"Grab Bag: Angels, Please Come to Order"

The sub-title of the sermon is taken from Rev. Alex Coyle's play he wrote that was first performed by the women of the church, and then a few years ago was updated and added to and became our Advent play.  It depicts different scenes in heaven, and gets its title from this sense of humor and chaos that accompany the angels

John Calvin wrote on the subject of angels.  It is found in the section on God the Creator, and more specifically on distinguishing true gods from false gods (Calvin's Institutes, Book 1, Chapter 14, Sections 3-12). the points Calvin makes about angels are:  1. Angels are created by God and subject to God.  2. Angels carry out things God has decreed and act as God's intermediary messengers (14.5).  3.  Angels "keep vigil for our safety, take upon themselves our defense, direct our ways, and take care that some harm may not befall us." (14.6)  4. Calvin is not sure if each individual has their own angel (he references Acts 12:15 in support of that notion).  He does caution against limiting God's care for us to one guardian angel (14.7)  5. Calvin dares not count the number of angels, but references biblical comments that speak of lots of angels (Matthew 26:53; Daniel 7:10; 2 Kings 6:17 and Psalm 34:7). 6. God makes use of angels, not for God's sake, but for our sake (14.11)  7. focus on angels should not divert us from directing our gaze to the Lord alone (14.12)  7.

Angels have names at times in the biblical story.

"Angel of the Lord" is a fairly common phrase in the Old Testament.

I often hear people speak of an angel as a person whom they know who has died and is now acting in a guardian type role.  While I understand the sentiment, that is not the biblical model for an angel.

The movie "It's a Wonderful Life" gives us the idea that an angel is a hierarchical category of heavenly beings with angels needing to perform acts on earth to earn their wings.  This feeds the sense of humans becoming angels after they die, but this also does not have biblical support.

How have you understood angels in your life?

Reflections on "Grab-bag: Belief -- Risk or Reward" Mark 1: 16-20; Galatians 1: 10-24

Another sermon based on a question from a member.  I have discovered that I have a little fear and trepidation when preaching on a sermon with the person whose idea it was is sitting in the pews listening to the sermon!

I have not figured out why exactly, but so far I have found that the sermons generated by the questions also generate lots of reflections for me, so it has been hard to keep the sermons focused and not ramble.

Mario, our Youth Pastor who has been taking the recorded sermons and formatting them for use on our web-site, taught me how to do that process since he has stopped working for the church as he seeks a call.  As he showed me the process, he noted how patterned I am in my preaching (he can basically look at the sound waves of the sermon and tell me with fairly good accuracy what part of the sermon is being shown).  That has me thinking about how to vary my preaching pattern, instead of getting into a rut.  With that in mind, I intentionally began this sermon with an illustration, instead of some introductory remarks about the sermon series.  In fact, it led to three straight examples before announcing what the question was that prompted this sermon topic.  Mario commented after the sermon that the first illustration might have been too long and included info unnecessary to the point I was making.  As I evaluate the sermon, he might be right!

I also had the challenge in the sanctuary sermon of getting to page 6 of my sermon notes only to discover that page 6 had not made it to the pulpit.  As I preached, I quickly looked through my notes to confirm that page 6 was not there, and then free-lanced that portion of the sermon before finishing up with page 7.  Fortunately, I knew the sermon fairly well, so there was not a major issue at that point in the sermon.

As I prepared this sermon, I recognized that the theme of having a checklist of beliefs vs. following Christ has been a frequent visitor to my thoughts in recent years.  I did have an added insight this week that it might be easier to find common ground with other Christian traditions when we focus on following Christ, instead of on the checklist of beliefs.  That might be an interesting topic for another sermon.

“Grab Bag:  Belief – Risk or Reward” 6/2/13; FPC, Troy; Mark 1: 16-20; Galatians 1: 10-24

Move 1: Perhaps you have heard of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the 20^th century German theologian.  Maybe you have even read is book, Cost of Discipleship. 

Bonhoeffer was a Christian pacifist who lived in pre-World War II Germany during the rise and rule of Adolph Hitler.  When the German Lutheran church aligned itself with Hitler and the German state, Bonhoeffer was one of the theologians who spoke out against the church’s willingness to partner with Hitler.  He joined with others in forming the Confessing Church that spoke out against the church being aligned with any state government, but particularly the German government.

His outspoken criticism and his pacifism that opposed the military rule of Hitler led to his being in trouble with the German government.

In June, 1939, Bonhoeffer left for the United States at the invitation of Union Theological Seminary in New York.  His friends had helped arrange this trip so that Bonhoeffer could be removed from the threat of living in Germany.

He soon regretted his decision.  IN fact, he wrote to American theologian “I have come to the conclusion that I made a mistake in coming to America. I must live through this difficult period in our national history with the people of Germany. I will have no right to participate in the reconstruction of Christian life in Germany after the war if I do not share the trials of this time with my people... Christians in Germany will have to face the terrible alternative of either willing the defeat of their nation in order that Christian civilization may survive or willing the victory of their nation and thereby destroying civilization. I know which of these alternatives I must choose but I cannot make that choice from security." 

He returned to Germany on the last scheduled steamer to cross the Atlantic. Soon thereafter he was imprisoned, and was killed by a judge’s order in April, 1945.

Bonhoeffer once described his life of like this:  “Being a Christian is less about cautiously avoiding sin than about courageously and actively doing God's will.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/29333.Dietrich_Bonhoeffer

Bonhoeffer found it risky being a follower of Christ.

Peter and Andrew were in their boats going about their business.  I suspect fishing was not the safest occupation in their time, but they knew what they were doing.  There was safety in their daily routines of catching fish.

Then Jesus calls them to leave their nets and follow him.  Peter and Andrew follow, and their life gets rather exciting.  Not only did they endure the challenges of being with Jesus as he moved through the countryside teaching, healing, and performing miracles, but they felt first-hand the loss of Jesus’ death, and then the exhilaration of his resurrection.

Early Christian writings tell us that both Peter and Andrew eventually were killed for their faith.

Peter and Andrew found it risky being a follower of Christ.

We read Paul’s letter to the Galatians and are reminded of his story.  A devout Jew who persecuted followers of Christ until he was struck blind on the road to Damascus and sees the risen Lord.  That begins his journey as a great leader of the early church.

He was imprisoned, lost at sea, faced arguments and anger form some of the church communities, and he dealt with the unknown thorn in his side.  Church tradition has it that Paul ultimately was killed for his faith.

Being a follower of Christ was risky for Paul.

In the context of those stories, I share with you the question raised by one of you:  “If I am following Jesus, why am I such a good insurance risk?”

Do not miss the irony, that I preach and you listen in an air-conditioned sanctuary in a country where the only threat to our being in worship together is that it might interfere with our Strawberry Festival plans or our schedule of athletic events our kids have.

Move 2:  Why is it that being a disciple of Christ does not feel very risky for most of us?

            a.  Context

1. We live in a time and place where the world around us accepts the fact that we are followers of Christ and there are measures in place to safeguard our ability to follow Christ.

2.    In fact, in many instances, people applaud us for our faithfulness.

3. Even in our context of declining church membership and polls that indicate people are less involved in church life, there is still a general acceptance of people who of faith. 

4.  And we certainly live in a country where we are free to practice our faith without fear of retribution from the government.

5. Our context is pre-disposed to risk averse faith.

                        6. Some church historians argue that the worst day for the church was the day long ago when Constantine, the Roman emperor, became a Christian and decided to give special  privileges to the Christian church.   That created a world where faith did not require any risk because the church was supporting it.

b. We also create a faith that focuses on the risk averse aspects of our faith.

1. We tend to turn to God for comfort and support, not for guidance on where to go to put our faith on the line.

2.  Part of this risk aversion is found in our focus on making faith a checklist of beliefs.

3.  Do you believe in Jesus?  Absolutely.  Check that one off.

4. Do you believe in the resurrection? You bet, so check that one off.

5. Do you believe that God loves you?  Yep. Check that one off.

6. Do you believe in predestination?  Wait, I’m not even sure that is, but I probably do, so check that on off.

c.   Believing a series of theological concepts about God is easier than following Jesus.

1. Barbara Brown Taylor describes how this kind of faith works:   “If I am not careful, I can decide that I am really much happier reading my Bible than I am entering into what God is doing in my own time and place, since shutting the book to go outside will involve the very great risk of taking part in stories that are still taking shape.” (107)Barbara Brown Taylor, Leaving Church

2.      That is not say that thinking about what we believe or being theological is wrong. 

3.      But it reminds us that what we believe matters most when it shapes how we act

4.      I am fascinated by what N. T. Wright and Marcus Borg share in their book :“There was a spectrum of belief about life after death in first-century Judaism. The Sadducees, the ruling elite, denied a future life of any sort. This may be because those who believe strongly in the future life were the more ready to risk death in seeking political or religious reform. One can well imagine that existing rulers would not wish to encourage such attitudes. (The Meaning of Jesus:  Two Visions, Marcus J. Borg and N. T. Wright, 112)

5.      Our belief should not serve to keep us from following Christ, but should instead propel us to serving Christ in the world.

Move 3:  how do we become disciples who take risks?

            a.  Force ourselves into new situations.

1.  Maybe one of the reasons that international mission trips have such appeal is that deep down within us we like the idea of feeling as if we are risking something (not too much, mind you, as the trips are generally fairly safe).

            2.  Whether it be the inner city of Lexington, KY or Haiti, or Africa, being in a very different context helps us see things differently.

3. It challenges us to give up what we come to think as the norm of Christian faith and asks us to come to new understanding.

4. do not have to travel – come to the Breakfast Club and engage someone.

5.  Work at Partner in Hope – engage the people.

6. discover how the world looks from the context of someone who is barely making it from day to day.

7. listen to how your beliefs sound in that context.  I bet you will be challenged to rethink your faith.

b. risk by continually challenging yourself to see if how what you believe is impacting how you live. 

1. Bonhoeffer got in trouble first because he was a pacifist.

2.  If you believe God calls people into discipleship, examine your life and see where you can identify God’s calling. 

            3. Work at making what you believe more than just something you learn; make your beliefs something you believe.

Conclusion:  Instead of leaving church family members with the well-meaning wish "Take care," we should depart from each other with the urging, “Take risks.”

Or as Jesus put it, “Follow me.”

"Grab-bag: Belief - Risk or Reward" Mark 1: 16-20; Galatians 1: 10-24

The question submitted as part of the Grab bag sermon series that forms the basis for this sermon is:  If I am following Jesus, why am I such a good insurance risk?

I get the point (I think), and I see the point in the biblical texts, but I feel like a hypocrite preaching on this topic after a week spent in my air-conditioned office, where I receive a fairly good salary, pus insurance benefits.  Not much risk in following my calling, particularly in contrast to the disciples who hear Jesus' call and give up their jobs and their ordered lives to follow Jesus.  

Maybe one of the reasons that international mission trips have such appeal is that deep down within us we like the idea of feeling as if we are risking something (not too much, mind you, as the trips are generally fairly safe).

If I can make the case in the sermon that we should take risks, where should I send the listeners to start taking risks?  Does it trivialize the concept to mention little steps of risk-taking?  

I also have this sense that believing a series of theological concepts about God is easier than following Jesus. I've been running into this idea in my sermon preparation fairly often the last year or so.  In fact, last week's sermon alluded to that idea.  

Can you think of times your faith has called you to take a risk?

The following are quotes/stories that I have been playing with in my sermon preparation this week.  A couple of the quotes do not have sources.  These are quotes I found awhile ago when I was less conscious of citing sources.  In recent years, I have become much more vigilant about citing sources.

        “There was a  spectrum of belief about life after death in first-century Judaism. The Sadducees, the ruling elite, denied a future life of any sort. This may be because those who believe strongly in the future life were the more ready to risk death in seeking political or religious reform  One can well imagine that existing rulers would not wish to encourage such attitudes. (The Meaning of Jesus:  Two Visions, Marcus J. Borg and N. T. Wright, 112)

        The real reason for the persistent adherence to infant baptism is quite simply the fact that without it the church would suddenly be in a remarkably embarrassing position. Every individual would then have to decide whether he wanted to be a Christian. But how many Christians would there be in that case? The whole concept of a national church (or national religion) would be shaken. That must not happen; and so one proposes argument upon argument for infant baptism and yet cannot speak convincingly because fundamentally he has a bad conscience. The introduction of adult baptism in itself would of course not reform the church which needs reforming. The adherence to infant baptism is only one — a very important one — of many symptoms that the church is not alive and bold, that it is afraid to walk on the water like Peter to meet the Lord, that it therefore does not seek a sure foundation but only deceptive props.

“Die christliche Lehre nach dem Heidelberger Katechismus,” Lectures given at the University of Bonn, Summer Semester, 1947. The Heidelberg Catechism for Today, trans. Shirley Guthrie (John Knox Press, 1964), p. 104.  http://www.inhabitatiodei.com/2009/09/13/baptism-and-nationalism/

           “Being a Christan is less about cautiously avoiding sin than about courageously and actively doing God's will.” ― Dietrich Bonhoeffer  http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/29333.Dietrich_Bonhoeffer

       “If I am not careful, I can decide that I am really much happier reading my Bible than I am entering into what God is doing in my own time and place, since shutting the book to go outside will involve the very great risk of taking part in stories that are still taking shape.”  (107)Barbara Brown Taylor, Leaving Church

       “I mean faith as a leap of hospitality, that is, an opening toward an unknown other.  Faith as vulnerability risking relationship.  The other might be God or it might be another human being.” Roadside Religion, Timothy Beal (213)

     Instead of leaving church family members with the well-meaning wish "Take care," we should depart from each other with the urging, “Take risks.”

      "the world is a very small place. if you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space."

Reflections on "Grab Bag: Talking to God" Exodus 3: 1-6; Luke 10: 38-42

You might note that the Exodus sermon text for the sermon is different than what was posted last Thursday.  Not sure how I managed to provided the wrong text last week.

At some point in the future, I am going to preach a series on Moses, and when I do this story from Exodus and this image from Herman Wouk's The Lawgiver will play an important part in sermons.  I love the image of Moses immediately recognizing God's voice.  I also think that image could be played with in a variety of ways.

Sunday morning had a major revision to the sermon.  The three points in the original sermon did not work. Thankfully, I stumbled into organizing it under challenge, risk, reward.  The good news, it seemed to work; the bad news, late changes often do not stand up to theological reflection.

This sermon was preached a bit differently than it was written as I went off notes more than I normally do.

As an aside, we began the "Grab bag" Time with Young Disciples where a youth brings me an item from home that becomes the focus of the message.  not sure it worked very well Sunday.  I'll try to figure out how to make that more effective for next week.

“Grab Bag:  Talking to God” 5/26/13; FPC, Troy; Exodus 33: 12-20

Introduction:  This sermon grows out of a person going to Kroger's and noticing that everyone the person saw was talking on their cell phones. I bet everyone was not talking on their cell phones; I bet some of them were typing on their cell phones as they texted.  At least the ones under the age of 25. The questions arose: "If people would talk to God as much as they talk on their cell phones....."

Finding time to talk to God in this busy, technological world in which we live.

The challenge; the risk; the reward.

Move 1: The challenge

a. Of course, that takes some time.

1.       “A 2012 study found that 63% of women and 73% of me ages 18-34 who own an Internet-connected “smartphone” say they don’t go an hour without checking their smartphones fro messages. Even among the 55-plus crowd, 36% say they don’t go an hour without checking their phone (and that percentage goes up every year). “From Church Web ‘site’ to church Web ‘presence,” Neil Macqueen, The Presbyterian Outlook, 5/13/13 (13).

2.  Or, if you are your computer at work with Internet and email accessible, how easily you can get distracted by checking the latest headlines or your email.

            3. I was speaking with a person this week about Internet banking, and she told me that the first thing she does each morning is check her bank account to see if everything is ok.

            4.  I suspect that checking the Internet first thing in the morning has replaced starting the day with prayer for many of us.

b. Takes effort.

1.   Martha and Mary story. Martha busy preparing her home for her guest Jesus.

2.      Mary sitting and listening to the guest Jesus.

3.       Busy-ness of our lives.

2. The effort to stop!

We know the challenge of finding time and making the effort to communicate with God.

Move 2:  Communicating with God is also risky.

a.      Move beyond what I would characterize as the FB mentality.

1.      One way communication.

2.      Surface comments in which we can state whatever we want.

3.       Even texting feels more like autonomous conversations.

4.      you can respond when you want.

5.      You can ignore if you want.  Or, better yet, just type, “OK”

b.       Relational (almost every week I see an article about how the church needs to take advantage of these relational opportunities), but it is often not intimate, and there is almost no accountability.

1.   You do not have to engage.

2.      Drive to hospitals or meetings in Dayton, I often talk on the cell phone.

3.      Talk with brother.  Probably weekly.  Lots more than I used to (maybe monthly or every couple of months).  I called; he was distracted; I commented; he said, “Well, you’re only calling because you’re on the road driving somewhere.  I knew it wasn’t important.”

c.      To take on the task of communicating with God means taking on the vulnerability of engaging God.

1. Admittedly, conversation with God can feel like that, at least on the surface.

2.       Do not hear god’s voice.

3.       Do you want to be the one who days, “I think God is telling me to do this?”

b.      this is Trinity Sunday

1.            Celebrate the mystery of God in three persons.

2.      Sometimes I think we prefer to speak of God as some theological mystery than act on our belief that God is alive and in our midst.

3.      how much easier to speak of the mystery of God coming in flesh, than seeking to follow Christ.

4.         How much easier to speak of the Holy Spirit in theological terms than acknowledging you can sense the spirit calling you to a new place or new task.

Great risk in communicating with God.

Move 3:  The reward

a.  Herman Wouk (rhymes with joke) has the screen play writer in The Lawgiver describe the Moses’ encounter with the burning bush this way:  “He [Moses] is grazing his flock in a mountain wilderness, sees a bush on fire – strange enough in this uninhabited pasture – and observes that the fire keeps flaming and flaming, doesn’t burn out, and approaches for a closer look.  ‘Moses, Moses!’ a disembodied voice calls.  Is he startled? Not in the least.  He recognizes that Voice!  For forty years, alone under the sun and stars, he has been meditating on the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, the whole sacred family history taught to him by his mother, before she had to relinquish him to the princess.  ‘Here I am,’ he says to thin air, and the epic begins” (Wouk, The Lawgiver, 42-43)

1.       I love this Sense of intimacy.

2. the idea that Moses readily recognizes the voice of God because Moses has been talking to God and about God all these years.

3. the intimacy it reveals.

b.  Imagine knowing God that well.

1.  I bet if we had a contest between our young adults texting and some of us more mature texters, the young adults would win. 

2. In fact, I would be willing to bet that the younger adults could be blindfolded and text faster and with fewer errors than the rest of us.

3. Why? Repetition and practice.

4. That’s the image we are given of Moses. 

5.  The reward of communicating with God is that we can hear God’s voice.

b. that changes us

1.      Moses goes from taking care of the flocks in a country away from his family with no responsibility beyond his flock and his immediate family to leader of God’s people.

2.      What opportunities does God have waiting for you?  If only you could recognize God’s voice.

          

Conclusion:  The Story of the Forest

Barbara Myerhoff, 1935 - 1985

Jewish story: in times when they needed God to intervene, the rabbi would go to a special place, light a special fire and say a special prayer.  And it was sufficient.

The lighting of the fire went by the wayside, and the rabbi says, “I cannot light a fire, but I come to this special place and offer this special prayer.”   And it was sufficient.

As history moved on, the special prayer was forgotten.  The rabbi said, “I cannot light the fire, I do not know the prayer, but I am in this special place.”  And it was sufficient.

Finally, the place is forgotten, the prayer is forgotten, and the fire cannot be lighted.  And it was sufficient.

I do not know the prayer, I cannot light the fire, I do not know the special place, but I tell my story to you.

And it was sufficient.

http://jwa.org/womenofvalor/myerhoff/story-of-forest; This story of the forest is also told in Elie Wiesel, Souls on Fire: Portraits and Legends of Hasidic Masters, trans. Marion Wiesel (New York: The Bibliophile Library, c1972).

The place where we talk to God; the mode in which we use; the words we say; all matter less than the fact that we talk with God.

"Grab Bag: Talking to God" Exodus “ Exodus 33: 12-22

This Sunday begins the "Grab-bag" sermons -- that is, the sermons that come from the questions or stories  people have submitted me to use as the topics for the sermons (there is still time to submit your topic or question!).

This sermon grows out of  a person going to Kroger's and noticing that everyone the person saw was talking on their cell phones.   The questions arose:  "If people would talk to God as much as they talk on their cell phones....."

As I reflected on that question, there is an obvious segue to prayer. But, I wanted to push beyond just a sermon on prayer and reflect on the busy-ness of our lives that precludes reflective time for conversation with God.  That also has me thinking about the difficulty in having a conversation with God, when we have to fill in the blanks, so to speak, for what God is saying back to us.

As I worked through those thoughts, I found the following stories or reflections, some of which may make it to the sermon.

Questions for you:  How do you know what God is saying back to you?   Are you able to make time to talk (and listen) to God in your daily lives?

The Story of the Forest

Barbara Myerhoff, 1935 - 1985

"There is a Hasidic story, repeated to me by Shmuel [a member of the Israel Levin Senior Center, the subject of much of Myerhoff's work] before he died, that sums up my feelings about nine years of work with the...Center people....

"When the great Rabbi Israel Baal Shem-Tov saw misfortune threatening the Jews, it was his custom to go into a certain part of the forest to meditate. There he would light a fire, say a special prayer, and the miracle would be accomplished and the misfortune averted. Later, when his disciple...had occasion...to intercede with heaven, he would go to the same place in the forest and say 'Master of the Universe, listen! I do not know how to light the fire, but I am still able to say the prayer.' Again the miracle would be accomplished.

"Still later, Rabbi Moshe-Lieb of Sasov, in order to save his people once more, would go into the forest and say: 'I do not know how to light the fire, I do not know the prayer, but I know the place and this must be sufficient.' It was sufficient and the miracle was accomplished.

"Then it fell to Rabbi Israel of Rizhyn to overcome misfortune. Sitting in his armchair, his head in his hands, he spoke to God: ' I am unable to light the fire and I do not know the prayer; I cannot even find the place in the forest. All I can do is to tell the story, and this must be sufficient.'

"And it was sufficient."http://jwa.org/womenofvalor/myerhoff/story-of-forest; This story of the forest is also told in Elie Wiesel, Souls on Fire: Portraits and Legends of Hasidic Masters, trans. Marion Wiesel (New York: The Bibliophile Library, c1972).


Sense of intimacy

Prayer: A five-year-old said grace at family dinner one night. "Dear God, thank you for these pancakes." When he concluded, his parents asked him why he thanked God for pancakes when they were having chicken. He smiled and said, "I thought I'd see if He was paying attention tonight."

Prayer:  Gallup poll:  Nine American in ten say they pray. Nearly all who pray believe their prayers are heard (97%) and answered (95%)...More than 60% of those polled did not favor praying for a winning lottery ticket, a raise, a new car or other material things, but 18% report having done so in the past.  many people (44%) believe it is wrong to pray for victory in athletic contests, but 23% admits to having done so.  42% agree on praying for good grade; 38% oppose it.

  diary of a country priest, George Bernanos: Prayer is...”too often a mere alibi, a sly way of deciding to do what one wants to do"

Cartoon with God presumably watching TV in heaven and saying to an angel who is standing near him with a list [of prayer concerns, presumably]:  “I can’t deal with any famines, massacres, or epidemics right now – I’ve got to help some guy sink a foul shot.” .”  Christian Century, “Century Marks,´ Mankoff, 3/20/13 (8)

Herman Wouk has the screen play writer in The Lawgiver describe Moses as easily recognizing the voice of God in the burning bush because Moses had been replaying the stories of God everyday as he worked in the fields.

 It’s a Wonderful Life has the bar scene where Bailey wanders off to the bar.  As he slurps a drink, he mutters under his breath, “god,O God, Dear Father in heaven. I'm not a praying man, but if you’re up there and you can hear me, show me the way. I’m at the end of my rope.   Show me the way God.” Jerry Sittser, When God Doesn’t Answer Your Prayer (42)

Reflections on "Who Do You Say That I Am?" Mark 8: 27-30; Exodus 4 10-17

  I always enjoy preaching on Confirmation Sunday.  I try to make it a special sermon for the confirmands.  I find it fascinating how they react to being told that the sermon is being preached to them specifically. That comment makes some of the confirmands straighten up in the pew and make eye contact with me; others shrink into the pew and avoid any eye contact; some continue to yawn their way through the sermon.  I suppose it's representative of how the larger congregation responds to the sermon on a weekly basis.

          “who do you say that I am?” Mark 8: 27-30; Exodus Confirmation Sunday; May 5, 2012

      Introduction: Every year on the Sunday the confirmands are received in worship, I preach the  
        sermon to them; everyone else is invited to listen in, but it is preached for the confirmands.

      Wade, this means that in the chapel service this morning you are getting a sermon preached  
     just to you. That probably won't happen very often in your lifetime!

 Sanctuary: Jack, Lauren, Carter, Johan, Matt, and Johnny.

Sermon title is a question: Confirmands are going, “oh no, not another question.” Lots of questions this year in confirmation, particularly in the last few weeks.

When someone asked Augustine what God was doing before creation, he replied that God was making hell for people who ask silly questions. Simply Jesus, N. T. wright (3).

Perhaps some of the questions you have been asked this year could be labeled silly, but not the question you are being asked this morning: Do you trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

Before answering, I want to reflect for a few moments on how you might answer.

       Move 1: historical answer based on what they had learned and what others had said.

a. That's how the disciples first framed their answer.

1. Others have said that you are John the Baptist or Elijah or a prophet.

2. Those are people who are part of their history.

3. john the Baptist is from their recent history – he has just been telling everyone to get ready for the Messiah.

4. Elijah and other prophets, of course, take them back to the stories told about how God spoke to God's people through prophets. You, of course, remember prophecy as begin found in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.

5. They first answer Jesus' question by reciting for him what others say about him, all of which grows our of their history.

b. You could give answers like that as well.

1. You might remember that we learned in confirmation that John Calvin, one of the Reformers, described Jesus as a prophet, priest, and king.

2. Or you might remember meeting with your mentor and having him or her describe their commitment to Christ and people they have known who have seemed most Christ-like to them.

3. Or you might remember some of the Bible stories that you read this year, particularly some of the gospel stories that tell us about Jesus.

4. you could answer Jesus' question from an historical perspective and by what others say about him.

But that is not enough.

      Move 2: Jesus does not settle for what others say, or what you might know from the history you
           have learned.

    

     a. Jesus wants you to make your own claim.

       1. Not to profess Jesus as the one about whom we have learned.

       2. not profess Jesus as the one about whom others have told us.

       3. But profess Jesus as the one you trust as your Lord and Savior.

      b. Your parents may have made you come to confirmation, but today is your profession of faith, n      not theirs.

    Move 3: Your profession of faith does not end your faith journey.

     a. The one in whom you profess your faith will continually call you to new places.

               1.  Sara Miles became a Christian as an adult. She speaks to the ongoing aspect of our                             faith  journey.  Our faith is “conversion isn't, after all, a moment: It's a process, and it keeps happening, with cycles of acceptance and resistance, epiphany and doubt” Take This Bread: A     Radical Conversion, Sara Miles (97)

2. When we baptize infants in this congregation, I often note that the parents have all sorts of hopes and dreams for the baby, but we do not know what the future will hold. But we know that one desire of the parents and the community of faith is for the baby to grow up to profess Jesus Christ as his or her Lord and Savior.

3. Today you have grown up to that point.

4. Your parents may have a little bit better idea of how you are as a person, but your future is uncertain.

5. There is still no telling what you might do or who you might become.

b. When you proclaim your faith in Jesus Christ, you link yourself to the one who may have all sorts of adventures waiting for you.

1. Moses never imagined he would lead God's people; he certainly did not believe he had the ability to do that.

2. but God brought him into leadership at a critical time in the life of God's people.

3. Looking toward the uncertain future, you declare this morning the certainty that Christ is your Lord and Savior.

Conclusion: Jesus asks, “who do you say that I am?” In a few moments, you will give your answer.

"Who Do You Say That I Am?" Mark 8: 27-30; Exodus 4: 10-17

This sermon completes the sermon series, "Jesus Is the One Who..."  We finish where we began -- with Jesus asking the disciples, "Who do you say that I am?"  This Sunday we also receive the Confirmation class and witness their profession of faith and anointing.  They are the live sermon illustration as they answer the question, "Who do you say that I am?" with " You are my Lord and Savior."

they have learned, or at least have been presented with, lots of information to help them with that answer.  They could remember (probably don't) that John Calvin defined Jesus by three offices:  prophet, priest, and king.  They could remember their mentors describing their commitment to Christ and people they have known who have seemed most Christ-like to them.  They could remember some of the stories they read from the Gospel of Luke (or the other three Easter stories that they also read).  But all that becomes informative background material as they step forward and claim for themselves Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

I'm thinking about reflecting on the Jesus we know from a historical standpoint, the Jesus we profess in the moment, and the Jesus who calls to new places as the broad outline of the three points.

I think this quote from Sara Miles speaks to the ongoing aspect of our faith journey:  “conversion isn't, after all, a moment: It's a process, and it keeps happening, with cycles of acceptance and resistance, epiphany and doubt” Take This Bread: A Radical Conversion, Sara Miles (97)

Another thought:  "I wondered , now that his days were dwindling, how important ritual was.  'Vital,' he said.  But why?  Deep inside, you know your convictions.  'Mitch,' he said, 'faith is about doing. you are how you act, not just how you believe.'"Mitch Albom, Have a Little Faith:  a true story (44)