"The Lord Does Not See as Mortals See" 6-18-06

Scripture: 1 Sam. 15:34-16:13; Mark 4:26-34

I want to start today’s sermon by telling you a story about Samuel and David. Samuel was the baby born to Hannah after many years of her being unable to conceive. She promised the priest Eli that if she could give birth to a son, she would dedicate him to the work of the Lord. So Samuel was dedicated to the Lord at a young age and given to Eli to help him with his priestly duties. Eli’s sons were scoundrels whereas Samuel gained favor with the Lord and with Eli. At a certain point the Lord called Samuel to be the leader of the Israelites. He was called a Judge, in fact, he was the last of the judges. There was a big debate about whether Israel should have a King instead of Judges. Although Samuel was not in favor of anointing a King, the people demanded that a King be chosen; so Samuel anointed Saul as their King. Saul goes on to fight many battles against the Philistines. Today’s scripture begins just after Saul has displeased the Lord by not following the Lord’s instructions in battle. Because of this and other things Saul had done, the Lord rejects Saul as king. He then sends Samuel to the house of Jesse, the Benjamite, telling him that one of his sons is God’s chosen to be King, after Saul dies. As you heard in the scripture reading, Samuel looks over all the sons, one by one. Just as Samuel becomes sure this or that son must be the one, God keeps telling him, no way! It’s like electing someone to be President, or governor, or senator. It’s usually the ones that appear to have the most power, the right background, not too short or too fat, the right color and gender, and so on and of course, it definitely helps if there’s the appropriate experience and family connections. Samuel somehow finally understands that God is not concerned with these things; God is concerned with the heart, the very center and core of the one to be anointed. God wants the youngest, the smallest, the one left out in the field, the one not even considered or included in Jesse’s showing of his sons to Samuel. Finally, Samuel asks, “Are all your sons here?” Jesse admits there is one missing, David, the youngest, but he is out tending the sheep. Samuel tells Jesse that he must send for David, the youngest. As soon as Samuel meets him the Lord says to Samuel, “Rise and anoint him for he is the one.”

What a surprise that the youngest, the one not even considered was the one that God chose! As the Bible tells us David went on to be one of the greatest kings of all time, not always righteous—he sinned quite terribly several times; however, he always loved the Lord, his God and worshipped him only. Just as the Lord told Samuel, “for the Lord does not see as mortals see.”
From the story of God making powerful the smallest, the youngest son, we go to Jesus’ parable of the tiny mustard seed. I don’t know how many of you are or have been farmers; however, I know many of you plant seeds. As a young carpenter in Nazareth, Jesus undoubtedly knew and conversed with many peasant farmers. Seedtime and harvest would be natural topics of conversation just as they would be for farmers anywhere. In that region of Galilee there was abundant rich soil and plenty of rainfall. Earlier in Jesus’ teachings he talks about the sower and the different outcomes of how the seeds are planted. When it comes to the mustard seed, even though it is very small it’s probably not the smallest, nor did it grow big enough for birds to nest in like Jesus said. I remember growing up on the farm with acres of grass to be mowed, there were many, many mustard plants, considered to be a weed. I liked their tall, yellow appearance, and they did grow higher than the grass and the other weeds. So in this parable Jesus is exaggerating to make a point. These images of sowing and harvest have roots in the Bible of what God ‘s future action may bring us. I see these stories as related to a person’s faith. When Jesus relates these parables to what the kingdom of heaven is like, I see it as a sign that the smallest of us can do great things as long as we let God work through us.

This reminds me of a story about Mother Teresa and how she began her orphanage with such a vision. She used her image of three pennies and a dream from God as all she needed to build such an orphanage. When her superiors gently disagreed saying, “Mother Teresa, you cannot build an orphanage with three pennies…with three pennies you can’t do anything.” “I know,” she said, smiling, “but with God and three pennies I can do anything,”[2]

So small seeds growing exponentially and the young, powerless David being chosen King by God are examples of how God surprises people. How can we know what God has in mind; God’s ways are often obscure and not easy to figure out. It’s so easy to get bogged down with all the negative things happening in the world, wars, natural disasters, poverty and 4000% inflation in Zimbabwe, where many of the people in our partner church can only eat one meal a day. We see so much injustice, prejudice, and suffering; however, this is not the whole story. It’s important to remember that God is always there, and God’s love can come to us in the strangest most unexpected ways. Every once in a while we do get flashes of hope and promises of better things to come. A small church like ours can especially identify with these stories. Sometimes I start thinking about the mega-churches with all their resources of both wealth and people and feel a bit envious. And then something happens like the decision of the six folks last week that decided to become members of our church community. Then there is an added blessing of today’s baptism of Bobbi Jo and her children as well as the very special gift on Christmas day of the birth of Andrea, the baby born to Carlos and Bobbi Jo. When I hear the new members talk about feeling welcomed in this church, when they talk about feeling accepted just the way they are, I see God’s work and love and I feel overwhelmed by joy and thanksgiving for all of you. These new members came to us in many different ways, for Sam it was an invitation to come sing in the choir, for Toby and Summer it was reading our website as they searched for a place to worship; a visit by the Harpers came when their young son, Matthew, started asking religious questions, a phone call from Lauren about helping find housing for a classmate of Ruth’s started the process that brought us the Trujillos’ and Carlos into our community. All of these journeys started with a very small, mustard seed step and now we have enlarged our community in such an exciting and joyful way. For me Jesus reminds us with his parables that small steps and small hopes can lead to greatness, greatness that we cannot even see nor imagine at the time; however, God can see it; God can imagine it, and even more important, God intends it. God intends us to be aware of the small beginnings, to nurture and care for people as they come through our doors no matter why they come. The Hebrew Bible story and the Gospel connect in that they both show the contrast between the human perspective and God’s perspective. The story of Samuel anointing David reveals that God is not interested in prestige or power, just as the mustard seed parable shows us that the smallest beginnings can grow to tremendous endings. God’s kingdom is wherever we open up ourselves to the Spirit and love of God and neighbor. Life has meaning beyond the superficial exteriors of our world. As we relate to each other, we will find the meaning of the kingdom as well as the worth and value of our self and our neighbors. Praise be to our God of hope and love! May our church as small as it is continue to grow like a mustard seed in loving and caring for each other, spreading throughout Deering, Weare and other communities to build God’s kingdom. Amen

[1] Wm. Loader, online.
[2] The Rev. Dr. Hugh I. Eichelberger, from “Sermon Nuggets” found online at textweek.com.

DO YOU WANT TO BE MADE WELL? Sermon for 5-25-06

Scripture: Acts 1:15-17, 21-26 and John 5:2-9a

“Do you want to be made well?” Jesus asks the crippled man that has been sitting beside the pool of Bethsaida for 38 years. What kind of question is that? The man doesn’t really answer Jesus’ question. Is Jesus being sarcastic? It’s a little bit like having your car broken down on the turnpike during heavy traffic. There you are with the hood up and looking helpless and scared. Someone comes along and asks, “Do you want your car to start?” Of course! The crippled man mignt have responded sarcastically, “No, I’ve just been lying here for 38 years getting a suntan!”

This pool was a gathering place for people that had various physical handicaps. There were many people here every day hoping to become whole again from the healing waters. Although many of the people died at the edge of the pool, many more continued to believe that the waters would heal them. The man we are focusing on says that he has no one to help him get into the pool when the water is stirred up. The belief was that an angel of the Lord had disturbed the water and that the first one in after this disturbance would be healed. This man without anyone to help him was just not fast enough to beat the others into the stirred up water. Jesus was right there among the multitude of suffering humanity just as he is here with us who suffer today. Jesus’ question was not a cruel or sarcastic question. No, it was a penetrating, purposeful question. One thing we can count on is for the spirit of God in whatever form to ask the difficult, disturbing questions. Maybe he was wondering if this man’s resolve to get better had left him after all these years. Maybe the man even felt some sort of comfort with his handicap. Maybe Jesus wondered about whether his heart was crippled also, if there were a paralysis of his mind and will as well as his body. Have you ever been so discouraged by your difficulties that you just couldn’t move forward? Jesus knew and we know that we can become prisoners of our own despair. It’s easy to offer up excuses why we can’t be made well: “I have no one to help me.” “No one loves me.” “I’ve been like this for longer than I can remember.” “You just don’t understand how bad off I am.” This man could not walk! Yet what does Jesus say? “Get up, pick up your mat and walk.” And what happens? The crippled man is made well immediately. Wow! The impossibility became possible! What does this mean? It’s not the only time such things happen when Jesus is around. He issues a divine command and the impossible becomes impossible. Some other examples: “To a man with a withered hand…stretch out your arm. To failing fisherman…let down your nets for a catch. To a buried dead man…Lazarus come forth!”[1]

In the June 2006 issue of Sojourners magazine there is an article about “The Stumbling Block of Healing” by Dee Dee Risher. She talks about her partner whose severe depression had lasted for many years. Somewhat hesitantly and cautiously (not believing in that sort of thing), they gathered with some close friends for the purpose of praying for his healing. She reports that everyone in the room felt a powerful presence and the largest part of his depression was alleviated from that night on. She then goes on to tell about this middle-aged pastor that had a cancerous tumor, so bad that the surgery was scheduled for the next Monday. To quote her, “Prayers stormed heaven and on Monday morning, the entire tumor had disappeared. Decades later, it has never returned.” (p.30) She then goes on to talk about healing prayers for a 4 year old girl, dying of a brain tumor. Her family was certain of a miracle; however the child died. Most of you probably know of similar situations. About 15 years ago, I had a persistent painful shoulder that was not responding to anything, even physical therapy. I started reading all kinds of books on healing, especially those written some time ago by Father Francis MacNutt. I got to the point where I just knew I could heal myself with prayer. One morning before I got out of bed I was praying fervently for the healing of my shoulder and I felt a powerful shift in my body, and sure enough my shoulder was no longer painful after that surge of power. I still had some limited range of motion which I was able to work on with stretching. I never had any more problems from that shoulder. Now there have been other times when I have prayed for healing for myself or others when either nothing happened or there seemed to he improvement but then the old condition returned. One of the things Risher said in the Sojourners article was that from the voluminous research on faith healing, there did seem to be a connection between the social expectation of healing and the actual occurrence of the healing. She found that prayerful healing occurs in every part of the world; however, “they predominate in cultures that are less influenced by the scientific, rational, and technical mind.” In some areas such as the global South, she experienced greater receptivity towards healing from prayer, resulting in more dramatic healing results. (p. 31). She further says that she doesn’t see the faith or disbelief of the individual seeking healing as significant but what counts is the orientation of the faith community that is praying for the healing.

A few months’ ago results of a research where people needing cardiac help were prayed for in controlled studies by people that they did not know indicated that prayers in these cases were not helpful. Often prayer research is anecdotal and not carefully constructed with the scientific method. I’m familiar with earlier studies by Larry Dossey, a physican, that did show the effectiveness of long distance prayer. Some of these studies are now being criticized.
You have often heard me say that I believe that with God’s grace and love, anything is possible. I really do believe that. How does this work? Why do some people get healed and some don’t? I have no idea. For me I think the mystery that surrounds the supernatural is part of why I am so attracted. I believe in a God that is always present in every person, in every situation. I believe in prayer, opening up my self and letting the wonderful, amazing possibilities of the divine enter in. I believe God empowers new possibilities and that the energy of prayer helps those possibilities become realities. There are no guarantees that prayers will be answered—especially in the way we want them to be answered. “God is not a vending machine for healing.”[2] God does not work on our timetable. I do believe that God hears prayers and answers them. Does God have a plan for our lives? Maybe so; however, that plan may or may not become clear to us. We have to remember that God is God, and we are not. Even when healing prayers may not cure the disease, they can spiritually prepare the sufferer for peace and joy in this world and/or the next. So my sisters and brothers, I pray that your faith and trust in God can encourage you to ask for healings of whatever sort. From the early Christian church, members were encouraged to ask for the elders of the church to pray for them if they are sick. Laying on of hands and anointing with oil were often a part of these prayers for healing as we heard read in the Epistle reading from James this morning.

At the end of this sermon you will have the opportunity to come forward and receive laying on of hands and prayers for healing for yourself or for someone else. I have asked our head deacon, Jim Carpenter to help me in this ritual. During the hymn, those who wish to come forward please do so. Take your place in the front rows. When the hymn is finished, we ask you to sit down and then take turns coming forward to Jim and me as we stand on either side of the platform. As one person finishes with prayer, another will please move to one of the prayer areas. After you are prayed for, you may return to your seat. We will ask each of you that come forward who or what prayers are desires. If you do not want to go into detail, you can say simply that you want prayers for healing of yourself or for another. I ask that those of you that don’t come forward, would please pray silently for the healing of whatever requests are being made. You might pray that God’s presence be felt and that whatever kind of healing people are desiring may indeed happen, knowing always that God hears and does respond to prayers in God’s own time and way.

As I have indicated earlier, prayers may not bring the healing or the cure one is hoping for spiritually, emotionally or physically. God does not promise us a life free from suffering but promises to be with us always in joy and in suffering. Please remember that what happens is not an indication of how much faith you have or whether or not God loves you. The Bible tells us that God will be with us to wipe every tear from our eyes. I encourage you to keep praying for wholeness in the knowledge that you are deeply loved by the Divine. Remember that even deeper than the message of healing that Jesus gave us, is his message of loving one another.

“Love, after all, is the daily miracle that transforms our lives. And perhaps only love, with its rich, complex, and ever-open heart, is large enough to contain the mystery of healing in all its shapes” and forms.[3] Let us keep loving each other as well as God and be ready for great things to happen in our lives and in the world. Amen and blessed be our healing God.

[1] Rev.Dr.Benjamin Reeves, On 30 Good Minutes, transcript of a radio show online. Many of the ideas in this sermon come from this resource.
[2] Dave Kepple, “The Healing Presence of Christ”, online.
[3] Dee Dee Risher, “The Stumbling Block to Healing”, Sojourners Magazine, June 2006, p. 31.

Even the Gentiles: Sermon on May 16, 2006

Scripture: Acts 10: 34-35, 44-48

Now in a certain church there was an older man who quite frequently was very irritable and critical of the pastor’s sermons. One Sunday morning he approaches the pastor after the service saying how glad he is that today’s sermon was a historical one. The pastor, shocked by this unusual praise thanked the man. The man then continued, “Yes, because I am sick and tired of hearing about love all the time.” We have been having a lot of love sermons lately. The lectionary has been filled with teachings on love. Although there are always several ways to preach on a scripture, I have been preaching a lot about love. So when I was reading this bit of humor online, I decided I’d better explore a different topic this week—although as you will see, I really can’t get away from love.

In the book of Acts there is a very long section that talks about Cornelius, a Roman centurion. He is first introduced in the first verse of chapter 10 with the story continuing for 67 verses, ending at 11:18. Cornelius was the man that Peter had been called to visit after three visions where God was showing him all kinds of animals previously considered unclean by Jewish purity laws. In the vision Peter is told to kill and eat—and a second time the message was, “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.” Now Cornelius was having his own vision where he saw an angel of God coming in and directing him to send men to Joppa to bring Peter to him. The next day Peter with some of the believers from Joppa set off for Caesarea to the house of Cornelius. Now the Jewish law said it was not lawful for a Jew to associate with or to visit a Gentile. Because of his visions, Peter realized that he should not call anyone profane or unclean so he entered the house. Cornelius asks him to hear him say all that the Lord has commanded. He starts out to tell the story of Jesus and emphasizes that Jesus is the Lord of all, saying “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” Before Peter could finish telling the good news of Jesus, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard his words. We are told that the circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out “even on the Gentiles”—“even on the Gentiles”. Peter than said, “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” For the gentiles were speaking in tongues and praising God just as happened at the Pentecost with the Jewish Christians. And so Cornelius and his countryman were baptized.

Luke who authored the book of Acts as well as the Gospel of Luke was prone to breaking down barriers, ignoring human boundaries. We have the apostles going to Samaria as well as Philip baptizing an eunuch from Ethiopia, and now Cornelius, a Gentile, uncircumcised, an officer of the Roman Army. His identifying information was definitely of the Other, not one who would be expected to be one of God’s chosen. However, he was a “God fearer”—a term used for non-Jews who believed in Jesus as the Messiah, he was devout and just, one who gave alms and prayed, one who had won the commendation of “the whole Jewish nation” according to the men of Joppa who were sent to fetch Peter. In this story it is evident that Cornelius is saved because of the sort of human being he was. He had made himself known to God through his prayers and acts of charity towards the poor. In other words he was open to God, open to the Spirit and therefore, the Holy Spirit descended on him in just the same way it had on the Jewish Christians. Throughout Luke’s writings, he insists on the importance of an outsider’s good character.

Throughout the history of the Jews, they were told that they were a chosen people. In our Gospel lesson Jesus says in John 15:16, “You did not choose me but I chose you.” I had that quote on a book mark in my Bible during the time I was wondering about and preparing for being a minister. It was a powerful reminder to me of God’s love, yet it sometimes made me think that I was special, having a special call. In reality I was special but no more special than anyone here this morning. God loves me and God loves you unconditionally. We have to be careful with this “specialness”. Sometimes when we feel we are God’s elect we than feel that God has not chosen anyone else but us. It’s easy to go from that thought to pin labels on those we disagree with in order to make them less than: liberal, conservative, gay, homophobic, Jewish, fundamentalist, religious right, Black, Muslim, divorced, and so forth. It’s easy to forget that it is God alone who judges the living and the dead according to Acts 10:42.

Our denomination believes in a Still Speaking God. This God spoke to Peter in the visions about clean and unclean. Yet Peter had a hard time getting it. Even when he went to Cornelius’ house he talked about clean and unclean divisions. For most of us even though we may be convinced on one level of our salvation and the rightness of the message of Jesus, it takes a long time for it to really sink in, for us to fully accept the deeper conviction that Jesus is leading us to. For most of us learning God’s will and applying it to our everyday life takes a long time. When I was in NY last week I had the privilege of hearing Rev. James Forbes, senior minister of Riverside Church preach. He was talking about Revival services and the many, many times he was saved. He talked about the emotionalism and the pressure of the elders to accept the call and come down front to be saved. A few days later, many of those saved wonder where God is and what salvation is all about and some go back to their former lives which are not what Jesus would have in mind. Forbes said that finally it took, and he really committed all of his life to following Jesus and becoming an ordained minister. It took Peter some time to fully get it, understand how God’s word and grace and love is for all people. He first had the dramatic visions, he then had Cornelius’ warm reception of him, he reflected internally about what God’s message was, he turned to Scripture for confirmation and clarification. Even though Peter was an apostle, an earthly companion and friend of Jesus, he was not infallible. Neither are any of us.

I want to go back to one of the main themes that the Acts lessons about Cornelius give to me. This passage indicates clearly that the good news is for everyone. So many of the boundaries are human-imposed. We all build walls of separation, between races, religions, between economic classes. What kind of walls do you have up? Between you and illegal migrants? Between you and Black folks? Between you and Gays, Lesbians, or Transgender folks? Between you and those that gamble, that are on welfare, that are mentally ill, that are deaf, that are Catholic or Jewish or Muslim. Can you withhold baptism, membership in our church, participation at Christ’s table from any of these who want to follow Jesus or who have felt the gift of the Holy Spirit? Is there anyone here who wants to set yourself up as the judge about who gets grace, and mercy, and love?

It’s not easy to listen to God, to know what God wants. Bob Deffenbaugh sums it up by saying “Many cultures and races met along the road from Joppa to Caesarea. The traveler could not isolate himself from them. Luke makes it clear that as early Christianity moved along that coastal highway, both geographically and theologically, it distanced itself from its original exclusivistic and protectionistic environment. The road led to the threshold of Cornelius’ house and the open door of faith for all nations. That journey lies before all Christians in all times and places.” We all have a journey to take. Some of us may be farther along the road then others. Some of us may not have really even begun, yet the road is in front of us. It’s up to each of us to choose the path, some take a short, intense route; others take a long, hilly journey. We just have to keep traveling till we get it. I would be most honored if I could assist you on the way. Thanks be to our gracious God and Jesus, the Christ. Amen.