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THE ADDRESS OF SACRED AUTHORITY - from Sunday, January 28, 2018

1/30/2018

Authority may be granted, but how is it recognized? Particularly in matters of faith? God's promise of a prophet in Deuteronomy and Jesus' casting out an unclean spirit in a synagogue in Mark lead us toward some answers.

You're authorized to do all kinds of things, like use a debit card because the PIN code gives you authority. The PIN code verifies that you're an authorized user. Verifying that one has the authority can be straightforward, but in the case of sacred authority, verification looks different.

The passage from Deuteronomy comes as Moses is about to pass out of the picture and a new generation will need to lead God's people into the Promised Land. God promises to raise up a prophet like Moses. The injunctions against those who would pretend to have sacred authority or who abuse sacred authority are harsh and unequivocal.

The one with sacred authority will be known by how aligned they are with God's activities and purposes in the world. The belief is that if they're aligned, then the words of the prophet are true and sacred. If not, they aren't.

We get evidence of this in Mark's typically terse, fast-paced account of Jesus in the synagogue. While preaching - with authority! - an unclean spirit cries out in apparent agony from hearing the word from the Holy One of God.

The whole setting needs to be examined and much extrapolated from Mark's account. It's clear indication in the beginning of Mark's account of Jesus' ministry that this ministry will be confronting the religious establishment with sacred authority.

See how this works out in the sermon video below, and with the downloads below the video panel.

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01-28-18-the_address_of_sacred_authority.pdf
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ODD FELLOWS TURNING - from Sunday, January 21, 2018

1/23/2018

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Are you ready to make a big change in your life right now? I didn't think so. It's the odd fellows who respond to God's call and repent, or turn in a new direction. Jonah's peculiar tale and the stunning call to fishermen by Jesus help us explore turning to God.

There are several factors to consider when assessing the likelihood of making a major change. I review several that I feel are key components in the sermon. In short, the results indicate why major changes tend to be less likely.

Skipping the scene of Jonah and the big fish, this week's lectionary focuses on the prophet carrying out his mission to the pagan people of Nineveh. He does it, but truthfully, it isn't a mission with any likelihood of success. These people don't know much of anything about Jonah's God, and Jonah's message to them would likely have been received as gibberish.

Shockingly, the people of the city actually turn and repent for their ways to Jonah's God. The king even gets on-board with it. God hears their pleas and relents of the divine plan to destroy the city. Jonah is left shaking his head in disbelief.

Note how Jonah who is summoned personally by God never fully embraces his mission and spends most of his time resisting God's call, while the pagan of Nineveh become the (very) odd fellows who turn to God and respond to God's call. What was that all about?

In the gospel of Mark, we have another rather stunning scene of people being called and turning away from their current course and embarking on big changes. In his usual breakneck literary pace, Mark notes the arrest of John the Baptist and locates Jesus in Galilee, far from the action in the Jordan River wilderness.

Walking along the Sea of Galilee, Jesus encounters first brothers Andrew and Peter, and then brothers James and John, calling them to follow him. These odd fellows drop their fishing nets and fall in with Jesus.

As it's written, it's quite remarkable. However, knowing Mark's penchant for "short-hand" writing about events, he may have left out what everyone hearing the story knew already - that these men all knew one another from prior experiences, perhaps from having been together with John the Baptist. Still, they join up with amazing alacrity.

All of this points out how few will answer the call of the Lord to serve as witnesses to new life. The ones who respond are indeed the odd fellows. They're willing to give up plenty in a variety of ways to sacrifice and serve the Kingdom.

Does God have a new word for you? Check out the sermon video below and note the downloads below the video panel.

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01-21-18-odd_fellows_turning.pdf
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THIS CALL IS FOR YOU - from Sunday, January 14, 2018

1/14/2018

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"Who is that?" you wonder when the phone rings. Young Samuel wondered the same thing when he heard his name called. When Nathanael was called by Jesus, he was stunned, but Jesus told him there was a whole lot more coming. Are you listening?

That ringing phone brings a mixture of excitement and dread; excitement at what may be coming, and dread ... at what might be coming. The faithful might experience the same two emotions when God interrupts their lives with a call to act.

For boy Samuel in old Eli's temple, the call comes at night. Three times he mistakes the call as Eli's summons, and is thrice wrong. On that third time, Eli comes "awake" enough to know that the Lord is calling.

Samuel responds as instructed when the call comes again. Samuel is promised by God that news of what's coming would make anyone's ears tingle - a tantalizing prospect! What could that be?

In the gospel of John, Jesus is planning a trip back to Galilee and calls on Philip to accompany him. Philip tells Nathanael who is at first highly skeptical. When Nathanael meets Jesus is quickly (and remarkably) bowled over. But Jesus scoffs, promising that Nathanael hasn't really experienced anything yet. Just wait. What could that be?

It's the faithful one who brushes aside the excitement and the dread, simply offering him-/herself in faithful affirmation. If the Lord is calling, he's calling you, and there is something important at stake.

Explore this topic in the sermon video below, and note the downloads below the video panel.

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01-14-18-this_call_is_for_you.pdf
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CREATING WITH THE SPIRIT - from Sunday, January 7, 2018

1/7/2018

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Creating is something most folks enjoy. The opening verses of Genesis reveal the work of the Spirit and the creation of light. The Spirit and its light are prominent players in Jesus' baptism, too. We explore light, Spirit, and baptism as the season of Epiphany arrives and Jesus is revealed.

God blesses us with this gift to create which we see majestically and mysteriously portrayed in the first creation story in Genesis 1. Light was the first creation, done in the presence of the Spirit of God over the primal waters. The distinction of light over darkness is a basic literary theme. John's gospel will begin with light and Spirit as that gospel depicts a different kind of creation story focused on the Word/Logos of God.

The Spirit and its light come to the fore in the account of Jesus' baptism in Mark's gospel. Mark's account is terse, a characteristic of Mark throughout his gospel. We might wonder how Jesus got there, particularly since Mark has no birth story like Matthew and Luke.

Looking at what we can discern about John the Baptist and his ministry of baptism, we realize that what John was doing was not like what we do in baptism rituals today. In considering his community and his practice, we expect that his community was turned in on itself, the faithful having been purified and made clean in anticipation of the imminent arrival of the Messiah and the end of the age amid judgment and tribulations.

Jesus' ministry seems markedly different, emphasizing reaching out, ministering, and working to allow God's promise in each person to find avenues for fulfillment. What's clear here and in Genesis is the notion that God is creating new things through the Spirit, that God is involved and active in the work of creation even now.

Explore these topics by viewing the sermon video below, and noting the downloads available below the video panel.

01-07-18-ff-answers.pdf
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01-07-18-creating_with_the_spirit.pdf
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VISIONS OF SALVATION - from Sunday, December 31, 2017

1/2/2018

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A new year starting can inspire us to visions for our future and a new life. Coming when God's promise is fulfilled in Jesus' birth, we consider the visions for God's people as God's promise of salvation comes to them. We also ask about our own hopes, for salvation means new life for us, too.

The prophet Isaiah speaks about the transformation that God has in store for God's people. Having been laid bare in poverty and weakness, they'll be clothed in "garments of salvation" and in a "robe of righteousness." Having been named as "Forsaken" and "Desolate," the prophet announces God's desire to restore his people. They will be called by new names, "Delight" and "Married."

The new clothes and new names signify a new identity, a vision for a future that has God coming to be with his people, standing with them and making God's people a blessing for all of God's creation.

As the baby Jesus is brought to the Temple, Luke describes two prophets encountering the young couple and their baby.

First is Simeon who is elated that the promise of God's salvation for God's people has been fulfilled. Simeon is a "watchman" who awaits patiently for God to act. His long watch discovers its fulfillment in this baby, and his prophecy is compelling in its candor.

Then there is Anna who also affirms this baby as the Promised One from God who has come, and she shares the good news with others. God's salvation has come to God's people. There is a future ahead that means God has come once again to redeem and restore God's people.

The new life promises in scriptures urge us to consider what new things God would do in our coming year. Find the lessons of patience and promise guiding your way. Explore this in further detail in the sermon video below, noting the downloads available below the video panel.