Farewell

Preached at Hallam and Martell UMCs, December 30, 2007.

There was a tightrope walker, who did incredible aerial feats. All over Paris, he would do tightrope acts at tremendously scary heights. Then he had succeeding acts; he would do it blindfolded, then he would go across the tightrope, blindfolded, pushing a wheelbarrow. An American promoter read about this in the papers and wrote a letter to the tightrope walker, saying, “Tightrope, I don’t believe you can do it, but I’m willing to make you an offer. For a very substantial sum of money, besides all your transportation fees, I would like to challenge you to do your act over Niagara Falls.”

Now, Tightrope wrote back, “Sir, although I’ve never been to America and seen the Falls, I’d love to come.”

Well, after a lot of promotion and setting the whole thing up, many people came to see the event. Tightrope was to start on the Canadian side and come to the American side. Drums roll, and he comes across the rope which is suspended over the treacherous part of the falls—blindfolded!! And he makes it across easily. The crowds go wild, and he comes to the promoter and says, “Well, Mr. Promoter, now do you believe I can do it?”

“Well of course I do. I mean, I just saw you do it.”

“No,” said Tightrope, “do you really believe I can do it?”

“Well of course I do, you just did it.”

“No, no, no,” said Tightrope, “do you believe I can do it?”

“Yes,” said Mr. Promoter, “I believe you can do it.”

“Good,” said Tightrope, “then you get in the wheelbarrow.”

(http://net.bible.org/illustration.php?topic=526)

Getting into the wheelbarrow would be an act of great faith, putting your life in the hands of the man pushing it. It makes you question whether you would do it, doesn't it. At the same time, it is easy to say that we would get in the wheelbarrow if it was God pushing the wheelbarrow, but do we really step out on faith when God prompts us to?

Coming into ministry was an act of faith, as was moving to Kentucky to attend Seminary. Even coming here to Hallam and Martell was an act of faith. Now going into the Army as a chaplain is an act of faith.

I've thought a lot about what to say during this last sermon—somebody told me I needed to say something memorable—but I'm not sure that I will. Ultimately, I don't want you to remember me—I would pray that you were somehow able to see Christ in me and remember that.

The passage read earlier today about the Transfiguration has significant meaning for me. I'd like for you to focus for a minute on Peter. Remember that Peter has been with Jesus for some time now. He has seen miracles and experienced Jesus' power in the feeding of the 4,000. the feeding of the 5,000, healing the blind. As a result of all this, he has given a clear confession of his belief. He told Jesus “You are the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

Now he is on the mountain. Jesus has been transfigured before his eyes, and Peter, in a moment of not really knowing what to say, or perhaps actually making plans of his own, said, “It is good that we are here! Let's build three houses and stay here!”

I can imagine the look on Jesus' face—something like, “Silly Peter, if only you knew what I have in store for you and for the rest of humanity.” If they had not come to down from the mountain, Christ would never have gone to Jerusalem, shared in the Last Supper with them, been nailed to the cross, or raised from the dead.

Sometimes our plans, no matter how good they seem, are not part of God's plans for us or those who we will meet as we travel through this world. When my family and I came here, said, like Peter, “It is good to be here, let's stay.” Yet I believe that God calls for more from me and more from you than to stay here. I believe that God is calling me and for you to get into the wheelbarrow of faith because there is much to be done.

Paul wrote a letter to the Colossians that expressed his love for them, and his prayers for their future. My prayer for you is an echo of his prayer for them.

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption,the forgiveness of sins.

Paul's prayer is not that they would remember him, but that they would abide in Christ, and that Christ would abide in them, and that they would remember that no matter what they do as a church or individuals, it must be done prayerfully and for the glory of Jesus Christ. That is my prayer for you. If you must remember anything about me, remember that I long for nothing more than for you to climb into the wheelbarrow of faith, and that my prayers are that you will bear fruit and that Christ abides in you and that you would abide in Jesus Christ.

Advent 4 - Love

Preached at Hallam and Martell UMCs, December 23, 2007.

What can surpass a mother's love? Nothing—right? It seems that in all of creation there is no greater bond than that between mother and child. Even while the mother is still pregnant, there is a bond that has been established somehow.

It seems only fitting that as we approach Christmas on this 4th Sunday of Advent, that we talk about a mother's love. After all, I have spoken to you about HOPE—sure and certain expectation; we've talked about PEACE—found only in the Prince of Peace; about JOY--regardless of the situation, through faith in Jesus Christ. Each of these things sound familiar to what a mother experiences during her pregnancy.

This similarity between pregnancy and and Advent—that time of waiting before Christmas has not gone unnoticed. In “The Message,” Eugene Peterson conveys a fresh sense of Paul’s words in Romans 8 describing the waiting of Advent: "All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it’s not only around us; it’s within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We’re also feeling the birth pangs… That is why waiting does not diminish us…we are enlarged in the waiting… the longer we wait, the larger we become and the more joyful our expectancy."

Imagine Mary, expecting the child that she knows will change the world. Listen to her words:
And Mary said:
"My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
even as he said to our fathers."

She lifts up what God has done for her in this child she is carrying: she will be known, the humble will be lifted up, the hungry will be fed. Is there any doubt that she loves this child, and she loves God? And the closer she gets to his birth, the more she anticipates his coming. Yet, in some sense, the love that she feels for this child is in return for the what God has done for her. She recognizes that she loves this child, but that God loved her first—she was chosen to be the mother of this child.

The same is true for us. Each of us has been chosen by God to be the vessel of something incredible. But just as Mary had to respond in faith, we have to respond to God in faith, as well. 1 John 4:7-21 tells us that we love God because God first loved us—loved us enough to send his only son to bear the atonement for our sin. And as God loves us, he has put within us a longing for relationship with Him—and with others because of the love shown to us. We respond to God's love, extended to us in the guise of a baby boy, born to die so that you and I might live, by loving those around us.

John tells us that God is Love, and that Love is a gift from God. How we respond to God is the key to each of the attributes represented by candles in the Advent wreath. Hope, Peace, and Joy are all found through Love for humanity and in relationship with God.

Loving those around us allows us to know God. But knowing God is more than simply acknowledging God's presence—knowing God means having an intimate, experiential relationship with God. John refers to it as living in union with God—other translations say that God abides in us, and we abide in God. And if this is so, then that love of and for God will reflect God's character--if God IS love, then we will love those around us. This is really an expansion of the the Great Commandment—Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. They are intimately linked and inseparable, more like a single circle of gold than links in a chain.

I don't know about you, but I really hate shopping around Christmas. Whether it is the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas eve, or the day after Christmas, the parking lots are full and getting a place within 500 yards of the store means either circling like a predator, following them as they come out of the store, or else it means waiting an eternity behind that person who has stopped and turned on the turn signal to get into a parking place that someone still occupies. Further, the stores are crazy—filled with snarling, grouchy people—sometimes I'm even one of them! We as a people go into debt so that we can give presents to people, the government says we have to do our part to support the economy, Wal-mart's latest slogan for this time of the year is “save more money, so you can give more Christmas,” all the while one of the fastest growing industries is the construction of storage sheds to store all the stuff we don't even have room for!

Yet, even when we are confronted with the ugliness of the world, greed and gluttony. we are called to love those around us, even as God loves us. “We love God because God first loved us. If we say we love God, but hate others, we are liars. For we cannot love God, whom we have not seen, if we do not love others, whom we have seen. The command that Christ has given us is this: whoever loves God must love others also.”

Friends, love is both experienced and expressed as part of a life lived in relationship with God. We can love without spending a fortune, we can love even if we don't have a fortune. The greatest gift we have ever received cost not a penny, but it was not free. Christ was born to give us the greatest treasure we could receive—eternal life in relationship with God. Christ was born so that we could truly receive, experience, and respond to love by this—loving those around us.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Preached at the Memorial Service for Steve Zimmerman

At the beginning of “The Wizard of Oz,” there is a scene where Auntie Em tells Dorothy, “You just help us out today and find yourself a place where you won't get into any trouble.”

Dorothy thinks about it for a moment and reflects, “A place where there isn't any trouble—do you suppose there is such a place, Toto? There must be. It's not a place you can get to by a boat or a train...it's far away, behind the moon, beyond the rain...somewhere over the rainbow...”

According to the song, it's a place where dreams come true, where clouds are far behind, where troubles melt like lemon drops.

We all know the story of what happens next, the tornado comes and Dorothy lands in that place “over the rainbow.” She meets the Munchkins, the scarecrow, the tin man, the cowardly lion, and the wizard.

As observers of this great adventure, we see the humor of this strange land. Even the wicked witch is comedic, in a strange way. The great and terrible Oz tells us to “ignore the man behind the curtain.” And we laugh. No matter how scary the forest, the flying monkeys, or the wizard, we find ourselves laughing and, finally, longing, as Dorothy did, for home.

Friends, I would suggest that Steve loved this movie for many reasons. Perhaps it was the idea of a place where there isn't any trouble, or because of all the humor embedded in this world of fantasy. Or was it because he recognized the world we live in as the land of Oz. And even though dreams don't always come true, clouds sometimes obscure our way, and troubles don't always melt like lemon drops, it remains a place of wonder and excitement, strange and scary, yet filled with people we grow to love and laugh with , to share victories and tears with, and that the land we long for—home—is with God.

The Scriptures tell us of a place of wonder and unspeakable joy—a place where God will dwell with humanity and “death will be no more, mourning and crying and pain will be no more.” We tend to think of this description as heaven, yet it is not—it is and earthly promise—God comes to us in this passage. It is the promise of Christ's return and the Kingdom of God.

Today, let us instead find comfort in the midst of our loss in the words of Christ--”I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also.” Jesus tells us of a place prepared for us—our Father's house. This is a promise for those who have placed their trust in Christ. Steve recognized this promise, realizing that while it is hard to say goodbye to those we love, his home—our home—is truly with God.

This world we live in, while it is filled with joy and love and hope and peace, especially at this time of year, we also understand that there is tragedy and pain, fear and sorrow and death. Yet God's Word, Jesus Christ, stands in defiance of these worldly pains, having conquered sin and death through the cross and rising from the dead. God's Word reassures us that even though we struggle through this life, experiencing both joy and sorrow, one thing remains true—God's love remains eternal and calls us to relationship through his Word.

No matter what happens in our lives we have this deep sense that there is something more, that there is somewhere beyond the Emerald City and even the Witch's Castle's of this world. There is a place where we belong, and while we are loved here as we follow the yellow brick road through life, Kansas—Home--Heaven calls to us, reminding us that we are created for relationship with God, that we are simply traveling through this world. God extends to us amazing grace to forgive the sins of our past, to guide us to forgive others and ourselves, and to lead us back to the place where we belong.

And so, let us face this technicolor world with a bit of laughter and with a brain to discover God's Word to us, a heart to sense His presence, and courage to love those around us and to respond to God and God's Grace,knowing full well that there's no place like home.

Advent 2 - Peace

Preached at Hallam and Martell UMCs December 9, 2007.

The candles on the advent wreath symbolize Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. Understanding facets of each of these and how they apply to Advent, the season of expectation and waiting before Christmas, is a challenge. Oh, we can talk about Hope and Peace and Joy and Love as abstract concepts, but it is much harder to think about them and embody them in our daily lives.

Last week, I talked to you about hope, and how during Advent, we think of the prophecies in the OT about the coming of Jesus, and how in the NT, hope began to be seen as a component of a righteous life. Finally, today we see hope as a response to the saving grace of Jesus Christ as well as a confident expectation in His return to establish the Kingdom of God among us.

This second week of Advent, I come to you with a message of Peace. And as I said, peace is something that seems to elude us, often just beyond our grasp. We talk about seeking it, we have groups that support it (like “Nebraskans for Peace,” (a very divisive group, in my opinion) as if there really are “Nebraskans for War”), we all long for it, but what is it, after all? "Peace" is something that the whole world seems to be striving for, at an individual level and at a national and international level. Yet, most people spend little time really thinking about what peace means.

What does peace mean to members of Al-Queda or Hamas? What does peace mean in Northern Ireland? What about in Bosnia, Sudan, Pakistan, or a dozen other hotspots across the globe?

What does it mean in regards to national defense? Strong national defense, more and better weapons than any other nation on earth. “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for I am the biggest and baddest one in the valley?”

Do we find peace in metal detectors in airports—or high schools?

What about in politics? It seems that every candidate is out to smear the next, increasing the division that we all struggle with. It would be easy to lay the blame on politics—red state, blue state. But even our church is divided—Great Commission (Go and make disciples), or Great Commandment (Love God, love others).

What about personal peace—in your home (not if you have teenagers) and in your deeper inner self—are you at peace with who you are and your life?

It seems that there IS NO peace—and no prospects for it either. So where do we turn for peace? How can we find it? Part of the answer, I believe, is found in scripture. Zechariah 9:10 prophesys that a king will come and bring peace to the nations, a king that comes riding on a donkey.

God promised to send His people a King of Peace. This prophecy of the coming King of Peace is fulfilled in Jesus Christ on Palm Sunday as recorded in Matthew 21:7-9: "They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

"Hosanna (meaning ’Praise for salvation’) to the Son of David!"
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Hosanna in the highest!"

Notice that this king is not elected – elected means that they have ascended through some popularity contest. We are in the midst of presidential primaries. Each candidate is trying to somehow get your vote so that they can get to the top—to achieve the power of the presidency—the highest pinnacle of success, to rule the greatest nation in the world—wait, did I say rule? That's not what the candidates want, or is it?

Listen to the words of Jesus, the King of Peace: Jesus said to His disciples in Luke 22:25-30, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves?

Jesus came to live among us at Christmas and to bring us peace. His power is found in love and peace. Even Napoleon’s diary records, "Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and myself founded great empires; but upon what did the creations of our genius depend? Upon force. Jesus Christ alone founded His empire upon love, and to this very day millions would die for Him."

Jesus did not win any popularity contests—his influence was not in being popular or elected, his influence was in being the Son of God, in establishing life and love, peace and joy regardless of the circumstances of the world surrounding us, with the promise that he would return to establish his kingdom forever.

Friends, peace can be found—Ephesians 2:14 says that Jesus is our peace, bringing unity to a world divided by religion and politics. Peace is found in a relationship with this Prince of Peace--Emmanuel – A Hebrew word meaning “God with us.” Peace is found in Jesus Christ.

1st Advent Candle – Hope

Preached at Hallam and Martell UMCs, Dec. 2, 2007.

Many months ago, it was suggested that our advent sermon series would help the congregation to discover the meaning of the Advent Wreath here in our sanctuary. Much of the history of the advent wreath is on the insert in the bulletin, there for your reading pleasure throughout the advent season.

Each of the candles has meaning—hope, peace, joy, and love. The first candle we lit today represents hope.

Hope is important. It is so important that Friday, Pope Benedict issued a document from the Vatican.

Without some form of hope, Benedict argues life becomes tedious and potentially burdensome, even if it is marked by material affluence and technical progress. A person without hope finds himself in an existential difficulty: For what enduring purpose am I clinging to this life that I love and do not want to lose?

"Here we see as a distinguishing mark of Christians the fact that they have a future: it is not that they know the details of what awaits them, but they know in general terms that their life will not end in emptiness," Benedict writes.

"Only when the future is certain as a positive reality does it become possible to live the present as well."

Hope is not then something for the future alone, a sort of wishful thinking about what might be; it offers meaning for life today. Christian hope is founded on certain faith that life is not a meaningless riddle, but a mystery progressively revealed and finding its fulfillment in the redemption won by Jesus Christ and offered to all peoples. (http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/columnists/story.html?id=136732)

When we speak of hope during Advent, we must mention that hope held by the Old Testament prophets. Isaiah spoke of a time in the future when it would be said

2 The people who walked in darkness
Have seen a great light;
Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,
Upon them a light has shined...

6 For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of His government and peace
There will beno end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.

The Old Testament prophets looked to the coming of the Messiah with hope—confident expectation. There was no doubt, even in the darkest times, that the coming of the Messiah was an event that would happen—simply no question!

The New Testament writers spoke of hope as an abiding part of the righteous life livd in response to th saving grace of Jesus Christ. Paul writes in Romans 12:

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

As much as faith and prayer and love and good deeds are a part of the Christian life, Paul asserts that hope is a response to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Because God so loved the world, he gave his only son, that whoever believes would find everlasting life in that relationship. Hope is a response to this incredible gift!

Hope remains vital today. Not only does it give life to our daily tasks and life, but hope anticipates our future—it anticipates Christ's return, the Kingdom of God come fully on earth. Like that of the Old Testament prophets, Christian hope today is not a shallow “hope it rains,” or an empty “hope I get a pony for Christmas,” it is full blown HOPE – the greek word elpis—confident expectation, anticipation of a sure and certain future.

Peter wrote that as a Christian, you should, “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;” --1 Peter 1:13 NKJV

We celebrate Christmas, not only as a remembrance of the coming of the Messiah, God's Son made flesh to dwell among us, our Savior as an infant, we celebrate the spirit of Christmas throughout the year as a part of our common Christian calling—to live in the spirit of prayer, giving, thankfulness, care, love, joy, peace, and yes, confident expectation—hope of Christ's return.