Reflections on "Fact or Fiction?" I Corinthians 15: 1-11; Luke 24: 36-48

I do not have a very good feel for how this sermon went.  It was a sermon that was making nuanced distinctions that are sometimes hard to convey.  At some point during the sanctuary service, I remembered that in my initial thoughts on this sermon (when I was putting the series together) the title was supposed to be "Fiction or Non-fiction?" to build off the image of stories and those two main categories in a library.  In the putting together of the last newsletter, the sermon title got switched, which I think is one reason the sermon was hard for me (note to self - take better notes when brainstorming sermon topics!).  The initial thought was to think about our faith stories and characteristics they might have of fiction or non-fiction; instead, the sermon drifted to what is factual and what is not.  I think the initial thought would have worked better.

At the chapel service, one of the members made a comment about the sermon title, which led to my changing the final line of the sermon for the sanctuary service.  Again, it would have worked better in the context of the original thinking.

I had fun with the broiled fish illustration.  When the text gives us something unexpected like that, it really makes  it fun to study the text.

In part because I was struggling with this sermon, the printed text is probably not as close to what was preached, because I was free lancing more than usual.

“Fact or Fiction” April 22, 2012; FPC, Troy, I Corinthians 15; 1-11; Luke 24: 36-48

Introduction: We continue to reflect on how we tell our faith story – the stories of what God has done and how those stories are part of our own story.

Move 1: Hard to tell our faith story because we live in a world where things are either fact or fiction.

a. Can you prove what you are telling me?

1. if you can give me concrete proof, I'll listen to you.

2. If not, don't bother me with your story.

3. In other words, if you can factually prove the resurrection, then I might buy it; otherwise, forget it.

b. When we read this story in Luke, we recognize that those early followers of Christ must have lived with a similar tension – prove it, or else.

1. Why else would Luke include in this powerful story of resurrection the little tidbit about Jesus eating broiled fish.
2. If we did not know better, me might see this mention of eating broiled fish as some kind of embedded marketing – you know like they do in the movies – the lead character opens up her computer and every viewer can see that it is an Apple computer. If Luke had noted that Jesus ate “Mrs. Galilee's” brand of ” broiled fish, it might make sense.
3. But why else, in this powerful story when the resurrected Christ surprises the disciples and shows them the marks of the crucifixion on his hands and his feet, would Luke mention that Jesus ate broiled fish?
4. Because eating was something concrete that Jesus did.
5. Luke includes that in the story a a bit of factual information for the ones listening or reading the story.
6. Jesus, the resurrected one, got hungry and needed to eat, just like every other human.
7. In other words, the resurrected Christ was real.

It's hard to tell our faith story in a world that wants proof.

Move 2: Vulnerability of believing and telling our story.

a. Nora Gallagher, in her book Practicing Resurrection: A Memoir of Work, Doubt, Discernment and Moments of Grace, reflects on the vulnerability to the disciple Thomas must have felt as he heard the stories from the other disciples about their having seen the resurrected Christ.

1. rationally, Thomas knows that he has never seen a person who has been resurrected.
2. He can hope for resurrection.
3. He can hope in the God of resurrection.
4. But it would be a huge risk to move from hoping in the resurrection to believing in the resurrection.
5. What if he were wrong. “If Thomas hopes to see Jesus again, and it turned out to be a hoax, what then?” (52)

b. and how much greater risk to share that belief?

1. Your friend wants to know why you still seem hopeful even though you have lost your job.
2. It's one thing to say you are hopeful that God will do something.
3. How much more vulnerable it is to claim that God is at work in your life, even in that moment of job loss and that you believe that God will guide you.

Move 3: Our story has the power to shape us and others.

a. As we read Paul's letter to the Corinthians, we see how he pushes his way through the dilemma of fact or fiction as he tells his own faith story.

b. First he lays out his faith claim.

1. Christ has died for our sins.
2. Christ has been resurrected from the dead.
3. As proof that it is true, he describes how Christ appeared to Peter, and then the twelve disciples, and then 500 hundred people.
4. As we hear him mention the number of 500 people, I am thinking of broiled fish.
5. The point is not that Paul has counted up the number of people and the sum total is 500; the point is that the story of Christ's resurrection must be true, after all, a bunch of people saw him.
6. If we read more of his letter to the Corinthians, we get into more of his rational arguments about the resurrection.
   b. but I suspect the power of Paul's story of the resurrection of Christ comes from how that story has changed and shaped him.
   1.When the Corinthians read Paul argue for the resurrection, they read the words of a man whose life was changed by the power of the resurrection.
   2. They know Paul's story – how he was changed from someone who persecuted Christians to someone who proclaimed the resurrected Christ.
   3. he tells the story of the resurrection from the perspective of someone who offers him changed life as proof.
   4. He can argue with the best of them about how the proof of the resurrection, but his best argument is his own story.
   Conclusion: I have been known to tell members of my own family, "Just because you say it doesn't mean it's true."
   Just because Luke tells us that Jesus ate broiled fish, doesn't mean that the story of his resurrection is true.
   Just because Paul tells us that 500 people saw the resurrected Christ doesn't mean that the story of his resurrection is true.
   Just because you tell people that the God who resurrects has changed your life, doesn't mean that the story of Christ's resurrection is true.
   But in a world that demands facts, your faith story and speak a truth that needs to be told.
   Fact or fiction. No, faith.

"Fact of Fiction?" Luke 24: 36-48; I Corinthians 15: 1-11

The core story for our faith is the resurrection.  how do we tell it as fact not fiction?  In the Luke depiction of the resurrected Christ we read, they mention that Jesus ate broiled fish.  sort of an add thing to note, unless you were trying to prove that the resurrected Christ really was there with his body raised from the dead, a body that needed to eat even broiled fish (Maybe I ought to go on a resurrection diet!).  I think it points to how hard it is to tell our faith stories, particularly if we are trying to be factual.  Can anyone really explain factually some of the things that by faith they know have happened in his or her life?

Rattling in my brain is the comment I have used before:  "Just because you say it doesn't mean it's true."

I have also been reflecting on the scene in the movie "fried Green Tomatoes" when the minister brings his own Bible (actually a volume of Shakespeare) to swear his oath in court, and then testifies in a way that is not factual, but what he also knows to be true.  Is his testimony fact or fiction?

In his letter to the Corinthians we read, Paul declares that of course the resurrection is true, or else everything is a sham.  He suggests that if they have seen the living Christ, then the story of the resurrection has to be true.  I find it ironic that in this summary of where Christ appeared, Paul does not tell his story in detail -- how the risen Christ appeared to him on the road to Damascus.  Kind of a hard story to believe, isn't it?  unless, of course, you see how Saul radically changed.

Maybe Paul writes these words to affirm the truth for himself.  Do we tell our faith story as a way of shaping our own faith and claiming it?

Still haven't found the sermon yet.  If you see it in here, drop me a note!

Peace,

Richard

Reflections on "A Story to Tell" Acts 4: 32-35; I John 1: 1-4

The sermon was a short one, due primarily to having Renewal of Baptismal Vows as part of the service.  One point I left out that I would have included in a longer sermon:  in Tom Long's discussion of testimony, he suggests that testimony changes the person testifying; that is, as we tell our story of how God has been at work in our lives, we are changed by the telling of the story.  I believe this is a valid point.  I can think of times when I tell about an experience, and in the telling of it I realize something about the experience that I had not previously understood or seen. In a little bit different context, I think that's why when we teach something, we learn it better as well.

this sermon kicked off another series. I asked the congregation (and now you) to share feedback on whether they found the series approach to preaching effective.  A few people noted they liked it.  This is another topical series, but this summer I will be preaching a series on some of the letters in the NT.

I picked the Acts text because it not the powerful testimony of the disciples.  If I preached it again, I would find another text because I think that is a minor point in this text.  I thought the I John text was more to the point, although I referenced the two texts less this sermon than usual.

“Telling the Story” April 15, 2012; FPC, Troy, Acts 4: 32-35; I John 1: 1-4

Introduction: Beginning a series on “Telling Our Story.” reflect on the content of our story as followers of Christ and also the story of our lives of faith.

have you ever been speechless?

The followers of Christ may have run into hiding after the death of Christ, they may have been speechless as they secluded themselves, but after they saw the resurrected Christ, they could not stop from talking.

In spoken words and written words, they are compelled to witness, or testify or give testimony.

They have story to tell and cannot keep quiet.

Move 1: We have this story to tell – the resurrection.

a. The story of God, who raised Christ from the dead.

1. Who gives shape and meaning to our lives.
2. Who offers us the power to change and the hope for change.
   b. While serving in Mt. Sterling, I was active in HFH and the community.
   1. I worked closely with members of the AME/CME church, which is a predominantly an African-American denomination.
   2. I often found myself as the community/minister representative at gatherings at their church. If the big shot bishop was in town, I would be invited to represent the local churches at the service honoring his presence.
3. I also knew some of the members well enough o go to their funerals.
4. When I arrived at the church for the first time to attend a funeral, I was identified as a minister and brought down to the front to sit in a place of honor.
5. That was all well and good, until the minster stands up to preach the sermon and begins by saying, “Reverend Culp is here this morning. I know that he has a word he wants to share with us.”
6. Now, I'm not usually speechless, and I was not in that moment, but I admit to scrambling as I walked up to the microphone. As it turns out, it was fairly simple. Funeral. Death. Talk about resurrection. And so I did.
7. The next time I was there I was prepared to share a few remarks, but I never had a better story to tell than the resurrection.
   We have a story to tell – the tomb was empty. Christ is alive.

Move 2: We also have our story to tell.

a. Not hope in the God of the resurrection in general terms, but how we have discovered that hope in the context of our own lives.

1. How does following the resurrected Christ impact the way you live your life?
2. How did you experience the God of hope last week?

3. how does following the Risen Christ impact you at work or at school?

b. Recently I spoke with a retired Presbyterian minister and colleague. She is writing a book and is in a small group with other aspiring authors. They share ideas, brainstorm together, read each others' work. My colleagues novel includes a character who is a female Presbyterian minister in KS. She was telling me that the other writers are not churched. They do not know much about what my friends character does – things like communion; or stewardship; or Session meetings.

Of course, she does not know much about one of the writer's character who works at a porn shop, just like he did.

c. We can only witness to what we have seen and experienced. It is personal.

Move 3: Finally, the story we tell is testimony

a. Tom Are, Jr.,  Pastor of Prairie Village Presbyterian Church, “The purpose of testimony is not to convince, it is not to condemn, it is not even to be right; it is to be honest. It is to tell the truth that you know. And when we do, things change.” (Taken from his lecture/sermon Tell the truth...The truth that you know: Testimony,” January 29, 2012. Village Presbyterian Church, www.villagepres.org/sermons

1. We do not tell our story as gatekeepers, who require listeners to believe something in order to pass through the gate.

2. We tell our story as gracious hosts, who invite others to know the God who has changed our lives.

b. those followers of cross who went everyone telling stories about the Christ and the resurrection did not have photos of the empty tomb to try and convince people to believe in the resurrection as a matter of factual record. They could only testify about the God who raised Christ from the dead and how that gave them hope and new life.

Conclusion: renewal of baptismal vows – invitation to reflect on your story. How the God who claimed you in the waters of baptism is alive even now in the the life you live and the story you tell.

"A Story to Tell" Acts 4: 32-35; I John 1: 1-4

Sunday we begin a series on the stories we tell.  I'm thinking about our faith stories, but I am also pondering the stories we tell that shape us, not all of which would be labeled "faith" stories.

After the resurrection, those who saw the resurrected Christ seemed compelled to "witness" (to use the term from Acts) to what they saw.  We also see how it impacted how they lived their lives.  What experiences have you had that have changed you?  Do you tell those stories?  If so, do they continue to shape who you are?

We are also renewing our baptismal vows in the worship service. the role of baptism in our lives ought to help shape us as well.  any stories out there about how you have connected baptism with your life?  Or how living out the baptismal vows we make for those being baptized is lived out by you?

peace,

Richard

Reflections on "On to Galilee" Mark 16: 1-7; Acts 10: 34-43

"On to Galilee"* Easter, 2012; Mark 16: 1-8; Acts 10: 34-43; 

I really liked this sermon.  It went really well during the chapel service.  During the Sanctuary service, it did not flow as well.  I made a tactical mistake for Sanctuary service -- even though the lapel mike was acting up and I did not have the sermon memorized, I tried to preach while roaming the front of the the sanctuary, instead of from the pulpit (typically on Christmas Eve and Easter we have the pulpit off to the side to make room for the manger scene or the cross, so I do not preach from the pulpit).  As it turns out, the issue with the lapel mike and my having to refer to my notes more than normal, interrupted the sermon's flow.  I was disappointed not only to have that issue on Easter Sunday, but to recognize that I could have prevented it by preaching from the pulpit.

Content wise, I really thought this sermon worked.  One exception (and I've changed it in the written text below):  I indicated that King Herod had tried to kill Jesus at his birth and as part of the passion story.  Both are true, but I did not connect that it was King Herod the Great in the first instance and his son King Herod Antipas in the second instance.  

Christ is Risen.  he is risen indeed!

Move 1: where would you expect the resurrected Christ to go?

The tomb is empty and Christ is not there. Where is his next destination?

Where would you go if you were Jesus?

Quick getaway to heaven. Enough of his time on earth.,

Swing by Pontius Pilate's throne room to do a little gloating? Hey, Roman big shot. I'm back alive. You think you have power. Look at me.

Or a visit to King Herod. “Your father tried to kill me as a baby. Didn't work. You tried to kill me as an adult. Still didn't work.”

Jerusalem – the Temple. Let the chief priests and the scribes see how they had failed in their plot. Also, the temple was a holy place.

Or maybe Bethany. Jesus had been hanging out there with his friends Martha, Mary and Lazarus. Perhaps he might need a little quiet time after his death and resurrection.

I asked the Lenten Bible study where they would guess Jesus would go. Their initial reaction was that Jesus would go back home.

Move 2: They were right. Jesus did not go to heaven; or to see Pontius Pilate or King Herod; Jesus did not go to the Temple in Jerusalem; Jesus did not go to Bethany.

Jesus went to Galilee

a. Maybe the Lenten Bible study was right.

b. But I think there was more at stake than just visiting with family.

c. Galilee was an important place for Jesus' ministry.

1. Cana – first miracle in the Gospel of John when he turned water into wine at the wedding.

2. Sea of Galilee: Jesus walking on water to catch up to the disciples who had left earlier in a boat.

On another occasion Jesus slept in the stern and calming of the waters took place on the Sea of Galilee;

3. Capernaum, a fishing village in the Galilean region, was the home to several of the disciples and the sight of many of Jesus' miracles;

4. Nazareth, Jesus' hometown was in the Galilean region;

5. A lot of things had happened in Galilee.

b. The resurrected Christ returns to Galilee to confirm who he is.

1. As if to say, if you wondered how I was able to do the healings, now you know. I am in fact the Son of God.

2. If you need proof, notice that I have been raised from the dead.

3. His appearance in Galilee validates everything he had done there previously

c. As importantly, our resurrected Lord goes back to Galilee because that is where real life is happening.

1. Galilee is not Jerusalem, some holy place.

2. Galilee is not some special shrine where the prophets gather..

Galilee, the region that contains his hometown of Nazareth, where Jesus had grown up;

the region that includes Capernaum, where his disciples are from and where they have fished from their boats to make a living;

Capernaum – where Peter's mother-in-law gets sick;


Cana – where people get married.


3. the resurrection was not about disappearing from reality, but transforming reality.
   
   
4. Jesus does not run from the real world, but instead returns to it.
   
   
   d. the resurrection matters less as a theoretical possibility and more as a testimony to the power of God to transform our lives, even as God can transform death into life

1. the resurrection is about hope and new possibilities in the midst of our daily living.

2. If your marriage is on the rocks, the resurrection matters because Jesus comes back to place where families live and struggle to share the good news – things can be different.

If your mother or father or spouse or child is dying, or you have experienced the death of a loved one, the resurrection matters because Jesus comes back to the places where we live and experience loss to say here is the hope.  Death is not the final answer.  Resurrection awaits.

4. If you fervently pray for peace and worry about your loved one who is deployed in harm's way, the resurrection matters Jesus comes back to declare that the Prince of Peace will reign.

5. If your job security is threatened, the resurrection matters because Jesus comes back to remind us that our hope cannot rely on the economic ups and downs, that our hope can only be found in the God who loves us and comes to us.

6. If you feel alone and wonder about your value, the resurrection matters because Christ comes back to show you how much God loves you and how valuable you are in God's eyes.

10. the resurrection is not about some theological concept, but about a God who is alive and in our midst.


11. Jesus goes back to Galilee because the resurrection is about transforming the real world.
Move 3: The disciples also go back to Galilee.

a. The gospel of Mark suggests that in the uncertainty of Christ's death, the disciples are headed home, back to Galilee.

b. The young man at the tomb tells the women to tell the disciples that the resurrected Jesus will meet them there.

1. We are reminded that these disciples of Christ, who were broken by his death, now have resurrection work in which to engage.

2. They have served with Jesus in his life; they have witnessed his death; and now they will join him in the work of the resurrection.

3. They will go into the fishing villages and bring the good news of the resurrection in word and deed.


4. They will gather with friends and tell stories of the resurrection.


5. they will be at wedding receptions and witness to the power of God's love.


4. They will reach out with hope to the poor and the oppressed because they work for the resurrected one.


c. We have that same privilege and challenge – to serve the resurrected one in our world.


1. Donald English, for many years the spiritual leader of Methodism in Great Britain, said that the world doesn't need more salespersons for the gospel, just more free samples. (Christian Century, Oct. 25, 2011”Due diligence A lawyer’s journey to church” James A. Harnish


2. We do not have to sell the resurrection as a theological concept;
1. We are called to live the resurrection among our families, at our schools, our jobs, our neighborhoods; to share the hope we have and the power of God to resurrect and transform lives.
   
   
   Conclusion: the young man at the empty tomb tells the women – do not look for Christ here. He is raised from the dead.
   
   
   He has gone off to Galilee.
   
   
   He has gone off to Ohio.
   
   
   Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed.

* I am indebted to Bishop William Willimon's Easter sermon "To Galilee" that he preached Easter, 2007 (Collected Sermons of William Willimon, Westminster John Knox Press, 2010.  248-252).  He preached the sermon as the visiting bishop, who had been invited to preach that Easter morning by the minister whose son had committed suicide on that Good Friday.  At the heart of the sermon was the question, "Why did Jesus go to Galilee?"   That question stuck came to mind as I read the Mark passage for this year's Easter sermon.

"On to Galilee" Mark 16: 1-7; Acts 10: 34-42

This Easter sermon is the finale of the "journey" that I have been preaching through Lent.  The series did not have to include Easter, but as I read Mark's Easter story, I discovered the disciples had to journey to Galilee to meet the Risen Christ.  That seemed a natural fit for a conclusion to a series on journeys.

I am indebted to Bishop William Willimon's Easter sermon "To Galilee" that he preached Easter, 2007 (Collected Sermons of William Willimon, Westminster John Knox Press, 2010.  248-252).  He preached the sermon as the visiting bishop, who had been invited to preach that Easter morning by the minister whose son had committed suicide on that Good Friday.  At the heart of the sermon was the question, "Why did Jesus go to Galilee?"   That question stuck came to mind as I read the Mark passage for this year's Easter sermon.

Galilee probably caught my attention because in our Lenten Bible study on Jesus' journeys I was reminded of the important role Galilee played in Jesus' ministry.  Jesus walking on water and calming of the waters took place on the Sea of Galilee; Capernaum, a fishing village in the Galilean region, was the home to several of the disciples and the sight of many of Jesus' miracles; Nazareth, Jesus' hometown was in the Galilean region; Galilee played an important role in Jesus' ministry and in the lives of his disciples.

I asked the Bible study where they thought Jesus would go to once he was resurrected.  The initial response was that Jesus might want to go back to home or to where the disciples were.  Thus, Jesus returning to Galilee makes good sense.  I'm going to play with that idea a bit in the sermon and consider some other possibilities:  Jesus could have returned to gloat over Pontius Pilate?  Or to the temple in Jerusalem to show off to the religious authorities?  Or maybe scampered off to heaven as quickly as possible to avoid another confrontation?  If you did not know Galilee, where do you think it would have made sense for Jesus to go after his resurrection (here's your chance to make it into the sermon!).

But he goes to Galilee.  the place of his ministry and his home.  does he go there for comfort's sake?  Or does he have something else in mind?  In some ways it speaks to what Jesus was about -- he returns to the place he had done ministry, the place where the disciples live.  the resurrection was not a disappearing form reality, but transforming reality.  Jesus does not run from the real world, but instead returns to it.  the resurrection matters less as a theological supposition or theoretical possibility and more as a testimony to the power of God to transform our lives even as God can transform death into life.  how does the resurrection matter in your daily living?

Christ is risen.  He is risen, indeed.

peace,

richard

Reflections on "A Fool's Journey" Mark 1: 1-11; Psalm 118: 19-29

I really enjoyed preaching this sermon.  I am short on time, so no other comments to make.

“A Fool's Journey” Palm Sunday, April 1, 2012; FPC, Troy

Move 1: Switch from Abraham and Sarah's journey to a journey Jesus takes.

a. Jesus has the journey all mapped out.

1. He has all the details worked out already.
2. knows where to get the colt.

3. he knows how this journey in Jerusalem will fulfill prophecy.

4. If there had been Mapquest, Jesus would have had the whole journey laid out step by step from what road to take into Jerusalem to what turns to make once they were there.

b. Jesus is on a roll.

1. As the Gospel of John tells this story, Jesus has just raised Lazarus from the dead.

2. Lots of magicians running around those parts doing some amazing things, but no one, no one but Jesus is bringing people back to life.

3. When the crowds shout, 'hosanna,” which means “save us,” they really believe that Jesus can do for them what he did for Lazarus.

100. In fact, Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem might even rival the parade put on by Pontius Pilate.

1. In those days, the Pontius Pilate would plan a huge parade during Passover time.

2. It was for the benefit of all the Jews who were arriving in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover.
3. Pilate would have a huge parade with soldiers and majestic sights to remind the Jews that the Romans were in charge.

3. Jesus' parade was quite a bit different, but as the people shouted “hosanna,” it rivaled the royal parade in its celebration and hopefulness.

Move 2: In truth, despite the crowds that gathered, this was not a triumphant journey. No, it was a parade that would finish at the cross.

a. Jesus rides into Jerusalem knowing that betraywal waits for him.

1. he knows that the cheers will soon turn into jeers.
2. He knows that the shouts of “save us, save us,” will soon turn into ugly accusations, “save yoruself, if you are the Son of God.”
   b. Rock opera “Jesus Christ, Superstar” depiction of the parade into Jerusalem.
   1. “Hey sanna, ho sanna, sanna, sanna, hey sanna, ho sanna sanna sanna , ho sanna, hey sanna, Hey, hey JC, JC won’t you smile at me. Jesus Christ, if you’re divine, turn my water into wine. Prove to me that you’re no fool. Walk across my swimming pool. Hey sanna, ho sanna, sanna, sanna, hey sanna, ho sanna.”

2. Jesus' entry into Jerusalem actually proves that he is the fool.

3. Only a fool would ride in Jerusalem knowing that betrayal and death wait for him.

4. Only a fool would die for people who sin and run away.

5. Only a fool would love people who cannot and will not return the love.

6. Only a fool would set this Table that is before us with his broken body and his spilled blood.

Conclusion: On this April Fool's day, I invite you to believe in the foolishness of the cross; to believe that Christ loved you enough to ride into Jerusalem and the certain death and betrayal that waited for him.

I invite you to come to this Table and receive his gift.