Reflections on "A Personal Commitment" I Chronicles 29: 10-22; 2 Corinthians 8: 8-15

Sorry if there are extra numbers and odd spaces. I am having a little bit of a formatting problem. 

We had the choir from First Presbyterian Church, Eaton, OH join with our choir to provide music leadership at our sanctuary service.  If you were in the sanctuary service, the preached sermon contained a few references to their presence which are not contained in the written notes below.

I borrowed the final illustration from a sermon I listened to at the suggestion of my friend Karl (if you want to hear that sermon in its entirety, go to http://cogpc.org/worship%20sermons.html and listen to the Oct. 9, 2011 sermon).  I thought the illustration was funny story/joke, but I wasn't sure about whether it was a merely a funny story, or if it added to the sermon.  Consequently, I think there was some hesitation in the story that kept it from working as well as it could have.  A reminder that when preaching, I have to commit to what's being preached, or it will not come across as well as it could.

This sermon is part of our "shining Our Light" capital campaign, and it was designed to be the minister's personal sharing about his (in my case) commitment to the campaign, including (if deemed helpful) an announcement of what the minister is pledging to the campaign. As you will see, I shied away from making that public declaration and made it more about how each of us is being asked to make a personal commitment.  I did share some of what is behind how my wife and I go about making a commitment like this. Not sure if the minister sharing his or her specific commitment is more effective or not.

As I preached the sermon, I would like to play with David's "free will" offering a bit more.  I think there is a richness there barely got tapped in this sermon.  

My discussion of an "obligation" giver vs. a "specific project" giver grows out of my own experience of talking to people about giving. Those terms did not come from a source I had read on the topic of stewardship, but I found them helpful.  People's reasons for giving, of course, are more nuanced than those two categories, but I do think most of us fall into one or two categories.  I suspect that our campaign consultant would cringe at the thought that I list my first rationale for giving as obligation, but that is true to who I am as a giver.   It is probably an area of growth for me as well!

I hope that in the personal sharing people could find themselves and lay claim to how they approach their giving.  

The 2 Corinthians passage comes from a section of that letter that has some tremendous stewardship insights.  My advanced Greek exegesis paper was on stewardship in Paul's second letter to the Corinthians, so I am enjoying revisiting those texts.

“A Personal Commitment” October 16, 2011; Capital Campaign;

Introduction: King David eloquently shares his desire to give back to God and the desire of his people

I love the enthusiasm David feels for giving.

I find it a bit ironic that King David, the one who sets the rules, the one who controls the people, calls them to give a “free will offering.” I'm not sure how much “free will” the Israelites felt when King David urges them to give.

Perhaps you know that feeling each fall when stewardship season rolls around, particularly in a year when we are all being asked to give to the “Shining Our Light” capital campaign as well.

Let's take a few moments and reflect on what it means to make a personal commitment at this time.

Move 1: Personal means we each have a different context for our giving.

a. Each of us is at a different place in our lives right now.

1. Some of us have secure jobs with no fear for loss of income.
   
   
2. Others of us are looking for jobs or are feeling vulnerable at work
   
   
   3. Some of us at at our peak earning.
   
   
3. Others of us are on fixed income or just beginning to reach the income level we want.
   
   
4. Some of us have kids in college or parents to care for at this time.
   
   
5. Others of us have lots of accumulated resources.
   
   b. We do share some contexts.
   
   1. We are all connected to this congregation.
   
   2. We all have been blessed by God.
   
   3. we all are living in a time with economic uncertainty, political unrest, and ongoing war in our world.
   
   4. Of course, each of us is impacted differently by those contexts we share.
6. 
   
1. c. Let me give a concrete example of my context. 
1. 1. 1. Leslie and are both employed and we like to think we are both secure in our jobs. 
   2. 
      
   3. 2. Our family income is greater than it was at earlier points in our married life. 
   4. 
      
   5. 3. We have a child we hope is headed to college next year, so we know that two of the three years of the capital campaign will take place with that added burden to our expenses. 
   6. 
      
   7. 4. I am the minister, which brings with it a certain obligation. 
   8. 
      
   9. 5. In our personal context, Leslie and I are prayerfully considering our commitment to the “Shining Our Light” campaign.
   d. It is not about what someone else is doing, but about what I am doing or in your case, what you are doing. 
   Each of us is being asked to make a personal commitment to the Shining Our Light capital campaign.
   Move 2: Reflect on various reasons to give

b. Obligation giver.

1. This person gives because they fell an obligation.
2. An obligation to God for all the gifts God has given to her.
3. An obligation to support this congregation.
4. I am an obligation giver.
5. When Leslie and I set a goal of giving at least a tithe, 10%, I view that goal as an obligation.
6. I arrange to have checks sent from my checking account twice a month to meet that obligation.
7. I monitor our income (Leslie's income fluctuates with her work and I make varying amounts as a soccer referee) and our giving to make sure that we are reaching our giving goal.
8. When I think about our commitment to the “Shining Our Light” capital campaign, I begin with what should my obligation be.
9. The good news about an obligation giver is that they consistently give whether they are excited about what's happening or not.
   
   
   c. But I live in split household. My wife is more interested in giving to specific projects.

1. If she hears about a mission project in Africa or a local group raising funds to help a specific person or project, she calls me or texts me or tracks me down and says we need to give to this project.
2. She usually feels passionate about the project.
3. She does not have much sympathy when her obligation giving husband says, “I'm not sure we can give to that, we've already given enough to meet our giving goal.”
4. In other words, when you want funds for that special project, you better as my wife!

                  5. When Leslie thinks about the “shining our Light” capital campaign, she thinks about the particular projects that excite her.

d. In truth, most of have a bit of both the obligation giver and the specific project giver in us.

e. As you consider your personal commitment to the Shining Our Light capital campaign, I hope you will be open to the the obligation of giving we have and the passion and excitement of the particular projects involved in this campaign.

Move 3: Giving as part of discipleship

a. King David connected his giving with the many blessings God had showered on him. His giving was part of what it meant to be in relationship with God.

b. Paul understands giving to be part of what it means to be a follower of the resurrected Christ.

1. Paul writes to these fledgling followers of Christ to help them figure out how to be Christians in their world.
2. A world where they are at odds with the governing authorities.

3. At odds with the Jewish tradition out of which they came.

4. At odds with each other.

5. Paul offers them lots of advice on how to live out their new found calling as disciples of Christ.

6. An important part of that is their giving. Paul challenges them to eagerly give both to support ministries in their communities and to support Christians in other places.

100. As each of us is invited to consider our commitment to the “shining Our Light” campaign, we are asked to do so in the context of our calling as disciples of Christ.

Conclusion: Story about a church that was short on its budget; had a contest to see who could give the most on a Sunday morning to catch up the shortfall; winner could pick three hymns.

Sunday arrrives; offering; Treasurer quickly goes through the offering; minister announces that Ms. Johnson, the spinster woman has given the most; she makes her way from back of the sanctuary on her walker; minister introduces her and announces she now gets to pick three hymns – she immediately looks out at the congregation and points as she says, “I pick him, and him, and him...”

Lots of different motivations to give.

King David wanted to give in response to the blessings he had received from God.

Paul wanted to give as a part of his calling as a disciple of Christ.

Each of us is being asked to prayerfully consider what our personal commitment will be to our "Shining our Light" capital campaign.

"A Personal Commitment" I Chronicles 29: 10-22; 2 Corinthians 8: 8-15

As we continue through our "Shining Our Light" capital campaign, the campaign consultant requested that I share my own personal commitment to the campaign.  It has been interesting to reflect on my personal commitment in the context of our theological understanding of stewardship.

Several thoughts that have not made their way into a sermon yet.

1.  Each of us has a different context out of which we give and connection to this church and this particular capital campaign.  I am not a member of the congregation, as I am a member of presbytery.  I am the minister, however, which has its own set of implications.  As someone who is very dependent on the AV system each week, I am particularly interested in that aspect of the project.

2.  Leslie and I give our offering every two weeks out of our earnings, as we will do our giving to the capital campaign, as opposed to having an investment portfolio or pool of savings which we can use to fund our giving.

3.  I like the challenge of giving and the opportunity it gives us to establish in our own budget how we value our giving back to God relative to the other things we do and enjoy in life.

4.  I observe in myself a tendency to be more of a "obligation" giver, if you will, who wants to make sure that we meet our giving goal (10% of income) when we tally up our income and giving totals at the end of the year.  I bring to that a lack of generosity if the giving would extend me much beyond the goal.  My wife, however, is a more joyful giver -- she gets excited about a project or feels sympathetic toward a group and is willing to give, regardless of whether we have already given our quota for that month.  In other words, I feel the joy of giving more as a sense of the satisfaction of accomplishing a goal; my wife feels the joy of giving because she is invested in the particular projects we support.

5. In the I Chronicles passage, David speaks of a "freewill offering" of the people.  How "freewill" is it when the King is asking you to do it?  Likewise, how "freewill" does it feel when your church is asking you to give?

6.  I love the enthusiasm David feels for giving.

7.  Paul calls the Corinthians to a sense of "eagerness" in their giving.  As we think about giving now, we do so in uncertain economic times, in a time of political unrest, and in a time when friends and family are being deployed to serve in harm's way.  How do we "eagerly" give?  On the other hand, Paul is writing to people who are in a  fragile place as a minority group that is at risk in the larger society and in the context of their Jewish tradition that is at odds with them, so they knew something about uncertainty as well.

not sure how this is going to fit together in a sermon, but ...

Peace,

Richard

Reflections on "Sharing a Vision" Ezra 5: 6-11; Revelation 9:13-19

I loved the Kodak Theater illustration.  My only concern was not saving it for a sermon down the road.  I think a whole sermon could be constructed around that illustration.

I'm not sure how well the sermon worked.  I really liked the Ezra passage, but the Revelation passage ended up just being included because it had been advertised as the text for the week.  I think the challenge for me was that when I did some biblical work on "vision," the stories related to it seemed to dwarf my use of the word when thinking about a sanctuary renovation.  One of the ongoing challenges for me and the congregation is to lay claim to this project while the world is in the midst of economic upheaval, war, etc.  I think the Ezra passage helped in that regard.

The conclusion didn't work too well for me either.

This is one of those Monday mornings when I wish I had another shot at Sunday's sermon!

“Sharing a Vision” FPC, Troy; October 9, 2011 Ezra 5: 6-11; Revelation 9: 13-19

Introduction: Kodak Theater in LA where Academy Awards are held each year has a place where stars can gather --  a "star bar," if you will, as part of the lobby.  The glass is designed so that as you look at it from across the lobby, you can easily see someone like Tom Hanks having a drink.  But, as you get closer, the images get fuzzy.  From a distance, you can see the stars, but if you get to close, you cannot see them. I suppose it blends the excitement of seeing the stars with the crowd control of keeping people from getting to close to the stars.

The vision is clear from the distance, but gets fuzzy as you get closer.

Over the last few months, I know many of you have heard about the different projects that are to be funded by our “shining the Light” capital campaign.

There have been questions and conversations around the different aspects of those projects.

Many of us have been taking a close look at the details of the project.

This morning I want us to step back a bit and reflect on the vision from more of a distance and be reminded of how this vision came into focus.

Move 1: Use the Ezra passage

a. As you may recall, the book of Ezra, and its sister book Nehemiah, tell the story of the exiles returning to Jerusalem.

1. When Babylon conquered Jerusalem, many Israelites were sent into captivity.
2. They literally were moved away from Jerusalem.
3. Now after generations in exile, some Israelites have received permission from King Darius of Persia, the exiles have been allowed to return home to Jerusalem.
4. And for some of them even more importantly, they are returning to Jerusalem with a vision to rebuild the Temple, the house of God that has been the center of their worship.
5. The projects associated with our “shining our Light” campaign pale in comparison to the project confronting the returning exiles who have to rebuild the crumbling Temple that has been in disrepair for years.

b. Not everyone is happy about their return and their vision for a rebuilt Temple.

1. The Ezra passage we read this morning is a portion of a letter that is considered to be a progress report, although it sounds a bit like a tattle-tale letter to the king to me.
2. Tattenai, who opposes the rebuilding of the temple tries to get the Israelites in trouble by sharing what the Israelites said when he asked who gave them permission to build and what their name is.
3. Apparently, when confronted the Israelites begin their explanation by announcing,"We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished."

5. That is the mandate they follow as they live out the vision of a rebuilt Temple – we are continuing in what our leaders have started and we are servants of God.

Move 2: Our vision grows out of our past.

a. In 1865 this sanctuary held the community wide service to mourn the death of President Abraham Lincoln.

1. At his death, the city leaders of Troy gather to decide how to respond.
2. Something like the religious and city leaders who gathered after 9/11 to determine a way for the community to respond.
3. The civic leader asked every congregation to have a memorial service as part of their regularly scheduled Sunday worship.
4. And, they decided to gather at the Presbyterian Church on Franklin street for a city wide memorial service.
5. Here in this sanctuary.
   b. Why this place?

1. For starters, it was a newly new beautiful sanctuary designed to worship God. Where better to hold a community service.
2. Our sanctuary was Big enough to get everyone in the worship service.
3. Presbyterians were part of the civic leadership, as we still are today.
4. I find it no surprise that the Presbyterians either volunteered this sanctuary or agreed to use it when asked.
5. That's how we do things.

b. In our time now, we are continuing in the tradition of those faithful Presbyterians from the 19^th century who built this sanctuary and then used it to worship God.

1. In fact, decisions have been made through the last 150+ years since this sanctuary was built that lead to our decision now.
   2. In the mid-20^th century, the chapel was built and more Church school space was added.
   3.Through the last few decades of the 20^th century property was purchased across Franklin St. and toward Main St. so that future expansion could take place.
   4. In the first decade of the 21^st century, this congregation added a new Social Hall and renovated its offices and classrooms.
   5. At any of those junctures, the decision could have been made to leave downtown and go to another part of town.
   6. Other churches have made that decision.
   7. But, the Presbyterians have continually chosen to be a downtown presence where we God's people can gather to worship God; learn about God's Word; and minister to God's people in the world.
   8. The “Shining Our Light” capital campaign is about continuing that tradition.

Move 3: Vision grounded in our calling as God's people.

a. Visions in the biblical texts involve God speaking through the visions.

b. Peter and Cornelius in Acts

1. Two men who have visions that draw them together.
2. Visions that lead to a radical change in how the early church operates.
   b. the passage we read from Revelation shares a radical vision, as does much of the Book of Revelation.
   1. God has revealed to John a strange vision about how the early church must understand itself in a time of persecution.
   2. The specifics of the vision do not fit our situation, but it serves as a reminder that when we speak about vision, we invite God to share with us a plan for how to live as God's people in the world.

b. Exiles in Ezra were grounded in who they were as God's people.

1. When asked by Tattenai their names, they decide that their personal names were not important.
2. what was important is that they were servants of God.

c. Foundation for our capital campaign is our calling as God's people.

1. This morning when you leave worship you will be given a packet that has tools to help you in this regard.
2. A devotional guide

2. Personal commitment guide.
3. Prayer bookmark
4. What we are doing collectively as a congregation and individually must grow out of our faith.
5. We are each invited to make the “Shining Our Light” capital campaign a part of our faith journey.
Conclusion: the hope, of course, is as we reflect on the foundations of our vision for this project, we will discover a vision that is different than the vision found at the star bar at Kodak Theater.

A vision that so grows out of our past commitment to serving God and so links to our calling as God's people in theIntroduction: Kodak Theater in LA where Academy Awards are held each year has a place where stars can gather. The glass is designed so that as you get closer, it is harder to see. From a distance, you can see the stars, but if you get to close, you cannot see them.

The vision is clear from the distance, but gets fuzzy as you get closer.

Over the last few months, I know many of you have herd about the different projects that are to be funded by our “shining the Light” capital campaign.

There have been questions and conversations around the different aspects of those projects.

Many of us have been taking a close look at the details of the project.

This morning I want us to step back a bit and reflect on the vision from more of a distance and be reminded of how this vision came into focus.

Move 1: Use the Ezra passage

a. As you may recall, the book of Ezra, and its sister book Nehemiah, tell the story of the exiles returning to Jerusalem.

1. When Babylon conquered Jerusalem, many Israelites were sent into captivity.
2. They literally were moved away from Jerusalem.
3. Now after generations in exile, some Israelites have received permission from King Darius of Persia, the exiles have been allowed to return home to Jerusalem.
4. And for some of them even more importantly, they are returning to Jerusalem with a vision to rebuild the Temple, the house of God that has been the center of their worship.
5. The projects associated with our “shining our Light” campaign pale in comparison to the project confronting the returning exiles who have to rebuild the crumbling Temple that has been in disrepair for years.

b. Not everyone is happy about their return and their vision for a rebuilt Temple.

1. The Ezra passage we read this morning is a portion of a letter that is considered to be a progress report, although it sounds a bit like a tattle-tale letter to the king to me.
2. Tattenai, who opposes the rebuilding of the temple tries to get the Israelites in trouble by sharing what the Israelites said when he asked who gave them permission to build and what their name is.
3. Apparently, when confronted the Israelites begin their explanation by announcing,"We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished."

5. That is the mandate they follow as they live out the vision of a rebuilt Temple – we are continuing in what our leaders have started and we are servants of God.

Move 2: Our vision grows out of our past.

a. In 1865 this sanctuary held the community wide service to mourn the death of President Abraham Lincoln.

1. At his death, the city leaders of Troy gather to decide how to respond.
2. Something like the religious and city leaders who gathered after 9/11 to determine a way for the community to respond.
3. The civic leader asked every congregation to have a memorial service as part of their regularly scheduled Sunday worship.
4. And, they decided to gather at the Presbyterian Church on Franklin street for a city wide memorial service.
5. Here in this sanctuary.
   b. Why this place?

1. For starters, it was a newly new beautiful sanctuary designed to worship God. Where better to hold a community service.
2. Our sanctuary was Big enough to get everyone in the worship service.
3. Presbyterians were part of the civic leadership, as we still are today.
4. I find it no surprise that the Presbyterians either volunteered this sanctuary or agreed to use it when asked.
5. That's how we do things.

b. In our time now, we are continuing in the tradition of those faithful Presbyterians from the 19^th century who built this sanctuary and then used it to worship God.

1. In fact, decisions have been made through the last 150+ years since this sanctuary was built that lead to our decision now.
   2. In the mid-20^th century, the chapel was built and more Church school space was added.
   3.Through the last few decades of the 20^th century property was purchased across Franklin St. and toward Main St. so that future expansion could take place.
   4. In the first decade of the 21^st century, this congregation added a new Social Hall and renovated its offices and classrooms.
   5. At any of those junctures, the decision could have been made to leave downtown and go to another part of town.
   6. Other churches have made that decision.
   7. But, the Presbyterians have continually chosen to be a downtown presence where we God's people can gather to worship God; learn about God's Word; and minister to God's people in the world.
   8. The “Shining Our Light” capital campaign is about continuing that tradition.

Move 3: Vision grounded in our calling as God's people.

a. Visions in the biblical texts involve God speaking through the visions.

b. Peter and Cornelius in Acts

1. Two men who have visions that draw them together.
2. Visions that lead to a radical change in how the early church operates.
   b. the passage we read from Revelation shares a radical vision, as does much of the Book of Revelation.
   1. God has revealed to John a strange vision about how the early church must understand itself in a time of persecution.
   2. The specifics of the vision do not fit our situation, but it serves as a reminder that when we speak about vision, we invite God to share with us a plan for how to live as God's people in the world.

b. Exiles in Ezra were grounded in who they were as God's people.

1. When asked by Tattenai their names, they decide that their personal names were not important.
2. what was important is that they were servants of God.

c. Foundation for our capital campaign is our calling as God's people.

1. This morning when you leave worship you will be given a packet that has tools to help you in this regard.
2. A devotional guide

2. Personal commitment guide.
3. Prayer bookmark
4. What we are doing collectively as a congregation and individually must grow out of our faith.
5. We are each invited to make the “Shining Our Light” capital campaign a part of our faith journey.
Conclusion: the hope, of course, is as we reflect on the foundations of our vision for this project, we will discover a vision that is different than the vision found at the star bar at Kodak Theater.

A vision that so grows out of our past commitment to serving God and so links to our calling as God's people in the present that it becomes crystal clear as we move closer toward that vision.

"Sharing the Vision" Revelation 9: 13-19; Ezra 5: 6-11

This week's sermon brings to mind a couple of thoughts:  1. The challenge of going from topic to text, instead of text to topic.  I was taught to start with the text and go where it goes, but when preaching topical sermons, you try to find a text for the topic.  This is Vision Sunday for the "Shining Our Light" capital campaign, so I started with the topic of vision and then looked for texts.  When searching for texts, I discovered lots of visions, but most had to do with prophets or visions people had in the night (i.e. - Peter and Cornelius having visions in Acts that led to the early church's decision to no longer require that dietary restrictions be maintained by new Christians).  Thus, a challenge to build on the vision motif.

2.  I was reminded of how much I loved my Hebrew exegesis class on Ezra and Nehemiah.  It is such a powerful story. As I recall, I preached a whole series on Ezra and Nehemiah quite a few years ago when we were involved the first building project.  It's a powerful story of God's people encountering lots of challenges and issues as they seek to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem.

I picked the Revelation passage as a context for having a vision.  The specifics of the vision do not fit our situation, but it serves as a reminder that when we envision what God would have us do, we are making a powerful statement.  I have been thinking this week about the power behind our vision of a renovated sanctuary that is ready for the next century of worship.

The Ezra passage is a portion of a letter from those who do not like what the returning exiles are doing in rebuilding the temple.  It's sort of a tattle-tale letter to the king.  We read the portion where it is reported that when they asked the returning Israelites who decreed they could rebuild and what their name was. The Israelites answer, "We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished."  At least that's the first part of their answer.  I am struck by their sense that being servant of God gives them permission to build and is their name.
A rather bold claim.  it also stands as a high responsibility to live out that calling in their rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem.

I do not equate our project with the historical significance of rebuilding the Temple after generations of exile, but I believe we make that same claim -- we are God's people -- and we take on that same responsibility -- to engage in projects that reflect that truth.

I'm not sure what these thoughts will look like when they arrive at the point of being preached, but it's not Sunday morning yet.

Peace,

Richard

Reflections on "Desperate People" Mark 5: 21-34; Psalm 130

I realized Saturday night that on Pentecost I preached about the desperate people wanting to hear about the resurrected Christ; then last week I used a quote about being desperate when going to church; now I have desperate people in the title and mention desperate people coming to our Lord's Table.  Not sure what to make of the recurrence of that image.

I like the image from the introduction.  Not sure if the transition to the rest of the sermon worked.  The Archbishop of Canterbury quote and the Sara Miles quote probably work better in print when being read than when spoken.  They both were fairly subtle.

I thought the image of a baby crying that I used in the Time with Young Disciples was a good one to describe "out of the depths I cry" from Psalm 130.  That was a last minute thought, but I wish I had included it in the sermon.  

“Desperate People” FPC, Troy; Mark 5: 21-34; Psalm 130; October 2, 2011; World Communion Sunday

Introduction: World Communion Sunday – a Sunday when we gather around our Lord's Table and declare our connectedness with our brothers and sisters in Christ and imagine that we all are coming to our Lord's Table together.

We know that we do not arrive at our Lord's Table together. Some Christian traditions do not acknowledge this connectedness; but, we look toward the day when all our brothers and sisters in Christ will be united around our Lord's Table.

Imagine what it would be like to come forward to receive the elements today with brothers and sisters in Christ from all over the world.

You might see the minister wearing a stole like I am this morning that was a gift from Mar Inong, our minister friend from the Philippines.

Or wearing a cross like the one I wear from the Presbyterian Church in Cuba.

In front of you might be a Korean man. Good chance he would be a Presbyterian. Notice how differently he looks and when he speaks how strange his native language sounds to our ears.

Directly behind you might be an African woman, dressed in brightly colored clothing. Perhaps she is from the desert areas of Africa with her black skin well worn from the blowing sands.

Behind her is a Colombian. Maybe he looks something like Mario and he is from the North Coast presbytery in Colombia, our sister presbytery. His rhythmic Spanish rolls of his lips.

Up ahead are two Italian Catholic girls. They have recently celebrated their first communion and today is their first time to come forward during a regular mass. They anxiously look around to make sure they are doing it correctly. The excitement of youthfulness flows out of them.

As far as you can see, the parade of people coming to our Lord's Table broadens the image of God in which we were created beyond anything we could imagine.

World Communion is about claiming our connection to all those people.

Move 1: But I want to reflect for a few moments on a subset of that larger group.  A group not connected by their common look or language, but a group connected by their hunger.

a. A group of people who, to quote the Archbishop of Canterbury, are “really hungry and can smell fresh bread a mile a way.” (59) Take This Bread: A Radical Conversion, Sara Miles

1. People who are coming to our Lord's Table because they are starving to find some hope.

2. People who come to our Lord's Table desperately seeking the Risen Christ.

3. Maybe you know someone like that.

4. Maybe you are someone like that.

b. Someone like the hemorrhaging woman we read about in the Gospel of Mark.

1. She has tried all the physicians, and none of them can heal her.

2. She has used all her money to find help, but has not found it yet.
   
   
   3.  I suspect that Jesus is not the first person whom she has visited in hopes that they could heal her.

100. maybe she has heard about Christ.

1. that he is the son of God.

2. that he has been performing miracles and healing people.
   
   
   3.  We do not know why she has chosen Jesus, but there she is pushing through the crowds, desperately seeking his healing powers,.

4.  She is not even asking for him to lay on hands or perform some ritual. She just wants to touch his clothes.

5. And she does. And she is healed.

Move 2: This is his Table.

a. This the Table of the one who heals her.

1. This is the place where we meet the Risen Christ.

2. This is where we receive by the power of the Holy Spirit, the life transforming gift of Christ's body and blood.

b. We cannot explain it.

1. I cannot explain to you how the hemorrhaging woman was healed.

2. I cannot tell you how the Risen Christ will transform the lives of those who meet him at this Table.

3. But I can invite you to join with other people who desperately need the power of our Risen Lord to transform their live; to join with them as we come to our Lord's Table.

Conclusion: For some, the journey to the Table is merely an exercise.

I suspect for some who stood in the crowds that day with Jesus, it was just an afternoon wasted.

But, for some, the journey to our Lord's Table will bring them healing and hope.

Let me finish with Ara Miles description of the first time she came to our Lord's Table. She writes: “I still can't explain my first communion. It made no sense. I was in tears and physically unbalanced.: I felt as if I had just stepped off a curb or been knocked over, painlessly, from behind. The disconnect between what I thought was happening – I was eating a piece of bread; what I heard someone else say was happening – the piece of bread was the “body” of “Christ,” a patently untrue or at best metaphorical statement; and what I knew was happening – God, named “Christ,” or “Jesus,” was real, and in my mouth – utterly short-circuited my ability to do anything but cry”(59) Take This Bread: A Radical Conversion, Sara Miles

come, the risen Lord invites you to his Table.

Amen.