down barriers here at Grace? How can we start erasing the human-created lines between sacred and secular? In what ways can we go out into our community so that we can offer God’s love and receive God’s wisdom in return? And how can we let people in even when they disrupt the way things have always been? AMEN.

 

Words of Wisdom, Pastor Joshua Noah, July 19, 2015

Words of Wisdom

Pastor Joshua Noah

July 19, 2015

Ask any new parent or parent-to-be, and they will tell you that never before in their lives have they received so many “words of wisdom” than when they have their first kid. When it comes to how to raise children, suddenly everyone is an expert and more than eager to contribute their words of wisdom so that the new parents can raise their children right! Let’s admit it. We’re all guilty of it. Even I’ve done it, and being a former school teacher, I still do it. Give out parenting advice. Mostly because I’m a believer in the idea that it takes a village to raise a child. And as I’ve worked in ministry over the last few years, I’ve also come to believe that it takes a Church to raise a Christian. You just can’t be Christian on your own. It takes a community of other loving Christians, in all their imperfect brokenness, working together to share the Good News and to bring about the Kingdom of God into the here and now, in order to understand the complicated and difficult Wisdom of God.

This communal passing of wisdom has its foundations in the beginnings of human history. And during biblical times, it even became codified into what we call the Wisdom Literature of the scriptures – the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job. These are texts which wrestle with the daily struggles of life – the joys and sorrows that life throws at us every single day. These texts address issues of everyday life: economics, friends, family, work, sex, politics, and so forth. And yet, they are the texts that are preached on the least. Probably because these texts don’t concern themselves much with issues of salvation, but simply with how to live a good life. Their wisdom comes not from some great divine revelation from above, but from the lived out experiences and observations of humans below – all of which are seeking to understand the action and character of God in such situations. As one biblical scholar puts it, “The Proverbs are spiritual guides for ordinary people, on an ordinary day, when water does not pour forth from rocks and angels do not come to lunch.” (Ellen Davis)

We have a term for this kind of theology in seminary, it’s called “Practical Theology” – as opposed to “Systematic Theology.” Systematic Theology is where people think about theology in the abstract ether and read volumes of books by theologians, often with German names, like Barth, Schliermacher, Moltmann, and Tillich – all in the hopes of trying to create an organized system by which people can understand God – problem is, it seems as though only other systematic theologians can understand it. And it’s often an understanding of God that works in an ideal world, not the real world. Practical Theology, meanwhile, looks at what is actually happening in the world, asks why it is happening, poses the question: “Where is God in all of this?” And finally asks the most difficult question of all: “How is the Spirit calling us, as Christians, to respond to this situation?” Hence, the practical theology department houses the fields of Christian Education, Preaching, Pastoral Care, Youth Ministry, Spirituality, and Mission. (And is the department where I spent most of my time in seminary.)

The book of Proverbs grows out of such a practical situation – the Jews living under the control of the Persian government. Now the Persians are kind enough to not only grant the Jews freedom of religion, but to also allow them to return to their promised land and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem after the Babylonians destroyed it. But yet, the wise sages and other religious leaders of this time felt it was important that their unique identity as the people of God not be squashed out by the powerful influence of Persian culture. So, they devised a system of Proverbs, and attributed their authorship to Solomon – the last great king of Israel who was renowned for his wisdom – in order to teach the people how to live a good life in the face of such overwhelming cultural influence.

The opening of Proverbs – the prologue – guides the reader as to the purpose of learning wisdom. Wisdom is important to learn because it: 1) transmits a tradition, 2) helps one to understand the action and character of God, 3) provides one with skills and virtues for making proper decisions for the sake of righteousness, justice, and equity, 4) provides the youth with prudence, knowledge, and discretion, 5) helps older sages to gain the skills they need to be able to provide counsel to others and grow the tradition, 6) helps one to interpret the teachings of the wise, and 7) helps one to deepen his/her own piety and “fear of the Lord.” If you notice, it’s not just the young who are called to participate in this learning of wisdom – ALL ages are called to learn this wisdom together – young and old alike, side-by-side, growing in their fear of the Lord which – according to the teacher of Proverbs – is the beginning of knowledge – the source and goal of all wisdom. And it is this divine wisdom of God which not only created and ordered all of creation, but also shapes and regulate our own human institutions – especially the Church.

On the other hand, fools are those who despise wisdom and instruction. Don’t be deceived. Fools are NOT unintelligent. Instead the rest of Proverbs describes fools as those who are easily seduced, tend to engage in actions which disrupt the community, follow their passions instead of their reason, and as such hold contempt for instruction about God’s will because it often contradicts their own will.

          As we move forward into chapter 3 of Proverbs, we find that the proper teaching of wisdom will promote the virtues of loyalty and faithfulness. Now please note that the meaning of “loyalty” is not to be taken lightly. Because the Hebrew word used for “loyalty” in our English translation is hesed. This word hesed is found over and over again in the Old Testament because it is the word used to describe the steadfast love and commitment of God for God’s people. It’s a powerful form of loyalty that does not waver in the face of outside cultural influences. At the same time, “faithfulness” is the expectation that the God to whom you are loyal will act true and in ways that will promote your well-being.

          That all sounds wonderful – but let’s be real. Such hesed loyalty and such well-being promoting faithfulness can only be possible if we truly TRUST God. And do we? First of all, it’s difficult to trust something about which you have no knowledge. How many parents would hire a babysitter you’ve never met before, without any references, or some organization vouching for their dependability? How many people would hire a contractor just by randomly picking one out of the phone book (for those of us who still do that) and not check his/her credentials or at least look up reviews of him/her on Angie’s List or Yelp? We don’t trust things about which we have no knowledge. So how do we gain knowledge of God?

The wisdom tradition tells us that knowledge of God comes not just from reading the bible, not just from reading complicated theological textbooks, not just from hearing the best preachers, not just from reading the latest feel-good Facebook post. True knowledge of God comes from life experience. From experiencing the joy and sorrow, the pain and euphoria of life. From waiting out the never-ending parade of medical tests, needle-sticks, chemo treatments, vomiting, hair-loss, and frustrating follow-ups that come from fighting a disease like cancer. To the moment of sheer resurrection you experience when the doctor tells you, “You are cancer free!” From the fear that comes when you realize that you’re going to have a kid and you’re just a kid yourself! To the overwhelming sense of love you experience when you hold your child for the first time. From the meaninglessness of watching a loved one slowly disappear due to a debilitating disease like Alzheimer’s. To the strange relief you feel when they have finally passed on and broken free of the disease’s grip. All of these moments, and many more like them, all contribute to our knowledge and understanding of God, God’s actions, and God’s character.

But through such trials and tribulations we have to ask ourselves: “Can we trust God long enough to gain that knowledge? Or do we grow inpatient too quickly and “lean on our own understanding?” The thing that Proverbs specifically tells us NOT to do.

And living a long life does not mean that you have gained such knowledge. Because if you’ve never taken the time to stop and ask, “What’s God doing right now?” or if you’ve only “leaned on your own understanding” then you will simply attribute such successes to your own abilities or such losses to bad luck, and will never understand the work of God in these moments.

Byron and Marshal were twins that I worked with at my home church. These twins were dedicated members of my youth group. But Byron and Marshal lived in a constant state of fear. They were afraid because everything in their life was going so well! I know it doesn’t make sense, and frankly I didn’t understand at first either. But one of them illustrated it for me – he drew a roller coaster ascending a steep hill. He said, “I feel like that things just keep going up and up for me. I’ve never experienced anything bad or difficult. I’ve never known anyone who died. I’ve always had everything I’ve ever wanted or needed. But at some point, I’m going to hit the top of the hill, and it’s going to be all downhill from there. And I’m terrified that when it starts to go downhill, it’s going to go down fast! And I don’t know how my faith is going to handle that.”

Most people would reply with, “No! It’s going to be fine! You’re young and you’ve got your whole life ahead of you! Jesus loves you!” But instead, I was blessed that the Spirit moved me to say, “Your right. And that would scare the hell out of me too! But I tell you what, when things do crash and burn, you have a group of people here in this church who love you, who are here for you, and who will pick you back up once you hit the ground.” Remember, it takes a Church to raise a Christian.

Only few months later, these young men would tragically lose their grandmother. And when they did, the other young people gathered around them, hugged them, prayed for them, listened to their mourning, and shared their own experiences of loss and coping – shared their own wisdom. They didn’t offer shallow platitudes of “She’s in a better place.” Or “It was God’s will.” These young people offered themselves. And those young men soon realized that God was present with them throughout that great loss – through the hugs, tears, presence, and prayers of their fellow youth group members. They saw what God was doing in that moment. And they gained great wisdom in the process. Wisdom that would help them to grow in their faith and in their faithfulness.

And that, my friends, is the wisdom tradition at its best. Wisdom that is passed down not just through words but through actions. Wisdom shared not because of our faith, but by our faithfulness. Wisdom sharing isn’t just an intellectual exercise, it is the acting out of our faithfulness. It’s re-enacting what God has already done and continues to do. God, who spoke the world into being by his Word of Wisdom, also put his Word of Wisdom into action in the world through the incarnate Word of Wisdom, Jesus Christ – who taught us not only by his words but by his actions. And in turn calls us to perform the same actions in the world – actions which lead to righteousness, justice, and equity for ALL people.

I’ve spent the last few weeks touring this town. Meeting people. Speaking to them. Listening to their stories. Trying to get a grasp on the ethos, the spirit, of this community. What I found was a community whose young people are struggling, suffering, and in pain. You don’t notice it at first sight because they are rather adept at making everything appear okay. But if you take a moment just to listen, to hear their stories, you will learn about loss, sorrow, and need. The need is the most painful of all because it’s not just a need for material things, it’s a need to be heard, to be taken seriously, to be feel like they matter in this world. The need to feel as though they have a place where they belong.

Many of us may respond, “Then come to the church! You belong here!” The problem is, the image that the church universal has created for young people is that they are not heard, that they are not taken seriously, and that their opinions don’t matter. And the only way we can undue that negative stereotype is not to sit back and wait for them to come to us, but to go out to them. To truly listen to them. To share the wisdom of our experiences of God with them, and even more importantly, to listen and learn from the wisdom of their life experiences. There is a lot that they can teach us, probably even more than we can teach them.

The prologue of Proverbs teaches us that wisdom is not just for the young and inexperienced, but for the old and experienced as well. So that the older sages can learn to give counsel and add to the wisdom tradition. How can you give counsel to a young person if you’ve never taken the time to listen to a young person’s life?

We ALL have a lot of growing to do. We all have a lot more wisdom we can gain from one another. We simply need to be willing to open ourselves to the movement of the Spirit among us – among both young and old alike. And we can only do that if we wish to seek wisdom and discipline. Otherwise, we become fools. And as the Proverbs 1:7 teach us – only “fools despise wisdom and instruction.” So do we wish to become foolish? Or do we wish to become wise? AMEN.

 

The Circle of Blessings, June 7, 2015

The Circle of Blessings

Isaiah 55:6-13, Ephesians 1:1-8

June 7, 2015

Grace Presbyterian Church

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

 

Count Your Blessings Achoo! Gesundheit!* God bless you! To your health! What a great way to start a sermon. With a sneeze! And a blessing! But it’s appropriate since this is a sermon about blessings. [not sneezes!] Since this congregation will soon be blessed by Pastor Josh, I thought it appropriate to share some thoughts about blessings.

Bless is a great word. To bless someone means to express a wish of good fortune upon that person. It brings happiness and smiles wherever it is used. And we use the word bless or blessing in many different ways. We say “Bless my soul” and “Bless your heart.” In 1932, Kate Smith made “God Bless America” popular. You older folks like me will remember that Red Skelton ended his radio programs by saying, “Good night, and God bless!” We talk about being blessed with good health or blessed with many friends. And we thank God for blessing us so abundantly. When something happens that we think is bad but it turns out to be good, we call it a blessing in disguise. In worship, we sing such hymns as “Blessed Assurance” and “Blest Be the Tie that Binds.” The gospel hymn, “Count Your Blessings,” encourages us to, “Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.” [1897...Music: Ed Excell; Lyrics: J. Oatman, Jr.].

Last Sunday, I was asked to give the blessing on our potluck at the end of the service so that people didn’t have to wait for me to come down and offer grace over the food. And this morning I will use the benediction, “The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”

When I do this, I am asking that the Lord bless you in whatever ways you need. I am asking that he keep you, or protect you; that he be gracious unto you and give you shalom and oneness with him.

Circle of Blessings   This morning I suggest that blessings should flow in a circle - God blesses us, we bless one another, and by blessing one another, we bless God.

Being Blessed by God  The first part of the circle of blessings is God’s blessing us and his creation. God’s blessings occur very early in the Bible. In Genesis 1:27-28, we read, “God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it...” God’s blessing was his act of bestowing his divine favor and conferring his divine benefits upon all humans. “God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31) Because what God did was very good, it was a blessing to all creation and to all humankind. In the Hebrew’s mind, God’s blessing meant living a long life, having many children, and having wonderful crops and herds.

Blessing of Abraham  When God called Abraham to leave his country and his people to go to a strange land, he said to Abraham, “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” [Genesis 12:1-3] Abraham was blessed and he was a blessing to others. In that way God’s blessing returned to God. The divine Circle of Blessings was continuous throughout Abraham’s life. God blessed Noah and his sons as well as Abraham’s son, Isaac. And the blessing of God continued down through the years on Isaac’s descendants.

Blessings    As we know, Jesus was in the blessing business. He took little children into his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them. 

 

In his Sermon on the Mount, he blessed the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake. Just before his ascension, he blessed his disciples.

What this means to me is this: God’s blessings of grace and mercy, of life and freedom, of family and friends, come to us every day of our lives.

God asks us to share those blessings with others by working for justice, by not abusing the environment, by telling others about Jesus, by forgiving and serving and loving.

By our living and our loving we become a blessing to others. In this way, our blessings return to God and the Circle of Blessings is complete.

Through Jesus and his crucifixion and resurrection, we receive God’s blessings of salvation, forgiveness, comfort, guidance, and strength.

We don’t have any problem with this part since we are made happier by such blessings.

Many of you have been kind in telling me that I have been a blessing to Grace over these past two years. If I have, to God be the glory. But what you many not realize is that you all have been a mighty blessing to me. You gave me the honor to preach 100 sermons and you gave me over two years of waking up in the morning and realizing that there was a congregation who still needed me. You made me feel valued and of great worth. So you see, you have blessed me countless times for which I am eternally grateful.

And each of you has been blessed in countless ways over the years. Some of you have been blessed with the birth of your baby or grandchild. And as you held your precious child in your arms, you felt God’s blessing surrounding you both.

 

 

 

Blessing God  What is our response to God for all our blessings? The psalmist put it this way: “Bless the Lord O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” [Psalm 103:1-5]

Peter wrote, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead...” [1 Peter 1:3]

Paul  Paul wrote to Ephesus, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” [1:3] Blessed be God who has blessed us so wonderfully!  Blessed be others who have blessed us with their love and kindnesses.  We’re all in this Circle of Blessings.  And  the beautiful exchange of blessings continues on a daily basis throughout our lives.

Blessing Others  And of course we ask that God would bestow his divine favors upon a person by saying, “The blessing of the Lord be upon you.” [Psalm 129:8] When we say to another, “The peace of Christ be with you. And also with you.” we are blessing each other. As the recipients of such divine blessings, we are to pass those same blessings on to those around us. John Calvin wrote, All the blessings we enjoy are Divine deposits, committed to our trust on this condition, that they should be dispensed for the benefit of our neighbors.”

The following story illustrates what Calvin meant.   At age 16 Andor Foldes was already a skilled pianist, but he was experiencing a troubled year. In the midst of the young Hungarian’s personal struggles, one of the most renowned pianists of the day came to Budapest. Emil von Sauer was famous not only for his abilities; he was also the last surviving pupil of the great Franz Liszt. Von Sauer requested that Foldes play for him. Foldes obliged with some of the most difficult works of Bach, Beethoven, and Schumann. When he finished, von Sauer walked over to him and kissed him on the forehead. “My son,” he said, “when I was your age I became a student of Liszt. He kissed me on the forehead after my first lesson, saying, ‘Take good care of this kiss—it comes from Beethoven, who gave it to me after hearing me play. ‘ I have waited for years to pass on this sacred heritage, but now I feel you deserve it.” The blessing passed from Beethoven to Liszt to von Sauer to Foldes. And God was blessed each time.

Laying on of Hands  When Josh is ordained in July, teaching elders will gather around him and lay their hands upon him. The act of laying on of hands is the act of blessing that person. You who are a deacon or elder experienced this same laying on of hands blessing when you were ordained.

God’s Blessings are to return to God God’s blessings are an investment in us. He expects a decent return on his efforts. In our scripture from Isaiah, God says that the word which goes out of his mouth will not return to him empty, but will accomplish what he desires, and achieve the purpose for which he sent it. God expects to be blessed by the way we use our time, talents and money. He expects us to be a blessing for others which in turn becomes a blessing to him. Jesus said, “As you do it to one of these my brethren, you do it also unto me”  So as we bless those around us by one anothering them we end up blessing Jesus.

The Blessers of our Lives  Who has been a blesser to us? A parent? A friend? Take time each day to look around and appreciate anew the many people who bless our life every day. Write them a note telling them that they are a blessing to you.

ILord’s Supper  In a few minutes, we will gather about the Lord’s table to partake of Holy Communion. Mark tells us that Jesus took bread and blessed it before giving it to his disciples. Here his blessing was an act of giving thanks to God and an act of setting the bread aside from a secular to a sacred use. And Paul said, “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ?”

As you eat the bread and drink the cup, allow the Spirit of God to transform your life so that others will blessed by your behavior, blessed by your words, and blessed by your very presence in their lives. In this way, God will be blessed and the Circle of Blessings will be complete.

 Isaiah 55:6-13 NRSV

 

Seek the Lord while he may be found,

   call upon him while he is near;

let the wicked forsake their way,

   and the unrighteous their thoughts;

let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them,

   and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

   nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

   so are my ways higher than your ways

   and my thoughts than your thoughts.

 

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,

   and do not return there until they have watered the earth,

making it bring forth and sprout,

   giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;

   it shall not return to me empty,

but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,

   and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

 

For you shall go out in joy,

   and be led back in peace;

the mountains and the hills before you

   shall burst into song,

   and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;

   instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;

and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial,

   for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
 Ephesians 1:1-8a NRSV

 

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us.

One Anothering One Another, May 31, 2015

One Anothering One Another

1 John 4:7-12

May 31, 2015

Grace Presbyterian Church

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

 

One Anothering   Have you one-anothered anyone recently? I’ll bet you have. In fact, I’ll bet you were one-anothered several times this morning. What is “One Anothering?”

All we need do is look to the Bible since it is teeming with all kinds of “one-anotherings” such as greet one another, be kind to one another, forgive one another, encourage one another, pray for one another, and love one another. Whenever we do any of these things for others, we are “one anothering one another.” To the extent that we do these things well and faithfully, Grace Presbyterian will be filled with the energy and power of the Holy Spirit. To the extent that we fail in one-anothering one another, this precious outpost of the kingdom of God will lose its connection to God. For the next few minutes, I’d like to look at the one-anotherings of greeting, being kind, forgiving, encouraging, praying and loving.

Greet One Another   Last Sunday, one of our members said to me that when she first visited Grace, she was welcomed so warmly that she felt at home immediately. Every Sunday morning and every event during the week, we welcome one another with handshakes, hugs and kisses from friends who are delighted beyond belief to see us. They call us by name and ask about our week, or our recent operation, our vacation, or our new baby or grandchild. To be welcomed warmly, sincerely and lovingly is something we all want. Both Peter and Paul encourage us to greet one another with a kiss of love. [Romans 16:16, 1 Peter 5:14] And many are the times when I am greeted with a kiss on the cheek.

The theme song from “Cheers” reflects this need.

“Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got. Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot. Wouldn't you like to get away? Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, And they're always glad you came.”

 

At Grace, we know each other’s name and we surely are glad that each other came. It makes each of us feel included and wanted and needed. So keep it up.

Be Kind and compassionate to one another [Ephesians 4:32] Next, Paul tells us that we are to be kind, compassionate and tender-hearted to one another. It has been said that “Kindness is a language that deaf people can hear and that blind people can see.” It’s touching another human being with your heart. Sometimes kindness is putting your own agenda on hold and patiently listening to the story of one who is hurting. It is written by Luke that when the prodigal son returned home, his father could have bawled him out for wasting all that money and living so lavishly. But that wasn’t the kind or compassionate thing to do. Instead, the father ran and put his arms around his son and kissed him. [Luke 15:20]

When Jesus saw a great crowd filled with sick, he could have ignored them and gone on his way. instead he had compassion for them and cured them. (Matthew 14:14]

Jesus saw two blind men sitting by the roadside. Moved with compassion, he touched their eyes and immediately they regained their sight. [Matthew 2029-34]

 

Forgive One Another [Ephesians 4:32, James 5:16]  Forgiving one another is essential in the world of “one anothering.” Many years ago, I was serving a church in Iowa that had two elderly sisters as members. When I came as pastor, they were in their 23rd year of a feud. They refused to talk to each other. They’d walk down on different sides of Main Street. And when they came to worship, each came in a different door and sat on opposite sides in the sanctuary. One warm August Sunday, I preached on the liberating joy of forgiveness. And the Spirit of God said, “Enough of this!” and went to work. After worship was over, one sister left and began walking down the sidewalk. She hadn’t gone more than fifty feet when the other sister ran after her calling her name.

And there, in the bright spirit-filled day, I watched them fall into each other’s arms, laughing and crying at the same time. That very week, the one moved back in with her sister and they lived in joyous harmony for five more years until one sister died.

Whether it’s at work, or at home with the family, or here at Grace, there will be times when we mess up and hurt someone’s feelings. If we are too proud to ask forgiveness, we and they end up miserable. Or there will be times when somebody hurts us. If we are too resentful to forgive, we and they end up miserable. But when we’re immersed in the world of “One Anothering” we will find the humility and strength to seek or give forgiveness. Remember, forgiving is not saying what that person did or said was right. It simply means that you will no longer hold it against that person. And you will do yourself the favor or releasing yourself from your prison of hatred, resentment, bitterness, and anger. When Nelson Mandela was released from prison, he wrote”As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.”

Of course, some people are like old Ben.

Old Ben was dying. For years he had been at odds with Jake, formerly one of his best friends. Wanting to straighten things out, he sent word for Jake to come and see him. When Jake arrived, Ben told him that he was afraid to go into eternity with such a bad feeling between them. Then, very reluctantly and with great effort, Ben apologized for things he had said and done that had hurt Jake. He also assured Jake that he forgave him for his offenses. Everything seemed fine until Jake turned to go. As he walked out of the room, Ben called out after him, “But, remember, if I get better, this doesn’t count!” [“Our Daily Bread,” June 18, 1994]

Encourage one another and Build One Another Up [Hebrews 3:13, 1 Thessalonians 5:11] To encourage one another and build one another up makes all the difference in the world.

Alex Haley, author of the book “Roots,” had a photo in his office of a turtle sitting on top of a wooden fence post. Why? Because if you see a turtle on a fence post, you know he didn’t get there all by himself. He had to have a great deal of help getting up there.

In like manner, if we look back through the years, we realize that many people lifted us up to where we are today - parents, teachers, friends, pastor.

When we face health, family or financial crises, we are there for one another. We help put one another back on the fence post.

One person illustrated the impact encouragement has by saying:

Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you. - Wm Arthur Ward

So don’t miss any opportunity to encourage one another. And encourage Josh when he arrives. This is his first pastorate and he’ll need you each day to encourage him in his ministry.

Pray for One Another [James 5:16] Praying for one another is a vital part of our life with one another. We write prayer requests for loved ones and friends to be included in my morning prayer as well as to be included in the daily prayers of others. We ask one another to pray for people to get well from sickness. We ask one another to pray for those who need employment. We ask one another to pray for the safety of our military personnel. We ask one another to pray for ourselves. The power of prayer is strengthened by praying for one another.

A story is told about a small town that had always been “dry.” However, when a local businessman opened a tavern, Christians from a local church were up in arms. They conducted an all-night prayer vigil asking God to intervene. A few days later, lightning struck the tavern and it burned to the ground. The owner of the bar sued the church, claiming that the prayers of the congregation were responsible for his loss. The lawyer for the church  argued in court that the prayers of the church members were not responsible for the fire. The presiding judge, after his initial review of the case, stated that "no matter how this case comes out, one thing is clear. The tavern owner believes in prayer and the Christians do not."

 

 

Love One Another [John 13:34] The greatest One Anothering is loving one another [Romans 13:8]. Paul said that we should “Do everything in love.” I Corinthians 16:14. 

In our morning scripture, John said, “let us love one another, for love comes from God. If we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”

What does it mean to love one another? One person put it this way.

Love is remaining silent——when your words would hurt.

Love is being patient——when your neighbor’s curt.

Love is being deaf——when a scandal flows.

Love is being thoughtful——for other’s woes.

Love is being prompt——when stern duty calls.

Love is being courageous——when misfortune falls. [Anon]

We need one another [1 Corinthians 12:12-31] As we love one another, are kind to one another, forgive one another, encourage one another and build one another up, and pray for one another, the truth becomes clear - folks, we need one another. Paul describes us as the Body of Christ [1 Corinthians 12:27]. The body, he goes on to say, is made up of many parts, such as a foot, a hand, an ear, and an eye. He then points out, “The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” [1 Corinthians 12]

Our need for one another is illustrated by the giant redwood trees of California. They are the largest living things on earth and the tallest trees in the world. Some of them are 300 feet high, as high as the Statue of Liberty, and over 2,500 years old. Amazingly enough, their roots system is only five to six feet deep. However, that root system extends out 250 feet in all directions. As a result, the roots of the trees in a redwood forest are intertwined with one another giving them an enormous stability when high winds come through.

 

 

 

In like manner, when by ourselves, our roots systems may not provide us sufficient stability to weather the storms of our lives, but when the roots of our hearts and souls are intertwined in love with others in the congregation, we gain enormous strength. The more that we one-another one another, the more we’ll be able to hold up in times of need and stress.

Final Thoughts  Remember, we cannot separate sacred and secular - Sunday morning from week days. We can’t engage in “one anothering” on Sunday and discontinue it during the week. Why? Because the church is not a social club, dining hall, sports arena or status symbol. The church is our life. In essence, we don’t go to church, we are the church seven days a week.  Amen.

 

 

1 John 4:7-12 NRSV

 

 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.