Reflection | From seaside to mountaintop, God is with us

For over 25 years, my extended family vacationed on the coast of North Carolina.  For one week of the summer, we breathed in the salty air, buried our feet and bodies in the white sands of the beach, collected sea shells, tried to catch tiny crabs and lizards, and laughed and played in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.  The last summer my own family was at the beach, we stayed up late to await the hatching of a nest of 100 loggerhead sea turtle eggs.  It was an awesome sight to see the 2-inch hatchlings crawl from the dunes to the ocean to begin their new life. 

Breaking tradition this year, the family gathered in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.  An early morning outing led a small group of us toward the peak of Clingmans Dome, 6643 feet above sea level.  After parking our vehicle, we hiked the final half mile to the observation tower.  I paused often to catch my breath in the higher altitude, and to survey the lush plant and animal life.  The National Park Service reports that over 17,000 species have been documented in the park, with the possibly of another 30,000 to 80,000 species yet to be cataloged.  Though the view from the top was limited, there was a mysterious beauty to the evergreen trees visible through the smoky fog.  

As I think about vacations past, the words of Psalm 139 come to mind: "Lord, you have searched me out; O Lord, you have known me... Where can I go from your Spirit?  Where can I flee from your presence?  If I climb up to heaven, you are there; if I make the grave my bed, you are there also.  If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand will lead me and your right hand hold me fast" (vv. 1, 7-9). 

Whether we're on the beach or at the bottom of the ocean, whether we're in the deepest canyon or on the highest peak, whether we're in the rain forest or on the prairie, whether we're away or at home, whether we're working or resting, God's people can trust that the Creator who marvelously made us and wonderfully works in us is leading us and holding us. 

Sermon | "Creator / Father" | Holy Trinity, Year A

Sermon Text: Genesis 1:1--2:4a

In the beginning, Pinocchio was formless, a large, dead, log, void of any life or personality.  But like any good artist, Geppetto could see the life of possibilities within the wood.  It was evening, the Geppetto's workshop was lit by candlelight, and the moon and stars watched him get to work.    

With hammer and chisel in hand, Geppetto quickly stripped the log of its rough, outer bark, revealing a smooth surface underneath.  He carefully studied the grain of the wood, and sketched with pencil the rough outline of the head, trunk, and limbs of his creation.  Geppetto worked quickly, and quietly, chips of wood flying as the form of a boy began to appear.  The chisels Geppetto selected got smaller and smaller, as he refined the details of his puppet--a round head, with round cheeks, a button nose, and a mischievous smile.  A slender neck connected Pinocchio's head with this cylindrical body.  Two arms were jointed at the shoulders, elbows and wrists.  Two legs jointed at the hips, knees and ankles. 

The chisel and hammer were set down, the rasp and file picked up.  Then sandpaper, from coarse to fine, made the wooden puppet as smooth as skin. 

And, at last, Gepetto put down his tools and rested.  Pinocchio sat before him, and Gepetto the Artist surveyed his Artwork.  The Woodworker, his Woodwork.  The Creator, his Creature.  And as the sun rose outside the workshop, Gepetto looked at Pinocchio bright in the morning sunlight, and saw that what he had made was good.  Very good.

But Pinocchio was no ordinary puppet.  Gepetto had created him in his own likeness.  He had poured his heart and soul into his project.  So Pinocchio was a living puppet, a marionette without strings.  When Pinocchio ventured out that morning to explore the world beyond the workshop, no one was controlling him, no one was making choices for him, no one was pulling the strings.  Pinocchio strolled down the streets of the village, amazed by all he saw.  By and by, Pinocchio met "Honest" John, a sly fox, and his associate Gideon.  "Honest" John--who was not so honest--Gideon tempted Pinocchio lured him and all the other boys they could find to "Pleasure Island," where there were no adults and no rules and no curfews.  So with no one to stop them, Pinocchio and the other boys enjoyed all the pleasures of Pleasure Island--gambling, smoking, vandalizing, getting drunk... 

When Pinocchio awoke the next morning, he realized he had made an jackass of himself.  I mean, he really felt like a donkey.  He felt long donkey ears coming from his head, and he reached back and felt a donkey tail on his behind.  The other boys too were  turning into donkeys.    

Frightened, Pinocchio left Pleasure Island and ran, fast as his wooden legs would take him, back to the only home he had ever known--Gepetto's workshop.  He cried as he ran, his sobs becoming "hee haws," and his run becoming a trot as his transformation from puppet to donkey was nearly complete.  Finally, he reached Gepetto's workshop.  Hot tears ran down Pinocchio's donkey snout, tears of shame and fear.  He told Gepetto his story, hee-hawing his guilt, his regret, his remorse, as Gepetto listened.    

Gepetto held Donkey Pinocchio and embraced him in his strong arms.  "I created you.  I love you.  I forgive you."  Gepetto said.  And as Gepetto held Pinocchio, Gepetto's grace, love and forgiveness transformed Pinocchio.  Not from donkey to back to puppet, but from donkey to real boy.

And together they lived, Artist and Artwork.  Woodworker and Woodwork.  Creator and Creature.  Father and Son. 

And they lived happily ever after. 

The End.

*   *   *

Sometimes a story like this one, or a fable, or song, or poem, are able to carry deep truths better than a news report or a piece of non-fiction.  The story of Pinocchio and Gepetto carries deep truths about our own relationships with our Creator, our Heavenly Father.      

The same is true of our First Reading this morning, from the first chapters of the Bible.  In the poetry of Genesis one, we hear, "In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth...

God is the Creator... of Day and Night, Sky and Sea, Vegetation and Fruit, Sun and Moon.  God is the Creator of Flying Creatures, Swimming Creatures, Creeping Creatures.... And the Creatures known as Humans.  God is our Creator.    

"God created humankind in his image,

in the image of God he created them;

male and female he created them."

And God's creation, God's creatures, were good.  Very Good. 

But also, very bad. 

As the story of Genesis unfolds, we hear of humanity's failures: Adam and Eve tempted by the serpent in the Garden.  Cain killing his brother Abel.  The wickedness of humanity in the days before the Flood.  The division among humankind at the Tower of Babel.    

Not long after the Creation, the relationship between the Creatures and the Creator became stretched, strained, shattered.

But, there is a happy ending to the story.  The Creator sent his Child to earth, to rescue, to restore, to redeem.  Through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God is made known to us.  Through the Son, we know the love of the Father. 

God is not only our Creator, but also our Father.  God's grace, love and forgiveness transform us, make us his children, make us real, make us who we were meant to be.

This transformation begins at the font, when we are baptized into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  We are made children of the Father, united to the Son through the death and resurrection of Christ, sealed and filled with the Spirit. 
We are held forever, in the gracious, loving, transforming embrace of our Triune God, now and forever.  Even to the end of the age.  Amen. 

Reflection | How Children Grow Strong, Grow Wise, and Grow with God

The Gospel of Luke tells us that the newborn Jesus "grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him" (Luke 2:40). 

As a parent of a four-year old boy and 21-month old triplets, that is what I want for my children.  For them to grow--to grow strong, to grow wise, to grow in their relationship with God.  As a pastor, that is what I want for the children of my congregations and communities.  For them to grow--to grow strong, to grow wise, to grow in their relationship with God. 

How does this happen?  How do children grow?  Earlier in Luke's gospel, we are told that Jesus' parents, Mary and Joseph, took him to Jerusalem to the Temple to present him to the Lord.  While at the Temple, they met Simeon.  Simeon is described as being righteous and devout and filled with the Spirit.  The text suggests that Simeon was an old man, close to death, but they Holy Spirit had revealed that he would not see death until he had seen God's chosen Messiah.  Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised God saying, "Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation..." (2:29-30).

Mary, Joseph, and Jesus also met Anna at the Temple.  Anna was a great woman of a great age.  She never left the Temple, but worshipped there day and night, fasting and praying.  Anna, too, praises God because of the child Jesus (2:36-38). 

When Mary, and Joseph, and Jesus had finished at the Temple, they returned to Nazareth in Galilee.  Jesus grew strong, grew wise, and grew in his relationship with God.

How?  First, Mary and Joseph spent time with Jesus in the Temple, in God's presence.  Then Jesus grew.  Joseph and Jesus spent time with God's people, like Simeon.  Then Jesus grew strong.  Mary and Jesus spent time with a great woman like Anna.  Then Jesus became filled with wisdom.

Parenting children is a challenging task, helping them grow can be difficult.  However, my wife and I have found that when our children are in God's house of worship, when they are surrounded by God's people of all ages, when they hear the stories of God and of Jesus, when they are prayed for and blessed, when their child-like faith is nourished, then they flourish. 

That is how children grow. That is how children become strong.  That is how they become filled with wisdom.  That is how they grow in their relationship with God.

Reflection | "Wit and Wisdom" | Time After Pentecost

There’s a saying where I come from – “knee high by the fourth of July.’  It means if a field of corn is knee high by Independence Day, the crop is off to a good start.

There are other seasonal bits of wisdom that have become part of our language.  “In like a lion, out like a lamb,” sometimes describes the month of March.  Or how about, “April showers bring May flowers.”  (What do May flowers bring?  Pilgrims, of course). 

This one’s new to me: “A swarm in May is worth a load of hay; a swarm in June is worth a silver spoon; but a swarm in July is not worth a fly.” 

The Old Testament books of Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, and Proverbs are the Bible’s books of wisdom.  The book of Proverbs contains a number of collections of short sayings that are often true about life.  Here are a few:

“Hatred stirs up disputes, but love covers all offenses” (10:2).

“Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by virtuous living” (16:31).

“Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised” (31:30).

The book of Proverbs has 31 chapters.  You could read one chapter each day during the month of July—read chapter 1 by July 1, chapter 2 by July 2, chapter 3 by July 3, and read chapter 4… “by the Fourth of July.” 

Reflection | "The Rest of the Story" | Season of Easter

Paul Harvey passed away on February 28, 2009.  From the young age of 14 until his death at age 90, Paul Harvey was involved in radio broadcasting.  Harvey was known for catch phrases he used at the beginning of his programs, such as “Hello, Americans, I’m Paul Harvey.  You know what the news is, in a minute, you’re going to hear… The Rest of the Story.”

Beginning as a part of his newscasts during World War II and then premiering as its own series in 1976, The Rest of the Story consists of factual stories on a variety of subjects with a surprise or “twist” saved until the end.  For instance, Paul Harvey might tell a story from the childhoods of Henry and his brother, Samuel, who was born in Florida.  In the end, The Rest of the Story is that Samuel is Samuel Clemens, born in Florida, Missouri, and is better known to most… as Mark Twain.

As I write, we are nearing the beginning of Holy Week.  On Palm Sunday, we will hear the story of Jesus’ Passion.  On Maundy Thursday, we hear the story of his Last Supper and how “the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you.  Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:23-24).  We hear the story of Jesus’ betrayal, how “the devil had already put in the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him” (John 13:2).

On Good Friday, the story continues with Peter’s denial, the flogging of Jesus, and the crown of thorns.  We hear the story of Jesus’ crucifixion and burial.  In the story of Jesus, we hear the words of Psalm 22 echo: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  But the story does not end there…

On Easter morning, we hear the story of Jesus’ Resurrection.  On Easter, we hear The Rest of the Story:  “As the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.  And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.  His appearance was like lightning and his clothing white as snow.  For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men.  But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said.  Come, see the place where he lay.  Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’  This is my message to you.” 

And that, as Paul Harvey would say, is The Rest of the Story!

Sermon | "Empty Promises / Promises Fulfilled" | Lent 1C

Gospel: Luke 4:1–13

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness,  ²where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished.  ³The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread."  ⁴Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone.'"

⁵Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.  ⁶And the devil said to him, "To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please.  ⁷If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours."  ⁸Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'"

⁹Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here,  ¹⁰for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,' ¹¹and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'"  ¹²Jesus answered him, "It is said, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"  ¹³When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

Part I

Let's take a look at this familiar text for a moment.  In Luke 3, after Jesus had been baptized by John in the Jordan, he was "praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove (21-22).  Then there is a brief pause in narrative, then the story continues in chapter 4.  Jesus, still "full of the Holy Spirit" is led by that same Spirit in the wilderness (4:1). 

The way the Gospel of Mark tells the story, Jesus is "driven" by the Spirit into the wilderness.  What makes this interesting to me is that Jesus is exactly where God wants him--he's not on the wrong side of the tracks, he's not in a bad part of town where he really shouldn't be hanging out, he's not running away from God like the prophet Jonah--and yet, he still faces temptation by the devil.  He was tempted by the devil for forty days, no less.  Jesus ate nothing during that time, and not surprisingly, when the forty days were over, he was "famished." 

And then the devil really kicks the temptation into high gear:
"If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread....
"If you will worship me, all the kingdoms of the world will be yours, for I have been given their glory and authority over them has been given to me...
"If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from the pinnacle of the Temple..."

The devil tries to lure Jesus with empty promises: 

The promise of a hearty meal, the promise of appetites satisfied.  Yet if Jesus were to turn the stones into bread, it would seem self-serving.  In the gospels, Jesus performs miracles in service to others, and to bring glory to God, not to himself.  Bread from stones would simply be empty calories, ultimately un-fulfilling, like eating a Twinkie.

The devil promises Jesus the kingdoms of the world, if Jesus will worship him, but this promise is also an empty one.  Any authority the devil may have had was ultimately temporary, for the rightful ruler of the heavens and earth is God, and God alone is to be worshiped.

And finally, the devil promises that God will protect Jesus from death if he were to throw himself from the top of the Temple.  Ultimately, though, God's plan does not save Jesus from death, but allows him to face death, death on the cross, as part of his work on earth. 

Part II
How often today are we tempted by the empty promises of the devil and the world and even our own sinful nature?  If you're like me, quite often. 

Advertising promises to fulfill our appetites:  Twinkies will satisfy your hunger.  The latest weight-loss product will help you shed pounds.  The new exercise machine will help you bulk up.  The latest fashions will make you more popular.  A particular brand of makeup will transform you into the Photoshopped model on the cover of the magazine.  You will never be satisfied until you have a Sham-Wow and a set of Ginsu knives and a Ch-ch-ch-Chia Pet and a Ronco Food Dehydrator and a WaxVac.   

Think of all the promises we hear from the world: You need a bigger house, a newer car, a better boat to keep up with the Joneses.  You will achieve success, and therefore happiness by climbing the corporate ladder.  In order to be liked or loved, your body needs to be smaller, skinnier, firmer, tanner, smoother, softer.

Religions, even certain expressions of Christianity, make empty promises too: God will heal you if only you have enough faith.  God desires you live abundantly, which is equated with being wealthy.  But these type of churches forget that following Jesus means facing persecution; following Jesus means self-denial; following Jesus means giving up possessions; following Jesus means following him to death, before rising to new life.

Part III
How does Jesus deal with the devil's empty promises?  By countering with the words of scripture, with verses from our Old Testament.

In the face of the first temptation, Jesus replies with the words from Deuteronomy 8:3 "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone.'"  The devil knew the scripture well enough, that Jesus didn't have to even finish the verse: "one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD."

When the devil wants Jesus to worship him, Jesus replies "It is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'"  Again, Jesus is quoting Deuteronomy, this time chapter 10.

Finally, when the Devil tempts Jesus throw himself from the Temple and offers scripture to suggest that angels will protect him if he does, Jesus counters with scripture of this own, again from Deuteronomy: "It is said, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" 

For 40 days, Jesus has fasted.  And it's very likely that during those 40 days Jesus spent time praying and meditating on the scriptures.  Later in the gospels, when Jesus goes off by himself to a place like the wilderness, a lonely place, it is often to pray.  During those 40 days in which Jesus in which Jesus fasted, he nurtured his relationship with his heavenly Father through prayer and filled himself with the scriptures.  So when the devil came with to tempt Jesus with empty promises, Jesus was already full of God's promises.

Part IV

What insights can we glean about temptation from this exchange between Jesus and the Devil?  Here are a few thoughts:

First, be aware of when you are most vulnerable to temptation.  After his fast, Jesus was hungry.  When we are hungry--hungry for food, hungry for attention, hungry for affection--we are more vulnerable to temptation.  The same is true when we are angry, lonely, and tired.  If you take the first letter of each of those--hungry, angry, lonely, tired, it spells HALT.  When you find yourself feeling this way, stop for a moment and be aware of your vulnerability to temptation.

Secondly, take time to pray, and to pray about the temptations you face.  When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he taught them to pray: "Let us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."  Ask others to pray for you as well.  James 5:16 says, "The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective."

Third, fill yourself with God's word.  Join us on Wednesday nights as we study together the book of Jonah.  Take home a devotional book for your personal study of the Bible.  Write down a verse from today's service that spoke to you and put it somewhere you will see it later in the week.  Fill yourself with God's fulfilling promises, not the devil's empty promises.  The message of the scriptures, not messages from advertising or messages from the world, should be the message we look to to remind ourselves of who we are, who God created us to be, and what purpose we were created to fulfill. 

One of the prayers in our hymnal compares the Word of God to good food:  "Blessed Lord God, you have caused the holy scriptures to be written for the nourishment of your people. Grant that we may hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that, comforted by your promises, we may embrace and forever hold fast to the hope of eternal life, which you have given us in Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord."

Finally, remember this about temptation:  When we do give in to sin, to the forces of evil, to the devil, to his empty promises, return once again to the cross, the cross toward which we journey these 40 days, the cross on which our Savior Jesus died, so that we might receive God’s promise of forgiveness on behalf of the One who was tempted, yet did not sin.

Amen.

Resource | Creation

I thought this might be a good illustration on the vastness of the Solar System as part of a lesson on Creation for a confirmation group, Sunday School class, etc.:

Ask Marilyn by Marilyn vos Savant, as printed in the May 29, 2011 edition of Parade magazine

You once described our solar system with fruits and vegetables.  Could you give us the "recipe" again?--David Erickson, Veneta, Ore.

Gladly.  If the sun were a pumpkin about a foot wide, Mercury would be a tomato seed 50 feet away; Venus, a pea 75 feet away; Earth, a pea 100 feet away; Mars, a little raisin 175 feet away; Jupiter, an apple 550 feet away; Saturn, a peach 1025 feet away; Uranus, a plum 2050 feet away; and Neptune, a plum 3225 feet away.  Pluto stays in the fridge.

www.parade.com/askmarilyn/2011/05/Sundays-Column-05-29-11.html