Reflections on Matthew 28: 16-20; Acts 11: 1-18

These two passage have so much in them that could be preached:

1.  The image of some of the eleven disciples on the mountaintop with Jesus still doubting.

2. The fact that only eleven were with Christ on the mountaintop.

3. What does it mean that Jesus is with us always?

4.  Peter's switch on the issue of dietary regulations and his being called on the carpet for reaching out to Gentiles.

5. The way in which the Holy Spirit works.

That's probably just a few threads I could have pulled this week in sermon preparation.  But, I also liked the sermon I ended up with Sunday.  It was fun to preach and had some strong images and reflections.

“Jesus Is the One Who Expands the Circle” April 28, 2013; FPC, Troy, Jesus is the one who series

Introduction: I spent six years in what I would call coaching hell. Because of my daughters' ages, I coached 1^st and 2^nd grade soccer for six straight years.

I discovered that not only did I make things too complicated, but that my way of explaining things generally used too many words. Yes, that glazed look on the faces that I see some weeks while doing the Time with young disciples greeted me at nearly every soccer practice.

It took me awhile, but I finally learned how to get the girls to make a circle, which was often necessary for drills and games we played at practice.

The simple command – “girls make a circle” would be followed by the strangest looking things. So I learned that first they had to stand shoulder to shoulder, then step back while holding hands; finally, they could be instructed to take a step or two back to make the circle really bigger.

Expanding the circle could happen, but you had to work at it.

This morning I want to reflect for a few minutes about Jesus' desire for us to work at expanding our circle to include others.

Move 1: Our desire to be included, can often lead to excluding others.

a. From an early age, we have a tendency to include and exclude.

 

1. Can you think of examples when you have been excluded?  Or included?

2. Most of us can remember being left out;

3. most of us, if we're honest, can remember intentionally leaving someone out.

b. We find reasons to exclude

1. Sometimes we have really good reasons.

2. For the Israelites it was part of who they were as God's chosen people.

3. The men were circumcised.

4. All of them worshiped one God instead of the multiple pagan gods.

4. They created lots of rules to help define their distinctiveness.

5. That included lots f dietary rules.

6. That made it, of course, easy to identify who was in and who was out. Whenever you saw them it, it would;d become readily apparent.

7. What made them distinctive also made them exclusive.

c. Our reasons may be a little less theological, but we we still find a rationale for excluding.

1. Sometimes it's because of numbers  -- you can only invite 8 people to you birthday party;

2. sometimes it is by preference -- I don't really want so-and-so to hang out with us Saturday night;

3. sometimes it is by happenstance -- if thought you were out of town, so I didn't invite you to join us

4. Maybe it is because of others that we did invite – they are getting along so, we'd better not invite so-and-so.

We are pretty good at excluding others, keeping them outside our circles.

Move 2: But then Jesus commands that we expand our circles to include others.

a. He's been doing throughout his ministry.

1. hemorrhaging woman

2. Leper

3. Woman who had committed adultery

b. Just before Jesus ascends to heaven in Matthew, he exhorts the disciples to go into the world to baptize and teach (we know it now as the Great Commission).

1. do not want to make this overly dramatic, but these are Jesus' final words.

2. Could have been – hang in there? Or take care of yourselves.

3. Jesus chooses to send the disciples into the world to invite others into their group.

4. Not just a few, but anyone and everyone.

5. Jesus' final words that reveal his great desire to extend his love to all the world.

c. This is the point that is made to Peter in his dream.

1. the long tradition of God's people being separated from others by dietary restrictions has been called into question.

2. I would suggest that by this time the dietary restrictions were less about being distinctively God's people and more about making sure that everyone knew that we were not like those other people.

3. Peter's dream challenges him to ignore the dietary restrictions and expand the circle to include everyone, even those other people.

Move 3: As Jesus calls us to expand our circle we discover our common need.

a.   Two Souls Indivisible: the friendship that saved Two POWs in Vietnam by James Hirsch details how two pilots, Fred Cherry and Porter Halyburton, survived as cellmates in a POW camp.

1. The North Vietnamese captors assumed that color would divide the prisoners. Probably a fair assumption for the 1960s.

2. They put these two particular men together because they thought that forcing Cherry, an African-American, and Halyburton, a Caucasian, to live together would be a punishment for them.

3. As it turned out, they had to care for each other. Cherry needed lots of attention from his new roommate to survive his injuries. Men who perhaps would not have been seen together eating in a restaurant in the United States found themselves changing bandages and feeding each other. Their common need to survive overcame their differences. In the seven months they shared a cell, however, they grew close together and very dependent on one another.

4. Although they both were held captive for approximately six more years, their attest to the how their time together shaped them to into people who could survive until they were released.

b. As we live out Jesus' command to go into the world baptizing and teaching, we are reminded that there is a world full of people out there who share a common need with us – the need of a savior.

1. we share our common need for someone to give us unconditional love.

3. people who may be different than we are in lots of categories we might use, but the same in their need to know Christ.

c. Imagine the temptation the disciples must have faced to not extend themselves.

1. the world out there had brought them nothing but trouble.

2. they have live through the pain and depression of watching Jesus die and then the exhilaration of discovering him resurrected among them.

3. They have their little group of friends who share with them their faith in Christ and their relationship with him.

4. how tempting it must have been just to stop right there.

c. But Jesus' pushes them.

1. there are still people out there who need to be in the circle.

2. Instead of settling for the circle they already have, Jesus says redraw the circle to include others.

Move 3: We are not in the circle alone – Jesus is still in the circle with us.

a. Good news – We are not alone in our efforts.

b. Challenge – Jesus keeps pushing.; he keeps saying step back and make the circle bigger. Include more people.

Conclusion: When I was in college, I served as the President of the Interfraternity Council.  One of my jobs was to match bids extended with those seeking a bid.  Fraternities would turn in their lists and potential members would turn in their lists.  They would be matched according to preferences.  What a horrible feeling to realize that there were a handful of young men who listed every fraternity as a choice they would accept only to discover that no fraternity had chosen to accept them.

They desperately wanted to be in someone's circle, and no one wanted them.

Jesus invites everyone into his circle. Go and tell the world.

"Jesus Is the One Who Expands the Circle" Matthew 28: 16-20; Acts 11: 1-18

1. Just before Jesus ascends to heaven in Matthew, he exhorts the disciples to go into the world to baptize and teach (we know it now as the Great Commission).  Final words, if you will, that reveal his great desire to extend his love to all the world.

2. From an early age, we have a tendency to include and exclude. Sometimes it's because of numbers  -- you can only invite 8 people to you birthday party; sometimes it is by preference -- I don't really want so-and-so to hang out with us Saturday night; sometimes it is by happenstance -- if thought you were out of town, so I didn't invite you to join us.  Most of us can remember being left out; most of us, if we're honest, can remember intentionally leaving someone out.

3.  We tend to shrink the circle of those we choose to include; Jesus always seemed to be expanding the circle of who we ought to include.

4.  Can you think of examples when you have been excluded?  Or included?  Or have excluded others intentionally?  Or included others intentionally?

5.  When I was in college, I served as the President of the Interfraternity Council.  One of my jobs was to match bids extended with those seeking a bid.  Fraternities would turn in their lists and potential members would turn in their lists.  They would be matched according to preferences.  What a horrible feeling to realize that there were a handful of young men who listed every fraternity as a choice they would accept only to discover that no fraternity had chosen to accept them.

Reflections on "Jesus Is the One Who Keeps Appearing" John 21: 4-8; Mark 16: 9-16

I enjoyed preaching this sermon.  It is also a case where what was preached differs more than that usual from the written text.  I got into a flow and now I can't quite remember what differences there were.  I know that the conclusion does not quite match what I preached in the Chapel of Sanctuary (both of which were different ending as well).

I used three illustrations that might not be common knowledge to most people, which presents the challenge of giving enough background so the listener can understand the context for the illustration without spending so much time on the context that the illustration gets lost. With our new screens in the sanctuary, it might be possible in the future to actually play clips of illustrations, instead of just describing them.  

One of the members of the congregation gave me an article about how our merging the four gospels together distorts how we understand the gospels -- that is, they can be best understood in their own context, without blurring the differences in the stories and the contexts.  Ironically, I read the article the same week I mention post-resurrection appearance stories from all four gospels.  I hope that by mentioning the four different gospels that contained the stories, I did not blur the fact that each gospel does have a different context in which to hear the post-resurrection appearance stories.  I didn't take the time to reflect on why, but I had never noticed before how limited the Gospel of Matthew is in its post-resurrection appearance stories.

“Jesus Is the One Who Keeps Appearing” April 21, 2013; FPC, Troy, Jesus is the one who series

Introduction: I was watching one of those TV shows about lawyers recently, and the somewhat predictable plot involved a case where injustice seemed to be winning the day.

In a series of courtroom scenes, after a particularly bad ruling by the judge or comment by the opposing lawyer, people in the gallery would stand up wearing those masks associated with what we now know as Anonymous, and shout about the injustice taking place.

Every court room scene that show had Anonymous people in masks appearing. As if to announce – we will keep appearing until you get the point we are trying to make.

After his resurrection, Jesus does not make a hasty trip to the join God in heaven. No, the resurrected Christ keeps appearing and appearing, as if to say – I am going to keep appearing until you get the point of my being resurrected.

Move 1: Jesus keeps appearing to show his followers that he has in fact been raised from the dead.

a. Think about the different stories of Jesus appearing.

1. In Mark, Jesus appears to Mary, then to two disciples, then to a whole gathering of disciples.

2. IN Luke, Jesus appears to several women at the tomb; then to disciples on walking to Emmaus; then at dinner in Emmaus; then to another gathering of disciples.

3. In Matthew, her appears to the disciples in Galilee where he gives them what we know as the great commission.

4. John – he appears to Mary Magdalene at the tomb; next to the disciples behind closed doors; then again so that Thomas can see him; then at the beach of the Sea of Tiberias in the story we read this morning.

5. We are not sure what to make of the resurrected Christ.

3. We get the sense that the resurrected Christ looked different, particularly since no one recognized him immediately.  

4. Perhaps Jesus looks so different they cannot recognize him?

5. Or maybe they cannot conceive.

6. Once they know who he is, they recognize him.

b. These stories help them realize the truth of what has happened, that Jesus has indeed been resurrected.

1. Sneaking in at night to look at the newborn asleep. Did my wife really have a baby? Am I really a father? Some things are hard to imagine, much less have come true.

2. The Gospel of Mark originally ended with no resurrection appearance stories, but they were soon added.  

1. As you know, I love the way the Gospel of Mark ends – the tomb is empty and the reader gets to decide if they want to believe.
2. But I also recognize that great need of those followers of Christ to tell the rest of the story.
3. To tell about the times when the resurrected Christ appeared.
4. Less drama, perhaps, but it helps those followers lay claim to the resurrection.

b. Jesus keeps appearing as his way of saying, “you can't get rid of me.”

1. the kingdom initiated by Christ cannot be thwarted.

2. Not even death can keep God's plan from playing out.

Jesus keeps appearing so that we would know the truth of the resurrection.

Move 2: Jesus also keeps appearing to make sure the disciples, to make sure we understand that the resurrection calls us to a new way of life.

a. This morning's story in John has Peter and some of the others back on their fishing boats.

1. Back doing with they had been doing before they had met Jesus.

2. I often have given the advice to grieving people – get back into your routines.

3. Undoubtedly they still remember what had happened when they were following Jesus around the countryside.

4. How could they forget Jesus performing miracles? I bet they can still hear Jesus' voice as he taught the crowds; maybe even in that moment as they are fishing they remember Jesus having them gather the fish and the loaves of bread and then having it somehow multiply to feed the thousands who gathered.

5. It's not as if they could forget that had happened.

6. But there they are, back in their boats fishing.

b. maybe you can relate to the disciples.

1. the excitement and thrill of gathering for Easter has passed.

2. Maybe you sat here on Easter morning and made a promise to yourself and to God that the power of the resurrection was going to make a difference in your life.

4. But now the disciples are back to fishing, and you are back into your normal routines.

c. But Jesus has something else in mind.

1. Jesus wants his disciples feeding his sheep, not fishing.

2. In fact, Jesus tells them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat where their fill their nets. It's as if Jesus is saying, “Fishing is no big deal. Anyone can do that. But I want to you stop

fishing and feed my sheep.”

2. The resurrection changed their lives; they cannot go back to who they once were, and Jesus keeps appearing to remind them of that.

3. I know, most of us have returned to our work after Easter – but the question still waits for us to answer: What does the resurrected Christ want you to be doing?

Move 3: Finally, Jesus keeps appearing because of love.

a. the musical  "The 25^th annual Putnam county Spelling Bee" has a scene in which Marcy, the young spelling bee contestant who reeks with perfection, gets an easy word to spell and sighs/prays: “Dear Jesus, Can't you come upon with a harder word than that.”

1. Lo and behold, Jesus appears.

2. Jesus tells her in part that he will love here whether she spells the word correctly or not. As he departs, Jesus says, “I don’t really care about spelling bees anyway” or something to that effect.

3. assured of Jesus' love, she gives up her stressed out pursuit of perfection, misspells the word, and leaves the spelling bee a changed person.

b. When Jesus appears on the beach and talks to Peter, love seems to be on his mind.

1. First of all, he extends his love to Peter.

2. We know the story – Peter betrayed Christ three times on the night Jesus was brought before the authorities and sentenced to death by crucifixion.

3. and, if asked, we would probably say, “yes, even though it is incredible, we sort of expect the Son of God to forgive and love even Peter.”

4. And so Jesus does.

6. But it is more than that.

7. Jesus invites Peter back into discipleship, back to the task of sharing the gospel.

8. Jesus invites Peter to go into the world and share that love.

c. “Fiddler on the roof” Do You Love Me?

1. This song is sung by Teyve and his wife Golde when Teyve tells her that he has given permission for their daughter's engagement.

2. It has him thinking about love, and in particular, about whether his wife, with whom he had met for the first time on his wedding day as part of an arranged marriage, and to whom he has been married for twenty-five years.

3. He asks her, “Do you love me?”

4. Golde: Do I what?

5. (Tevye) Do you love me?
6. (Golde) Do I love you? For twenty-five years I've washed your clothes
Cooked your meals, cleaned your house
Given you children, milked the cow; fought with him

(http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/fiddlerontheroof/doyouloveme.htm

Connection made to this song by Mark Davis, Left Behind and Loving It, 2013.) http://leftbehindandlovingit.blogspot.com/2013/04/tevye-and-golde-sing-do-you-love-me.html D

As if the way she lives her life will reveal her love for him.

Conclusion: Jesus keeps appearing to show the truth of who he was, to invite the disciples to understand the way their lives have been changed forever by the resurrection, and to love them and call them to share that love.

How does the way you live your life reveal the resurrected Christ?

"Jesus Is the One Who Keeps Appearing" John 21: 4-8

The Gospel of Mark originally ended with no resurrection appearance stories, but they were soon added.  I suspect Jesus' followers had a great need to tell the stories about Jesus appearing.

We get this sense that the resurrected Christ looked different, particularly since no one recognized him immediately.  Were his followers just not able to recognize him because they thought he was dead, or did he look materially different?

When Jesus appears on the beach with Peter, he seems to extend his love to Peter with the command to go and love others.

In Mark, the resurrected Christ calls for the disciples to proclaim the good news of salvation to all the world.

Are Jesus' multiple appearances before ascending his way of saying "You can't get rid of me!"

The Putnam county 25^th Annual Spelling Bee has a scene where the young spelling bee contestant who reeks with perfection considers what might happen if she spells the word wrong. She prays, and suddenly Jesus appears. Jesus tells her in part that he will love here whether she spells the word correctly or not. As he departs, Jesus says, “I don’t really care about spelling bees anyway” or something to that effect.

What do we do with the fact that after his ascension, Christ no longer appears?  Is this where the Holy Spirit fits into things?

Which post-resurrection story has the most meaning to you?

Bicentennial music celebration

Someone suggested that the blog should be "whatisrichardnotpreaching" instead of "whatisrichardpreaching" since I was on vacation last Sunday and we are celebrating our musical tradition this Sunday as part of our ongoing Bicentennial celebration.

I hope you can join us as the choir sings "In Faith," the hymn commissioned for our Bicentennial, and we have a brass quintet and Rev. Aaron Sheaffer, the former organist, back in our midst providing special music.