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.