Flutes, Lutes, Timbrels & Cymbals - Sept. 14, 2014

Flutes, Lutes, Timbrels & Cymbals

Psalm 150, Ephesians 5:15-20

September 14, 2014

Grace Presbyterian Church

Richard E. Miller

 

Grace Orchestra Raise your hand if you play or have ever played a musical instrument of any kind. Piano? Strings? Reed instruments? Flutes? Trumpets? Bells? Voice? Percussion? Anyone play the spoons? Harmonica? Kirk, look at that!  You not only have a superb choir, you just got yourself a genuine Grace Presbyterian orchestra! Now, for all of you who raised your hand, the first rehearsal will be tomorrow night at 10 p.m. on the church lawn by the fountain and you will play an anthem next Sunday. Doesn’t that sound great? No? Well, maybe we ought to wait a bit on the orchestra. However, as a welcome back tribute to our choir, I’d like to share some thoughts about the importance of music in worship.

Albert Schweitzer once said, “There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats.” I suspect that many of you readily agree with Dr. Schweitzer. Now we know why Candilee and Kirk love cats so much - they go right along with music as a refuge.

And throughout the Bible, we can find hundreds who agree with Schweitzer, at least the part about the music. The first mention of a musical instrument occurs in Genesis when it says that Jubal was the father of all who play the harp and flute [Genesis 4:21] From that point on, all through the Bible, voices and instruments blended their sounds to express the many moods of the people - from blowing a horn of exaltation to celebrating a military victory, to praising and thanking God for his bountiful blessings. From entertaining at family parties and banquets, to the cheering of heroes. From crowning a king to dirges and laments to express sorrow.

 If we assembled an orchestra in biblical times what instruments do you think we’d play?

Scriptures list over twenty musical instruments, such as flutes and lutes, timbrels and cymbals, trumpets, harps, strings and pipes, horns, drums and tambourines. I suspect that if all of these were played at the same time, it would lead to some rather noisy worship services.

There are many examples of times in the Bible when people sang or played an instrument.

Moses  For instance, after the Israelites crossed the Red Sea and escaped from the Egyptians, Moses sang a great song of victory: “I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.” [Exodus 15:1-2].I wonder if he was a tenor or bass?

Miriam   Or how about Miriam and the rest of the women as they responded to the victory over the Egyptians by dancing with timbrels. [Exodus 15:20].

David  When the Ark of the Covenant was returned to Jerusalem, scripture records that “David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals.” [2 Samuel 6:5]

Paul and Silas  When Paul and Silas were in prison, they spent their time praying and singing hymns to God. [Acts 16:25] However, Paul apparently had no use for the loud sounds of noisy gongs and clanging cymbals, for he likened such sounds to people who did not have the love of God in their hearts. [1 Corinthians 13:1].

Jesus and His Disciples  After Jesus had instituted the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper in the Upper Room, scriptures states that they sang a hymn and went to the Mount of Olives. I have often wondered which hymn they sang. No doubt it was one of the psalms. And I wondered as well if Jesus was a tenor, baritone or bass?  I’m guessing baritone.

Ephesians  In our morning scripture, Paul advised the Ephesians to be “filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, always and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.” [Ephesians 5:18-20]

Music Today  Music is equally important to worship today. Can you imagine worshiping without any music at all? In the early 1600s, the Quakers and the Puritans refused to have music or musical instruments in their worship service. All hymns were words of the psalms, sung a cappella. In 1956, Gary Cooper starred in the movie, “Friendly Persuasion.” He was a Quaker who loved music so much that he hid an organ in his attic. He had a major fright when he was visited by several elders from his Quaker congregation and one of his children began playing the attic organ. However, the elders believed that the sounds they heard during their silent prayers were strains of music from heaven.

Presbyterians on the other hand, have always found music to be very uplifting and comforting. Over the years, music here at Grace has always been inspiring and a wonderful aid to worship. This morning we are singing three hymns of praise. Our first hymn, “Come, Christians, Join to Sing” is based on our New Testament passage from Ephesians. Our second hymn, “Let’s Just Praise the Lord” is based upon Psalm 134:2, and our concluding hymn “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty” is derived from the book of Daniel 4:37.     Hymns and anthems lift us up, calm us down, bring us nearer to God and to one another. Music can move us to repentance or fill us with courage.

Augustine wrote: “Apart from those moments when the Scriptures are being read or a sermon is preached, when the bishop is praying aloud or the deacon is specifying the intentions of the litany of community prayer, is there any time when the faithful assembled in the church are not singing? Truly I see nothing better, more useful or more holy that they could do.” [Jones, Wainwright and Yarnold, “The Study of Liturgy,” p. 441]

The Psalms  The 150 psalms in our psalter are actually 150 hymns that people sang. Forty of our hymns in our hymnal are based upon various psalms. In Psalm 150, which we read this morning, the psalmist wrote: Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with clanging cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!

As we sing as a congregation, our voices are blended in song, both good ones and poor voices. Age differences fall away, politics evaporate, and we become one in the Spirit of the Lord. One of the most effective ways by which missionaries have taught people about Jesus Christ is by teaching them hymns to sing.

Hymns Bring back memories  Hymns serve many purposes. When we sing familiar hymns of our childhood, they can bring back memories of the past. Hymns keep us connected with parents and grandparents - with our roots. They appeal to our emotions rather than our reason. A few years ago, I was the pastor at a church that decided to hold a talent night for the congregation. Anyone and everyone who could sing, dance, play an instrument, tell jokes, or whatever took turns in performing. It was immensely successful and entertaining. Another man and I decided to play a harmonica duet. One of the numbers we chose was “You are my sunshine.” It went something like this. Sing along if you know it.  As we were playing it, I noticed a woman sitting up front with tears streaming down her face. After we were finished, she explained. “My father used to play that song when I was a little girl. Hearing it again brought back many memories.”

New Hymnal  It’s also true that people can get pretty feisty about hymns. Not too many years ago, the Methodists were preparing a new hymnal. They proposed eliminating “Onward Christian Soldiers,” saying it had to much of a military and martial theme to it. The outcry of millions of Methodists was so loud that it was kept in the hymnal. And yes, we have that hymn included in our hymnal.

Singing During the Week  It’s easy to blend our voices in praise and thanksgiving here in the sanctuary since our Sunday morning worship, is, in effect, choir practice for all of us. It feels comfortable and safe to sing about our love for God and one another. We sing songs of praise and thanksgiving, joy and forgiveness perfectly. After all, we’re all singing to the same God. As a result, we reinforce the saying that “The secret of singing is found between the vibration in the singer’s voice and the throb in the hearer’s heart.”

Songs Away from Church  But once our worship and choir practice end, we leave to continue singing to the world around us, this question must be asked: “What songs do we sing when we’re at home with our family, at school with fellow students, at our place of work, or at times of leisure? How about when we’re shopping and interacting with strangers?” Every word we utter and every act we carry out are songs to the world proclaiming what we believe. Too often, we sing off key and sounds of discord, dissonance and cacophony are heard. If we want to attract people to Christ, our words and actions must sing out forgiveness, tolerance, justice, and love. People who hear us Monday through Saturday must hear sounds that will make them want to join the congregational choir of Grace Presbyterian. And when they do, they’ll find they are members of a choir of more than two billion members world wide who do their best to sing the songs of hope, praise and deliverance to the world around them.

Tuning the Piano  Some years ago, a man came to our church and tuned the piano. He carefully voiced each string to blend with the other notes. It was a slow and painstaking task. He would strike a key, listen, and if it wasn’t right, he would alter the pitch until it was right. He also carefully regulated the key action, looked for misaligned hammers and loose pins.

In a way, there is an analogy between the body of Christ and notes on a piano. Including sharps and flats, there are seven and one-third octaves in our piano for a total of 88 keys. There are 36 black keys and 52 white keys.

Each key is different. In like manner, each of us is unique, bringing into our fellowship different gifts of time, talent and treasure. Some of us are Middle C, others F sharp, others G, and still others B Flat. When we allow God to voice each of us to the right pitch, our various voices and gifts of ministry can produce a symphony of harmony under the baton of the Holy Spirit. Then we become a mighty choir of joyous praise and thanksgiving to God and confirm the observation that our heart becomes “the instrument that God most earnestly desires to hear producing grateful melodies.” Amen.

Psalm 150 NRSV

Praise the Lord!

Praise God in his sanctuary;

   praise him in his mighty firmament!

Praise him for his mighty deeds;

   praise him according to his surpassing greatness!

Praise him with trumpet sound;

   praise him with lute and harp!

Praise him with tambourine and dance;

   praise him with strings and pipe!

Praise him with clanging cymbals;

   praise him with loud clashing cymbals!

Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord!

Ephesians 5:15-20 NRSV

After Paul urges the members of the congregation at Ephesus to never take part in the unfruitful works of darkness, he says:

 Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For Such A Time As This, Sept. 7, 2014

For Such A Time As This

Esther 4:12-17, John 12:20-33

September 7, 2014

Grace Presbyterian Church

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

 

Praise Hymn - For Such a Time as This  A few years ago, a praise hymn was written called “For Such a Time as This.” The chorus goes like this: “For such a time as this I was placed upon the earth to hear the voice of God and do His will whatever it is for such a time as this. For now and all the days He gives, I am here, I am here and I am His for such a time as this.” [Wayne Watson]

Esther  These lyrics were based upon the fascinating tale of intrigue, deceit, revenge and vindication found in the Book of Esther. There are four main characters to this tale: Ahasuerus, the King of Persia, Haman, the king’s Grand Vizier, a Jew named Esther and her cousin, Mordecai. The plot unfolds in this manner.

1. The King chose Esther to be his queen not knowing that she was Jewish.  
2. The King ordered all who met Haman, his Grand Vizier, to bow down before him.
3. Now the plot thickens. A man named Mordecai, who happened to be Queen Esther's cousin, refused to bow when Haman passed by.
4. Haman is so enraged that he convinces the King to issue an edict to kill all of the Jews in the kingdom and even erects gallows in the public square to hang Mordecai.
5. Mordecai asks Esther to go to the king and ask him to negate his order. This was a risky to do, because anyone who came into the king's presence without being summoned could be put to death, and she had not been summoned.
   To convince her to take that risk, Mordecai reminds her that if she doesn’t act, she and her people will perish. Then he says to her, “Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.” [Esther 4:14]
   So Esther went into the king and asked him to repeal the edict of death levied against the Jews. The king did so and the Jews were saved. Haman was hanged on the very gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. And the Jews have celebrated this act of deliverance with the Festival of Purim [porheem] ever since.
    
   Right Place at the Right Time?  In looking back on this episode, some people might say that Esther was simply in the right place at the right time and that it was a coincident. However, from the perspective of the Jews, the definition of coincidence was when God chooses to remain anonymous. They rightly believed that God saved the Israelites by placing Esther in the royal palace for just such a time such as this.
   Chronos Esther and each of us here this morning experience two distinct concepts of time - chronos and kairos. Chronos is a Greek word which means the passing of time as we know it and from which we get our word “chronology.” It is time that is measured by clocks and the calendar. It has a before and after. Chronos is what we inscribe on tombstones. It is the future passing through the present and so becoming the past. It helps us keep track of birthdays, anniversaries, and appointments. We call Chronos “Father Time.”
   Kairos  Kairos, on the other hand, is that distinct and unique moment when God interjects himself in the affairs of humans. It is when time and destiny meet. It is the opportune time and place to say or do the right thing as it was with Esther. Often Kairos is a very brief window of opportunity in which God asks us to carry out a specific task. If we don’t use that moment as God intends, the opportunity is lost forever.
   Ecclesiastes reflects the essence of kairos - “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.” [Ecclesiastes 3:1, 2, 4]
   For This Purpose  In our New Testament scripture from John, the concept of kairos is exemplified by Jesus. "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified." This means that moment in history has arrived when he will be arrested, tried, convicted, flogged, crucified and die. He wishes that it could be otherwise. At the same time, he knows that he is a part of God's great plan of salvation. And as his disciples gather around him, Jesus says, "Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, for this purpose I have come to this hour."
   For this purpose. For such a time as this. Kairos moments of life - opportunities to glorify God in magnificent ways.
   Without Warning   I’m sure that each of you has experienced kairos moments in your lifetime. Moments when you felt an urge to call or visit someone or do a good deed. And when you did, you found out that your call or visit or deed was exactly what that person needed at that particular moment.
   Deeda Mae  A week before Deeda Mae died, I felt God urging me to serve her communion. And so I did. Deeda Mae was alert and cheerful as she took the sacraments. The next day, her health worsened and she wouldn’t have been able to partake. I believe that for such a time as this I was called to serve God here at Grace.
   At Any Time  Such moments come into our lives at any time. No matter where we are or what we’re doing God might tap us on the shoulder, or whisper in our ear, or come to us in a dream, or simply prompt our heart to do something for him. “See that person over there?” God might say. “She needs you! I gave you exactly the right gifts and talents to help her for such a time as this.” And so you put aside the chronos plans you had for that moment and respond to the need. Afterwards, you discover that you were the only person at that moment in time that could help comfort, or guide, or strengthen, or even save someone else’s life.
   On God’s Behalf  But what we must also remember is that what we do in a kairos moment is always carried out on God’s behalf. After all, it was God who placed us in that particular place and time, identified a need he wanted met, and said to us, “For such a time as this, be my voice of encouragement. Be my arms of comfort. Be my wisdom of guidance.” When we allow God to use us in such ways, we become co-workers with God.
   Farmington Teenager  Just a few years ago, a group of teen agers from the Farmington Home came to the church I was serving to join us in our annual spring picnic. One girl, about 14 years of age, came up to me in the parking lot and said, “How do I become a Christian?” I replied, “Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and do your best to follow him in everything you do.” She replied, “Can I accept Jesus right here in the parking lot?” I replied that indeed she could.
   So we joined hands as she said, “I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior.” I then had a prayer with her. For such a time as this did God place me on that parking lot that day.
   Every Hurt?  Does this mean that God intends for us to respond to every hurt, every distress, and every need that we see around us? Not at all. All we can do, and all God expects us to do, is respond one need at a time.
   Starfish The story is told of a man who developed the habit at low-tide of walking along the beach and throwing starfish back into the ocean. A friend said to him, “There must be thousands of starfish on this beach. You can't possibly get to all of them. There are simply too many. And don't you realize this is probably happening on hundreds of beaches all up and down this coast. Can't you see that you can't possibly make a difference?" The man smiled, bent down and picked up another starfish, threw it back into the water, and said, "Made a difference to that one!"
   That’s how the Kingdom functions. One starfish at a time. One person reaching out to another for such a time as this. And the wonderful thing about it is that we’re not on that sea shore alone. We are a part of the Church universal, a great multitude of men and women all over the world, helping God meet the needs of his creation one person at a time.
   Listen for the Spirit This morning I suggest that we try to be constantly aware of God’s holy presence in every aspect of our lives - in our home, work, school, and leisure. If we are, then, even though our calendar is full of errands to run and appointments to keep, we will be able to hear the Spirit whisper, “I need you for such a time as this.”
   Final Thoughts  It has been said that “Life is what happens to us when we’re busy making other plans.” This morning I suggest that “God is what happens to us when we’re busy making other plans.” Remember, “For such a time as this, you were placed upon this earth to hear the voice of God and do His will whatever it is. For such a time as this, for now and all the days He gives, you are here, and you are His for such a time as this.” Amen.
    

In the Book of Esther, Mordecai wants Queen Esther to ask the king to negate the order to kill all the Jews. Esther is afraid since going to the king without invitation could result in death. We pick up the story at this point:

Esther 4:12-16 NRSV

When they told Mordecai what Esther had said, Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, ‘Do not think that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father’s family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.’ Then Esther said in reply to Mordecai, ‘Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will also fast as you do. After that I will go to the king, though it is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.’

 

 

 

 

 

John 12:20-33 NRSV

Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’ Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honour.  ‘Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—“Father, save me from this hour”? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.’ The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, ‘An angel has spoken to him.’ Jesus answered, ‘This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgement of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.’ He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.

A Labor of Love, August 31, 2014

A Labor of Love

Luke 10:38-42, 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

August 31, 2014

Grace Presbyterian Church

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

Midwest Work Ethic  “A woman comes home from work and says to her husband, who is retired, ‘What did you do today?’ ‘Nothing,’ he replies. His wife then raises her voice and says, “Really? You did nothing yesterday.” He replies, ‘I know. I wasn’t finished.’

Obviously this man wasn’t raised in the Midwest or he would have embraced the Midwest Work Ethic. As many of you know, I was born, raised and educated in Iowa.  And like you, I grew up immersed in the Midwest Work Ethic. What did this mean? I ran across the following definitions and thought they really captured the essence of how we were raised.

1. Do the right thing
2. Do what you said you would do
3. If you want something done right, do it yourself
4. If it’s broken, fix it. If it’s torn, mend it. If it squeaks, oil it.
5. Whatever is worth doing is worth doing well
6. Most luck comes from hard work, goals, and sticking to it
7. If you’re getting paid to work forty hours a week, you actually work 40 hours
8. A person needs to be thrifty, work hard, and be self-reliant.
    
   Negative Concept of Work  Yet, it’s easy to think of work in a negative way. Assignments at school are called homework, and students groan. We talk about doing the “chores.” Honey-Do lists appear magically on weekends. We toil. Work is drudgery. We’re encouraged to “keep our nose to the grindstone and shoulder to the wheel.” As we go to work, we “join the rat race.”
   After Adam and Eve had disobeyed God, God said “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground...” [Genesis 3:19] As a result of such negative associations with work, many people say, “If I won a million dollars, I’d quit my job in a heart-beat and retire to a life of ease and luxury.”
   Importance of Work  However, I dare say that such retirement wouldn’t last long, especially if raised in the mid-west. Instead of avoiding work, we embrace it, and indeed, need it.  Having something to do is so important that many retirees become depressed because they feel they have lost their identity as to who they are. Their sense of self-worth is damaged.
   Anne Frank  Anne Frank said in her diary, “Daddy has been at home a lot lately, as there is nothing for him to do at business; it must be rotten to feel so superfluous.” [“Anne Frank, the Diary of a Young Girl,” p. 11]
   Andy Griffith  In one episode of Andy Griffith, Andy decided that Aunt Bea was working too hard. So he hired Malcolm Merriweather to do the cooking, cleaning and washing so that Aunt Bea could relax, watch television, go shopping, and spend time with her friends. Very quickly, Aunt Bea felt useless and became very depressed. But when Malcolm left, she began to sing and laugh. [“The Return of Malcolm Merriweather,” 1964]
   Thomas Carlyle said “There is gospel, good news, goodness, healing, and even salvation in work.  When all human props collapse and sorrow devastates a man, his work will give him something to live for.” [W.B.J. Martin]
   Thomas Edison noted, “As a cure for worrying, work is better than whiskey.”
   Work Camps   Over the years of my ministry, I have taken senior high youth on nine mission work camps in such states as Tennessee, West Virginia, Missouri, Iowa, Michigan, and Ohio. I remember in particular a trip we took to Des Moines, Iowa to work on two Habitat for Humanity houses. Every day, each of our twenty-four senior highs, without exception, arrived at the Habitat Houses ready and eager to work.
   When they were asked to do such things as shingle the roof, cut and put up siding, install insulation, sand the floors, or put in the windows, there were more than enough volunteers to do the tasks. And this was with a heat index of over 100 degrees each day we were there. Why did they do it so willingly? Because they knew they were doing something good for someone else. They were needed and wanted to help. Because they were working together as a close knit youth group. Because they had been brought up in the Midwestern Work Ethic.  And because it was fun.
   Importance of Work   Co-Workers with God - As you can see, our Sunday bulletin lists Kirk, Mark, Liz and Wally as members of Grace Presbyterian staff. But it also says, “Ministers - all who serve Christ here.” In our morning reading from Corinthians, it says that we are God’s servants, working together. Other versions say we are God’s co-workers. Each and every one of us are servants and co-workers with God to achieve God’s goals in life. It has been said that “God will not do some things unless we work. He stores the hills with marble, but he has never built a cathedral. He fills the mountains with iron ore, but he never makes a needle or a locomotive. He leaves that to us.” [“The Kneeling Christian”]   However, not everyone sees work as accomplishing something.  

The Keeping Busy Syndrome  This fact is reflected in a Peanuts cartoon I saw a few years ago. Lucy tells Charlie Brown that she is thinking of starting some new hobbies. Charlie Brown replies, “That’s a good idea, Lucy. The people who get the most out of life are those who really try to accomplish something.” Lucy responds with surprise and says, “Accomplish something? I thought we were just supposed to keep busy!”

 

Sometimes Christians become caught up in the “keeping busy” syndrome. Many are the times I’ve asked recent retirees what they do with their time. Often the response is, “I really don’t know, but I’m always busy.”

 

The Meaning of Life - Busyness without purpose happens in spite of the fact that most people say want their life to have relevance, purpose and direction. They would like their lives to emulate the promises of a beer which claimed that it “starts bold, finishes clean, and refreshes completely.” [Michelob Dry Beer, 1988] 

Labor to the Glory of God - Paul puts work and our life in another perspective when he says, “whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” [1 Corinthians 10:31]  

We Presbyterians echo that thought in our Shorter Catechism. The first question asks, “What is the chief end of man?” Answer, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.” [Book of Order: 7.001] To glorify God means that by our actions, by our words, by our thoughts, by our forgiveness, by our play and by our work, we reveal God’s power and saving grace to the world.

Ben L. Rose said, “Everything we do, if it is honest and faithful to what is right and true, can be done to the glory of God.  Sing or paint a picture or teach children or sell merchandise or plead cases or drive a truck to deliver needed goods -- all these can be done to the Glory of God.” [“On Christian Vocations”]  It all depends upon our perception of life, and our perception of who we are in relation to God.

Statue of Liberty  As you might remember, the Statue of Liberty was refurbished a few years ago. When the men began working on the outside of the crown and torch, they found the workmanship to be exquisite in its detail. The original artisans of this statue had no inkling that their work would ever be seen, yet carried out their craft with such meticulous detail that you would think it was to be hung in a museum. I believe they were glorifying God without thought of recognition or reward.

Mary and Martha - In our scripture from Luke, we heard of the time that Jesus went to visit the sisters, Mary and Martha. Now Martha was the self-appointed hostess when company came, making sure her guests had everything they needed. And so during the time Jesus was in her home, she spent her time scurrying around seeing to it that Jesus was comfortable and had enough to eat and drink. On the other hand, all her sister Mary wanted to do was to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to his teaching. Such idleness upset Martha who felt that Mary should be helping her in her hostess chores.  So she said to Jesus, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Tell her to help me.” Jesus replied, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”  [Luke 10:40-41]

Work Can Keep Us From God - In this case, Martha was so preoccupied about being the good hostess that her work actually kept her from Jesus. In the same manner, our work, no matter what it is, can keep us from Jesus. For many people, their work, rather than Jesus, is their whole life. They find their purpose and identity in the jobs they do. It becomes their god. This truth is borne out by the fact that when someone meets us, the second question they ask after finding out our name is, “What do you do for a living?”

God has a rightful claim over our lives, even in the midst of rush hour traffic and boring frustrating jobs. God rightly expects to use the gifts he has given us to proclaim and make visible the reconciliation of the world through Christ.  We are coworkers with God as we serve God and one another in bringing wholeness to all of God’s creation. This includes youth, housewives and retirees.

Questions to the Bricklayers  A man saw three bricklayers busy at work. He asked the first bricklayer, "What are you doing?" "I'm laying bricks.”

The man asked the second bricklayer the same question. "I'm putting up a wall.”

 

He then asked the third bricklayer, "What are you doing?” 

 

"I'm building a great cathedral.”

 

This week, take time to look at your life - what you are doing, how you spend your time, your talent, and yes, your treasure. Then ask yourself...

Am I laying bricks, putting up a wall, or building a cathedral? Amen.
Luke 10:38-42 NRSV

 

Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’
1 Corinthians 3:1-9 NRSV

And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, for you are still of the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving according to human inclinations? For when one says, ‘I belong to Paul’, and another, ‘I belong to Apollos’, are you not merely human?

 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labour of each. For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building.

The Reluctant Missionary, August 24, 2014

The Reluctant Missionary

Jonah 1:1-10, Matthew 5:43-48

Grace Presbyterian Church

August 24, 2014

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

 

Introduction  This is the story of God, a man, a command, a ship, a great fish, and a wicked city. It might be a television mini-series, but it isn’t. Instead, it is the saga of Jonah being commanded by God to go to Nineveh and tell the people to repent of their sins. Captured in his adventure are many of the same human emotions and responses that we feel when God asks us to do something we don’t want to do.

The Man Called Jonah  Let’s start by quickly reviewing the adventures of Jonah. Jonah was a Jew, born and raised in a small village about two miles north of Nazareth. Jonah was one of God’s prophets. As such, it was Jonah’s job to do or say whatever God asked. Jonah was fairly content with his job description until one day God said to him, “Go to the great city of Nineveh and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before me.” [Jonah 1:2] For Jonah to “cry out against it” meant he was to tell the people of Nineveh to repent of their sins or else suffer the consequences of God’s wrath.

Nineveh  Jonah didn’t want to do this for this reason. Nineveh was a great Gentile city on the bank of the Tigris River in present day Iraq. And it was the capital of Assyria, one of the most formidable enemies of Israel. Every Jew hated and despised all that Assyria, and particularly Ninevah, stood for. Why? Because the Ninevites didn’t believe in Yahweh, but worshiped false gods instead. Jews such as Jonah regarded that city as synonymous with the worst infamies, vicious practices and blasphemies. In the book of Nahum, Nineveh is described in this way:

“Ah! City of bloodshed, utterly deceitful, full of booty-- no end to the plunder!” [Nahum 3:1]

Thus, Jonah really despised the city of Nineveh. His greatest desire was to see the city destroyed, wiped out, and demolished. Now God asks him to actually travel to that cursed city and urge all the inhabitants to repent of their sins.  

Jonah Flees from God  But he wanted God to destroy them. So he boarded a ship headed for Tarshish, 1,500 miles west of Nineveh in Spain. But God caused a great storm to pummel the ship upon which Jonah was sailing. Both Jonah and the ship’s crew finally realized that God’s displeasure with Jonah was the cause of their troubles. So Jonah asked them throw him into the sea in order to calm the storm and save the sailors. At this point, a whale swallowed him, the storm subsided, and at the end of three days, Jonah was spewed out on dry land.

Then God asks him a second time to warn Nineveh of its sins. Jonah no longer runs away, but goes to Nineveh and urges them to repent. But when they do repent, Jonah gets really upset with God for having that much compassion Israel’s enemies. So he goes outside the city, sits down by the side of the road, and sulks in a flimsy shelter. Then God causes a great plant to grow up over night to provide him shade, but the next day the plant withers and dies. The senseless destruction of the young plant angers Jonah. Then God says to him, "Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?" "I do," he said. "I am angry enough to die." God replied, "You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?" [Jonah 4:9-11] And so Jonah was taught the virtue of compassion for one’s enemies.

Sign of Jonah The experience of Jonah being in the belly of a fish for three days and then released to declare grace and mercy to the unsaved of Nineveh has been likened to the three days Jesus spent in the tomb prior to being resurrected and declaring grace and mercy to the unsaved of the world.

When the Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign, he said, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” [Matthew 12:39-40]

 

 

We Are Prophets  What has the experience of Jonah have to do with us?

First of all, it shows that God loves and cares for all people - whether they are Christians or not, whether they are law-abiding or not, whether they go to church or not. How can God do this? It’s simple. God separates sin from the sinner. God hates the sin but loves the sinner. We, on the other hand, rarely separate the two. If we hate the sin, we also hate the sinner.

Second, whether or not we realize it, as with Jonah, each of us has been called to be a prophet or spokesperson for God. That is, we are called to speak and act as God wants us to. And God asks us to speak his word of love and forgiveness to those around us, including those who aren’t like us, and including our enemies.

We are Reluctant Missionaries  God asked Jonah to preach repentance to the Ninevites. Jonah ran away. Christ commissions us to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” [Matthew 28:19] This simply means reaching out to the unchurched right here in Jefferson County and to invite them to come to Grace. But sometimes, like Jonah, we are reluctant missionaries. We try to run from God and ignore his commands. It is said that only 2% of all Christians ever invite someone to worship. And the Bama Group Research found that 73% of the unchurched have never been invited to church. It also found that 82% of the unchurched are at least somewhat likely to attend if invited.

I know that to invite someone to worship or to come to a function here at Grace can feel awkward. We are hesitant to reach out to people we don’t know, or to people that aren’t like us. Whether we realize it or not, we sometimes play God and decide for ourselves who does and does not belong in the Church of Jesus Christ. We might do this in subtle ways by deciding who we’re going to make feel welcome on Sunday mornings. If they’re not dressed right, look right, or speak right, we won’t reach out as warmly as otherwise, and inside we hope they won’t come back. The following is an illustration of this point.

Mark Comes to Church  His name is Mark. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, ,jeans and no shoes. This was literally his wardrobe for his entire four years of college. He is brilliant, a bit esoteric and very, very bright. He became a Christian while attending college. Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative church.

One day Mark decides to worship there. He’s late and arrives just before the sermon is to begin. He walks down the center aisle in his jeans, his ragged T-shirt, wild hair, and no shoes looking for a seat. The church is completely packed and he can't find a seat. By now people are looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one says anything.

Mark gets closer and closer and closer to the pulpit and, when he realizes there are no seats, he just sits down right on the carpet. By now the people are really uptight, and the tension in the air is thick. About this time, from way at the back of the church, an elder slowly makes his way toward Mark. The elder is in his eighties, has silver-gray hair, a three-piece suit, and a pocket watch. A godly man, very elegant, very dignified, very courtly. He walks with a cane and as he starts walking toward this boy, everyone is saying to themselves, “You can't blame him for telling the boy to leave. How can you expect a man of his age and of his background to understand some college kid on the floor?” It takes a long time for the elder to reach the boy. The church is utterly silent except for the clicking of the man's cane. All eyes are focused on him. You can't even hear anyone breathing. The minister can't start his sermon until the elder does what he has to do. As the elder reaches the boy, he drops his cane on the floor.

With great difficulty he lowers himself and sits down next to Mark, takes his hand to worship with him so he won't be alone. Everyone chokes up with emotion. When the minister is finally able to speak, he says, "What I'm about to preach, you may never remember. What you have just seen, you will never forget."

Remember, God isn’t asking us to go into a store, walk up to strangers, and invite them to Grace. But God is asking us to look for moments with friends and acquaintances where you can ask the simple question, “Do you have a church home?” If they say, “Yes,” then that’s great. If they say, “No” then you have an opportunity to invite them to Grace.

Hardware Clerk  Years ago, I was called to a new congregation as pastor. As we were moving in, I needed to go to the local hardware store to buy some supplies. When I was paying my bill, the clerk said, “I was just wondering. Do you have a church home? When I told him I was the new Presbyterian pastor, he was delighted. And he said, “I’ve been inviting customers to our church for over forty years. Hundreds of my invites have become members.

Waiting for the Big Gun   Leighton Ford, brother-in-law of Billy Graham, was speaking at the opening night of an open-air crusade in Halifax. Billy Graham was scheduled to speak the next night and had arrived a day early. Dr. Graham came to Leighton’s crusade and sat on the grass in the back. Because he was wearing a hat and dark glasses, no one recognized him. When Leighton issued the invitation for people to come forward to accept Christ, Billy Graham tapped a man in front of him on the shoulder and asked, “Would you like to accept Christ? I’ll be glad to walk down with you if you want to.” The man turned around, looked at Billy Graham, and then said, “Naw, I think I’ll just wait till the big gun comes tomorrow night.”

Looking for the Big Gun   As you know, the PNC is looking for a new pastor - a big gun who will help grow the congregation - someone who will lead Grace into the future as a dynamic, enthusiastic church. I say to you this morning, don’t wait for your big gun! Don’t tread water until he or she arrives. Whomever you call cannot be expected to grow the church alone! Each of you is called to reach out to the unchurched and invite them to become a part of this fantastic, dynamic outpost of the Kingdom.

Question  “What will Grace Presbyterian Church be like in ten years?” Will it be strong and healthy? Will it be a dynamic force for Christ in the community? Or will it have closed its doors? The answers to such questions will depend upon how well we fulfill the great commission of Christ. It will depend on how well we go and make disciples.

The Challenge  I challenge you this morning to do one thing this coming week - ask just one person if they have a church home. That includes you teenagers and youth as well. If they say they haven’t a church home, invite them to Grace. Ask them to come and sit with you during worship. If each of you does this, then next Sunday we’ll have another cause to celebrate. Amen.

 
Jonah 1:1-10 NRSV

Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying, ‘Go at once to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before me.’ But Jonah set out to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid his fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.

 But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and such a mighty storm came upon the sea that the ship threatened to break up. Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried to his god. They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten it for them. Jonah, meanwhile, had gone down into the hold of the ship and had lain down, and was fast asleep. The captain came and said to him, ‘What are you doing sound asleep? Get up, call on your god! Perhaps the god will spare us a thought so that we do not perish.’

 The sailors said to one another, ‘Come, let us cast lots, so that we may know on whose account this calamity has come upon us.’ So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, ‘Tell us why this calamity has come upon us. What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?’ ‘I am a Hebrew,’ he replied. ‘I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.’ Then the men were even more afraid, and said to him, ‘What is this that you have done!’ For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them so.

Matthew 5:43-48 NRSV

‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.