The Road to Humility

They always say to start off with a joke. Did you hear about the fire at the circus? It was intense.

Get it? In-Tents?! Because circuses have tents?! And the fire is in them?! And it is also intense, because it’s a fire?!

That is one of my all-time favorite jokes because it makes people both laugh and groan at the same time. And, whenever anyone uses the word “intense” around me I tell that joke.

And the reason I tell it this morning is because times are getting a little intense for Jesus. He is starting to tell parables about the coming kingdom of God, and the afterlife, and God’s judgment because he knows that he does not have much time left. He is going to Jerusalem soon.

It is almost like when your dad comes home and says…son, we need to talk. You know its serious. You now know that this is no joking matter.

Jesus is telling about how some will be with him in heaven, and some will be left when the kingdom of God comes. Jesus tells us about judgment when the Kingdom of God comes. He talks about the difficulties of the rich getting into the Kingdom when the Kingdom of God comes. Its intense conversation, for an intense time.

And in this intense time, Jesus blatantly challenges some self-righteous people. He tells a parable specifically for them, specifically to them. It would be like the time I went to an away Georgia game. I wore all of my Georgia gear. And found out that my tickets were in the middle of the home team’s student section.

He is going to some people who are lost, but think they found themselves, and telling them that, no, God does not look favorably on them. They need to change.

In polite company, after Jesus left, people would turn and look at each other and say, “the nerve of that man,” and go about their day.

But Jesus rarely sits in polite company.

He tells the parable of a Pharisee and a tax collector. And just to give you some information, I want to unpack these two terms for you a little bit. Because Pharisees and tax collectors keep popping up as characters in the New Testament, and we have heard about them for so long, I think we have lost their meaning. We think, Pharisees, bad. Tax Collectors, good. But that is not how Jesus’s audience in this parable would hear it.

A Pharisee is a religious elite. A Pharisee is the person we look up to. A person who seems so in tune with God and how we are supposed to act that we strive to be like them. A Pharisee writes books and goes on TV talk shows to tell people how to live their lives like they do. Pharisees are admired in the religious community, for their commitment, and for their insight.

A tax collector is a blatant sinner. A tax collector colludes with Roman oppression, extorts money from the poor to give to the wealthy landowners, and then extorts even more for himself. A good parallel would be the Sherriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood. Taking the very last coin of the poor widow to pay her taxes. No mercy. No regrets. His responsibility is to keep the Romans wealthy, and anything he skims off the top is fair game, as long as the Romans get paid.

So when the two go to the temple to pray. Its clear who the better pray-er is going to be.

One of the more interesting parts about being a minister is getting to observe people, and one of the most interesting things to observe is how people react when you ask them to pray. Even to give a blessing. I have some friends who are convinced that ministers are employed to pray out loud, just to avoid awkward silence at the dinner table and before meetings.

There were probably even some whispers about why the tax collector was even there. He didn’t belong.

I was talking with a friend of mine this past week, and he was saying that there is a whole group of people in our world who feel unworthy to come to church. They can’t let go of something they did, or can’t reconcile a part of who they are. And so they just don’t come to church. They are afraid that people will look down on them for being there because of something they did in the past. I don’t know if this is the fault of the church or not, but it is a real feeling that is in our world. People are afraid to come to church.

I’ve seen this first-hand. In college, there was a Tuesday evening communion service every week. One time, I invited some friends to come along with me. And one girl said, “I hate communion. Everyone is staring at you walking up there. Whispering about what you are wearing or what you did over the weekend. I can’t stand communion.”

How incredibly sad. That the one who calls us and heals us, who we claim to follow in our churches, the one who has the power to truly help people repent and be healed, isn’t believed to be found in our churches…because people will wonder what they are doing here.

That’s the tax collector.

So it must have been a real act of courage for the tax collector to even come to the temple. Walking past the stares, past the whispers, past the conversations he knows will happen throughout the rest of the week, in order to stand before the Creator. Fall on his knees, and say, God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

A noble, and humble prayer. One which if you have prayed at some point in your life, you know its power. I’ve prayed it. I know many of you have probably prayed it. The prayer that you pray when you have no idea what to do. You run out of options. There is no way you can “fix” what has gone wrong. It just has. Whether it is by a choice you have made, or by forces outside of your control. The wheels have come off, and you turn to God and say, God, have mercy on me.

And that tax collector goes home justified, because he prayed a humble prayer.

And the opposite of humility, is arrogance.

The Pharisee prays the prayer…thank you for making me so great. Thank you for making me give a tenth of my income, so others can see how great I am. Thank you for allowing me the strength to fast twice a week instead of just once, because I am better than everyone else. Thank you for not making me like everyone else.

I read this in the Bible, and I am skeptical. Because I look around. It seems to me, that those who are arrogant, are the heroes in our world.

Those that push themselves to be the best, are looked up to, and even rewarded. Or think of athletes. Those that are arrogant are the role models. Because they know they are better than everyone else. That they know how to do things better than anyone else, which automatically means that they don’t listen to anyone else…including God.

The CEO who works 23 hours a day who is a “self-made” man is the subject of articles and books of success. The wide receiver who is the best in the game and lets everyone know seems to be rewarded year after year with an even bigger contract giving him millions of dollars. Or the minister, who tells everyone that they have all the answers, and they must follow their prescriptions to get to heaven, gets rewarded with bigger churches, and bigger salaries.

So the irony of Jesus telling this parable to a bunch of people who thought they were justified by their actions…is that they won’t listen to Jesus, because they know better. So we need to pay attention. It doesn’t need to go in one ear and out the other.

Its not right, we scream…but its not our job to judge, that is God’s line of work. We say, God, have mercy on me. Because while it seems that the world rewards the arrogant, you will notice that the ones who are truly great, the kindergarten teacher who spends extra time in school to help a student get on the right track; the firefighter who trains to protect those around them, or the mother, who puts her own career aside to help raise wonderful children…those are the ones God justifies. That is our hope, and those are the ones we recognize as being great. The humble, who give their lives to Christ, and know how much we depend on God for salvation.

What it so hard about life is that we don’t fit neatly into these categories. At some times, we are arrogant. At others, we are humble. So as we are chameleons in our world, what do we do when we don’t fit into these neat categories?

I think there is a way to get from arrogance to humility, and I think that road goes through compassion. To get outside of our selves and see others. To see other people in the world that we may pass everyday. Building on what Rev Mike Selleck said in his sermon last week. Stop and take some time, because you never know what others are going through, because we all make choices everyday, and your kindness may be exactly what they need that day.

Have compassion on one another. When a tax collector comes through the doors of our church, and asks for help, help them. When someone calls, listen to them. Know that if we can just for one moment, help them interact with Jesus, then their lives can be changed. That is what we believe.

Or, if we run across someone who is arrogant, pray for them, that they may step away from the narcissistic mirror, and begin to see that there are other people in the world besides them.

If there is anything in the world that we need it is compassion. Jesus taught it, over and over and over again. Love for our neighbor. I hope, that our church will be known as a place of compassion. So if there are any out there, or any in here, who have turned from the wonderful creation God made you to be, you are not judged here. Your prayer is the same as our prayer. God, be merciful to me.

May God be merciful to all of us, as we strive to be our best selves, and as wonderful as God created us to be.

Less is More

In the Bibles that I tend to use, there are subject headings about sections which you are about to read. It tells you what is coming up, and I find that very helpful. Before the miracles where Jesus feeds five thousand people with two fish and five loaves, there is a heading that says; the feeding of the five thousand. I know what to expect.

But sometimes, when I read a passage from scripture, and when I know what to expect, I sort of make it fit into that mold. From our example of the feeding of the five thousand. If I read the descriptor of what it is, then that is all I see in the passage. I only see the miracle, and I miss the other important details that might give us further insight into the character of God.

Thankfully, the Bibles that I used this week didn’t narrow my view with a subheading this week, because the heading before these paragraphs is labeled…”some other sayings of Jesus.”
So its important that they are in there, but there is no real impetus, no real situation for these things being said. Its just something Jesus says. And because Jesus said it, that is what makes it important, and that is why it was written down.

The disciples come to Jesus and ask him to increase their faith. In fact, they don’t really ask, they demand. They say, increase our faith! With an exclamation point.

I tried to think about it this week, and I don’t think I have ever asked that of Jesus. I don’t think I’ve ever asked him to increase my faith. I’ve asked to increase my confidence. I’ve asked to increase my belief. I’ve asked to increase my self-control, to increase my willpower. But I’ve never said, increase my faith.

Faith is something that we talk about a lot, but few of us really understand. We have faith IN something. In our church, we have faith IN Jesus Christ. We have faith that Jesus Christ is Lord above all else. Above money, above power, above racial division, above class, above economies, above health, and above all other things that we can think of, we have faith that Jesus Christ is Lord of it all…or do we?

The reason the disciples ask for more faith is because of what Jesus tells them that disciples do. Disciples cannot allow another to stumble. They must draw from a seemingly bottomless well of forgiveness. Being a disciple is hard, and it requires faith. So, they ask for more, because they do not think that they measure up.

We have just completed our charge conference, and I want to thank everyone who took part in all the meetings, all of the discussions, and everything else to get it ready. It was my first charge conference where I was the only pastor, and I could not have done it without the help of all of you extraordinary individuals, especially Tommy Williams, who guided the administrative board, and me, through the process. It was a good night, as we gathered and planned for our ministry and mission in the next coming year, and at conference we presented some goals. Some are typical of a lot of churches, and some are not.

• Continue to hold our youth and children as a high priority, increasing their participation in the life of our community.
• Continue the progress of the building committee, as we plan and design building space for the ministry needs of our church.
• Further our outreach. This can be done in a variety of ways, but as a starting point try to have one mission project next year that is done beyond our community in which church members actively participate.
• Increase our average worship and Sunday School attendance by offering vibrant worship, and faithful discipleship.
• Enhance and develop an effective music program for the entirety of the church.
• Strengthen our presence in the community. We plan to do this by being present at community events, as well as compiling evangelism materials to give to people in our community who do not attend Bold Spring. Our church wants to be known as a place where people can come to experience the life saving presence of Jesus Christ.

These are lofty and noble goals, and the reason I bring them up is because in order for these goals to be accomplished, I am going to have to ask you, and I’m going to have to ask myself, to do more. I think that was one of the more difficult things about nominating people…I am having to ask you, who already do so much, with your families, in your communities, in your jobs…You are honestly some of the hardest working people I’ve ever come across, to do more. While I was riding around, getting signatures for everything, I went to Wesley’s house, and he had just gotten back from a jobsite, and was heading to another meeting to get a bid, and I just needed a signature for a report…in order to achieve these goals, I’m going to ask him, and his family to do more.

Then I went to Thomas Bridges chicken houses, to get his signature, and he was getting his old curtain houses ready for a load of 25,000 chicks…and he’s retired! And I know how hard we worked at building his family, and working in the school system…in order to be the church God is calling us to be…I’m going to ask him to do more.

I can go through each pew, and tell you that even with everything you have going on, each youth with everything you have going on at school; with what God is calling this church to be, I will ask you for more. Because Jesus, and the world, are asking us for more.

When the disciples heard this, they have a very natural reaction. Well if you are asking us for more, then we need more from you. We need more inspiration, we need more energy, we need more time, we need more knowledge. In order for us to do more, we need more faith. Lord, increase our faith!

You are asking us for more…we need to see results. We need to know what is in it for us. Increase our faith!

And Jesus tells them, even if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can uproot this mulberry tree right here and tell it to go plant itself in the ocean, it will.

A few years ago, it was more popular, but it is still sold today, are necklaces and bracelets that have a single mustard seed in them. It was supposed to inspire people to see how small mustard seeds are, and to know that with just that much faith, extraordinary things can occur. Matthew tells us that a mustard seed faith will move mountains. Luke tells us that a mustard seed faith will uproot trees.

And so, the mustard seed became a metaphor for miracles; what miraculous things can occur with faith the size of a mustard seed. And I believe miracles still occur all the time though we rarely recognize them. I believe it was a miracle that God sent my family here to this church, because where we were was causing me to burn out in my ministry. I believe it is a small miracle that I woke up still a Georgia fan this morning. I’m praying for a miracle in Atlanta today that they can make the postseason. I see a tiny miracle every day as my daughter, Georgia, takes her first steps. There is a miracle inside Meredith right now that actually is the size of a mustard seed as we anticipate the arrival of our second child. Miracles still happen.

But, I think a different approach can be taken with this “thing Jesus said.” Its not all about miracles. The disciples, when faced with being asked for more, ask for more faith.

And I think we can rephrase what Jesus is saying that…you have enough faith for what I am asking. You have enough faith for the extraordinary. You have enough faith for everyday life. Because even a small amount will do the miraculous…and you have much more than that…because you have faith, in me.

We have enough faith for what Jesus is asking us to do, and for who Jesus is asking us to be. We have the time, energy, and inspiration to be God’s church in the world. Because we have Christ, whose faith does not fall away. Because our faith is in a Resurrected Savior who lives and walks with us.

I can understand the hesitancy. We want to be prudent and cautious. Make sure we have enough before we can go forward. So we ask for more. More time, more direction, a clearer sign.

Have you ever heard the phrase less is more?” Its used mainly in acting, that we don’t need to be overdramatic. Less is more. We can feel more with less.

I love homemade ice cream, and I have a preacher friend who is particularly good at making it, and he is my guru when it comes to homemade ice cream.

First off, you can only use a hand-crank ice cream maker. He would put on an ice cream social for a group of us, and the rule was you had to help turn the ice cream maker in order to eat it. It left such an impression on me and my three best friends that as a wedding present, they gave me a pine bucket, hand-crank ice cream maker. It is one of my most prized possessions that I own.

After I got it, I wanted to make ice cream for my friends, and I had never actually mixed the recipe, I just turned the crank, so I made a batch, and the recipe required salt. While I was making it, Meredith looked at me funny when I told her it took salt, but went along with it anyway. Well I had it made, and when I was filling the bucket with ice, and had the canister in there, and everything was ready, when I added the rock salt, a couple of chunks fell down into the ice cream.

The result…was terrible. And Meredith blamed the salt, and she blamed the recipe, and to this day, she still doesn’t trust my hand-crank ice cream maker, and doesn’t trust me making ice cream…we should leave it to the professionals at blue bell.

Less is more.

And so when I come to you asking you to do more…to give more…to receive more…to laugh more…to cry more…to feel more…to carry more…to let go of more…it is because I have the faith that Christ is talking about, that Jesus Christ’s faith is sufficient in us that we would not be called to where we are going unless we had the ability to do so. That the faith we have is enough, and right for what we are being called to do.

We don’t need “more faith.” To do what we need to accomplish. To go on a mission trip outside of our community, to develop a music program, to continue to grow and learn in our children and youth programs, for any of the goals we set for next year, and the ones we hold in our hearts. We have enough. We have the faith that Jesus Christ put within us, and we have the faith of Jesus himself to do what we are being called to do.

And, we have a incredible community of witnesses that are surrounding us and urging us. We have their faith too. We have the sacraments that remind us what Christ’s faith can do. It can save the world. It can save us. It is enough. We don’t need more, we have what we need to do the extraordinary.

Today, the entire world is celebrating communion. We are just a tiny part. But that celebration will be with us, as we are called to be more, and the entire world has enough faith for the coming kingdom of God. To be God’s people, and to serve God’s world.

Would you come, as we not only celebrate with one another, but we celebrate with the entire world.