An Unfinished Sermon

I have a busy day ahead of me, so instead of posting this sermon after worship, I'm posting it before.  But my sermon is unfinished.  I have the first 3/4 written here, maybe even the first 9/10.  But it is missing the final paragraph and I just haven't figured out how to wrap things up.  But I'm going to leave it to the Holy Spirit and know that in the moment I'll be able to tie this sermon on Luke's Beatitudes (Luke 6:20-31) with the fact that today is All Saints Day and with what the people need to hear.  


Well enjoy what is here of the sermon and I hope the Holy Spirit guides you to finish it with what you need to hear/read.





People love the beatitudes! This piece of text that we have today. But maybe the reason why it is loved so much has nothing to do with what it says, especially this version from Luke, than the poetry and niceties that it envisions.

Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.
Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you

Isn’t that just beautiful?

But the meaning, oh lets not go there. (But I am)

If given the choice between poor and rich I would have to put myself in the rich category. Yes I don’t drive the nicest car. I’m not able to take weekend getaways to Europe nor do I own a vacation home. And I don’t wear designer clothes that are all from this season. But I have a home. I have clothes, more than I need really. I am able to take time off and I have a job in which to take time off from. And I have a car. Therefore in the broader scheme of things I’m rich.

And between hungry and full, I am full. The only time I have gone a whole day without anything to eat has been when I have been sick. I never wonder where my next meal is coming from unless I’m trying to decide which restaurant I should go to for dinner.

And between weeping and laughing, I laugh much more than I weep. Granted I have wept. I have had moments of sorrow, of pain, of despair, of mourning. But overall I tend to have more things to laugh about that to weep about.

And I hope people speak well of me and not hate me, I have friends. Though I’m sure there are a few people who try to avoid me as much as possible.

What about you? Would you say that you are poor or rich? Hungry or full? Weeping or laughing? Do people speak well of you or do they hate you?

I guess we better all take cover because woe is coming upon us.

So does that mean that if we just a little poorer, God would care for us more? Or if we ate less often Jesus would save of from sin more than he already does? Or if we weep more often the Holy Spirit will become a greater presence in our lives? Or if people hate us then it means that God love us more? NO! NO! NO! and NO!

That is not the meaning of the beatitudes. That is not what Jesus is trying to tell us. Because Jesus is not describing us, Jesus is describing God. Jesus is telling us that even in poverty, God is there. Even in the midst of hunger, God feed us. Even in moments of sorrow and weeping, God is comforting us. Even in the middle of being hated, God loves us.

And the second half of today’s gospel which starts: “love your enemies, do good to those you hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” Those are things that we cannot do without God, the God who is with us even in the horrible moments of life. We are not able to love our enemies unless we realize that God first loves us. We are not able to do good to those who hate us unless we know all the great things God has done for us. We are not able to bless those who curse us unless we have first accepted the fact that Jesus is the one who blesses us. We are not able to pray for those who abuse us until we realize that in prayer we are asking God to help our abusers, not us.

Jesus is with us. Jesus allows us to love, do good, bless, pray, turn the other cheek, give away the shirt off our own back, give to everyone who begs from us. Jesus is who helps us do to others as you would have them do to you.

Affirmation Day

I realize that lately my blog has been quiet other than sermons and Monday Morning Church and while I could go back and post about some of my October adventures - Bishop's convocation, Blessing of the Animals, etc.  I won't cause well I'm just not that type of person.  But I can't let a week go by without writing about this past Sunday.

This last week we celebrated Reformation Day (the anniversary of the day that Martin Luther nailed 95 theses to the door of Wittenburg Chapel which is seen as the "official" starting day of the Protestant Reformation) and Confirmation of two of Bethlehem's young people.

Confirmation historically has been a period of time when teenagers study biblical stories, worship practices, and theology and at the end of a set period of time (normally between 1 and 3 years) affirm their baptism and take on for themselves the promises that their parents and sponsors made for them at their baptism.

For Bethlehem's two youth - Ryan and Tori.  They attended classes on Sunday mornings for about a year before I arrived as the pastor and this past school year we meet twice a month on Saturdays.  Our topics of conversation were everything from creation to afterlife, what are things called that are in the church to sex.

While the past two years have been wonderful, I wanted to share some of the things that we did during our worship service to make the day a little more special.

The confirmands came forward with their parents and their mentors (adult members of the congregation who the confirmation students picked last year that they have spent some time with and gotten to know).  After they affirmed their baptism, we had the entire congregation come forward so that we were all laying on hands while they were each individually blessed.

After the laying on of hands, everyone returned to their seats and Ryan and Tori faced the congregation and their mentors faced them and signed them with the cross with this saying:

Receive the + cross on your forehead, a sign of God’s endless love and mercy for you. Learn to know and to follow Christ.

Receive the + cross on your ears, that you may hear the gospel of Christ, the word of life.

Receive the + cross on your eyes, that you may see the light of Christ, illumination for your way.

Receive the + cross on your lips, that you may sing the praise of Christ, the joy of the church.

Receive the + cross on your heart, that God may dwell there by faith.

Receive the + cross on your shoulders, that you may bear the gentle yoke of Christ.

Receive the + cross on your hands, that God’s mercy may be known in your work.

Receive the + cross on your feet, that you may walk in the way of Christ. 

(From the Renewing Worship materials of the ELCA)

We then presented them each with a bible that their mentors, parents and myself highlighted with some of our favorite bible verses and individual notes written in the front covers.  

After this we then presented the new class of confirmation students and formally welcomed them into the confirmation experience (though they have already have had a few meetings).

It was such a wonderful worship experience.  And in one of those touches that happens at small churches and make things just a little more meaningful, both Ryan and Tori were baptized at Bethlehem and both of their moms were baptized here as well.  

MMC: Saints and Sinners

Good Morning Bethlehem!

I hope that you are recovering from all the Reformation/Confirmation/Halloween activities yesterday and I am especially praying for all teachers and parents today that are dealing with tired cranky kids that are hopped up on sugar, especially anyone who has to try and limit the candy consumption today.

Just a few quick reminders

• This Sunday is All Saints Day, please email me or Ellen Grunsell any names that you would like to include on the prayer list for that day, especially any saints who have gone on to heaven before us this past year, or anyone who has joined the community of living saints that have been born or baptized this past year (and please let us know which category each name falls into)
• The following Sunday, November 14, is Ingathering Sunday, when we have a special collection of canned and boxed goods for Redding Social Services, and the altar is decorated in produce which is also brought to RSS.  You can start bringing in your items at any time.  If you would like an idea of what items are most needed and what items do not get picked as often, you can check out a blog post that I wrote after my last trip to drop off items at the food bank.
• The neighborhood dessert party is coming!  Mark your calendars for Saturday November 20th starting at 6:30, then bring your tastebuds, friends, family, neighbors, and possibly your favorite dessert to the parsonage as we gather for fun and fellowship with the congregation and our neighbors.
• An Intergenerational Mission Trip to Western Virginia is being planned for this July with participates for multiple Lutheran churches in Fairfield County.  Please talk to me if you are interested, these trips are unforgettable and often life changing. An informational meeting will be November 16 at St. Michael’s, New Canaan.

Now onto this coming week's text:

The first lesson is Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18.  Daniel has a dream of four winds of heaven stirring up the sea and four great beasts who com out of the sea.  The dream is interpreted that the four beast represent four kings who will arise, but God will receive and possess the kingdom (heaven) forever.  Why do you think this text is used on All Saints Sunday? How does this text relate to a day when we mourn and yet celebrate people who have died who are now with God in heaven?

The second lesson is Ephesians 1:11-23.  Paul gives thanks for the the Ephesians faith and prays that they might continue to understand God in their lives.  What people in your life do you give thanks for their faith, because their example was an influence in your faith?  Who do you pray for that God will give them the spirit of wisdom and revelation as they come to know Christ?  In other words, who has influenced your faith, and who do you hope God will guide you to so that you can be influential in their faith lives?

The gospel lesson is Luke 6:20-31.  In the NRSV, these verses have two section titles.  First is blessings and woe (or the Beatitudes).  How are you one of the blessed - poor, hungry, weep now, and people hate you?  How are you one of those who are given woe to - rich, full, laughing, people speak well of you?  Do you think you should be blessed or warned?  The second section is entitled "Love for enemies" is probably one of my favorite bible passages where by knowing the cultural context of Jesus' day, the meaning of the passage takes on a entirely different meaning.  How hard is it to love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who abuse you?  In doing those things how does your attitude towards them change?  If your enemy finds out that you are praying for them, how does their attitude towards you change?  Do you always do to others as you would have them do to you?  As far as the cultural context and how it relates to this passage, it is too long to explain in an email, but briefly these verses are not about letting someone abuse you by taking advantage of you but about publicly showing the childishness of the other's behavior by forcing them to shame themselves in order to abuse you.  

Did I wet your bible study appetite?  If so all women are invited to the women's bible study at the parsonage at 7:30pm on Wednesday to further discuss these passages and everyone is invited to 9am Sunday Morning bible study (that bible study is on Romans but I will be more than willing to get off topic about these passages if you are that curious).  

Hope you all have a great week!