Saturday, December 24, 2022
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service is Canceled
Due to tonight's extreme weather forecast and current road conditions, our in-person Christmas Eve service is regrettably cancelled for tonight. There will be a virtual Christmas Eve Candlelight Service posted online later this evening. You are invited to light a candle during the appropriate time in the service.
If you have a poinsettia at the church, feel free to pick it up anytime this week. Please also contact Debbie Izor or any of the trustees if you need to be let into the church. You are also encouraged, if possible, to wait to pick up your flower until warmer weather arrives later on this week, as the poinsettias could potentially be damaged by being exposed to the cold air if taken outside.
Wednesday, December 21, 2022
Love Packages Donations Welcome
Just a reminder that we are still collecting for Love Packages! If you have any Bibles or other religious materials you would like to find a new home for, please feel free to bring them to the church, where they will be picked up by Love Packages to be sent to Christians and potential Christians overseas. Thank you for your donations!
Hands Against Hunger, December 2, 2023
Registration is already open for Hands Against Hunger on Saturday, December 2, 2023! Since registration fills up fast for this particular time of year, please let Pastor Jon know as soon as possible if you plan on coming that day, so he can register you online! Thank you very much!
Monday, December 19, 2022
Sunday, December 11, 2022
Sermon Text for December 11, 2022: "Be Patient, Refreshment is Coming"
“Be Patient,
Refreshment is Coming”
December 11,
2022
Dear brothers and sisters, grace and
peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Amen.
It occurred to me the other day that
this is actually the last sermon I’m going to be preaching this year. So what I
wanted to do this morning was basically give a brief summary of what’s happened
with us this past year. But before I do, it also occurred to me that I haven’t
really talked about what things are like in Southern California in a long time.
And one of the things about Southern California is there are a lot of mountains.
And the thing about mountains is, it’s impractical to try to drive over a lot of
them, so the solution instead is to drive under them.
Which means there are a lot of tunnels under
different mountains. Some of these tunnels are really quick and short, others are
longer and take a bit more time to get through. These particular kinds of tunnels
can seem a little intimidating: there’s one in particular near where I grew up that
seems to go on and on and on, with no end in sight. If any of you play the hold
your breath until you get to the end of the tunnel game, you’re probably going
to be turning purple by the time you get through this tunnel. Especially since
the more you hold your breath, the longer the tunnel seems to go on. Also, if
you happen to play that game, you know the extreme relief you feel when you can
finally breathe. Especially when you see the literal light at the end of the
tunnel, and you know your relief is coming. You know you can relax, and you can
finally be relieved, because you see the tunnel being over. Also, having gone
through the tunnel means you know you’ve passed through a landmark on the way
to your destination, so you know your journey will now be even shorter, and you’re
much closer to where you’re headed. Which is another thing that is relieving
and refreshing, knowing that you’ve gone through another stage and you’re well
on your way to where you need to be.
This last year, indeed, in the last
couple of years, as individuals and as a church family, we’ve had to go through
a series of tunnels, some long, some short. We’ve had health issues, unexpected
injuries, surgeries, and diagnoses, deaths in our families, financial difficulties,
major life decisions, and either long-awaited or unexpected events which have
changed our directions. Some of these we’ve gone through together, others we’ve
had to struggle with on our own. It’s also been hard for us to breathe at times,
probably literally and figuratively, since we’ve been nervous and anxious about
whether how things as we’ve had to deal with are going to end, or if they’re
ever going to end. Whether we’ve realized it or not, we’ve been in an almost
constant mode of having to keep on top of certain things while trying to make
it from day to day. Which has meant we’ve been stressed out, exhausted, worried,
and even afraid, again, probably more than we’ve recognized, just because we’ve
gotten used to it. But because we’ve gotten used to it, it’s been hard for us
to see the light at the end of the tunnel, so we’ve been holding our breath
trying to see the end, when, again, we’ve had our focus taken off by being
distracted by so many problems.
So
today, after all the stress, anxiety, and everything else we’ve had to deal
with for this past year, it’s time to hear some good news: there is light at
the end of the tunnel. Whatever we’ve been having to go through is going to be
resolved, and we’re going to get to where we’re meant to be. Why? Because of
something that has remained true all year: God is with us. We’ve had to go through
a lot this past year or two, but the reason we’re here where we are now is because
God has been standing by us, directing us, and guiding us every step of the
way. Even though we’ve felt like at times we’ve had to deal with our problems
on our own, without any sympathy from anyone else, or even someone willing to
listen, God has been the one who’s been in control all along. We might have
felt like He’s been far away sometimes, but God has always been there for us,
supporting us, carrying us, and refreshing us. When we’ve been tired out,
discouraged, and unable to want to go on, God’s caused something to happen to lift
us up at just the right moment. He’s never let go of us, and He never will. When
things have seemed overwhelming and impossible, and our resources have been
spent, God has come to restore us. In fact, that’s exactly what God promises in
Isaiah: the desert will bloom again because God will cause growth to happen; those
who have been weakened by fear will be made strong; the lame will walk; and water
will spring up in dry places. Danger and uncertainty, using ferocious beasts as
an allegory, will disappear, because God will be victorious. Sadness will be
replaced by gladness, and sorrow will be replaced by joy. God will bring new
life to a dying place – just as He’s already done for us. This world is still
His, and we are still His. We
That’s
even what this whole Advent season is about: remembering that God is with us.
The word “Immanuel” means just that – God is with us. More importantly, we are
reminded that God came to be with us in Jesus, who was born in Bethlehem as a
human being just like us, but at the same time had full divine powers and
authority. In today’s Gospel reading, John the Baptist has just been arrested
and is in prison, awaiting execution. Knowing he’s about to die, John is
wondering if what he’d been proclaiming all along was actually true, and
whether what he’s suffering for is actually worth it: is this Jesus person he
pointed out as the promised Savior really who He says He is? John’s afraid that
there’s a possibility this Jesus person might not be the promised one. So He
sends a couple of his followers to ask Jesus if He really is the Messiah. And Jesus
responds by encouraging John – and us – to look at what’s going on: the sick
are healed, lame are made to walk, dead are raised, and the poor and forgotten
are hearing good news. Even though the story doesn’t say it, this probably gave
John great comfort and relief, knowing what he had said about Jesus was true –
and now he wasn’t afraid any more. Like John the Baptist, we too may wonder if
what Jesus promises is true, and He is who He says He is. The reason we hear
the Bible being read and explained every week is because we need to be reminded
constantly of who is really in charge. We say the Bible is our authority – but the
reason for that is because it points us to Jesus, who is our true authority, fulfills
everything God promised before He was born, and who makes everything He says He’s
going to do happen now. So since we have this assurance and encouragement, the
time has come for us to do something about it.
It’s
time for us to focus not only on surviving, but on reaching out, on growing, and
getting back to where God had us before. It’s time for us to realize that we’re
almost out of the tunnel, and to get back on the road to our true mission: to
be the hands and feet of Jesus, and to be a positive force and influence in Farmersville
and everywhere we live and go. We are to give sight to the blind, especially helping
those who are blinded by fear or untruth see the true perspective, that God is
with them and is on their side; to help the lame walk, especially those
crippled by doubt or hopelessness, by bringing the power of God into their
lives; bring those who are dead in sin, addiction, or despair by bringing them
to a healing and restoring relationship with Jesus; and preaching good news to
the poor, both those in poverty and those who lack stability or encouragement,
by giving them what they need, whether it’s food, clothing, rescue, or . It’s
time for us to realize that even though things have changed, circumstances are permanently
different, and aren’t going to be exactly the same as they were before, we
still have a mission to fulfill: God is actually working on putting us in an
even better position to carry out His ministry than we were before. Most of
all, it’s time for us to recognize that we have never been alone, we’re not
alone now, and we’re never going to be alone: God has always been with us,
because, ultimately, this is His church. We need to be focusing on what God can
do. You may recall that a couple of months ago, I quoted Mike Bradley, the
Service Coordinator for LCMC, who, at the last Annual Gathering, asked us all
to keep on asking, “What can God do?”. Even though we’ve had a lot of setbacks,
we’re now in a position for God to move us forward again – and the direction He’s
putting us in really is a positive one. To put limits on ourselves is to try to
put a limit on what God can do, especially what He can do through us. And the
reality is, there is no limit to what God can do, there is nothing impossible
for Him.
And if we
believe God can do anything through us, then there won’t be any limit to what
we can be able to do. The key, though, is we have to believe. We have to trust.
Jesus keeps encouraging us to trust Him, and not fall away, not give up, and
not stray from the direction He’s leading us, because we can’t wait for Him to
act. So that means, as challenging as it may be, we have to keep being patient.
As James encourages us in today’s Second Reading, we have to be patient and
stand firm – because God is coming to move and restore us. While we wait, we
have to avoid becoming so impatient that we grumble against each other, and so lose
the direction God is leading us in. But we can be patient because we know God
can do what He wants to do. So we can breathe, relax, and be refreshed, knowing
that God truly can do anything.
Now may the peace of God, which passes
all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Sunday, December 4, 2022
Sermon Text for December 4, 2022: "That's the Spirit!"
“That’s the
Spirit!”
December 4, 2022
Dear brothers and sisters, grace and
peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Amen.
I’ll just come right out and admit
it: the past few weeks, for various reasons, it’s been a bit more of a
challenge to have the “Christmas spirit.” When we think of the “Christmas
spirit,” we think of an attitude of almost permanent joy, happiness, and peace
that comes with the overall atmosphere of the season. There are different kinds
of sights, sounds, and even smells, especially lights, decorations, trees, Christmas
carols, Santa Claus going “ho ho ho,” pine, mint, chocolate, everything else
which we usually associate with Christmas. In other words, because it’s the
Christmas season, we want to feel happy, cheerful, and upbeat all the time. But
different things can tend to get in the way of doing so, because, even though
it’s the Christmas season, we still have to deal with everyday life. We still
have our usual daily duties and worries: bills to pay, assignments to complete,
tasks to accomplish, places to go. And I imagine for many of us, it’s also been
a bit more of a struggle anyway because we’ve had to deal with so much this
past year: rising prices, having to balance our budgets, our favorite stores
and restaurants being short staffed, unexpected health diagnoses, covid still
being with us, struggling to get back to normal even with two years after the
pandemic, all kinds of other things which have made us, as we get to the end of
the year, stressed out.
I can tell you, though, that at
least a couple of things have happened to me this past week which have helped
me get in the spirit of Christmas again. There were a few events taking place
over the past couple of weeks which were causing me a bit of stress, and which
were causing me to be stuck in a cycle of worry. Seriously, especially this
past week it was a bit hard for me to look at Christmas decorations and hear carols
and feel a cheerful spirit. So what did I do? I finally decided I’d had enough,
I was tired of being stuck, and so I prayed. Specifically, I prayed, as I’ve been
encouraging all of you the past few years, for God to come and take control. And
He did. He resolved a number of things I’d been having to deal with, in ways I
didn’t even expect, but He still came through, like He always does. And not
only that, He gave me opportunities to experience Christmas in another, more
rewarding way – by helping other people. I got to help pack the Christmas boxes
for CAMP this past Monday, which will be given to everyone who comes in this
months: and by the way, CAMP would like to thank us for generously donating
bottles of pancake syrup for the Christmas boxes, which will be a blessing for
all those who need extra food for the holiday. And then, just yesterday, I got
to go with many of you to Hands Against Hunger, and was really happy we all were
able to do it again for the first time since before covid started. Along with
over three hundred other people, we all prepared food packets which will be
sent overseas to Somaliland, a region in northeast Africa where many people
live in constant fear and hunger. I am also really encouraged by an anonymous
donor who offered to buy gifts for the Valley View Giving Tree, so we as a church
family can be able to help children in our local community that we as well,
just as we’ve done in the past. This afternoon, we’re welcoming Damac, who will
bring the good news of Jesus to us in a different and exciting way. Next week,
we’re going to be caroling and bringing cheer bags. This is what Christmas
really is all about: bringing hope to people, especially those in dire need, by
blessing them in special ways with the love of Jesus. These are also all ways
that the Holy Spirit has been leading us, during this holiday season, to share
God’s healing and life-changing power with others.
All this is also what Paul encourages us
in today’s Second Reading from Romans, verse 13: “May the God of hope fill you
with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit.” The true spirit of Christmas is the Holy Spirit
– the spirit and power of Jesus. The reason we celebrate Jesus’ birth in the
first place is to remember He is the one true God who came into the world as
one of us – to bring the life-changing power of God right into our own very lives,
and, again, so we can bring that same power into the lives of other people. And
Jesus can change our lives, minds, hearts, and attitudes, especially if we are
stuck in negativity because we think our situation, or the world is hopeless. The
Prophet Isaiah, in today’s First Reading, actually helps us to see that,
because of Jesus, the Savior and Messiah who was promised at that time, nothing
is hopeless. Even in Isaiah’s time, things seemed out of control: God’s people were
being attacked on all sides by their enemies; they were living under kings who
were leading them astray; and they were scared about their future. But Isaiah
actually gives us a vision of what would almost seem impossible: the poor
receive justice; there is no more war or conflict, and people and animals don’t
harm each other. In other words, there is hope for the present and the future.
In Jesus, there is always a reason to be encouraged. As Paul also says in verse
4, “Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that
through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
The best ways we can hold on to hope with everything going on right now are to
pray, and to read our Bibles every day, to hear again and again God’s
uplifting, affirming, and encouraging words for us – that He is still with us, on
our side, and is at work for us.
If we really do trust God, and we are
staying close to Him, then we are promised that we will experience joy and
peace. Trusting is more than just believing God exists: it’s letting Him rule
us, even as He rules the whole world. The God who causes the wolf and lamb to lie
down together in peace can also bring peace to us, and our troubled lives and
world. One of the many sights of Christmas we see are signs saying “peace on
earth” – and this peace not only will come when Jesus comes back in glory, but
this peace is already here. We can have peace if we ask Jesus to come into our
hearts and minds and give us the peace we need, removing all obstacles to our
peace and happiness.
In this Advent and Christmas season,
and as we hear John the Baptist in today’s Gospel reading, we are also called
to repent – but not in the way we would think. Usually, when we hear the word “repent,”
we think of stopping doing wrong things and starting to do right things. It
would be easy to try to point out what we think everyone else is doing wrong, to
criticize what we think are certain errors in society, and how everyone else ought
to shape up. But that’s not what that means for us today.
Instead, it means: Time to get back on
track. We’ve had a lot of things happen in the past couple of years that have
knocked us off track, and have caused us to take our focus off of God and what
He promises. Up until covid, we were living in a fairly secure kind of way, but
then everything happened, and threw us into a near constant state of stress and
insecurity. Covid, its aftermath, and a number of other events of the past
couple of years, mostly social and political, caused us to turn inward and go
into survival mode, where our focus has gone off of looking forward with hope and
optimism to what God can be able to do, and instead looking at everything which
seems to be going negatively, losing hope in what God can accomplish. But if we
are asking “What can God do?”, then we are glorifying God. Like the people of
Isaiah’s time, we may be scared about our future, even feeling under attack,
but we still have the same promise as back then: God has planted His banners of
victory in our world. Jesus was born, died, and rose again victorious over
death and every enemy, and so God is glorious and reigns supreme over all, and
over us.
So are we glorifying God? What we mean is,
are we living according to the Holy Spirit, who helps us live according to the spirit
of Jesus? Are we letting Jesus rule over us, to take control of our cares and
struggles, so we can be free to live in peace with ourselves and each other?
And, in living in peace, to be free to live for other people, and bring peace
and comfort to them?
So do you want to get into the true
Christmas spirit? Well, it’s actually one we live year round: letting who we
are and how we live show who Jesus is and what He wants for all of us. It is
living in peace and unity with each other, accepting each other as we are, just
as Jesus accepts us as we are. It is also being hopeful and optimistic, not in
some sort of naïve way, but believing that even though things may be difficult
right now, Jesus is still going to turn everything around, and maybe make it even
better than it was before. And it is one, as we trust in Jesus, where we live to
give what we have to others – our time, our material blessings, and in many
other ways we can help someone’s needs. In just a few minutes, we will be receiving
Communion, and, as we eat and drink Jesus’ body and blood in the bread and
wine, we will be filled with the power of Jesus and with the Holy Spirit once
again. If we want to experience the Christmas spirit all the time, that’s how
to do it – to let ourselves overflow with hope, hope that comes from believing
in Jesus and living that same hope, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Now may the peace of God, which
passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen.
Sunday, November 27, 2022
Sermon Text for November 27, 2022: "What Time is It?"
“What Time is It?”
November 27, 2022
Dear brothers and sisters, grace and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.
What time is it? Actually, it seems like this is the time of year when time especially keeps interrupting everything we have going on. Now that the holidays are really upon us, it seems like everything’s just moving faster! Many of us are probably still scrambling to either get our Christmas presents bought or at least wrapped; some of us are still putting up our Christmas decorations; and still others of us are trying to get our family gatherings and parties planned and prepared.
As Paul says in today’s Second Reading, in Romans 13:11, “And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.” Every day brings us closer to that day when Jesus will return, and make everything the way it is supposed to be. In our First Reading, Isaiah says in chapter 2 verse 4 that the day will come when God will bring an end to war and division, and bring peace between nations and peoples. Instead of fighting each other with weapons, people will instead cooperate with each other with tools to help build a better life and world for each other. This will also happen because God alone will be the ruler and judge over all the earth: He will have His reign established over every country, everyone will come to Him for help, guidance, and justice. People will also come seeking His direction, to learn how to walk in the way He desires for everyone. And all this will happen because He will be the only one in charge.
And yet, even though all this will ultimately take place in the future, there is no reason why we can’t be living as though it were happening now. Even though we have many voices claiming to be the authority, to tell us how to live, there is only one we ought to listen to: God. He is greater, and more truthful, than any social, political, or even religious pundit, and what He says is what is best for everyone. This is the kind of world God wants for everyone. This is why, in the present moment, as Paul further encourages us in Romans 13, verse 13, we are to begin avoiding those things which cause fights and division between us, and also things which cause us to live only to satisfy ourselves. These are all things which are distractions, keeping us not only from looking forward to what God will cause to happen in the future, but how we are called to be in the present. Dissension, or quarreling, and jealousy in particular are harmful for us because they keep us from living in unity with each other and pursuing our common purpose. That purpose is to live looking forward to when Jesus will come again, and living as though He were already here. It is not up to us to predict when that day will be: indeed, trying to do so is just another distraction, taking us away from focusing on how God is calling us to live in the present moment.
And that, ultimately, is what we are to focus on: the present time. It is easy for us to focus only on the future, especially the way we’ve been taught, and what modern evangelism tends to emphasize. We hear a lot about having to think about where we go when we die; whether we have decided to believe in Jesus to be guaranteed a place in heaven; and, according to certain interpretations, what sort of signs are going on around us to predict the end times. In other words, only about the future, and only for ourselves. But what we tend to forget is that we are here not only to live, die, and go to heaven, but that while we are here, we are saved by Jesus’ death and resurrection, and made for good works here in this life.
While it is true that no good works we do can earn our salvation, we still are called to good works, for the sake of the world. What we do can make a strong impact to change someone’s life, or even change part of the world, however small. As Martin Luther says, “God does not need your good works, but your neighbor does.” And even then, the reason we do good works is to represent and act on behalf of Jesus, which comes out of our calling ourselves Christians – followers of Jesus Christ. The reason we are here is because Jesus has called us to follow Him.
So our purpose in the present is Discipleship, which is following Jesus to become like Jesus – especially to become like Him in compassion, empathy, and service to others. The good works we do are not done out of a desire to follow mere rules, or show how good we are; rather, they are done to be of benefit for someone else. The best, and most satisfactory, kind of good works are actually those which are done without any publicity or show, but instead simply, quietly, and subtly. And yet, we have to remember that doing good works and following Jesus are entirely voluntary – God does not force anyone to do good works; nor does Jesus force anyone to follow Him, especially under any kind of threat of punishment in either case. In fact, we always need to remember that God never forces anyone to do anything – and, as I’ve said before, if we start trying to add an “or else” to anything God encourages, then we are teaching falsely. Having said all that, God gives us free will, but there are still things that happen when we choose to follow our own desires rather than God’s. We are entirely free to refrain from doing good works for those who we know, or for the world – but there are consequences for us refraining from taking opportunities to do good to help others. These consequences are usually us being disappointed in not being able to do what we know to be the right thing for another person, out of our desire to help another person feel good. In the same way, we are free from having to feel forced to follow Jesus – but what we find is that if we try to live on our own without Jesus, we often end up confused, directionless, and feeling helpless. Not out of fear, but out of feeling like we need someone to rely on for guidance and direction. All the good works we do are instead done spontaneously, out of love for God, gratitude to Him for what He’s done for us, and a desire to share that love with other people to help them experience the good things we enjoy from God. As someone once said, “Service is love made visible.” Furthermore, if we want to have peace with ourselves, among each other, and in this world, it has to start with us. And it starts, again, as Paul encourages, with us no longer living for what satisfies only us, but putting on the nature of Jesus. And, as the past couple of weeks have shown us, we are more and more living in a world which needs peace. The recent shootings in Colorado Springs, Virginia, and Brazil have shown the extremes people can go to to carry out their hatred and desire for revenge against others. War continues to rage in Ukraine, and other parts of the world. As was shown in the last election, division in society continues to run rampant, over many issues. Rising prices and other financial difficulties continue to cause tensions and anger. Even many of the words which are used, especially on social media, demonstrate a lack of compassion and desire to understand before responding. If there was ever a good time for Jesus to come back to set everything right, it would certainly be now. We need Jesus to come put an end to our violence, suffering, dissension, and hatred; and heal and unite us. But, again, we don’t just have to wait for Jesus to come back for that to happen: by our following Jesus and living as He did, we can help this hurting world. And it begins in somewhere we tend to overlook: our own homes. As those of you who have done First Communion instruction with me probably remember, what are some of the things you’re encouraged to think about for how to show God’s love to other people? How to help your own families. And there’s a reason for that. If our own houses and families are places where everyone is nurtured, cared for, loved unconditionally, valued, and accepted, and where all the members of the family are encouraged to live these values outside of the home, then our neighborhoods, cities, and ultimately our world will be a more peaceful, unified place. Discipleship can begin with the simplest acts of Christlike kindness, generosity, and helpfulness done right in our own homes. As the late Mother Teresa once encouraged, “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.”
Since we’re also at the time of year when we give gifts to each other, one thing to think about as well is that, since, again, service is love made visible, what kinds of gifts we can be giving to our family members, friends, or neighbors to be the greatest good. Maybe we have a family member or neighbor who is struggling to pay a utility bill or other kind of debt, which we can help pay. There might be someone who needs us to give our time so they can get something done, or have some needed free time. Perhaps someone we know is in need of extra food or clothing, especially for their family members – or our neighbors, as we have already done for CAMP. There might still be someone who needs sources of warmth, especially if we’re expecting another bitterly cold winter. In other words, what sort of practical gifts can we be giving to show God’s compassion to others? So, what time is it? A very important time. Time to give the world what it needs right now. It’s time for us to follow Jesus, to live like Jesus, to serve like Jesus.
Now may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Sunday, November 20, 2022
Sermon Text for November 20, 2022: "Rescued for More than Paradise"
“Rescued for More than Paradise”
November 20, 2022
Dear brothers and sisters, grace and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.
What are you looking forward to? Actually, in this coming month or two, what are you looking forward to the most? With this holiday season continuing on, there are probably a lot of things we are waiting for – some of them we’ve probably been waiting all year for. We’re probably expecting to get what we want for Christmas. This very week, we’re going to be getting together with friends and family for Thanksgiving, something we’ve been planning for, especially getting our meals together. But there’s something else we have to be waiting for, or looking forward to: the Kingdom of Jesus.
But it’s not even something we have to wait for the future to come. Jesus’ Kingdom is here with us, right here, right now! Yet no matter how hard we try, we cannot show that anything going on right now is bringing in the Kingdom. For the Kingdom cannot be identified with any one particular country, political party, or movement. It also is not limited to any one particular denomination or church, as no one church can rightfully claim to be the true Church. Nor can any religious leader apart from Jesus claim to be the head of the Church, or say that where they are, the true Church exists.
As Paul plainly says in today’s Second Reading from Colossians, “He is head of the body, the church; he is the firstborn among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.” Jesus alone is supreme, and is our head, guide, leader, example, and mentor. He surpasses and outranks all human teachers, because all people are to seek advice and what to say from Him. As God, speaking through the Prophet Jeremiah in today’s First Reading, says, He will look for and gather those who have been scattered. And there is no doubt: many people have been driven away from God by religion, especially those who have claimed to speak for God, but have instead spoken words of fear, control, coercion, or abuse. Such teachers have used the threat of exclusion from a church family, a denomination, or even eternal punishment in hell, as a way of trying to get people to conform to a certain ideology or opinion. These are the shepherds who have scattered the flock. The true words of Jesus, however, invite, comfort, calm, assure, and include. He continues to speak to us today, through His Word, the Bible. He also leads us in the direction He would have us go through His Holy Spirit. And where He leads us, as individuals and as a church family, is to become His Kingdom. And how do we become part of the Kingdom? Very simple, actually.
Because of God’s love, we are saved! That is a simple truth. It is one we can believe in, because Jesus Himself declares it to be true. And nothing can revoke what He commands: it cannot be taken away from us.
As Paul further says in Colossians, “For God as pleased to have all his fulness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” If anyone asks you, “how do you know you are saved?”, you can give them a very simple answer: “I’m saved because Jesus says I am. The fact that I am baptized is a visible sign of God’s promise that I am saved. God laid His claim on me long ago, and He hasn’t let go of me since.” Our being saved is also not something which we earn, or we need to work for, but instead has already been won by Jesus’ death and resurrection. It is not even something we work for to continue to make sure it’s still in place; our lifestyle, habits, or choices do not determine whether or not we are saved. Who we are in no way contributes to our being saved. Even though we may want to try to feel like we’ve achieved it in some way, that we’ve checked off all the requirements and are living according to a certain standard in order to make sure God still accepts us, none of that matters – God still loves us and saves us no matter what. So if anyone tries to challenge your being saved because you live or don’t live a certain way, or even didn’t say a certain prayer, what you can say, with absolute confidence is: “I am not saved because of what I do. I am saved only by the grace of God. God tells me I am saved, therefore I am saved, and I believe it.” If anyone wants to try to challenge you further and insist that obedience ensures you will continue to be saved, you can answer, with just as much security, “Yes – the obedience of Jesus, and only Jesus, guarantees my salvation. Jesus lived a perfect life, following the law of God, and offered Himself as a sacrifice for my sins – that means what He has done, not what I do, promises that God saves me.” Even the thief on the cross, whom we hear about in today’s Gospel reading, was saved just because Jesus said he was. He didn’t have to go through a membership class, be baptized, or even promise he would give something up – Jesus simply said, “Today you will be with me in paradise,” and that was enough. So if we ever want to doubt that we are destined for heaven, all we have to do is look to the cross, on which Jesus died, and which is now empty because He lives forever– and that is our guarantee. As one of the church families I previously served had as their slogan in their weekly local newspaper ad, “Whenever you feel lost, look to the empty cross.” Also, as the late Billy Graham once said, “From the cross, God declares, ‘I love you.’” And because we are loved, we are wanted. For no other reason than God desires us. No ifs, ands, or buts about it, and nothing will ever change it – you are saved!
Okay, but what are we saved for? It’s one thing to be able to say we’re saved only because God says so, but what does that really mean? Well, usually we think of it as being a one-way ticket to heaven after we die – which stories like today’s Gospel tend to enforce. But that’s only partially true: instead, God has called us, and set us apart, for a purpose, right here in the present moment. As someone once said, “You have an appointment with life, an appointment that is in the here and now.” And more than ever, we Christians need to be focusing on the life we’re living here and now, not just for ourselves, but for everyone else. People need us right now – they need us to give them a better life, the kind God wants them to have. So, first, of all:
1. We are saved to love. We give what we have been given: unconditional love and acceptance. Many of you may recall that it was about this time six years ago I first came to interview here over a weekend, and met many of you for the first time. And what I taught in the Bible study that Saturday night, and what I preached at that Sunday morning service, I still believe, and will continue to proclaim: It’s all about love. Our starting point for everything is that God loves us. In fact, Francis Chan, whom I quoted six years ago in the first sermon here, said: “We are here to love. Not much else matters.” And that’s absolutely true: the reason we exist as Christians, and as a church family is because we are loved by God, and we share His love with all those around us, near and far. In fact, there’s a rather telling quote which says: “The world doesn’t want to be saved. It wants to be loved, that’s how we save it.” And the world is hurting right now: hatred, prejudice, division, war, disease, economic struggle, poverty, death, all run rampant, and are causing a lot of fear and uncertainty. And the best way to save the world from all these things is to show our love: by reaching out to, accepting, and welcoming as equals those of all backgrounds; giving food to the hungry and assistance to those who lack other basic needs; continuing to keep ourselves and all those around us safe from sicknesses; praying and working for an end to war between countries and peoples; and making sure that all people have the best quality of life. Which is all part of the next point:
2. We are saved to witness. If you are a Christian, you are called to be a witness. As our friends and neighbors at the UCC had on their church sign for a long time earlier this year, “Keep the faith – but not to yourself.” Witnessing, however, doesn’t mean trying to call people out for what we think is unacceptable. As I read somewhere earlier this week, “The Great Commission was not ‘Go tell everyone else they are wrong.’” Witnessing doesn’t mean trying to argue with someone to try to prove ourselves right. Rather, it’s just talking about how much God loves us, how good He is to us, how He has blessed and rescued us, and how He does the same thing for everyone. It’s relating to other people where they are at the moment, and telling our story about how God has helped us. Which then means:
3. We are saved to serve. Our witness isn’t just in words – it’s more in actions. And as the saying goes, actions speak louder than words. In this holiday season especially, what can we do to show we care? Even though our personal resources may be limited, what can we still share with others? Certainly we have a table almost full of food for our Ingathering Sunday today, but as you can see, there is still room for more, especially to meet a growing need in our community. We can also give gifts to families who may not be able to afford to give them this year. But even if we can’t provide anything material, is there someone we know who is going through a difficult time, and needs encouragement, to know they’re not alone, that we’re with them? The holidays especially tend to be hard for people, since they can be times for grieving, especially missing a loved one who has died; who maybe have no family or friends to spend the holidays with; being forced to deal with a difficult family situation; having just lost a job, or other plans being waylaid; or not having enough to be able to give what was expected for Christmas. So that’s where we come in: we can give comfort to everyone for whom the holidays are a time of trouble and sorrow, not by trying to fix the situation, but just listening and allowing people to grieve in their own way. We can also invite those who need someone to spend the holidays with to join us in our celebrations. These are love shown through service. In all these ways, we actually show Jesus is King – the King who cares deeply about His people, who is everyone in the whole world, and who wants to share all the gifts of His Kingdom with every person. So in this present moment, we are the Kingdom of God – and with Jesus as our leader, we can make this world a better place for everyone through love, witness, and service, and help it reflect, even more, the reign of King Jesus.
Now may the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Wednesday, November 16, 2022
Hanging of the Greens, Saturday, November 26th, 1:00 P.M.
Caroling, Sunday, December 11th, 12:00 P.M.
Sunday School Christmas Program, Sunday, December 18, 10:00 A.M.
Church Adult Christmas Party and Carry-In Dinner, Saturday, December 3rd, 5:00 P.M.
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service, Saturday, December 24th, 8:30 P.M.
Community Thanksgiving Service this Sunday
Help Needed for Christmas Eve
- 3-5 Readers
- Acolyte
If you are interested in being any of these on Christmas Eve, please let Pastor Jon know. Thank you!
Youth Sunday - Thank You!
Fall Dinner - Thank You!
Sunday, November 13, 2022
Sunday, November 6, 2022
Sermon Text for November 6, 2022: "The Saints of the Future"
“The Saints of the Future”
November 6, 2022
Dear brothers and sisters, grace and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.
Today, as we do every year, we celebrate All Saints Sunday. But hopefully today will be more than just a day to look backwards to the past: it is also a time for us, especially after everything we have been through as a church family, to look forward with hope and optimism to the future. The people we see on the slideshow, which we saw before the service and we will be showing again during Communion, are those who led the way for us to where we are now. They helped to guide us through some rather difficult and challenging times, and, even today, serve as inspirations for us for how to keep going in the midst of troubles. We give thanks to God that they now live with God, something they looked forward to throughout their entire lives, which we are reminded of in today’s First and Second Readings: that there is a place God has prepared for us which is free from sadness, struggle, trouble, illness, uncertainty, where God reigns supreme and is victorious. These were people who followed the words and example of Jesus, especially in the Beatitudes, which we hear about in today’s Gospel reading.
As a starting point, being “poor in spirit” means being humble in how we live out our relationship with God and others. We are to live following the example of Jesus – in love, humility, and compassion towards others, regarding others as equal to us. Martin Luther says that, in all of our actions and interactions with other people, we are to be “little Christs.” In other words, we are to be like Jesus to everyone. How does this happen? By looking at what the saints of the future, those who are growing in the faith now, hold to be important. For the saints of the future, humility is a greater witness than trying to demonstrate the rightness or correctness of one’s position or affiliation. Mercy, forgiveness, reconciliation, and understanding are of greater importance than doctrines or positions. Actions are more important than words, especially actions of love and service for others. Indeed, many of the saints we remember in history are examples of how to live this truly Christlike life.
For example, one of my personal favorite saints who is an excellent role model of being “poor in spirit” as well as a “little Christ” is Saint Francis of Assisi. As a young man born in twelfth century Italy, he lived a life of pleasure, but then started to question whether the lifestyle he was living was actually worth it. At a certain point in his life, he had an experience which convinced him to go in a new direction – specifically, he believed Jesus spoke to him directly and told him he needed to rebuild the church, which had fallen into ruins. While at first he took this literally and sought to rebuild the church building in his hometown, he realized after a while what Jesus meant was that he was supposed to be an example and guide to help bring the church back to its original mission. He came to see that those who were supposed to be serving people on Jesus’ behalf had turned their backs on others, especially the poor. He also believed that in order to reach people on Jesus’ behalf, it was necessary to do just that – actually go out where the people were, feed them, provide for their needs, and show them Jesus’ love in any way they needed it. So he and his followers went out among the poor and others who were being forgotten, and even showed compassion to animals. He was able to help and reach those who were either considered unreachable, or who others refused to try to reach, and, in everything he did, emphasized being humble and low-key about it. Francis even, at one point, tried to bring the Sultan of Egypt to faith in Jesus as Savior, and, while he was unsuccessful in doing so, he showed that the most effective way to reach unbelievers was through simple, humble witness, rather than force or violence. His whole approach to being a Christian and a follower of Jesus can be summed up in something he said: “Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received – only what you have given: a full heart, enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice, and courage.” The life we live now, especially the life we live for others, is going to be our legacy, how we are remembered. And just as we have certain memories of those who went before us, we are to be mindful of how the saints of the future, who will follow in our footsteps, will remember us. So we have to be thinking, at all times, of what sort of example we are setting for those in the future. And, hopefully, it is indeed a model of honest service, love, sacrifice, and courage.
Another example of living this kind of life is someone who became one of our latest saints to eternal life just a few days ago: Bob Colucci. As many of you may remember, one thing Bob was always fond of talking about from his time with Montgomery County Rehab and Rescue was whenever he would help someone out, they would thank him for everything he did for them. He’d then tell them, “I didn’t do it – Jesus Christ did it for you. I’m just the mechanism.” Bob had it exactly right, and that’s something for all of us to keep in mind: we are the mechanism by which Jesus causes things to happen for other people. Those whom we remember today were also just the mechanism by which God caused things to happen for us, this church, and this community; and we are the agents by which God makes things happen.
In just a few moments, we will celebrate Holy Communion. Just as we devote today to remembering all those who have gone before us to eternal life, Communion is also a time to remember, especially for us to remember everything God has done for us in the past, what He is doing for us in the present, and what He will do for us, and everyone who comes after us, in the future. Every time we receive Communion, we remember and retell the story of what Jesus did for us. He showed His love for us by sacrificing His body, His very life, and rising again, to win eternal life for us. Every one of us who believe in Him now will live forever with Him in the future. This is a promise He made by sealing it with His own blood, meaning it is guaranteed and will never be broken. The bread and wine are visible reminders of Jesus’ love and promise for us. But it is not simply remembering a past event: we also believe that Jesus is really and truly present with us right here, right now, that the bread and wine are His body and blood. Also, because we believe Jesus is here with us, and we remember Him, we thank Him for who He is and what He has done. Together, as we give thanks to Jesus, we acknowledge that we are all members of God’s family. Just as we invite and welcome all members of our families to enjoy family gatherings and events, God also welcomes us to enjoy His special meal together. It is not us who give out the body and blood – once more, we are only the mechanism by which Jesus does this. He has promised that He is with us every time we eat and drink the bread and wine and remember what He did, and is doing now, for us. What He is doing for us now is filling us with His power, changing and transforming our hearts and minds, to help us become more like Him, especially in His attitude and life, and be the means by which He changes other people’s lives. So as we remember those who were examples to us, let us have Jesus be our ultimate example; and, as we move forward with hope, let us be faithful and bold examples of following Jesus, and being like Jesus, to all those who will come after us.
Now may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Sunday, October 30, 2022
Sermon Text for October 30, 2022 - "Basic How To's: How to Be Free"
“Basic How To’s: How to Be Free”
October 30, 2022
Dear brothers and sisters, grace and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.
Today we once more celebrate Reformation Sunday, and we also get to celebrate Halloween tomorrow! Believe it or not, there is a direct connection between Halloween and Reformation Day, and Martin Luther is involved. October 31st is also known as All Hallows Evening, or Hallow E’en in Old English – which is where our word Halloween comes from. “Hallows” means people who were considered holy, especially saints. It was the night before All Saints Day, which traditionally took place on November 1st.
Especially in Luther’s time, it was believed that before someone could enter heaven after death, they had to go through a period of cleansing in a place called purgatory, which I usually compare to showers in a locker room, where their sins would be cleaned off, so they would be considered worthy enough to go to heaven. It was also believed that the prayers and good works people did in this life on behalf of people in purgatory could shorten the time they had to spend in purgatory, and help them go to heaven faster. So, on October 31st, people would come to church to pray for the souls of their departed loved ones they believed were in purgatory. In his own study of the Bible, Luther discovered that none of any of this was actually in the Bible: there was no mention of purgatory, and, most of all, no one was saved by any good works, including prayers – only by what Jesus did by dying and rising again. He also rediscovered the truth that God is love, and loves all people unconditionally – so no one needs to try to earn God’s love. He wrote the 95 Theses to show that many of the things the church of his time was teaching were against the Bible, and he picked October 31st as the day on which to nail his 95 Theses to the doors of the Castle Church of Wittenberg, Germany, because that would be the day there would be a large crowd coming to church, who would read what he had to say. That is why we celebrate the Sunday closest to October 31st as Reformation Sunday.
Now, all this being said, in the past this particular Sunday has been used as an opportunity to criticize, disparage, even bash other Christians. It is no longer appropriate for us to do so, because we cannot claim a monopoly on Christianity, nor do we call ourselves the only true Church. We are not more important than any other Christians, nor is our teaching the only absolute truth. Also, and especially after the major change and crisis all churches have gone through during the pandemic, we are to support and encourage each other, rather than try to tear each other apart. We are also to focus on what unites us, and makes us the same, rather than what makes us different from each other. This means that we regard all churches as being equal and Christian, all Christians as being the same, and we accept one another as such.
Yet, even all of this being said, today is not just about history, or even trying to distinguish true from false teaching. It is about freedom. In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus tells us that “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” But what exactly does it mean to be free? Well, there are things we are free from, and which we are free for.
1. We are free from guilt. But not in the way we would think. Usually, we talk about being free from the guilt of sin, and while that is true, we also have to consider that many of the sins for which we have been made to feel guilty, are not really sins. The previous pattern of preaching has also been to try to point out what is wrong with culture or society, generally based on personal opinion. We do still live in a sinful world, where people frequently choose to hurt themselves and other people, and we ourselves have done things against others. As Paul points out in our Second Reading, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Yet our purpose is not to shame others, or to make ourselves constantly feel ashamed, but instead to recognize where we have not treated others the way God would want us to treat them, ask for forgiveness and God’s help in restoring any broken relationships, and move forward. Also, as I’ve said before, a lot of our religion has been based on fear – fear of God’s wrath, abandonment, judgment, or punishment. But God is not a god who wants us to be afraid of Him – He wants us to love Him instead. So rather than focusing on what we have done wrong, or what we might be doing wrong, we can instead come to God as a loving Father who desires nothing more than a relationship with us, to be our friend. He also wants to restore rather than destroy: where things are going in a direction other than what He desires, He gently brings them back around to where He wants them to go. So our relationship with God ought not to be based on being terrified of God for any reason, but on the fact He thinks we are special and valuable to Him. Which leads to the second point:
2. We are free from having to prove ourselves. If we think about it, much of life has to do with having to prove how good or worthy we are – earning good enough grades, playing well on the field or diamond, performing our job duties well enough to earn raises and promotions, paying everything well enough to earn a good credit rating, everything to earn recognition and approval. Also, much of what we have thought to be God’s disapproval has actually come from the disapproval of other people – even other members of the church. We assume that if other people, especially other Christians, disapprove of us, then God does as well. The reality is, God and humans do not always have the same mindset, and humans are also frequently wrong. We cannot confuse the opinions of what others think of us with how God actually thinks of us. The truth is, He sees all people the same – as being worthy of His love, fully accepted, and fully acceptable. In the same way, since we are also free from guilt caused by fear, and we know that God approves of us, we can also be liberated from insisting that others have to earn our approval, and instead accept others as they are. Furthermore, we can remember that the idea is not to prove ourselves right or better than others, but simply to be who we are, and let who we are
3. We are free from having to worry. This actually comes from being free from guilt and having to prove ourselves, and shows us that God is always with us. And there are a lot of things we are worried about, even right now: we may be here in church, but honestly, we’ve got other things on our minds. We’re probably thinking more about something happening this week which we might be dreading; a medical appointment; an issue with family or friends; or even what might be happening later on this afternoon. These are realities we have to deal with, but which we can put in God’s hands to take care of. Since we believe that God never abandons us, and we are always under His care, in every situation, God is always in control. He has a plan for every moment, and is causing things to happen the way He wants them to. He also is always on our side, fighting for us, and will ultimately win. We know this because of Jesus’ death and resurrection: Jesus has reconciled us to God, and has justified us in God’s sight. This means even though we face struggles, we need never worry about God’s help – He is always there for us.
Yet even as we are free from all these things, there is a reason we have been made free: to live according to a special purpose, which all begins with Jesus.
1. We are free in Christ. Our freedom is not necessarily a license to do exactly whatever we want, but is instead the freedom to follow Jesus and His direction for our lives. It is being liberated from sin’s power over us, enabling us to become more like Jesus. Who we used to be is disappearing every day, and, as we grow both in faith and age, is being replaced by thoughts and habits which reflect more who Jesus is. This is actually what God, speaking through the Prophet Jeremiah, means in today’s First Reading, where He talks about writing His law on our hearts: that who we are is not determined by rules or guidelines we follow, but instead by God working in us to change and transform us. Which means, according to how we are changed:
2. We are free to love. This is our true purpose and calling. Love also means loving without any kind of an agenda: This is, in fact, what being a mature Christian is: someone who, by the power of Jesus actively working in us, is committed to showing unconditional love and acceptance. To love means both loving and accepting ourselves as well as others, and letting who we are be the testimony to what we believe.
3. We are free to serve. We give because we have been given much, and we want for others to enjoy the same goodness as we do. Just as with love, serving also means serving without necessarily expecting anything in return, even any kind of recognition or gratitude. Even if we might be trying to show others the rightness of our beliefs, we can be more persuasive if we show people we care, rather than trying to prove ourselves right. In fact, and more than ever nowadays, we can be able to attract more people to come to our church by serving – doing things for each other and for others in the community. So let us enjoy our freedom – but let us also use our freedom the way God wants us to.
Now may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
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