from my sermon on 5/29/11 from John 14:15-21
Memorial Day...in 33 years of preaching I have never paid any attention to this holiday. Maybe I was too caught up in the culture, you know....3 day weekend....department store sales....the running of the Indy 500.....the unofficial start of summer.
Today, I am going to change my pattern. We are going to slow down, pause, and pat attention to Memorial Day. I did some research. During our Civil War in the 1860's, people began to decorate the graves of those who had died in that epic battle. Now, we are going through an Arab Spring, where civil unrest in the Middle East and Northern Africa is making news. But we have our own discord here in America in our past. Just after the Civil War, a general declared the first official Memorial Day to be observed on May 30, 1868. Flowers were placed on the graves of both Confederate and Union soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. Memorial Day continued in different forms over the North and South over the years. In 1971, Congress designated the last Monday in May as Memorial Day to make a 3 day federal holiday weekend.
We have lost many men and women over the years in many wars....the Civil War, World War I and II, the Korean War, Viet Nam, more recently in Iraq and Afghanistan. Today, we need to hear Jesus say, I will not leave you orphaned.
To help us remember, I quote a poem from World War I, written by John McCrae, in 1915.
In Flanders FieldsIn Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Today, we keep faith. We remember. We pray. We pause. For you, it may be a family member, or a friend, or a co-worker, or a neighbor. If you do not have anyone to pray for, look at the prayer insert in the bulletin.
("Taps" is played by a solo trumpet)
Jesus says, I will not leave you orphaned.
I come not to glorify war. My dad fought in WWII. He was a navigator on bombers with the 8th Army Air Corps, flying runs out of England over Germany. He also helped drop OSS agents behind the lines. We kids tried to get him to tell us about his experience. He was very reluctant to say anything. About the most he said was this: I saw more men killed by accident and carelessness than anything else. There was such senseless loss of life. When I came back, I asked my Uncle Billie to put me to work on his farm. For more than a month, I lived in a shack in the woods, by myself. All I did every day was cut fenceposts. I became a cedar chopper.
How to tie all of this into Jesus promise not to leave us orphaned. Inspired by In Flanders Fields, Moina Michael in 1915, penned these lines.
We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.
She began to wear a red poppy on Memorial Day, and others did too. Very quickly the idea took off, and the VFW took ownership of the program. Soon disabled vets started making paper poppies to sell, with the money earned going to help widows...and orphans of those who had died in war.
We sometimes forget to calculate the human cost of war. We measure war in terms of billions of dollars...or material...or sorties flown. We forget about relationships, grief, widows and orphans.
The RSV had the traslation, I will not leave you desolate. You know what the Greek word is? It is orphaned! We get our English word orphaned directly from the Greek. To be orphaned did not just mean to be without a parent though, it meant to be without a rabbi, a teacher, a guide.
Jesus promises us another Advocate. He has been ours while on earth, but he will not leave us orphaned. He promises us....what does your translation say? Comforter, counselor, helper, friend? The work is paraclete. I know this sermon has been really heavy, but one of the commentaries I read said, remember paraclete is not that little yellow bird that sings in the cage...or the shoes you wear to play baseball or football. Paraclete is used only 5 times in the New Testament, 4 times in John's Gospel and once in first letter of John. Paraclete literally means, one by your side. Jesus says the paraclete will be with you, remain with you, and in you. Jesus promises, I will not leave you orphaned.
Anne Lamott in her book Traveling Mercies said, "I was 30 years old, a hip, single, intellectual, agnostic who did not need Jesus. I was pregnant by a married man. I had an abortion. I was as sad as I ever had been. I took pills and alcohol to dull the pain. One night, lying in the darkness, I sensed a presence. There in my sleeping loft was Jesus, sitting there on his haunches in the corner of the room, looking over at me with patience and love. For the next few days, he followed me everywhere, like a little cat. Finally, I took a long, deep breath, and shouted, All right. You can come in. And he did. I was dying. I got a second chance. I do believe I was saved."
We know we are not orphaned when we let the presence of Jesus in through his Holy Spirit, the Paraclete. We start acting like him. Anne Lamott takes her son to worship. She says, "The main reason is that I want to give him a path and a little light to see by. Most of the people I know who have what I want--which is to say, purpose. Heart. Balance. Gratitude. Joy--are people with a deep sense of spirituality. The are people in community, who pray. Who practice their faith. They folow a brighter light than the glimmer of their own candle."
We know we are not orphaned when we keep Jesus commandments. In the other Gospels, there are several commandments that Jesus gives, but in John's Gospel, there is only one: to love one another like I have loved you. We know that we have a guide, a teacher, a Paraclete when we love like that.
On this Memorial Day weekend, we remember what Jesus said just a few verses after this passage: No one has greater love than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
The good news is Jesus' promise, I will not leave you orphaned.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
it's great to be a pastor
5/26/11 I have been an ordained pastor in the United Methodist Church for almost 33 years now. Sometimes I can get tired, jaded, and cynical. Sometimes, like the last few day, I think it's great to be a pastor. For example, on Tuesday night, we had a long ( more than 2 hours) church council meeting, but there was good energy throughout. We spent an hour hearing about, planning for, and giving affirmation to starting a new worship setting in the fall. It will be called the Point and be run by my associate Jim. Then last night, I had 3 people come to my Methodist 101 class. They were engaged, interested, and eager. I fed off their energy. Then today, I am headed over to College Station to perform a marriage of a young woman, whom I remember as a girl in Confirmation Class, SUnday School, youth group, etc. She has met a young man, and they have asked me to perform their marriage. There are other things in the background where people are stepping up to take leadership, practicing good communication, and embracing new causes. In short, it's great to be a pastor.
Love,
Lynn
Love,
Lynn
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
commandment
5/25/11 My breath prayer for today are the words of Jesus, from John 14:15, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." There are many commandments in the Bible. The list of 10 commandments from Exodus or Deuteronomy come to mind. In the Old Testament, these were expanded to 613 commandments, as the 10 general principles were applied to different situations. For example, "you shall not kill," raised the question of involuntary manslaughter, and so another commandment was issued.
In the New Testament there are several commandments given by Jesus in the Gospels. But in John's Gospel, Jesus only offers one commandment: that we love one another like He has loved us. It is interesting how this one commandment cuts through all of our defenses and excuses and gets to the very heart of Jesus' message. If we could but follow that one commandment, what a different world we might see.
Love,
Lynn
In the New Testament there are several commandments given by Jesus in the Gospels. But in John's Gospel, Jesus only offers one commandment: that we love one another like He has loved us. It is interesting how this one commandment cuts through all of our defenses and excuses and gets to the very heart of Jesus' message. If we could but follow that one commandment, what a different world we might see.
Love,
Lynn
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
once for all
5/24/11 My breath prayer for today comes from I Peter 3:18, "for Christ aslo suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God." I find myself repeating sins, destructive behavior, bad traits. I recycle sins, using them over and over again. Thank God for Jesus who has offered himself as a way out, a sacrifice, a payment for sin once for all. One person for all people. One time for all time. Once for all.
Love,
Lynn
Love,
Lynn
Monday, May 23, 2011
God will make a way
from my sermon on 5/22/11 from John 14:1-14
God will make a way. Say it to yourself deep inside your soul. Say it out loud with me. No matter what else you do in this worship service, keep breathing this in and out, God will make a way.
This passage from John 14 may sound familiar to you. It is often read at funerals. How appropriate for today when we recognize our graduating seniors! It does feel kind of like a funeral, doesn't it? In the midst of all the joy and anticipation and hope, there is also sadness and grief and loss. People we love are moving on, moving out. We as humans can feel conflicting emotions at the same time. Remember, God will make a way, and help us through this time of transition.
I have been here 4 years so I have gotten to know some of these seniors. Roger, I asked to be a designated pray-er one of my first services here. I always try to have someone planted in the congregation lifting us in prayer. Michelle was the first youth who asked me to be here Facebook friend. William has earned his Eagle award in Boy Scouts. Lauren has helped by singing in the Foundation band, and teaching children's Sunday School. She also has a role in tonight's baccalaureate service. Sheryl was the first person I hired in 1988 when I was senior pastor at St. John's and she came on as our music director. Now she has earned her 2nd master's degree. Melanie is now engaged to Adam. Ben has lent his musical ability to us by playing the trumpet for us many times. Becca went on a youth/adult mission team to Guatemala last summer when they build stoves for the highland families. Katherine has been here both services, even though she has a part in only one, simply to show support for her friends.
We can get close to our children, and it can cause grief to see them leave. I remember dropping our 2 sons at college and not being able to see as I tried to drive away. I was crying my eyes out. It should be illegal to drive in that condition. I am here to affirm that even today, God will make a way. We remember that our children don't belong to just us but to God.
This text may be appropriate for today as Jesus is giving his farewell speech. It is long, starting in chapter 13 and going through chapter 17. It is modelled after the Old Testament patriarchs giving their final instructions and blessings. Jesus is about to depart, to die. He is trying to reassure his closest friends that God will make a way.
Jesus says that his Father has a house for us. It is not just a physical place, like heaven. It is more of a relationship. House could be translated as "household." We are a part of God's family. In this household are many dwelling places. This is a better translations than the old mansions or rooms. We dwell in God, abide in God, remain with God. It too is a relational term. Jesus says, I am the way, the truth, and the life. The way is not a road, but a relationship. Jesus is the way to the Father.
Some have made a very narrow translation of this way, as in the "only" way. You know how we can make very narrow understandings of the Bible....like the world is going to end...oops, yesterday! I once was part of a men's Bible study where one of the guys was taking a turn towards narrowness, saying Jesus was the only way to know God. I argued, Look at John's Gospel as a whole....who does Jesus go to? Nicodemus, a righteous Pharisee, and in the next chapter the polar opposite, a Samaritan woman. He says to both that he is the way to know God's presence and love. He goes to a blind man, a lame man, a dead man. He welcomes Jews and Greeks. He forgives a woman caught in adultery. His way seems to be to welcome as many people as possible, to present them with God's love. God will make a way.
This follows my understanding of the whole Bible. God says, I will provide a wonderful creation for humankind to enjoy. When we blow it, and go after what we cannot have, God still makes for us clothes. When we grow depraved, and God destroys creation with a flood, God makes a way for salvation through an ark. When we build a tower of Babel to glorify ourselves, God calls forth a covenant people through Abram and Sarai, who are blessed to be a blessing. When God's people are captive in Egypt, God makes a way through the Red Sea. God sends judges, prophets, priests, and kings, all so the people can be saved. God is saying, "I have more options. I am not through yet. I will make a way for you to know me and my love."
At the right time, God comes in the flesh, in Jesus the Messiah. We Christians have a particular revelation. This passage is not about comparative religions, about being better than other faiths. We are however, distinct. In the early church, Christians could claim that through Jesus they had the way to know who God is. Today too, if we want to know what God is like, we look to Jesus, who is our way of knowing the Father. God will make a way.
God will make a way for you graduates. When you blow a test, God will make a way. When I was a student at Edinburgh University in Scotland, I remember getting back my first exam in church history. I made a "62." My heart nearly stopped. I had never made less than a "B" in my life. My biblical studies teacher was Mr. Stalker, who was older than Moses. I asked him how tests were graded at Edinburgh. He said, "I would probably give God a 100. I would give myself a 90. I would give my best student an 80." Suddenly I didn't feel so bad. I had made a B.
God will make a way when you rebel, test your limits, experiment, and fall on your glutius maximus. I think people leaving home still do this occasionally....do crazy things outside of their parents' knowledge. Just as in the Garden of Eden when we overreached, God will make a way for us when we sin, and go our own way and forget God.
For all of us God will make a way. I just love God's sense of humor. I got here early this morning, only to find that the back parking lot was closed off for restriping. Not only that, there were 8 cars on our parking lot. No one in our building, but 8 cars. Through a series of calls, I found that some neighbor had a graduation party, and was using our lot for overflow parking. I was not happy as I tried to get those cars removed. All along I was gritting my teeth and saying, God will make a way. I got help moving our church van and bus, getting the golf cart going to shuttle people around, and getting people to park on the street. I got to thinking, this is not as big a problem as parting the Red Sea. God will make a way.
So today when you read about Libya or Palestine and Israel or Haiti or floods or tornadoes....God will make a way. When you go through a divorce or depression or death....God will make a way. God is always generating options, finding possiblities, offering hope. The God we know revealed in Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Our lives are caught up in his life, death, and resurrection.
I sing it for you:
God will make a way where there seems to be no way.
He works in ways we cannot see. He will make a way for me.
He will be my guide, hold me closely to his side.
With love and strength for each new day, He will make a way. He will make a way.
That's the good news I have to share.
God will make a way. Say it to yourself deep inside your soul. Say it out loud with me. No matter what else you do in this worship service, keep breathing this in and out, God will make a way.
This passage from John 14 may sound familiar to you. It is often read at funerals. How appropriate for today when we recognize our graduating seniors! It does feel kind of like a funeral, doesn't it? In the midst of all the joy and anticipation and hope, there is also sadness and grief and loss. People we love are moving on, moving out. We as humans can feel conflicting emotions at the same time. Remember, God will make a way, and help us through this time of transition.
I have been here 4 years so I have gotten to know some of these seniors. Roger, I asked to be a designated pray-er one of my first services here. I always try to have someone planted in the congregation lifting us in prayer. Michelle was the first youth who asked me to be here Facebook friend. William has earned his Eagle award in Boy Scouts. Lauren has helped by singing in the Foundation band, and teaching children's Sunday School. She also has a role in tonight's baccalaureate service. Sheryl was the first person I hired in 1988 when I was senior pastor at St. John's and she came on as our music director. Now she has earned her 2nd master's degree. Melanie is now engaged to Adam. Ben has lent his musical ability to us by playing the trumpet for us many times. Becca went on a youth/adult mission team to Guatemala last summer when they build stoves for the highland families. Katherine has been here both services, even though she has a part in only one, simply to show support for her friends.
We can get close to our children, and it can cause grief to see them leave. I remember dropping our 2 sons at college and not being able to see as I tried to drive away. I was crying my eyes out. It should be illegal to drive in that condition. I am here to affirm that even today, God will make a way. We remember that our children don't belong to just us but to God.
This text may be appropriate for today as Jesus is giving his farewell speech. It is long, starting in chapter 13 and going through chapter 17. It is modelled after the Old Testament patriarchs giving their final instructions and blessings. Jesus is about to depart, to die. He is trying to reassure his closest friends that God will make a way.
Jesus says that his Father has a house for us. It is not just a physical place, like heaven. It is more of a relationship. House could be translated as "household." We are a part of God's family. In this household are many dwelling places. This is a better translations than the old mansions or rooms. We dwell in God, abide in God, remain with God. It too is a relational term. Jesus says, I am the way, the truth, and the life. The way is not a road, but a relationship. Jesus is the way to the Father.
Some have made a very narrow translation of this way, as in the "only" way. You know how we can make very narrow understandings of the Bible....like the world is going to end...oops, yesterday! I once was part of a men's Bible study where one of the guys was taking a turn towards narrowness, saying Jesus was the only way to know God. I argued, Look at John's Gospel as a whole....who does Jesus go to? Nicodemus, a righteous Pharisee, and in the next chapter the polar opposite, a Samaritan woman. He says to both that he is the way to know God's presence and love. He goes to a blind man, a lame man, a dead man. He welcomes Jews and Greeks. He forgives a woman caught in adultery. His way seems to be to welcome as many people as possible, to present them with God's love. God will make a way.
This follows my understanding of the whole Bible. God says, I will provide a wonderful creation for humankind to enjoy. When we blow it, and go after what we cannot have, God still makes for us clothes. When we grow depraved, and God destroys creation with a flood, God makes a way for salvation through an ark. When we build a tower of Babel to glorify ourselves, God calls forth a covenant people through Abram and Sarai, who are blessed to be a blessing. When God's people are captive in Egypt, God makes a way through the Red Sea. God sends judges, prophets, priests, and kings, all so the people can be saved. God is saying, "I have more options. I am not through yet. I will make a way for you to know me and my love."
At the right time, God comes in the flesh, in Jesus the Messiah. We Christians have a particular revelation. This passage is not about comparative religions, about being better than other faiths. We are however, distinct. In the early church, Christians could claim that through Jesus they had the way to know who God is. Today too, if we want to know what God is like, we look to Jesus, who is our way of knowing the Father. God will make a way.
God will make a way for you graduates. When you blow a test, God will make a way. When I was a student at Edinburgh University in Scotland, I remember getting back my first exam in church history. I made a "62." My heart nearly stopped. I had never made less than a "B" in my life. My biblical studies teacher was Mr. Stalker, who was older than Moses. I asked him how tests were graded at Edinburgh. He said, "I would probably give God a 100. I would give myself a 90. I would give my best student an 80." Suddenly I didn't feel so bad. I had made a B.
God will make a way when you rebel, test your limits, experiment, and fall on your glutius maximus. I think people leaving home still do this occasionally....do crazy things outside of their parents' knowledge. Just as in the Garden of Eden when we overreached, God will make a way for us when we sin, and go our own way and forget God.
For all of us God will make a way. I just love God's sense of humor. I got here early this morning, only to find that the back parking lot was closed off for restriping. Not only that, there were 8 cars on our parking lot. No one in our building, but 8 cars. Through a series of calls, I found that some neighbor had a graduation party, and was using our lot for overflow parking. I was not happy as I tried to get those cars removed. All along I was gritting my teeth and saying, God will make a way. I got help moving our church van and bus, getting the golf cart going to shuttle people around, and getting people to park on the street. I got to thinking, this is not as big a problem as parting the Red Sea. God will make a way.
So today when you read about Libya or Palestine and Israel or Haiti or floods or tornadoes....God will make a way. When you go through a divorce or depression or death....God will make a way. God is always generating options, finding possiblities, offering hope. The God we know revealed in Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Our lives are caught up in his life, death, and resurrection.
I sing it for you:
God will make a way where there seems to be no way.
He works in ways we cannot see. He will make a way for me.
He will be my guide, hold me closely to his side.
With love and strength for each new day, He will make a way. He will make a way.
That's the good news I have to share.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
do not hold
5/18/11 My breath prayer for the day comes from Acts 7 where Stephen becomes one of the first martyrs of the Christian faith. The prayer on his lips as he dies is for those who are stoning him to death. In verse 60, he says, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them."
I have to acknowledge my inward desire to hold onto grudges, slights against me, places where I feel I have been wronged. I want to hold those who have wounded me accountable. I want to hold onto my anger and my desire for revenge.
This passage challenges me to let go of my bitterness and not hold onto my desire to punish any more.
Love,
Lynn
I have to acknowledge my inward desire to hold onto grudges, slights against me, places where I feel I have been wronged. I want to hold those who have wounded me accountable. I want to hold onto my anger and my desire for revenge.
This passage challenges me to let go of my bitterness and not hold onto my desire to punish any more.
Love,
Lynn
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
a riot of flowers
5/17/11 Last week we had a significant rainfall. At our house we got almost 3 inches. It was the first moisture in months. Over the last few days on my walks in the mornings I have noticed what difference this rainfall has made. The most obvious clue is a riot of flowers. White day lilies with accent colors of light purple and pink have sprung up everywhere.
What struck me is this: the potential for the flowers was always there. It just took the blessing of rain for them to come forth.
I wonder what beauty lies beneath many of the situations and persons we encounter. I wonder what it would take for a riot of flowers to spring up in them.
Love,
Lynn
What struck me is this: the potential for the flowers was always there. It just took the blessing of rain for them to come forth.
I wonder what beauty lies beneath many of the situations and persons we encounter. I wonder what it would take for a riot of flowers to spring up in them.
Love,
Lynn
Monday, May 16, 2011
feeling sheepish
from my sermon on 5/15/11, from John 10:1-10
How many of you currently own sheep? Not very many, I see. How many of you have spent much time around sheep? Know what sheep are like? Not very many. We have this major metaphor for God and God's people of shepherd and sheep, and yet we don't live in a sheep culture. How can we possibly relate? Do we still feel sheepish?
For you linear learners, I am going to give 3 ways that we may still feel sheepish today.
One, he was at the bus stop on a cool, crisp fall morning in a little town in West Texas. One of the other boys called to him, "Hey, white trash!" Another boy said, "That's not white trash; that's oilfield trash. Your bus stop is over there. Get out of here."
His dad was a roughneck, following jobs in the oil patch. Every few months the family would move. They live in Crane and Andrews in Texas, and Elmore City and Stroud in Oklahoma, and Newcastle, Wyoming, and many other little towns. It is hard enough to make friends as a child. It is harder when you are constantly moving. It is even harder when you are called oil field trash.
But in every little town there was a Methodist church. There would be Sunday School, or Vacation Bible School, or choir, or cub scouts, or Christmas pageant. And in every Methodist church, he said, "They called me Larry."
Did that make an impact on him? Oh yes! Today Larry Hollon is in charge of all United Methodist Communications. It says in the passage that the shepherd knows his sheep and calls them by name.
Are you feeling a little sheepish today? Have you heard the shepherd call you by name? In a world where we can easily become a number or an object or a label of prejudice, the God revealed in Jesus knows us and calls us by name.
Two, the shepherd leads them. The sheep are not left to wander around aimlessly. They are given meaning and purpose. The shepherd is not passive. The 23rd Psalm says, "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters."
There is an author I like a lot, Edwin Friedman. He was a rabbi psychotherapist. I like that combination. When he went to the Holy Land, he wanted to see what the shepherds and sheep were really like. He did "field research." He observed the shepherds of Palestine in action. His impressions were these: The shepherds spent a lot of time using their shepherd crooks to prod and poke the sheep in their rears. We say in the 23 rd Psalm, "Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me." But in Palestine, the shepherds were goading and urging their sheep on. They led the sheep, but it wasn't gentle or coddling.
Are you feeling sheepish? Have you ever rebelled? Gone your own way? Listened to voices other than the shepherd's? Have you ever felt the fierce love of God that tried to keep you from destroying yourself? Have you known the prodding of the shepherd, interfering with your life, your plans, your agenda...because he had something better for you? Are you feeling sheepish?
Three, the shepherd leads the sheep to abundant life. He is the gate or door to life. How can this be? I read in the commentaries that the shepherd would drive the sheep into an enclosure at night and then he would sleep across the opening to the enclosure, so that he would be both shepherd and gate at the same time.
He is the door to abundant life. "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." Abundantly may be translated as exceptional, outstanding, more than expected. It is like getting a piece of chocolate fudge pie at the Bluebonnet Cafe in Marble Falls in the afternoon just because. You don't need. It is more than you can eat. It is so good. Abundance.
The verb tenses are important too. I have come...completed action. That they may have life and have it abundantly....ongoing action, never done. So confirmation class, you may think that you have graduated from the Christian faith....but it is not over for you. God holds more abundant life for you. Next Sunday, we will honor graduates from high school and college. You guessed it; it is not over; God holds more abundant life for you. Even as adults we continue to experience abundant life. Last Sunday night, we had the final session of our Disciple I Bible Study class. Two teachers and 11 students sat around the table. We shared how we had been transformed, how we had met the presence of Christ, as we had studied together and prayed together over 9 months. Many tears were shed. One student said, "This is really powerful." "Yes," I replied, "It is just Christian community." It never ends.
And when we retire from our careers, we don't retire from Christ. It never ends. And when we die...and our casket is placed here or our ashes...it is not over. "For surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever." Abundant life.
Are you feeling sheepish? We have a shepherd who knows us and calls us by name, who has such a fierce love for us that he urges us on, and who opens up to us the gateway to abundant living. That is the good news I have to share today.
How many of you currently own sheep? Not very many, I see. How many of you have spent much time around sheep? Know what sheep are like? Not very many. We have this major metaphor for God and God's people of shepherd and sheep, and yet we don't live in a sheep culture. How can we possibly relate? Do we still feel sheepish?
For you linear learners, I am going to give 3 ways that we may still feel sheepish today.
One, he was at the bus stop on a cool, crisp fall morning in a little town in West Texas. One of the other boys called to him, "Hey, white trash!" Another boy said, "That's not white trash; that's oilfield trash. Your bus stop is over there. Get out of here."
His dad was a roughneck, following jobs in the oil patch. Every few months the family would move. They live in Crane and Andrews in Texas, and Elmore City and Stroud in Oklahoma, and Newcastle, Wyoming, and many other little towns. It is hard enough to make friends as a child. It is harder when you are constantly moving. It is even harder when you are called oil field trash.
But in every little town there was a Methodist church. There would be Sunday School, or Vacation Bible School, or choir, or cub scouts, or Christmas pageant. And in every Methodist church, he said, "They called me Larry."
Did that make an impact on him? Oh yes! Today Larry Hollon is in charge of all United Methodist Communications. It says in the passage that the shepherd knows his sheep and calls them by name.
Are you feeling a little sheepish today? Have you heard the shepherd call you by name? In a world where we can easily become a number or an object or a label of prejudice, the God revealed in Jesus knows us and calls us by name.
Two, the shepherd leads them. The sheep are not left to wander around aimlessly. They are given meaning and purpose. The shepherd is not passive. The 23rd Psalm says, "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters."
There is an author I like a lot, Edwin Friedman. He was a rabbi psychotherapist. I like that combination. When he went to the Holy Land, he wanted to see what the shepherds and sheep were really like. He did "field research." He observed the shepherds of Palestine in action. His impressions were these: The shepherds spent a lot of time using their shepherd crooks to prod and poke the sheep in their rears. We say in the 23 rd Psalm, "Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me." But in Palestine, the shepherds were goading and urging their sheep on. They led the sheep, but it wasn't gentle or coddling.
Are you feeling sheepish? Have you ever rebelled? Gone your own way? Listened to voices other than the shepherd's? Have you ever felt the fierce love of God that tried to keep you from destroying yourself? Have you known the prodding of the shepherd, interfering with your life, your plans, your agenda...because he had something better for you? Are you feeling sheepish?
Three, the shepherd leads the sheep to abundant life. He is the gate or door to life. How can this be? I read in the commentaries that the shepherd would drive the sheep into an enclosure at night and then he would sleep across the opening to the enclosure, so that he would be both shepherd and gate at the same time.
He is the door to abundant life. "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." Abundantly may be translated as exceptional, outstanding, more than expected. It is like getting a piece of chocolate fudge pie at the Bluebonnet Cafe in Marble Falls in the afternoon just because. You don't need. It is more than you can eat. It is so good. Abundance.
The verb tenses are important too. I have come...completed action. That they may have life and have it abundantly....ongoing action, never done. So confirmation class, you may think that you have graduated from the Christian faith....but it is not over for you. God holds more abundant life for you. Next Sunday, we will honor graduates from high school and college. You guessed it; it is not over; God holds more abundant life for you. Even as adults we continue to experience abundant life. Last Sunday night, we had the final session of our Disciple I Bible Study class. Two teachers and 11 students sat around the table. We shared how we had been transformed, how we had met the presence of Christ, as we had studied together and prayed together over 9 months. Many tears were shed. One student said, "This is really powerful." "Yes," I replied, "It is just Christian community." It never ends.
And when we retire from our careers, we don't retire from Christ. It never ends. And when we die...and our casket is placed here or our ashes...it is not over. "For surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever." Abundant life.
Are you feeling sheepish? We have a shepherd who knows us and calls us by name, who has such a fierce love for us that he urges us on, and who opens up to us the gateway to abundant living. That is the good news I have to share today.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
passing by
5/11/11 President Obama was in Austin yesterday evening. He spoke downtown to a crowd in the new Austin City Limits performing space. The media said that he would be at a private home in West Austin for an intimate fund raiser. When I went to my 6 p.m. meeting at church, some of the participants said that the home the President was visiting was nearby. They had police at intersections on the streets as they came to church. My meeting got out about 8:20. As I was locking up, walking across the parking lot, there was a convoy of cars, motorcycles, ambulances, SUVs, and trucks, all with flashing lights on. It was the President of the United States of America passing by. My wife Cathy was standing there at the front door of the church. No one could move because of the entourage. Cathy put her hand over her heart in salute to the one passing by.
Love,
Lynn
Love,
Lynn
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
abundant life
5/10/11 I love living in Austin. This morning I got up early and had a good breakfast with my wife Cathy. Then we went down to Deep Eddy pool. It didn't open until 8 a.m., so I spent 45 minutes walking around Zilker Park, watching the sun come up over Lady Bird Lake. Joggers, walkers, dog walkers, tai chi practioners, cyclists, etc. were filling their lungs with oxygen as they exercised. At 8, Cathy and I shared a lane, but there were only 3 other people in the pool. The life guards nearly outnumbered the swimmers. I swam 3/4 of a mile, drove up into the Westlake Hills area, and got to work by 9. My prayer verse for the day is from John 10:10, where Jesus says, "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." I am living it today.
Love,
Lynn
Love,
Lynn
Monday, May 9, 2011
walk about
from my sermon on May 8, 2011, from Luke 24:13-35
Mother's Day....a Royal wedding...Trying to pass a budget in the State of Texas....the price of gasoline....fighting in North Africa....The killing of Osama bin Laden....All of these are current topics and important, but they are not the most important thing going on today. To get to that most important thing, I need you to take a walk with me.
Cathy and I were in Australia this past summer. You may know that the aboriginal people go on a walk about. To the British, it seemed that they were just skipping out of work, but the people were going on a spiritual journey. They went to align themselves with the forefathers and mothers. They went to the song lines of the ancient ones. They went to find out who they were and to get a vision for their lives.
Come on a walk with me. That's what is going on in this passage. Two disciples on Easter Sunday afternoon are walking towards a village called Emmaus. There is a spiritual retreat based on this passage, called the Walk to Emmaus. I want to tell you my experience.It was late April of 1985, when I was signed up for the Walk to Emmaus at our camp, Mt. Wesley in Kerrville. I left San Sabe in my brown Ford pickup and headed up that long hill on HWy 16 heading south. Just on the outskirts of town, I saw a hitchhiker. Now I hardly ever pick up hitchhikers, but I slowed down to pick up this one. Why? Was it because I was a pastor? No. Was it because I was going on a spiritual retreat? No. I picked him up because he was smaller than I was!
Where are you headed, I asked him. You can drop me in Llano, he said. We were quiet for a few minutes. Then he said, It sure does feel good to be out. OUT! What does OUT mean? What were you in? I asked. I just got out of prison. Oh, man! This IN, did it have anything to do with guns, or knives, or violence? No, it was just breaking and entering. I have heard that intoxication has a lot to do with crime. Oh, yeah, that was my story. We had been drinking and drugging and just had so much energy, we had to do something. I have heard that it is really hard in prison, with gangs, and violence, and fear. Oh, yeah, he said. I just kept my head down, did my job, and did my time. I am sober now and go to AA and check in with my parole officer.
About that time, we were rolling into Llano. I showed him where the Methodist Church was, just off the square. There are some good people there, I said.
It is said that the 2 disciples were joined by Jesus as they walked to Emmaus, but their eyes were kept from seeing him. Had this happened to me?
The Walk to Emmaus begins on a Thursday evening and goes to Sunday afternoon. It mirrors the last days of Jesus, in his passion, death, and resurrection. There are 15 talks, 5/day. Five of the talks are by clergy and 10 by laity. That sounds boring, but it wasn't. We heard a lot about grace, God's unmerited love towards us. We felt grace with all kinds of surprises and gifts. I could tell you about every one of them, because there are no secrets. But you have to be there to get it. The Walk is a short course in Christianity, where one is immersed in what in means to follow Christ. There are many in this room who have been on the Walk to Emmaus. Please stand where you are. Others of you might direct your questions to these. They would be happy to talk to you about going. You don't have to go on the Walk to be a Christian. It is a gift. When you are ready to receive it, it will be there for you.
I loved it. It was an experience of good theology and good feelings, content and emotion. It says in Luke that their hearts burned within them as Jesus explained the scriptures to them. So it was with me.We had the sacrament of communion every day. Now you may think that was boring too, but it wasn't. I can't describe to you something like "Dying Moments" communion where you give up a sin, a hurt, a grudge, a grief. We met the presence of Christ in the breaking of the bread, just as those first disciples did at Emmaus when Jesus who was the guest acted as the host, taking the bread, blessing it, breaking it, and giving it to them.
We Methodists understand communion to be a converting sacrament, where we met the risen Christ and He changes lives. Please know that all are welcome at this table today.
I got home from the retreat on Sunday night. I walked in the back door and greeted Cathy. She then told me I was supposed to call David the County Attorney as soon as I got in, no matter what time that was. David said he wanted me to serve as a guardian ad litum for a youth named John. He wanted me to be in court in the morning. On Monday morning after my Walk to Emmaus I met John. I was supposed to advise as his parent would in the court proceedings. John's mother had been killed. His father was in jail. He lived with his grandmother. John had been caught breaking into the county show barn. Do you get the symmetry? The bookends? I went to the Walk to Emmaus and picked up a guy just out of prison. I come home to meet a youth who might go to jail.
In the passage, the disciples met Jesus at Emmaus in the breaking of the bread, and they run back to Jerusalem to share this good news. But has Jerusalem changed any? When you go off and have your spiritual highs, you still have to go home, and home is still just like you left it.
So we don't just walk to Emmaus; we continue to walk about....in Jerusalem. We deal with youth who might be going to jail. Cathy and I formed a relationship with John for the years we lived in San Saba. He didn't go to jail. The last we heard he was driving a truck.
It is hard going back to Jerusalem. Jerusalem for us today might mean dealing with the killing of Osama bin Laden. Yes, there was the immediate celebration, the sense of justice being served, the feeling that we could move on now. But then, on a deeper level, we began to wonder, should we rejoice over the killing of anyone. Does the taking out of one man destroy a whole movement of anger and violence directed at us? We realize that we live in a messy and complicated world. There are no 4 spiritual laws, no 3 easy steps to guide us. We walk about in Jerusalem....but we do it with the hope of the resurrection. That is the only way we can walk about in this world is with the presence of Jesus. That's why we come to the table today, to see him here.
I think what it means for us to be Christian today means that we take on more and more of the world's pain and redeem it. It think it means that we get involved with the world's ugliness and sin. We don't just walk to Emmaus...we go back to Jerusalem and share the good news that Christ is risen. We become the embodiment of His resurrection.
Mother's Day....a Royal wedding...Trying to pass a budget in the State of Texas....the price of gasoline....fighting in North Africa....The killing of Osama bin Laden....All of these are current topics and important, but they are not the most important thing going on today. To get to that most important thing, I need you to take a walk with me.
Cathy and I were in Australia this past summer. You may know that the aboriginal people go on a walk about. To the British, it seemed that they were just skipping out of work, but the people were going on a spiritual journey. They went to align themselves with the forefathers and mothers. They went to the song lines of the ancient ones. They went to find out who they were and to get a vision for their lives.
Come on a walk with me. That's what is going on in this passage. Two disciples on Easter Sunday afternoon are walking towards a village called Emmaus. There is a spiritual retreat based on this passage, called the Walk to Emmaus. I want to tell you my experience.It was late April of 1985, when I was signed up for the Walk to Emmaus at our camp, Mt. Wesley in Kerrville. I left San Sabe in my brown Ford pickup and headed up that long hill on HWy 16 heading south. Just on the outskirts of town, I saw a hitchhiker. Now I hardly ever pick up hitchhikers, but I slowed down to pick up this one. Why? Was it because I was a pastor? No. Was it because I was going on a spiritual retreat? No. I picked him up because he was smaller than I was!
Where are you headed, I asked him. You can drop me in Llano, he said. We were quiet for a few minutes. Then he said, It sure does feel good to be out. OUT! What does OUT mean? What were you in? I asked. I just got out of prison. Oh, man! This IN, did it have anything to do with guns, or knives, or violence? No, it was just breaking and entering. I have heard that intoxication has a lot to do with crime. Oh, yeah, that was my story. We had been drinking and drugging and just had so much energy, we had to do something. I have heard that it is really hard in prison, with gangs, and violence, and fear. Oh, yeah, he said. I just kept my head down, did my job, and did my time. I am sober now and go to AA and check in with my parole officer.
About that time, we were rolling into Llano. I showed him where the Methodist Church was, just off the square. There are some good people there, I said.
It is said that the 2 disciples were joined by Jesus as they walked to Emmaus, but their eyes were kept from seeing him. Had this happened to me?
The Walk to Emmaus begins on a Thursday evening and goes to Sunday afternoon. It mirrors the last days of Jesus, in his passion, death, and resurrection. There are 15 talks, 5/day. Five of the talks are by clergy and 10 by laity. That sounds boring, but it wasn't. We heard a lot about grace, God's unmerited love towards us. We felt grace with all kinds of surprises and gifts. I could tell you about every one of them, because there are no secrets. But you have to be there to get it. The Walk is a short course in Christianity, where one is immersed in what in means to follow Christ. There are many in this room who have been on the Walk to Emmaus. Please stand where you are. Others of you might direct your questions to these. They would be happy to talk to you about going. You don't have to go on the Walk to be a Christian. It is a gift. When you are ready to receive it, it will be there for you.
I loved it. It was an experience of good theology and good feelings, content and emotion. It says in Luke that their hearts burned within them as Jesus explained the scriptures to them. So it was with me.We had the sacrament of communion every day. Now you may think that was boring too, but it wasn't. I can't describe to you something like "Dying Moments" communion where you give up a sin, a hurt, a grudge, a grief. We met the presence of Christ in the breaking of the bread, just as those first disciples did at Emmaus when Jesus who was the guest acted as the host, taking the bread, blessing it, breaking it, and giving it to them.
We Methodists understand communion to be a converting sacrament, where we met the risen Christ and He changes lives. Please know that all are welcome at this table today.
I got home from the retreat on Sunday night. I walked in the back door and greeted Cathy. She then told me I was supposed to call David the County Attorney as soon as I got in, no matter what time that was. David said he wanted me to serve as a guardian ad litum for a youth named John. He wanted me to be in court in the morning. On Monday morning after my Walk to Emmaus I met John. I was supposed to advise as his parent would in the court proceedings. John's mother had been killed. His father was in jail. He lived with his grandmother. John had been caught breaking into the county show barn. Do you get the symmetry? The bookends? I went to the Walk to Emmaus and picked up a guy just out of prison. I come home to meet a youth who might go to jail.
In the passage, the disciples met Jesus at Emmaus in the breaking of the bread, and they run back to Jerusalem to share this good news. But has Jerusalem changed any? When you go off and have your spiritual highs, you still have to go home, and home is still just like you left it.
So we don't just walk to Emmaus; we continue to walk about....in Jerusalem. We deal with youth who might be going to jail. Cathy and I formed a relationship with John for the years we lived in San Saba. He didn't go to jail. The last we heard he was driving a truck.
It is hard going back to Jerusalem. Jerusalem for us today might mean dealing with the killing of Osama bin Laden. Yes, there was the immediate celebration, the sense of justice being served, the feeling that we could move on now. But then, on a deeper level, we began to wonder, should we rejoice over the killing of anyone. Does the taking out of one man destroy a whole movement of anger and violence directed at us? We realize that we live in a messy and complicated world. There are no 4 spiritual laws, no 3 easy steps to guide us. We walk about in Jerusalem....but we do it with the hope of the resurrection. That is the only way we can walk about in this world is with the presence of Jesus. That's why we come to the table today, to see him here.
I think what it means for us to be Christian today means that we take on more and more of the world's pain and redeem it. It think it means that we get involved with the world's ugliness and sin. We don't just walk to Emmaus...we go back to Jerusalem and share the good news that Christ is risen. We become the embodiment of His resurrection.
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