SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
April 27, 2008
DANCING WITH THE THREE O’CLOCK DEMONS
I suspect that most of us are worriers by nature. I don’t know about you, but I find the most difficult time for these worries is at about three o’clock in the morning when I wake up and the concerns of the preceding day return to haunt me. I call them the three o’clock demons. The worries may vary. For some it is their job, for others their finances. One person’s burden is their children, while another is their spouse. No matter, we all have these three o’clock demons and they are powerful indeed, especially when the rest of the world seems fast asleep and we rehearse our fears in the sobering silence of the dark of an endless night.
Which is why today’s Gospel is just that, literally “the good news”. Listen to what our Lord promises to us. Because I live, you also will live. 20On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. Think about this. Christ, who always keeps His sacred promises, promises us life full and overflowing. This is the very voice of God. Let us take a few minutes to consider what this life looks like.
Ultimately, Christ leads us to life eternal. As we mature this is a growing reality. This past Tuesday, I made a hasty trip down to Care One at Wall to see Al Bennett, Shirley Vitt’s Dad. He was dying and I wanted to anoint him and present him with a prayer shawl while he was still with us. Seeing him just a few hours before his death, I observed how he was simply fading away. I must tell you, as one who deals with death on a monthly basis at a minimum, most people die in peace. Frankly, I find that those who have been quite involved in the church and active in their faith get to this place of peace and surrender with more ease than others. They understand they are going to their true home and will soon be with all those saints who have proceeded them and whose mortal absence they still grieve. But almost everyone reaches the point where they allow the love of God to embrace them and make that great final transition in peace. Most people come to realize what the ultimate meaning of Christ’s promise, because I live, you also will live. means at the end of their mortal life.
Pen ultimately, Christ allows us to give our earthly life our best attempt and then not worry about it. I think of my own faith journey. When I was younger, I was so concerned about getting everything perfect. I would worry and worry and be so upset if the slightest thing went wrong. I always thought that the tiniest mistake or deviation from my carefully crafted plans would be the first step in a great decline that would lead to “failure.” Back then the dance of those three o’clock demons was a frantic tarantella that wore me out both in body and soul. So much worry, so many frantic dances. And what did it accomplish, absolutely nothing. What an incredible freedom I received when I let Christ words, because I live, you also will live, sink into my own heart. Perhaps some of you can identify with this experience.
And as a congregation, I think we are learning to appropriate the freedom that comes with this precious promise of our Savior. Currently, we have seventy small groups within our congregational ministry. They vary from study groups to the food pantry to our choirs. On average, we start a new group about once every three months and retire a group about once a year. Not all the groups we start remain active. Some never meet after an initial gathering. But no matter, we just keep being open to the Spirit knowing that we will be led to ever-greater maturity and a greater understanding of the life Christ means us to live. And the power of the dance of the three o’clock demons diminishes.
This weekend is an excellent case in point. On Saturday we offered our first coffee house. What will happen? Who knows? We may have many people comes, we may have just a handful. The participants may decide to do this on a very regular basis. Or they may decide not to repeat this ministerial adventure. But in Christ, we gain the grace of faith to just keep trying, even if the results are not perfect, the final destination unknown.
Because I live, you also will live. I have no doubt we will all continue to be visited by our personal three o’clock demons. I am sure we will. And they will continue to attempt to draw us into their seductive dance of death and dejection. But in Christ the demons will discover an unpleasant surprise. Their frantic dance step will change to our Lord’s graceful procession to life triumphant and it will be God and not the evil one who calls the tune. Amen
SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
May 4, 2008
WORLDLY CHRISTIANITY
John 17:1-11
I can still recall vividly my first visit to Mt. Airy, now called the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. I was in the 9th grade and the Assistant Pastor of our congregation led us on a field trip. Especially for someone living in an 8 family apartment house in New York City, this was a memorable experience. At that time the Seminary was a secluded and reflective place, characterized by moss covered stone buildings and punctuated with graceful gothic arches. Little did I think I would be a student there just eight years later. And even in those intervening years, not much had changed. I still recall that the first locks were just being installed on the day I moved into my room. During my three years as a student, I always enjoyed the tranquility of the place. I loved being set apart from the world.
But lives and times change. Now that same seminary prides itself on its community activism. Hustle and bustle has replaced the staid pace and the diversity is sometimes staggering. I have just come from a two-day conference at the seminary and except for an occasional archaic landmark little remains the same. Much of this change is very good. Some is challenging. The locks have been replaced several times over and now security guards roam the place 24/7. Do Seminarians still find quiet places and times to be alone with God? Absolutely. But a new and dynamic balance is in effect. Seminarians are called upon to withdraw from the world but simultaneously immerse themselves within it.
In His high priestly prayer, Jesus petitions His Heavenly Father. 9I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. 10All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. 11And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one When you think about it, what is happening at Philadelphia Seminary is only this prayer being fulfilled.
And when you do further reflection, you realize that what is happening at Reformation is really this same great prayer of Christ coming to a sometimes faltering, but usually maturing fruition. There are times when we are intentionally isolated. After all we are the church, in Greek the ecclesia, literally those who have been set apart. And so in many ways we reflect this otherworldly nature of our faith. We spend a great deal of time in prayer and reflection. To the secularist, this seems like the consummate waste of energy. But we know this is one of the most powerful ministries we exercise. We gather each week at worship because we know it is here that we can spend quality time with our Lord and so be strengthened. Even our surroundings have an otherworldly atmosphere about them, unless your house is characterized by lots of stained glass and contains a pipe organ.
But listen again to the words of our Lord. 11And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world. These words friends represent our marching orders. We are to be called out of the world to receive the strength and inspiration of the Spirit. But then we are to go into the world to actively proclaim the love of God not simply through our words, although we are witness to the Lord who sends us, but also through our actions. And here we are not alone for God is with us to protect and guide us.
Now there are many examples of how this direction of the Holy Spirit works. But today I would like to recall the first decisive days of the Meal at Noon program. To do this let me go back eleven years. When a group of people from various congregations first gathered together we were hesitant. While we knew that the problem of hunger in our communities was growing, we did not want to just jump in. We thought we would first form a committee to visit other sites and see how other communities were addressing this problem. Study first was the cry. This seemed to be the way we were going until Lou Armour, God bless him, had had enough. Jumping up, and Lou is a very large man, he simply said, “We don’t need to study, we need to act. I will be at Second Baptist three days from now to feed the hungry. Whoever wants to help can come.” The rest as they say is history and in the intervening eleven years we have fed about 50,000 meals. 11And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world Thanks be to God for saints like Lou Armour who understand the urgency of these words and act on them. May his witness and the witness of saints like him inspire us all. Amen
DAY OF PENTECOST
May 11, 2008
FROM FRAGMENTATION TO FOUNDATION
Acts 2:1-21
To understand the meaning of today, we must travel back into mythical pre-history. Think if you will of the Middle Earth of the Hobbits or of the first primitive humans struggling against the woolly mammoths. In Genesis 11 we read, 5The LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which mortals had built. 6And the LORD said, “Look, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7Come, let us go down, and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” 8So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9Therefore it was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth. Thus we must start with Babel and the fragmentation, division and confusion that resulted from this foolish attempt of mortals to become like their God and creator.
Today the legacy of the failed tower of Babel, built to transport mortals to the heavenly realms of God, remains with us. In our modern age, wee seem to be dogged by division. This part week I have been reading an article on gang violence. Some of the statistics are sobering. For instance, since 2004 homicides are up 19% in Philadelphia (ironically the city of brotherly love), 29% in Houston and 54% in Oakland. In two weekends in Chicago, 36 people were shot, 7 fatally. There are currently seven active gangs in the greater Long Branch area that includes West Long Branch. In some ways, the curse of Babel seems alive and well.
And yet God has this way of overcoming curses. Pentecost represents a dramatic the reversal of Babel. Marcus Borg offers this insight. “According to the story (of the tower of Babel) , the people of the earth once spoke a common language but were then scattered into different linguistic groups because of their prideful attempt to build a tower with its top in the heavens. Indeed, the English word "babble" comes from the name "Babel." Babel is the story of the fragmentation of humankind into separate and often hostile groups who do not understand each other.
Pentecost is thus about the reversal of Babel. For the author of Luke-Acts, the coming of Jesus and the continuation of his presence in the power of the Spirit inaugurated a new age in which the fragmentation of humanity was overcome. Or, in words attributed to Paul, through Christ and the Spirit, the breaking down of "the dividing wall of separation" and the creation of "one new humanity" had begun (Ephesians 2:14-15).”
We can see this reversal coming alive in our own congregation on this wonderful weekend. The seven students who are being confirmed come from many backgrounds, yet and in their two years together, they have bonded and they have become one today. But this great faith journey of the church continues. As we seek the unity of the Spirit we must be open to the winds of change and be willing to go where the Spirit leads us even if the faith landscape changes rapidly from one day to another.
A parable. Recently I heard Dr. Richard Osmer of Princeton Seminary tell of a sailing trip that he, his wife and three other couples shared at St. Bart’s. Fortunately, one of the participants was a gifted sailor, so armed with the latest maps they embarked on their vacation. It proved to be a bit more of an adventure than they imagined since a storm had recently devastated the island and most of the landmarks were either washed away or moved. They quickly found they had to improvise based on the actual situations in which they found themselves. While this was a bit nerve raking at first, but the end of the trip they concluded that their vacation was actually richer because of this experience. It is like that with our faith. In confirmation instruction, sermons and other classes, we have been given the basic knowledge. But when we actually practice our faith, we find things have changed. And yet the promise of Pentecost is that the Spirit is still here to unite and guide us. Through the Spirit we find that all the challenges of change actually enrich our relationship with God and we are drawn closer to one another and to the Almighty. So let the great faith adventure continue. Amen.
THE HOLY TRINITY
May 18, 2008
RICHNESS IN RELATIONSHIPS
Matthew 28:16-20
As I travel around the county, I occasionally see something of interest out of the corner of my eye. Perhaps it is an amusing sign, or a new style of car, or an animal ducking into the woods. I want to get a clear look, but it is not possible to stop the car and examine it in more detail. In a sense our doctrine of the Holy Trinity is like that. The concept of God in three persons has flashed before the mind of some of our most inspired theologians, but the very transcendency of God and their mortal limitations permits them from getting a perfectly clear view. What we are left with a a fleeting impression which we must try to reconstruct into a doctrine that helps us understand God in a deeper fashion. Needless to say, this is challenging.
One way we can attempt to better understand God is to focus on how each Person of the Trinity relates to us. Thus we see God the Father as the primary Person of creation crafting the universe and maintaining it through the ages. God the Son is the primary Person of redemption. By His death and resurrection, He has conquered sin, death and the power of the devil. God the Holy Spirit is the primary Person of sanctification growing us in an understanding of and obedience to the faith. Simple yet not quite in perfect focus since each Person of the Trinity plays an important role in all of these functions.
On this day we should also remember the relationship the Three Persons share with each other. I am indebted to Jürgen Moltmann here. “When we want to emphasize the oneness of the divine mystery we usually use the term "trinity;" when we want to emphasize their difference, we use "triunity." Regardless of the terminology we use, we hold that God is no single Lord in Heaven who rules everything, as a temporal ruler would. Nor do we mean some sort of cold power of providence who determines all and cannot be affected by anything. Remember, the triune God is a social God, rich in internal and external relationships.”
“It is only from the perspective of the trinitarian God that we can claim that "God is Love," because love is never alone. Instead, it brings together those who are separate while maintaining their distinct characters. From the perspective of the triune God, one can say, along with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, "only a suffering God can help." The God who is with us and for us in his suffering love can understand us and redeem us.”
A God who is rich in relationships. From our personal perspective, we can look at a threefold relationship we enjoy as well. First, We have a relationship with the Trinity. Each Person of the Godhead makes our life incomparably richer in some way. I think of Luther’s beer stein. Martin had a stein decorated with three rings. He joked that while his friend Philip Melanthon would only drink of God the Father, the first ring, he would joyfully partake of the entire Trinity each night.
Secondly, we have a relationship with each other as the church. Follow the people on a given Sunday and see where we go. We go into the sanctuary where we can hear God’s Word spoken to us. We go to the altar where we receive Christ’s life giving Body and Blood. And we go to the coffee urn, where we can offer support and encouragement to each other. While the first two are essential, the last trip is important as well. For as the church we are called to support one another in our faith journeys.
And thirdly, we have a relationship with the world. There are many examples of this final relationship, but on this Sunday, let me hold up the presentation of the Anna Beaty Scholarship. Our recipient this year, Amy Allgor, has spent much of her life in this congregation and has occupied her post confirmation years teaching Sunday School. Shortly she will leave us to pursue her college career. And as we send her into the world, we know that she will be yet another ambassador for Christ bringing his love and wisdom to a society that desperately needs both.
God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. May we receive the blessings of each of the three Persons of the Holy Trinity and actively share these graces with those around us. Amen.
50TH ANNIVERSARY OF MESSIAH
May 17, 2008
Parlin, New Jersey
BACK TO THE BASICS
Matthew 28:16-20
Having lived on the Jersey Shore for these last 30 years, I have come to know the ocean well. One of the joys of having my office two miles from your beach club is that I can enjoy this incredible resource on a regular basis. And one of the exhilarating experiences is to have a wave break over you and be swept along in its power. I have that same feeling right now as I look out over the familiar surroundings and people of my past, and have an exhilarating wave of memories break over me.
On this fiftieth anniversary of Messiah, let us take a few moments to review some of those memories. Allow me to recall just a few from my personal store. Messiah was a wonderful place for a newly ordained Pastor to begin his career. I will always remember the love and patience that the Saints in Sayreville showed to a young cleric was just finding his way with all the naïve enthusiasm and boundless egotism that often characterizes those newly ordained.
So let me lift up a few of those saints who helped the congregation and a young Pastor grow in maturity. After all, if we are to move forward we must understand the foundation from which we build. The cornerstone being Christ Himself, but the bricks those saints we have preceded us, some of who continue their witness and some of who have been called home. I think of Elmer and Dotty Jensen who saw to it that the Pastor and his family had an almost unlimited supply of fresh fish. They helped to instill a vision of active sharing that remains with me to this day. I think Chubby Kuberski, the school janitor who was also the Councilman in charge of the building department. One of my better stewardship moments was getting about 6 dozen clams and a few beers into him at the annual clam bake and coming away with a city donation of the paving of Messiah’s parking lot. I learned a lot about thinking outside the box at Messiah. I think of my volunteer secretary Ann Barmwater and Wednesday mornings. Gil would drop her off. She would type the bulletin on memo paper and then hand crank it before I would drive her back home for lunch. Both Ann and Gil worked so hard to instill a sense of the wider church into all of us and in some significant ways succeeded. Add to this the witness of the thousands of saints who have passed through these sacred doors over the past half-century, and you begin see the powerful legacy we celebrate today.
Yes over the past 50 years, Messiah has seen many joys. When it was founded in 1958, this congregation represented the largest mission start in the history of the ULCA with over 200 charter members. When I arrived in 1971, there were over 200 children enrolled in the Sunday Church School. These years have also seen hundred of Baptisms and weddings, numerous services and parties enough to add 20 pounds during my six years here.
And least we forget, Messiah like every other congregation, has also faced some significant challenges. I can never drive under large trees without thinking of the death of my successor here, Pastor Gary Kull who was killed when a tree limb smashed through his windshield shortly after leaving. There have been periods characterized by serious that caused many to leave. And there were times when some wondered if the congregation would even survive to see it’s 50th anniversary. But thanks to the faithful ministry of Pastor Nardi and the support and encouragement of the congregation and Synod, and thanks most of all to the continued indwelling of the Holy Spirit, this wonderful day has come.
But what has 50 years of joys and sorrows taught all of us who have been privileged to be a part of Messiah? One vital lesson is that the witness of Word and Sacrament goes on. 18And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” I was delighted to learn of this Gospel selection for it gets to the heart of the matter, it captures our marching orders as the people of God. Empowered by the Spirit we gird ourselves up and go on.
A parable. To keep folks awake in my present congregation I like to ask them questions. So here are three questions, each of which become easier. I will give you a hint. They all revolve around a very tragic event that occurred during WWII. How many of you know who Frank Holgrin is? How many of you have heard of the USS Juneau? How many of you have heard of the 5 Sullivan brothers?
Let me put this all together. When the heavy cruiser USS Juneau was sunk in 1942 only 110 of the crew of 700 survived. Unfortunately, due to the heavy concentration of enemy submarines in the area, the Navy could not return for 8 days. While 2 of the 5 Sullivan brothers survived the initial attack, they both succumbed in the succeeding period. In fact due mostly to shark attacks only 10 crewmembers were eventually picked from the waters including Frank Holgrin. As the fates would have it, Frank is now not only the only surviving member of the crew, but also a friend. In keeping with the traditions of his generation, Frank has shared little of his experience. One day, however, he decided to reflect on this ordeal. When Frank went into the water, he decided that he would focus on the girl he left behind. She was his high school sweetheart and as he enlisted, he promised her that no matter what he would return to marry her. Through the terrible days that followed the sinking of his ship, as hour after hour the sharks kept attacking and one man after another gave up, he kept thinking of the great love he had for his sweetheart and the promise he had made. He kept thinking that love would prove victorious. And so it did.
It is very appropriate that you have selected the final verses of Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians as one of your readings. In it the Apostle writes, the God of love and peace will be with you. Though it often seems that we are attacked by the sharks of division and discord, discouragement and despair, the God of love and peace will be with us as well. And by the power of the Spirit we shall find the strength and courage to go on to allow this love to continue to grow in our lives and the life of Messiah. Amen.
