Reflections on "Holy moments" Genesis 23: 1-16; Exodus 3: 1-1v

Some weeks I find myself trying to decide what style the sermon should have.  As I worked through this sermon, I originally had three points about holy moments (1.  We often need someone to help us have a holy moment. 2. Holy moments are about real life.  3.  Holy moments change us).  Each point had either one of the two biblical stories or a reflection. 

But, when I saw the reflections that had bubbled up in my reflections, I decided to make it a sermon that just flowed from reflection to reflection without very little comment on the reflections.  For people that like stories, that works well; for people that want more structure and explanation, the stories run together and do not work as well.  it also means that the stories interpret themselves for the listener, which makes it more open-ended (as if listeners aren't interpreting the sermons as they see fit anyway!).

There is also the issue of having permission to tell the stories without breaking confidentiality. I named no names, but in one or two instances people hearing (or now reading) the sermon may be able to recognize the person(s) being described.  I did get permission for one of the stories; one was just a composite story; one is commonly told by the person and I changed some it; one references a person who is no longer around to give permission and I believe could not be identified by the way the story is told).  One of the fears of telling people's stories is that I do not want people I interact with now to think that I am just waiting to tell their story in a sermon one day.  

I had a follow-up question from someone about whether any moment can be a holy moment. I would answer that with a qualified yes to affirm that God can be at work in all situations.  But, when I think of holy moments, I think of those times when time stands still as your spine tingles (at least that what happens to me) and then something is revealed that transforms the person, or persons, or situation.  I am reminded of Moses' sharp rebuke of the Israelite leaders who got upset when Medad and Eldad were filled with the Holy Spirit while not attending the leadership gathering:  "Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit on them!"  (Numbers 8: 29)

“Holy Moments” March 25, 2012; FPC, Troy; Lenten series; Genesis 23: 1-16; Exodus 3: 1-10

Introduction: As we travel along our faith journeys, we have moments when we encounter the holy; when time seems to stop and you know you are in the presence of God. Often those holy moments give new meaning to what you are experiencing in life or they become moments that move you to a new understanding of what God is doing in your life.

Holy moments can occur in expected places where we go to discover God; or they can take happen in unexpected places in surprising ways.

I recently read about the Miyajima Island in Japan. It sits off the shore of Hiroshima. Apparently, it is a beautiful island that also has beautiful views of the the mainland of Japan.

It is considered to be a holy island. It is more than just a beautiful island, it also is home to Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. Holy monks have often resided there or visited there.

In fact, it has the nickname “shrine Island.”

In the past, women were not allowed on the island and old people were shipped elsewhere to die, so that the ritual purity of the site would not be spoiled. In other words, to maintain its holiness no births or deaths were allowed. I suppose they were too real, too messy, too grounded in the humanity of our existence. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itsukushima_Shrine

When I talk about holy moments on your faith journey, I am not referring to moments or events that take place outside of our life's journey, instead look to those moments that embrace our human existence and help us interpret them.

As you hear the following reflections (I have been given permission to share them, or they are commonly told stories, or just composites of stories), do not look to identify someone, look for yourself.

Move 1: Consider Abraham's holy moment that we read in Genesis this morning.

a. the text does not tell us that is a holy place, but we know it is because we have been there, been to the place where life meets death and we need to give meaning to it.

b. A lot has transpired since we first met Abram and Sarai.

1. They have heard God's call and left for a new place.

2. God has promised many descendants; they have tried to help God out because they didn't think God could get it done; they have dealt with problems created by their lack of trust in God.

3. Sarah has given birth to Isaac and laughed about it.

4. their names have even changed.

b. now Sarah has died.

1. In his grief, Abraham desperately wants to bury her in a special place.

2. he wants her burial place to speak for generations; to be more more than a burial place, but to be a holy place.

3. he has someplace in mind, but he does not own the place.

4. so he asks for help from the Hittite king.

5. notice that the Hittite king, a non-believer, still gets it. He recognizes that human need to find meaning in the face of death.

6. So he works with Abraham to make it happen. To establish a burial place for Sarah.

A holy place and holy moment to speak to death; and we notice that Abraham needed someone to help him in that holy moment.

Move 2: The final campfire at Kirkmont can be s special place. The exhaustion of the week and the excitement of new friends culminate as you sit around and sing songs and laugh together. You are caught up in the moment. Time seems to stop and you don't mind because staying here forever seems okay.

One of the small groups reads the Scripture lesson and does a little skit. You remember the story from one of the hot afternoons you spent in the Christian ed component.

Now the minister starts to talk. Sounds like it's going to be sermon, but even that cannot take away from the way you feel in that moment.

Suddenly, the minister says something that grabs your attention. “god has called you,” she says. A strange sensation comes over you. Maybe it's a sugar high from the three S'mores you have eaten.

She keeps talking about God knowing you by name, and God having a plan for your life, and God wanting you to follow Jesus Christ.

You no longer notice the chatter from your friends next to you. All you can hear is “God has called you.” the words keep repeating themselves in your head. Slowly it dawns on you that all that stuff you have heard in church through the years really matter. It's true. God wants to be a part of your life. It's true. God has a plan for you. And you want to give your life to Christ. You want to follow him wherever he leads you. In that moment, it seems as if you see the world in a way you've never seen it before.

A holy moment has changed your understanding of yourself and of the God who has met you in that holy moment.

Move 3: it's a Wednesday night during Lent. There is a worship service in the chapel. The worship committee has planned a weekly Wednesday night service during Lent, and each service has some type of special ritual associated with it.

Tonight is the renewal of baptismal vows. The baptismal font has been carried to the front of the chapel. The service is taken right out of the book of common worship. We follow the liturgy and say those words that are proper for this moment.

I look out at those gathered there, and I think that this is just one of those worship things we do that does not seem very connected to the world in which we live and the lives that we lead.

In fact, the gathered crowd has quite a bit of gray hair. Not all, but most of the people look like their baptisms had taken place so long ago that there is no way they could have remembered them. And, of course, most of them were probably baptized as infants, so they wouldn't remember it anyway. Come to think of it, most the people have probably even forgotten presenting their children for baptism was a distant memory.

There are on the second row is a woman in late stage of ovarian cancer. She sits with her husband. They do not know the exact date, but they know that death will soon arrive for her.

In the face of life and death and looming loss, some liturgical piece seems a bit silly. But the water is poured. Words are spoken. People are invited up to touch the water if they like.

Some venture forward to dip their hands in the water; most timidly touch the water as if it might be too hot.

Then the husband and wife come forward. First he takes her hand and gently scoops water up to let is wash over them. He seems to caress her hands with the water. She does the same for him.

It's as if time stops and for a minute or two her march to death is halted at the baptismal font. No words are spoken. But the touch and the look speak of the deep love that has grown through the years; the deep love that cannot be thwarted by disease or death.

We will say the words, “in our baptism we are united with Christ in his death and resurrection,” but the words are not needed. We have already witnessed that truth and the love of God who claimed us in the waters of baptism.

Move 4: Wedding -- the groom is standing at the front of the sanctuary as the wedding begins. He has finally made it to this moment.

He has made it through the pre-marital counseling that he had to do because his future spouse not only wanted to be married in the church, but she is a professing Christian. It wasn't too bad. The minister was a pretty nice guy. The minister did not even hassle the groom about being a professed atheist. Never pressured him at all. He did tell the groom that they were going to read scripture and there would be a sermon, but since they were getting married in a church, the groom didn't think that was unreasonable. Besides, it would make his bride very happy. The wedding ceremony was sort of like one of those couple showers that you had survived. Keep smiling, and soon it would be over.

His bride looks looks pretty good in her white dress coming down the aisle. Of course, the groom figures he looks pretty good himself.

When the minister starts to read the Scripture, the groom pays attention, or at least he acts like his is paying attention because everyone is staring at him.

He hears the Scripture as they speak about God loving us, which allows us to love each other. He briefly considers how his life has had lots of things happen in it that would cast doubt on the, but as he glances out at all the smiling people gathered in the sanctuary and looks into the eyes of his loving bride, he figures it is true that people can love. That's not an acknowledgment of God's love, but a comment on all the love he feels in that moment.

Now the minister is preaching. He's saying something about the mystery of God's love and how that speaks to the mystery of loving one another in a marriage.

The groom begins to wonder. Could these people really love me because they know something about God's love that I do not?

Could God really love me? He has always steered clear of any mention of God's love because he didn't believe in God; but this moment defies anything he's ever experienced. the love in the air is so real you can almost see it and touch it.

And now he is overwhelmed with more than the love he feels for his bride; he suddenly feels God's love for the first time in his life.

His wedding become the holiest of places.

Move 5: A living room became holy ground as the older woman shared her story. The visitor happened to come to her house on the anniversary of the car accident that had killed her husband and oldest son.

It had happened over thirty years previously, but it details were still fresh in her mind. She told the visitor her story. For her, it had become something of a faith statement. A testimony to God's faithfulness that God had helped her through the moment. Most people were overwhelmed at her faith in the face of this tragedy.

But the visitor had never heard the story and he heard it differently that day. To him the sweet lady and her story of God's faithfulness seemed more like a disguise.

He gently asks her if she had gotten mad at the man whose car had killed her husband and son.

“No,” she said, I never got angry. God carried me through that time. But, how, he asked, is that possible?

She tenaciously holds to her story. He gently, but firmly asks, “how can you ever forgive the man, if you never blame him?”

Stunned silence now permeates the room. and then silent tears begin run down the older woman's face. Her shoulders shake as the tears overwhelm her. The unspoken words of thirty years now erupt from within the woman. "how could he have done it? how could that man have killed my husband and son?" The accusations and anger never before shared now fill the room.

And then, finally, the woman can begin to speak words of forgiveness. Words that had been buried with the anger.  In that moment, the God whom she had used to deny her anger, meets her in that anger and offers her new life that moves beyond the anger she had kept inside for all those years.

Move 6: Moses knows he is about to encounter the holy because the voice from the burning bush tells him to take off his sandals, because is on holy ground.

Moses has been out tending the sheep. His daily routine interrupted by this holy moment.

a. Moses' life had already has several surprising moments.

1. At birth, his life is spared by trickery and then he is raised by Pharaoh's daughter.
2. As a young man, he saw one of the Israelite slaves being mistreated and killed the Egyptian.
3. Now he stands before a burning bush.
   
   
   b. The voice of God speaking to him.
   
   
   c. this voice of God finding him in this holy moment and calling him to a new task. A new place. A new understanding of who he is.

conclusion: the God who comes to live among us in Jesus Christ is the God who will be found among us – leading us, claiming us, sending us, loving us – in those holy moments of our lives.

"Holy Moments" Genesis 23: 1-16; Exodus 3: 1-10

I have been thinking about those holy moments we encounter along our faith journeys.  At the death of his wife Sarah, Abraham wants to bury her. Into the story comes a non-Israelite king who works with Abraham to find an appropriate place to bury her.  Abraham needs to memorialize the moment and have a special place to bury his wife; the king recognizes that need and helps make it happen.  A special time for Abraham.

Moses encounters the presence of God in a burning bush.  It is holy ground.  Something special takes place.  And in that moment, Moses signs on to lead God's people.  A special moment in Moses' life that pushes him in a new direction.

What holy moments have you had along your faith journey?

The final night at a campfire at Kirkmont can be a special place.

Sitting beside your loved and holding her hand while she dies can take you to a holy place.

Watching a baby born and seeing God's handiwork can shape your worldview as you recognize the holiness of the moment.

I notice that Abraham needed someone to help him in his holy moment.  I wonder at how Moses' encounter with the holy pushed him outside his normal parameters.  I ponder the holy moments I have encountered.

Peace,

Richard

Reflections on "surprises along the Way" Genesis 20: 1-7; Genesis 21:1-

the surprises along the way became challenges and surprises along the way as I reread the Genesis 20 text I had chosen previously.  Abraham was facing a challenge more than a surprise.  I also realized that Sarah should not have been surprised at the birth of Isaac, but she still seemed surprised.

I was trying to keep the sermon short because we had a baptism/new member piece at the 11:00 service, and we had greetings from the Moderator of the Presbytery of the North Coast (our sister presbytery in Barranquilla, Colombia) at both services.  The chapel sermon seemed tight and focused, but then someone told me they had really gotten a lot out of the sermon. As sometimes happens, when I decide the sermon went well at the chapel service, my timing was a bit off the second time I preached it (not sure what that's about, but probably something to do with too much anticipating of the congregation's reaction).  

But, I did add at the Sanctuary service the bit about the baptismal vows and the commitment to nurturing the kids whose parents joined the church.  I think that was an effective tool for the sermon, and also set the stage for the congregation to remember their responsibility as they saw the kids standing before them later in the service.

If I preached the Genesis 21 text again, I would like to focus on the laughter, and Sarah's comments that "everyone who hears will laugh with me."  The image of people laughing together at the crazy way God is at work caught my attention. 

If I preached the Genesis 20 text again, I would like to focus on why Abraham and Sarah felt the need to cry and how God is at work through this non-believer Canaanite king.  

“Surprises Along the Way” Lenten faith journey series, 2012; March 18, 2012; Genesis 20: 1-7; Genesis 21: 1-7

Introduction: What surprises or challenges have you encountered while traveling your faith journey?

Move 1: Abraham and Sarah seem to run into issues continually.

a. Surprises come in all shapes and sizes.

1. Death touches us unexpectedly.
2. We are chosen for a special opportunity we had not expected.
3. Job loss surprises us.
4. A long-lost relative leaves us an inheritance
5. Some surprises and challenges are good; some not so good.
   b. Abraham and Sarah have several surprises along the way and handle them differently.
   c. In the first instance, Abraham and Sarah find themselves among strangers as aliens in a foreign land.
   1. Abraham and Sarah respond to this challenge by lying and saying that Sarah is Abraham's sister, rather than his wife.
   2. not clear why they do this, but it contemplates the situation when the king takes Sarah to be with him.

b. In the second instance, Sarah finally gives birth to her son.

1. perhaps it should not be a surprise since God has been promising that she would bear a child, but it seems to catch her by surprise.
2. She remembers her laughter when told this would happen and jovially names her son Isaac, which means “laughter.”
   When dealing with one surprise, Abraham lies; when dealing with another surprise, Sarah laughs.
   
   Move 2: How do you respond to challenges and surprises??

a. Lying did not work so well for Abraham.

1. Sarah is now vulnerable.
2. Abraham has lost credibility.

b. Laughter seemed to work well for Sarah. I could commend that based on some of my experiences.

c. Our response ought to grow out of our faithfulness.

1. I have often told my children that how they responds defines who they are.
2. More than ethical or moral, faithful.
3. It is not about how ingeniously we can resolve the issue or take advantage of the opportunity; but how our response reflects our commitment to following Christ.

100. We take vows this morning for a newly baptized infant and also commit to caring for Allie, Kiley and Cameron (their parents are joining too, but I'm thinking about the kids right now).

1. we will be the community of faith that will help these kids through surprises and challenges in their lives.
2. They also will learn how to handle those surprises and challenges by watching you.
3. 3. What will they learn from us? How can we teach them about our commitment to Christ through our responses to challenges and surprises?

Move 3: In the midst of our responses to challenges and surprises, we discover God at work being faithful to us.

a. In the first story, Abraham and Sarah are saved, despite their lying, when God appears in a dream King Abimelech has.

1. Not a believer.
2. But, he responds to God's words in the dream by giving Sarah back to Abraham.
   b. When Sarah gives birth to Isaac, the God's promise to Abraham to provide descendants as part of the covenant is fulfilled.
   1. God providing a means for the Israelites to to continue into the next generation.

God is faithful, working to save us.

Conclusion: Fred Craddock, the folksy Southern preacher tells a wonderful story. Craddock is Southern by his birth and by his style.

A young Yankee who, on a business trip, had to drive through the South for the first time in his life. By the time he arrived in South Carolina, he was hungry and stopped at a roadside diner. He ordered scrambled eggs and sausage, and so was taken by surprise when his breakfast came and there was a large white blob on the plate.

"What's that?" he asked the waitress.

"Them's grits, suh," she replied.

"But I didn't order grits," he said.

"You don't order grits," she responded. "They just come with the meal."

And that, Craddock says, is like God's grace. You don't order it. It just comes.

In the midst of our surprises and challenges, God comes to save.  

"Surprises along the Way" Genesis 20:1-7; Genesis 21: 1-7

What surprises have you along your faith journey and how did you handle them?  Abraham and Sarah have several surprises along the way and handle them differently.  This week we look at two different responses. In one instance, Abraham and Sarah find themselves among strangers, and Abraham lies and says that Sarah is his sister.  In another instance, Sarah finally give birth to her son.  She laughs about his being born to her and names him Isaac, which means "laughter."  When dealing with one surprise, Abraham lies; when dealing with another surprise, Sarah laughs.

I've been reflecting this week on helpful ways to deal with surprises.  Lying did not work so well.  Laughter seemed like an appropriate response.  What other ways have you dealt with surprises?

Throughout the human responses, we also see God continuing to be faithful to Abraham and Sarah.

Peace,

Richard

Reflections on "Doing It Yourself" Genesis 16: 1-6; Hebrews 11: 8-22

The sermon preached better at the Chapel service than at the Sanctuary service.  They were probably due a good one!

I never got to the final stages of working on the sermon, so what you see below has been reconstructed a bit, particularly the introduction and conclusion.  I actually like them now, but they were not preached as well yesterday.

I probably should have stayed focused on the point of not playing God. That's what drew me to this passage in the first place, but I got side-tracked when I realized that Sarai and Abram had been waiting ten years before they turn to Hagar.  Then, when I read just beyond the passage and was reminded that God visits Hagar to support her, the sermon went from simple to really complex.  

I would like to spend more time pondering what would have happened if Hagar had given birth to Ishmael, not given Sarai that look, Sarai not gotten upset, and so on.  if the humans had been able to show a bit more grace, maybe their help would have been welcomed by God.  It might have been fun to focus on God's desire to redeem against the backdrop of humans playing God, but that will have to wait for another sermon.

I will not blog next week as we have Joe Hinds as a guest preacher.

“Doing It Yourself” March 4, 2012; FPC, Troy; Lenten series; Genesis 16: 1-6; Hebrews 11: 8-22

Introduction: When I outlined this sermon series, it seemed simple enough – each week, one lesson to learn from Abram and Sarai about things we face as we live our lives of faith.

But, life is complicated. We live out our lives in a complex world. So this week, I have some thoughts, but they are complicated as we see Abram and Sarai struggle to be faithful in the complexity of human life.

Move 1: A difficult lesson about patience.

God has promised Abram and Sarai descendants.

a. In Chapter 15, God is pretty clear that Abram will be father and Sarai will be the mother.

1. 10 years go by. Nothing.

1. 2. Abram and Sarai get a little nervous that God cannot or will not or maybe has somehow forgotten the promise.
   
   
   3. The are going to take things into their own hands.

b. Stop the story there and think about waiting for God to act.

1. when you think about your life of faith, or maybe even today, think about how hard it can be to wait for God.

2. it's easy to point the finger at Abram and Sarai and say, “they should have been patient,” but in our world of Twitter feed and FB updates, how do you think you would do trying to be patient after ten years?

3. But, even as we empathize with Sarai and Abram, we are reminded that part of being faithful can include waiting.

4. God's time is not our time.

Move 3: The danger of playing God.

a. Sarai has a pretty good plan.

1. Hagar her servant will get together with Abram.

2. Maybe she will get pregnant and deliver Abram an heir.

3. If we stop there, without knowing how the story ends, we might applaud Sarai and Abram for their ingenuity, for using their resources to help fulfill God's promise.
   
   
   b. But the story does not stop there.

1. hagar gives birth to Abram's son Ishmael; Hagar gives Sarai a look; Sarai complains to Abram; he tells her to deal with Hagar as she pleases; Sarai sends Hagar packing; if we read a couple of more verses we find Hagar fleeing with her son.

2. It's hard to play God. We don't have the ability or wherewithal.

100. How many times do we take things into our own hands.

Move 4: But here is the rest of the story of the God whom we have chosen to follow.

a. God redeems Hagar and promises to care for her and Ishmael

b. God redeems Abram and Sarai when Sarai gives birth to Abraham.

Conclusion: I find it fascinating to read the passage from Hebrews and realize that by the time this was written for the early church, Abraham had become a man whose faith was a witness for people learning to be Christians, and his willingness to be trust in God to provide a son and provide a land was a sign of his faithfulness. He didn't seem so faithful in the Genesis account.

So hear the good news. The God who engages impatient people like us; the God whom we too often ignore as we try to play god for ourselves; that God chooses to Abraham; that God chooses to save us.

"Doing It Yourself" Genesis 16: 1-6

Working on the sermon from the hospital in Texas!

We find Abram and Sarai trying to help God fulfill God's promise that they would have descendants.  Abram and Sarai doubt that they can have kids at their old age (or at least Sarai's), so Sarai sends Hagar to bear a child for Abram.  At first glance, this reads like Sarai and Abram doubt God's ability to fulfill the promise made, but further reflection leads to the realization that Abram and Sarai had waited ten years for God to fulfill the promise. Ten years!  That seems like quite a bit of patience to me.  And, having Hagar bear Abram's child seems to be a creative way of helping God fulfill the promise.   In today's world of instant gratification and access to all sorts of technology, I'm not sure we would act much differently.

But, it does not work.  Hagar does bear Abram's child, but it creates awkward moments.  And, we later discover that their way of helping God fulfill the promise was unnecessary -- Sarai, in fact,  will bear Isaac to fulfill the promise.

Not sure where to go with this text, although the point that sometimes we want to play God is the reason I picked this text.  Perhaps each of us can think of times when we decide to take things into our own hands, instead of patiently letting God take care of things.  But, it also makes me wonder about waiting for God and not using the gifts and resources God provides us along the way.  Communication (i.e. prayer) seems to be very important in trying to resolve that dilemma.

If we read more of the story, we discover that Sarai cannot handle having Hagar and her son Ishmael around as a reminder of her inability to have a child, so she banishes them.  It suggests to me that one of the problems of playing God is that it we cannot do it very well.

I am also struck by the desire and ability of God to not only fulfill the promise made to Abram and Sarai, but to redeem the brokenness felt by Hagar and Ishmael.  Maybe the point of the story is that God's desire to redeem trumps our inability to play God.

We are also reading as the first Scripture lesson a passage from Hebrews that speaks of Abraham's faithfulness. I found it interesting to think that by the time of the early church, Abraham's mistakes seemingly were forgotten and his faith is a model for the early Christians.  Maybe there is hope for us as well!