Sunday, Day 16 of Advent. John 1: 6-8, 19-28

The question I posed to the congregation yesterday was, why are we so angry? And, if someone were to ask you what your testimony was about God and what it means in your life that he sent his Son, Jesus, what would you say?
I have been hearing about the "War on Christmas" for a while now. People lose their minds whenever a store clerk says, "Happy Holidays," or they attend a "Holiday Party" rather than a Christmas one. I don't get it personally. I don't understand the anger that is present in the world around this time of year, when there are legitimate things to be angry about such as those who are homeless in this freezing cold weather we are having, many of them children.
So, here is my proposal, because we are called by God, just as John was in our Gospel lesson today, to testify to the light breaking into the world. Lets move Christmas back a month. Lets just exit out of this holiday time, and move our Christ-mass to the end of November (when all of the Christmas decorations come out anyway.) Then, the beginning of Advent will be marked by All Saints Day. And Epiphany can be our gift giving time. So that would put our Christ-mass, the joyous celebration of the incarnation of God. That would put Emmanuel, God with us, at the same time as our celebration of Thanksgiving. And really, aren't thanksgiving and joy the two emotions that should be in our season way more than anger and fear?
Joy should take the place of all this anger that swirls around and is even provoked out of some. Because of our joy, we will have no room for anger anymore. And that will be our expression of thanks. That will be our testimony to the light coming into the darkness.

Tuesday, Day 10 of Advent

Luke 7:28-35 (CEB)
So many are quick to blame and defend when it comes to their own selves. This morning, I had to drive to a neighboring county to appear in court for a speeding ticket. As I sat in the hall with the other offenders, the clerk who was checking us in kept asking if the person wanted to come before the judge, or just pay the fine. Person after person kept saying, I want to see the judge.
I didn't. I knew I did something wrong. I was caught going too fast. In fact, the arresting officer reduced my speed that he clocked so I wouldn't get points on my driver's license which I thought was nice and decent of him. So, I just wanted to pay my fine and go on with my day.
I sat next to several people in the hall that did not feel the same way. Typical, they kept muttering under their breath, of the government, wanting money that they can spend on themselves. One man told me that if you go before the judge, then she might reduce the amount you have to pay if you tell her your story. Another railed about how it was illegal to ask him to pay any money without his accuser (the arresting officer) present. Why don't we just fess up? That is what John the Baptist told us to do. Just be honest about what you did. God, the ultimate judge wants you to live full and healthy lives, but you can't unless you are honest with him about who you are.
The Pharisees are quick to tell them why they shouldn't have to be baptized or why they are justified in other ways. Just like others are quick to blame the government and judge for making them pay their fine.
So I walked in, paid my fine, and chatted with the clerks, and as I left that hallway with my fellow transgressors, I said a short prayer for them that maybe their stubborn hearts can be changed. Maybe Jesus can melt those hearts to allow grace and repentance to come in. Maybe someone can let them know that others aren't out to get them, but that God just wants us to be honest. And to know that we are all in this together.

Sunday, Day 8 of Advent. Mark 1:1-8 (CEB)

On this particularly Sunday I talked about how we need to get ready for Christmas Day. And I'm not talking about buying anything, or decorating anything, or cooking anything, or cleaning anything. I'm talking about getting ready for Christmas Day. John the Baptist comes to us on this Sunday and tells us that we need to get our hearts ready for the Incarnation of God. Emmanuel, God with us.
When you are not ready for something, you might miss it. Has someone ever tossed something to you and you aren't ready? No matter how coordinated you are or how good your reflexes are, you will look like a crazy person trying to dodge/catch/deflect the item. Readiness is key.
Like if you take a test and don't study, that is a stressful test. But if you do study, its stressful in a different way. The test doesn't scare you because you don't know anything, if you have studied you want to make sure that knowledge comes across.
So we need to get ready for Christ to come. So that when he comes, we are ready. John tells us that we need to confess and repent for this to happen, and I think that is true. We need to get ready for Christmas Day by confessing and forgiving because of the life changing day that is coming up. We need to take a look in the mirror and ask ourselves, Are we ready? If not, get ready, because it is happening all around you. don't miss it.

Tuesday, Day 3 of Advent

Micah 7:1-7 (CEB)
I don't know if we know how to lament properly. We have lots of examples of it in the Bible, but it is almost as if we ignore the art of lamenting in our daily life. Sometimes, its just good to let it out, before we run out of rose colored glasses and slip into full on despair. For instance, I can't watch the news these days because it makes me so sad. And sometimes I feel trapped into thinking I have no outlet for that sadness. I am so saddened that this Black Friday broke the record of every previous Black Friday. I am so sad to see people participating in Cyber Monday, a fictitious thing to dupe people into spending more money. I am so sad that friends of mine camped out and went to Wal-Mart, which is the prime example of our country worshiping bigness that is sucking the soul of our smallness. I am sad that our country packed stores to buy things we don't need at the expense of the environment and the poor who truly need our help.
But, like Micah, my lament only starts that way. in 7:1 of the Common English Bible it reads, "I am doomed." It feels that way. That the entire world is falling in and crushing us, and we don't know our escape. And in our sadness, we realize our own complicity in the damage that is being done! But remember, we are lamenting here. Its good to see and say these things. Because in our lament, we finally get to verse 7:7 (CEB) "But me! I will keep watch for the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me." When we stare into the darkness of our lament, we are more readily able to see the light shine through. Patagonia does a campaign that says, "Do not buy this jacket." People sit out. We are making our own Christmas gifts, and are finding joy in it.
Lamenting doesn't mean we walk around sad all the time. Lamenting means that we are honest. And if we are also honest about our faith; lament can produce a powerful change of heart.

Watch Out

Yesterday I preached on the Scripture Mark 13: 24-37. This is known as part of the "mini-apocalypse" of Mark, and a Scripture I have avoided for years. Because I've always been afraid of the apocalypse and what it might mean. I know there are some out there who embrace it wholeheartedly, but I'm not one of them. I've been told we should wait expectantly for Christ to return and all things will pass away, but I'm having a pretty good time watching my kids grow, and I really want to coach their soccer teams, and I want more time with those I love. So I struggle. Yes, I want Christ to return and make all of the pain and tears to go away, but I don't want life to end.
So as I was reading in Mark, it began to make sense. The metaphor Jesus uses is the fig tree budding. That is a sign of new life, not a sign that is normally associated with the apocalypse. And I love signs of new life. If it is someone learning and their mind becoming active, that is a sign of new life. Green grass poking through. Its one reason why the season of spring is so appealing, because new life is all around us.
But here in Advent, that is hard to find. As people pepper-spray one another to get the best deals at Wal-Mart, everyone's anxiety level and blood pressure rise with the coming of the Christmas season. Politics are heating up and will only become more vicious. Where are the signs of new life?
There is a reason Christmas is in winter. Because it is dark in winter, and the light of the world is coming. If there is already light everywhere, a new light doesn't make that much of a difference. It would be like if you turned on a flashlight outside during the day, it wouldn't help you see any better. But that is exactly what Christ is, a light. And a light shines brightest in the darkest places. Our darkness of despair was so tremendous. Kind of like the darkness and deadness of winter. But Christ breaks through. And there are still more dark places in the world, and Christ's light will break through there too.
In the CEB, verse 33 in chapter 13 of Mark says, "Watch Out! Stay Alert!" This isn't a call for vigilance, it is a call to keep your eyes open for the light of the world to shine in the darkest corners. You may be the one that carries that light there. You may be the one who notices. But all of our lives should point to the signs of new life, and say, Come, Lord Jesus, Come. Bring your light, because sometimes we can barely see.

Harvest Time. Matthew 21: 33-46

I’ve never gotten to do a harvest. That probably doesn’t shock a lot of you. Its not meant to be an “edgy” statement or anything, it is just a fact of my life, that I have never gotten to be a part of harvesting anything.

Years ago, some genius person at a church decided that instead of calling the special events they held in churches at the end of October “Halloween” parties, they started calling them Harvest festivals. It’s less controversial. And it has stuck. You won’t find too many churches the word Halloween any where near them, but I want you to notice how many are having “Harvest” festivities, especially ones in the cities, where you know there isn’t actually going to be a harvest of anything.

I have sung the word harvest. It is in a lot of our hymns, but I especially notice it in some of the more contemporary songs that I hear in different places from time to time.

So while I have never been a part of a harvest, I think I am beginning to understand the metaphor on a more intimate level.

As for where my understanding currently resides on harvesting, here it is: Timing is everything. Just as there is a time element to when things are planted, there is just the same time element as to when things are harvested. If something takes a certain amount of time to grow and develop, then it needs to be given that time and space for that to happen. That is why you weed and water in your garden, to give the plant the time and space it needs to grow properly.

And, when the time comes. When the plant or whatever it is you are harvesting is ready…you go out, and gather it in. If you gather it too early, you’ve lost an entire crop. If you go too late, the same thing. Timing is everything.

It has to be ready.

In the parable we read from this morning, a landowner buys some property, plants a vineyard, builds a fence, and a winepress. Basically, sets the whole thing up. There is nothing that anyone would need while living on this property. You have everything you need to grow grapes, and press it into wine.

Then, he leases it to some tenants before going away. And maybe I’m reading a little too far into this, but based upon what I know about ancient agrarian practices…the tenants have the right to the land. They can grow grapes, work the soil, work the winepress, sell their product, use their product, whatever they want to do, as long as they give to the landowner the agreed upon percentage of the harvest.
But when the landowner sends slaves to collect, they beat and kill them! Then they do it again! Then when the landowner sends his son, they kill him so they can inherit the land!

I think the first mistake that the tenants make in the parable is that they think the land is theirs. They work the land, put in the sweat equity, so they think it is their land now.

I was told a story that there is a family that lives right on the lake at Lake Hartwell. Just right there next to the water. And that the story behind is that when the lake was built, they just parked their trailer right there next to the lake. Well no one did anything about it. They just lived there. And they continued to live there. And even while a park was being built all around them, they continued to live there. And even with traffic going in and out, they just kept living there until finally, someone tried to kick them off the property, but they had lived there for so long, they had squatter’s rights, and so now they own the property right there on the lake, right at the entrance of a state park!

Maybe this is what the bad tenants thought would happen. That as long as they continued to live there, continued to use the land, that eventually it would just become theirs, and they wouldn’t owe the landowner anything. It would become their vineyard.

And when the slaves come to collect the owner’s share of the harvest, it is a stark reminder that it is not their land. They are tenants, not owners. When the son comes, they realize that even if the owner ceased to exist, it still would not be their land.

And, of course, this is a parable, so everything stands for something. The landowner is God, who created the world and all that was in it, and gave to the people everything they would ever need. But, when he sent people to come collect the harvest, they were rejected. Even when he sent his own son.

And the tenants…they make the major mistake of not only rejecting the servants of God, and not giving God his portion of the harvest, but they want the land. They just want to squat on it until it becomes theirs. To do what they please. For their benefit. And the temple leaders realize that he is talking about them. They think the temple is theirs, but its God’s.

I sometimes wonder if we think the church is ours. I know I slip into it sometimes. Thinking that it is all up to me and that my decisions are the ones that are going to sway the church one way or another. But it’s Gods. It has always been God’s church, not ours. And when we begin to think that it is our church to do what we please, then we are forgetting who gave it to us in the first place.

And all of that is interesting, and teaches us a very valuable lesson especially as our ministries crank up and we are becoming busier and busier, and that lesson is to remember that it is God who gives us all that we have, not ourselves; but I want to show you where the parable really caught my attention.

When Jesus asks what the landowner should do to the wicked tenants. The response of the crowd, not Jesus, but the crowd is…kill them. In more exact words, “He will put them to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.”

That is our gut reaction. Kill them. They deserve to die. And whenever we get so angry with someone else for something they did that we don’t agree with, we also give that same reaction. If we get mad at a minister, kick him out. If we get mad at a friend, ice them out. If we get mad at our brother or sister, stop talking to them. Remove them from our life forever.

They did something wrong? Not our fault, an eye for an eye, kill them too.

And, they think it is about giving the produce to God at the right time. Doling out the correct payment.

But look instead at what Jesus says.

The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes.

The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the Kingdom.

God isn’t going to kill those who didn’t give him the produce at harvest time. He is going to take it away, and give it to those who can. Those who see the cornerstone for what it is.

A lot has been made recently, especially in the United Methodist Church, about how we are to be a “fruitful” congregation. And I think this parable is a good place to start in how we can explain that.

Because we are the tenants. God set up our church, and told us to keep an eye out for the harvest. God told us to produce good fruit. And if we can’t do it, then he will find someone who can.

So what is the fruit that we are supposed to be harvesting?

If we can understand that this is God’s church, and we can understand that our mission is to harvest the fruit of the kingdom, then what is it?

Some say fruit is in numbers. I’m not one of those people.
Some say fruit is in money. I’m not one of those people either.

Here is what I say fruit is:

Peace. All over the world, we are at war. We are at war externally, and internally. There is conflict all around us. We can barely watch the news without feeling some sense of anxiety or worry about our selves and our families. We disagree, and then we form our camps. We revel in almost anything but, peace. In fact, some people, when they feel at peace, begin to feel anxious that something is not going wrong.

But I think a fruit of the kingdom of peace. All throughout scripture it talks about a spring coming forth in the desert. Lions lying down with lambs. New heaven and a new earth. Really, a new Eden. A peaceful life. We need to be a church that celebrates peace, not revel in conflict. Do things well. Treat each other and complete strangers with kindness and gentleness. And if there is anything causing turmoil, we seek ways for it to be at peace. Supporting one another, and guiding one another in the way of peace. So that, if anything, this sanctuary becomes truly that, a sanctuary from turmoil, and a place of peace.

Another fruit of the kingdom is loving all people. Because God made them. God didn’t make the “right” kind of people and the “wrong” kind of people. God made people, and because they are beautiful creations of God, we are called to offer God’s love. This means being in mission. All around the world. Not because one group deserves help more than another, but because we support and love all people.

Some of us may not like that. But it is what we are called to do when we are called to follow Christ. When we have been given the Kingdom of God, as God’s tenants, that is one of the fruits we are expected to produce.

And I think another fruit of the kingdom is teaching. To be a place where all can learn about God together. Through a variety of ways and methods, we be a place where questions are open and answers always point back to the one who gives us all that we have.

And this goes for children especially. We produce the fruit of children being excited to be a part of this church. To desire to join this church. To desire to be baptized and become a follower of Jesus Christ all of their lives.

Now, it is one thing to produce fruit, and to harvest it is quite another. You can grow things all day, but until it is harvested, it is never used. And like I said before, harvest is all about timing.

And we are on God’s time. And if I keep pushing the metaphor I can begin to see that God planted this vineyard we call Bold Spring United Methodist Church. We were called to be his tenants. We were called to help this church and this community produce fruit.

And for many generations, we have been faithful to that responsibility.
So now, we must recognize when harvest time is coming. Because timing is everything.

And I think it is here. These are the days when the fruit of the kingdom is to be harvested. For us to give to the world the peace, and love, and teaching that is present here. To invite others in, so we can all go out into the world to be instruments of God.

Harvest time has come. And if its true that in harvesting, timing is everything, now is the time to act. Because we already know that if we don’t, God will find workers who will.

It is a tremendous privilege to be called tenants of God’s vineyard. Or should I say, members of Bold Spring UMC. We have been entrusted with a great responsibility to produce fruit, and know when the harvest comes.
Lets live up to that challenge.

Today is world communion Sunday. And that means that all over the world Christians everywhere are taking communion as part of our connection and covenant with one another. Let us taste the fruits of the Lord together, as we take communion, and are given strength to continue in the harvest.

Into the Water. 2 Corinthians 5: 14-21

There have been no shortage of reminders of what this day is. It is a reminder of the day that our country’s history changed, and our country’s psyche changed. We have already mentioned it, but it is probably a day that all of us have carried a little extra weight in with us to the sanctuary this morning. 9/11. A date that has become synonymous with pain and loss.
Before that day, I always heard that everyone remembers where they were the day JFK was assassinated, and I never understood it. Until September 11, 2001, when that day became the day that I will forever remember. I was a freshman in college. It was a Tuesday. The day started like most. I was in a PE class that was a requirement, and it was an 8am class. I’ve heard it said that people who taught 8am classes almost must want to keep their subject a secret with it being so early, but taking PE at that time was wonderful. It got me moving in the early hours…early for a college student.

So I sleepily stumbled to the athletic complex that morning. I had my name read to make sure I got credit for attendance, and then I did what I normally did which was get on a stationary bike and pedal my legs so I could read and study. There were TVs stationed throughout the gym, with the sound turned off. And I usually didn’t pay them any attention. You could plug your headphones into whatever exercise machine you were using and hear the sound, but I didn’t really care. But then I saw lots of my classmates staring at the TV, so I looked up from my book, and all I saw was the world trade center, and a lot of smoke. Then I saw the second plane.

I left class, and went back to my room. I had to go to work, which was at the chaplain’s office, and that was probably the perfect place for me to go. The secretary there was watching what was happening on the computer, and the chaplain came in.
I told you a couple of weeks ago that we used to have communion every Tuesday. And there were usually about six people there.

And like every Tuesday, he told me to get things ready for communion.

He told me to go get extra wine and bread…communion is probably going to be well attended that evening.

And he was right. With so many of us not believing what we had seen before our young eyes, we didn’t really know what to do. So the entire campus showed up. And I’ve never seen so many people so eager to take the elements. To consume the body and blood of Christ. Maybe then it will make sense.

Like a lot of people, I had my gut-check reaction. I wondered if I should enlist in the armed services, and quit school. Because I wanted to DO something…anything. Blame, Anger, and Vengeance were in ready supply. In the local and public theatre, and I was ready to latch on to any of those. I relished in it. I wanted payback for those who did this. I wanted Vengeance.

I sat there in the congregation, my mind reeling about what I should DO. I had talked to my parents, and grandparents. Those closest to me. I did things and reacted the same way many of us did.

And 10 years later, with everything that has gone on in the past ten years, I can still see the confused and eager faces among all of us. As when bad things happen, we try to make sense of it.
I have the distinct privilege in my vocation to be able to voice this story. And I also have the distinct privilege, some might call it a burden, of voicing this story in congruence with the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. The Good News that is given to a broken and hurting world.

On September 11th, 2001 I didn’t want to hear good news, I just wanted to hear about bad news affecting those that did this to us. I wanted them to feel pain. I wanted Osama Bin Laden blotted from the earth courtesy of a SCUD missile.

But just as he did in the incarnation, Jesus broke into my life that was clouded with hate, and spoke good news to me anyway. In the form of Talmadge Skinner, our Chaplain at Wofford College.

He told me to get extra elements for communion that night. I did, but it wasn’t enough, we ran out of bread because the crowd was so big. And I was toward to end of the line to receive. As I walked up to Rev. Skinner, who is a big man, made even bigger by the black robe and the piercing eyes, I wondered what he was going to do for those who couldn’t have any bread. He was saying something to each of us. So quietly that only we could hear.

When it came my turn, he shook my hand, put his other big paw around my neck, and held me there. Looked straight into my eyes, kept a locked gaze until my eyes met his and he said…Jordan, YOU are the body of Christ, redeemed by His blood. Remember your baptism, and be thankful.
Jesus broke through.

And here we are, ten years later. You’ve probably watched specials on TV, or read articles on the internet commemorating ten years. This afternoon, no doubt you will see tribute concerts and events at the start of NFL games to remind us all of that day.

I usually get nervous when I preach. Particularly here, because I know and love you. Whenever I preach somewhere else, my nerves aren’t as bad. But today I am particularly nervous.
Because everything is charged, and has more weight to it today than other days. We have sung patriotic hymns, and you have American Flags on your ties.

But I am going to tell you what I learned that day taking communion. We are the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood. Remember your baptism, and be thankful.

Hear these words, from second Corinthians. Hear this tremendous news.

2 Corinthians 5: 14-21
For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.
From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, which God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

God reconciled all of humanity to himself with the powerful salvific act of our Lord Jesus Christ. All humanity. This includes people of all faiths, and all countries. And while violence is not accepted; forgiveness is required. Reconciliation is required. We, as the body of Christ, at our Baptism are called to be about the ministry of reconciliation. We are to view the world through the waters of Baptism. Where we surrendered our life to the peace and power of Jesus Christ. We died to our former selves, and rose again as a new creation. With a new outlook and a new perception of the world.

So while I have seen those twin towers fall, and people holding tight to the flag for security rather than the cross…I also see a flood of baptism waters washing over us all.

Telling us…this is not right. God said, see, I am making all things new. And if we look back over these past ten years with a wider focus of our lens we can see how God has been at work at healing and restoring all of God’s children. We can see how the divine hand of providence has lifted us up and guided us.
Now it is as important as it has ever been for us to understand one another all around the world. Now is the time for ambassadors of Christ more than soldiers of Christ.

It says it right here in Scripture. We are called to be Christ’s ambassadors for the world. Our Baptism, our initiation into the reconciliation of God, the thing that makes us whole calls us to be ambassadors for Christ.

Because we have seen what war does. I’ve only been to one war zone. That was the West Bank in Israel. Where bombed out buses are on the side of the streets and men and women with big guns guard razor wire and graffiti covered walls. I haven’t fought in a war like some of you have, but what I imagine is that it hurts. It cuts away parts of you and the people you are fighting.

We had buildings fall down. Other countries have craters where there used to be buildings, and fields burned.

And I have also seen what war does to soldiers. I’ve told you this before, but I have suffered alongside of my best friend since his return from war. He suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, which he says is a fancy way of saying…he is still fighting. Sometimes he can’t sleep because of the nightmares, and more than once I have had to restrain him after he was woken up to remind him that he is at home and safe. I have seen the parts of him that have been destroyed by him being told to destroy others.

I believe he can be reconciled too. I believe he can be healed. And I’m going to be there to make sure he is.

And I believe those that have died in war can be redeemed and reconciled too. Because that is what our baptism does. We see war through the waters of baptism, where it washes away, and we don’t learn it anymore. It clears away the pain and hurt.
Now is the time for us to be ambassadors of Christ. Now is the time to believe that people can be redeemed. Now is the time for forgiveness and hope and healing. If not now, when? If not us, we who are Christ’s ambassadors, who?

An ambassador goes out into the world as a learner of culture, and a representative of the one who sends them.

If somebody or some group is filling you with hate…that too can be reconciled. We can wash hate away with baptism waters.

If somebody or some group is wishing us harm…that too can be reconciled. We can wash it away with baptism waters.
I have been haunted by today. Because since 9-11-2001, “praise God and pass the ammunition” has been a rallying cry for many. Divine retribution for the hated people who are against us.

When Osama Bin Laden was assassinated, I felt numb, but the celebration on the streets disturbed me. Wasn’t the celebration on the streets, the firing of guns in the air, the delight at misfortune the exact thing that disgusted us so much about those who were against us? And here we were doing the same thing.

How is that being about the ministry of reconciliation? Bringing peace, not the sword, as Jesus did, and calls us to do?

I was in a meeting on Thursday, and I have been thinking about this scripture all week, and we were talking about plans for annual conference in 2012. I’m on a committee with the Bishop and other clergy and laity to plan and implement our annual conference, and we were talking about next year, and the theme of developing Christian leaders for the church and the world. I said, this reminds me of the Scripture I am reading at church on Sunday. I told him the book, chapter, and verse, and Bishop Watson looked it up.

And in that moment, something powerful happened. Bishop Watson looked up from his reading, with tears beginning to form in his eyes, and said, Jordan, this Scripture is the basis for my entire ministry.

God has reconciled us to himself. If you don’t know that to be true, come talk to me, I’m ready to have that conversation with you.

And because of that, we are called, every one of us, to see the world through the waters of Baptism. To see every person as a creation of God, to see the earth itself as breathing in and out with God in the redemption that is going on. Redemption is happening now, not retribution, but redemption.

We see Bold Spring through the waters of Baptism. We see Franklin County through the waters of Baptism. We see our busy schedules and our different directions through the waters of baptism. We see our giving to a building fund through the waters of baptism. We see our political views and ties through the waters of baptism. We see war through the waters of baptism, and it doesn’t belong in God’s world.

We are doing serious work here, because God is calling all Christians to do serious things. We are reconciled so that we may be ambassadors in the world. So others can receive and accept that they are reconciled too.

We are the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood. Sent into the world so that the whole world might be redeemed through him. That’s a big vocation, and one I think this church is poised to do.

Splash some more baptism water on your eyes, it’ll clear them up for the work that God is doing through you. It will refresh you, and redeem you.

We have been called and equipped to be about the ministry of reconciliation. That is the Good News we have to share to a broken and hurting world. Let’s go spread the news.

Go Happy. Psalm 34:1-8

Go Happy


I don’t remember much from when I was in kindergarten. The only two things I remember are a big rug we all had to sit on and my teacher’s name was Ms. Spivey, but there was a song that came out that year that will forever be in my memory banks…and as soon as I mention it, it might get stuck in your head for the rest of the day…I apologize.

The song was released in 1988, after a guy named Bobbie McFerrin saw a poster of an Indian guru named Meher Baba that simply showed his smiling face with the words, Don’t Worry, be Happy. And this song went on to become the only a capella song that ever cracked the top ten in the charts. This startling philosophy, along with a catchy tune, shows in stark detail how happiness had become a choice. And, as soon as happiness became a choice, it became marketable.

It used to be subtle…If you buy this car, or this product, or eat at this restaurant, you will have this better life and beautiful girlfriend was the subtle message you heard in advertising. But now it seems that happiness is everywhere, nothing subtle about it.

CS Lewis wrote a book about heaven. It was called The Great Divorce. At the beginning of the story people are milling around a bus stop. The bus comes and whisks them away to heaven. But heaven is not what they expect it to be. It is hard to walk, and it is hard to see. The blades of grass hurt to step onto.

An angel who is there to help them decide on whether to stay or to go back home tells them that they are struggling because they have never experienced “real” before. Everything they experience in heaven is “more real” than it is on earth. But the angel promises them that they will figure it out, and the more real life is, the better it is. Some people choose to enter heaven, and some people choose to get back on the bus and decide to open, buy, or eat their happiness rather than truly rest in God’s arms.

Compare that scene with advertisements you may have seen recently:

Coca-cola: Open Happiness

Best Buy: You. Happier.

Wal-Mart: Life’s Better, with Wal-Mart.

IHOP: Come Hungry, leave happy.

Howard Johnson: Go Happy.

It’s the same message each time. Life got you down? Buy this, and it will be better.

And so, it is no surprise that “stuff” has been equated with joy. This attitude filters into every part of our lives. The bigger the better; more is always better than what you have; never be satisfied.

It filters into everything, until we read Psalm 34. Psalm 34 flips this attitude on its head.

This “Revolutionary” response is: everything we have is from God. God hears us. God enters into our lives with us. We ask, and God answers. We praise because of who God is, not because of what God can do for us, but because of what God has already done for us in the beautiful creation of life, and in the saving us by grace.

To truly be in heaven, we need to instead take refuge in God, and stop groping after fruitless things that we are told will make us happy.

We are invited by God to do so, every second of every day.

Here is what God’s “real” looks like, and here is where I am going to steal a line from Coke, We can open happiness, but it doesn’t mean that we reach for a bottle or magic lamp. We open happiness when we open our minds.

Open our minds to the hopes and possibility in God’s world. The possibility of our church. We can open our minds to the fact that poverty in the world CAN be eliminated. We can open our minds to the possibility of what our church can do to help make the elimination of poverty and loneliness a reality. And, when we open our minds we imagine all of the possibilities of who God is calling us to be.

We can open happiness when we open our hearts. When we take the focus off of ourselves and focus on God and others. Strive not for our own needs, because of our faith that God will provide. Open our hearts to the friend and the stranger. Forgive as well as be forgiven. Give, as well as receive.

When I was driving into work on the first Monday after my family leave for the birth of Georgia, it was a day when my heart was wide open. I’ll confess, that I had been in a routine for a while. Work at the church was just that, work. I went, I did what needed to be done, and I used it to support myself. But in holding that little girl in my arms, and after tearing myself away from the house, I drove to work with a new purpose. I am so happy that my job makes such a positive impact on the world. And that it is what I am called to do. Make the world a better place for her, and for all of God’s children. My work became my praise. Open happiness by opening our hearts.

We can open happiness when we open our doors. Invite people to come into our lives. Welcome and embrace each other. Hollman Hunt is probably the one person who singlehandedly has created an image of Jesus in our minds. He was the first artist to paint the picture of Jesus with the beard, and blond hair. You’ve seen it in every church everywhere. One of his paintings is one I’m sure you have seen before. It is a take on “Behold, I stand at the door and knock!” It shows Jesus knocking on a door with no handle because it can only be opened from the inside. I truly believe that if we didn’t have so many closed doors in our lives, Jesus wouldn’t have to keep standing there knocking, but would be living in our hearts. We need to open happiness by opening our doors, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, sharing what we have, giving.

Heaven, for CS Lewis was the “really real.”

For the writer of Psalm 34, God was so real, he could taste it. See God and hear God. Touch God, and smell God. The Psalmist met Jesus.

Yet there are those who still say, no, thank-you, and open their coke that continue to search for happiness elsewhere.

Because it’s not easy. It’s not easy to look with love at a hurting world. We are in the middle of Stewardship Sundays. It’s not easy to give away our money. Its not easy to give away our time and volunteer. It’s not easy to praise God.

When it becomes easy to take refuge in God, and become truly happy, then we have met Jesus, just as the Psalmist did. When we taste the “really real,” God’s praise will continually be in our mouth.

The chaplain of Wofford College was named Talmadge Skinner. I worked for him, which basically meant that I made copies for the religion department and took naps on the couch in his office. It always makes me feel good that there is a plaque above that couch that reads, and this is how I know I made an impression at Wofford College, the plaque reads, The Nap Couch, in honor of Jordan Thrasher.

We had a communion service every week on Tuesday nights, and Rev. Skinner used candles, real wine, and incense. The room was intimate, and the people going were regular. Those communion services meant so much to me because they were so vivid. The taste of the wine. The smell of the incense, the light of the candles. I could taste and see that the Lord is good.

Somehow, we have gotten away from tasting God. We love to hear about God, we love to listen to someone else talk about God. We love to sing songs to God. But to actually listen, see, touch, and taste God, that is where we run into some trouble. And its one of the reasons we came to worship out here. To get out from behind walls, and get out into God’s world. So you can feel God in the wind on your face, the heat you feel, and hear God all around you.

The Israelites had this same problem of not wanting to taste God. When God invited them to Mt. Sinai to converse with God, they didn’t want to go.

Let’s just send Moses. He has formal training in speaking with God, let’s just send him on our behalf. When Moses came down, his face was radiant and shone like the sun, so much that he had to put a veil on his face. Now why wouldn’t the Israelites want this? Because they were afraid of the change that would take place in their lives. They were afraid to meet God.

We try to do so many things for our own happiness. We get to know people so we can figure out what they can do for us. We put our self-worth in things and possessions and judge people accordingly. We exploit God’s creation for our own gain. All in the name of Happiness.

But Psalm 34 shouts to us, Happiness and Joy is in God. Taste God in the food that God has given you. Touch God in a warm handshake and embrace. See God in the work that is going on around you, with neighbors caring for one another, and the good that is going on in your lives. Hear God in the voices witnessing to everything God has done for them. This is our redemption when, as Mark Twain says, we meet the Author face to face. Our faces will shine like Moses’. And people will wonder, what in the world is going on with them? And we can boldly say, “I tasted God, and know what true happiness is.”

It is my prayer, that every moment in our lives is a praise to God. That it is “really real.” That I breathe clean air and thank God for every gasp. That I am happy with what I have, and what I give. That I know all things come from God, and God hears the prayers that I didn’t even know existed.

And for our church, it is my prayer that you find happiness in giving. We have been talking a lot about giving recently, with the new building, and we are about to begin budget talks again, as well as all of our ministries cranking back up once again. And a lot has been and will be asked of you. I hope you find joy in it. That you find joy in your worship. Too often, I hear grumbling about “having” to do ministry. Caring for our church, giving to our church. I hope you find joy in your giving.

Happiness isn’t found at a Howard Johnson, or at an IHOP, Best Buy, Wal-Mart, or even in a Coke bottle. Happiness is found in God.

Value. Micah 6:1-8

I decided to change my plan a little bit today. Because I don’t think I’ve given you enough credit.

I don’t think I need to keep trying to convince you that this Community Life Center we are going to build is a good idea. You all are smart people, and we have discussed it. We have talked about what we love about this church. We have mentioned the added budget costs that this building will require, because of the additional ministry opportunities that this building will make possible. We know all of this.

So, this building is a good idea. Lets put that sentence on the shelf for a little while.

I think the question that is a little bit more pressing on my mind and your minds are:
Should we do this?
And:
Can we do this?

Should we do this?

With everything going on in this church and in our lives, is undergoing a big project like this a good idea? Should we do it? I mean, I would say we are doing okay. We are meeting our budget. Giving is steady and reliable, why risk it to build something? Because in order for this to happen, the leadership of this church is asking that you give beyond what you are already giving to this church. You are going to make a pledge to give, and this pledge will be in addition to what you already give.

Sure, it would be nice, but is it necessary?


Franklin County Schools started on Friday. And so many people have talked to me about how odd it is to start school on a Friday. Why go one day, and then have the weekend after? I remember that is how we always started college. We would come in, and go over the course requirements.

How many papers, tests, quizzes, books, etc, etc.

What was going to be required of us if we wanted to pass the course, how many absences, that kind of thing.

And I know that this is what they do on that one day when school starts, and then they give you a weekend to get your things in order, so that you can come in on Monday, fully understanding and expecting what is required of you.

And I began to think about the word “requirement.” It’s a word that many people run away from. Other people wholeheartedly embrace it. There are some people that when you put a requirement on something, balk at it, claiming that outside forces are trying to gain too much control. There are other people who thrive when there are requirements, because they know that if they meet them then they will be successful. The guesswork is taken out of life when there are requirements.

And in the church, especially, it seems that people don’t want requirements.
Its my theory why megachurches thrive, because they don’t put requirements on people. You can miss worship, and no big deal. You can just come again another time. You can skip giving your offering, and no collecting agency is going to call you demanding that you pay or they are going to ruin your credit score or anything like that. You can ignore the request of a special offering, because another one is always going to come around.

In Micah, God presses charges against the people of Israel. I can imagine them walking into a courtroom, with the Plaintiff being God, and the Defendant being God’s people. And basically what God says throughout the book is that they didn’t fulfill their requirement. They broke the covenant that they made.

It seems to me, that whenever we don’t fulfill a requirement in some aspects of our lives, it has much larger implications than if we don’t fulfill a requirement in others.

I always tend to look to sports. I know a lot of you play and coach or have family members that are involved in sports. When I played soccer in college, we were required to run 3 miles in 18 minutes. If we didn’t, we didn’t play. Period. It was a huge struggle for me. I sacrificed time and sleep to get to the point where I could run three miles in 18 minutes because I wanted to play. It was a requirement.

Or in class, what if you decide to just not turn in a paper? You fail the course. You didn’t meet a requirement.

Those are just a few examples, but what God is bringing up against the people of Israel in Micah is a much larger issue. They are failing to meet their requirement to God. So while many people think requirements don’t belong in the church, I would venture to say, that failure to meet our requirements makes for a lazy faith. And that has bigger implications for our lives, for our everlasting life, than not being able to play in a game or failing a class. And isn’t it sad, that to play in a game or a tournament, we will sacrifice time, sleep, and money; but we won’t do the same for God? We become so satisfied with where we are, that the meaning behind what we are doing is lost, and so we don’t think there are any requirements of us.

It seems that the stronger the implications are in the things that we value most for failure to meet a requirement, the more effort we put in.

So God spells it out for us. He reminds us why our relationship with him is such a big deal. I brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you from the house of slavery. Remember that you had enemies, and I saved you from them. Remember what I gave you in your life. Remember what I continue to give you. Remember that I saved you. Remember that I called you into existence. Remember that I continue to call you to life. Remember that I lift you up.

And because of this story. Because this is such a big deal, and the implications are enormous if you fail to meet the requirements of our covenant. Let me remind you.

You see, the Israelites confused the requirements. You may think, that this was one of the times described in judges or Kings where the people followed other gods, but that’s not the case. In fact, the temple was thriving when Micah was written. But people began to think that their faith was a transaction.

That they could give to the temple, and depending on what they gave, they could almost receive “sin credit.” As long as they sacrificed a certain kind of animal, they could continue to exploit the poor for their own financial gain. As long as they poured enough oil or said enough prayers, they could live their lives however they wanted. As long as their sacrifice was big enough, they were protected and didn’t have to worry about anybody else.

They could buy their relationship.

In my line of work, it is all about relationships. And one thing I have learned in my few years in ministry is that relationships can never be bought. It is never a transaction. When it becomes a transaction, is when the essence of the relationship is lost.

I’ve seen it a few times especially in the naming of people in wills. When you put a dollar amount on how much someone loves is when your relationship is lost. And those that operate that way make me very sad.

Christmas gifts can become that way too.

But when you are in a relationship with somebody, and it becomes a transaction, you aren’t fulfilling your requirements.

Say you have a friend that only calls you. And you never initiate contact. Eventually, that person is going to stop calling. Because what are the requirements of friendship. Trust, respect, effort…all of those things and more. And when someone loses this, and it becomes a friend transaction, the relationship is broken.

I’ve seen it happen in marriages. Where time spent with one another, or chores done in the house, or time spent with each other’s families becomes a transaction rather than a relationship.

And I think it comes down to what we value.

Because we give to what we value. We fulfill the requirements of the things that have the most value to us. We put effort in the things that we value.

Last Saturday, Doug and Linda took me over to Athens to do the watermelon cutting for the Georgia football team. It was a lot of fun, I got to meet and talk to the players and had a take pictures and all kinds of things. But we also got to tour the new football training facility.

And I want to tell you, it is impressive. The weightroom is beautiful, with every weight marked with the iconic Georgia “G.” Every fourth quarter comeback victory is prominently displayed on the columns throughout the room.

Every position meeting room has huge murals of past Georgia greats. The Defensive End room has David Pollack looming over it. The Defensive Backs room has Champ Bailey sprinting past, with Jermaine Philips ready to take your head off as you enter. The running backs doorway sends chills down your spine as big number 34, Herschel Walker, lets every player who enters that room know that you are stepping into the tradition of Georgia football.

And adorning the walls are the trophies, the names of guys who made it in the NFL, the championships won. Inspirational quotes.

And also prominently displayed are plaques…or businesses and individuals who gave money to have the place built.

And I looked at those plaques and wondered how much money was given to get a plaque up there. Thousands? Millions?

The names of the businesses and individuals on those plaques value Georgia football. So they give and try their hardest to fulfill the requirements that it takes to be a supporter of Georgia football.

And what Micah is telling us, by bringing God in to charge us with what is required of our relationship with God is simply this, “value your relationship with God.”

What does the Lord value? Justice, Kindness, and Humility. So what is our requirement; to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God.

So should we do this? Should we pledge to give to this project? To this community life center? Can we do it?

And I think we can answer those questions with another question, “what does the Lord require of you?”

Does this building help us put value in this place, in this church? Does this project help us to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God? We will do justice by welcoming all of God’s children into this place. We will show that we love kindness by being hospitable and welcoming to all, and seeking ways to be in mission for God’s people. And we will walk humbly with God, walking in faith that God will bless us in our giving to this project, and we will walk with God trusting in his promises.

If the answer is yes, and for me, it is, then that is all we need. We will meet our requirement, because it is what has value and worth for us. That is our faith. It is not a transaction, but it is a relationship. A relationship that calls us to give to what we value the most; justice, kindness, and humility. As we walk with God, and receive life.

I believe God is calling us to something here. And if we follow up our words with action, when we promised to be God’s disciples. We will listen to God, and do what is required of us.

The Risks of Discipleship: Matthew 14: 22-33

I believe miracles still happen in the world.

I believe that miraculous things that cannot be explained outside of the grace of God happen all day every day.
And, I believe that miracles that mirror the miracles that Christ performed throughout the four gospels still happen.

And I know for sure, that there are evangelists and preachers throughout the world who claim to have the power to do such miracles. Who claim to have the power to heal. Who claim to have the power to bless people financially. Who claim to be able to draw demons out of people.

People claim all kinds of things through the power of God. They claim to have seen heaven in near-death experiences. Actually stood in the presence of the power of God, and we even had a woman here in georgia who talked to Mary, and could predict people's future and help them out of confusing times.

But I have never heard of anyone who has ever walked on water. You would think that would be more common than visiting heaven and telling others about it. There is water everywhere in our world, you would think someone would walk on it!

I tried to think back, and the only instance I could think of ANYTHING walking on water is the Jesus Lizard, called that precisely because it can run across shallow pools of water. We know it can do that because it is running very fast and distributes its weight over its large webbed feet. If it stopped moving, it would sink.

I even tried to google it. And apparently the magician Kriss Angel performed a trick where he walks on water, but its just that, a trick. There were plexiglass walkways at the pool where he performs. And all the swimmers are actors.
Walking on water is one of those things that we remember most about Jesus, its printed on t-shirts and things like that, but its one thing we CANNOT understand. Because we have never seen it again, and I have never heard of anyone actually doing it.

Have any of you? By a show of hands? See, I was really hoping. Then, you could just come up and tell us about it rather than me just venturing some guesses.

Maybe its our lack of faith, as Jesus says as he pulls a very soggy Peter out from the crashing waves. Oh, you of little faith.

I want that faith! I want the faith Peter had to even get out of the boat!

This is known as a 'nature miracle.' because it is a miracle where God shows his control over even the laws of nature and physics. Stretching our idea of what is possible in life. And that is good to have in our lives, to know that nothing is impossible with God.

It's similar to last week, when the disciples took a look at a hillside covered with people like someone had just kicked over an anthill, and thinking that there was no way they could feed all of the people there with the meager fish and bread. And Jesus reminded them...nothing is impossible with God. Go give them something to eat.

I've never been in a storm out at sea, but I have been caught in some pretty violent storms, and I've done storm cleanup after disasters have wrecked homes and lives, so I know what storms can do.

Storms, like Katrina or the tsunami or the tornadoes we had in April are the most stark reminder of our lack of control in life. They give credence to Robert Burns poem 'to a mouse.' the best laid plans of mice and men oft go awry. The power of water has always inspired fear in us due to its inspiration of chaos.

It's this way in the Bible too. The world, in the beginning is chaos and covered with water until God breathes on it. The world is flooded. The Israelites must pass through the red sea that God separates for them to escape Egypt. And again must pass through the swollen Jordan river to enter the promised land.

Water is chaotic.

And inspires fear.

So when a squall comes upon the disciples when they are in a boat, they are standing in chaos.

And Jesus walks to them. Showing that even in chaos, God is still in control, and nothing is impossible.

Now, I think what this says to our faith is not that Jesus walking on water proves anything to us. It doesn't provide proof to our faith. Rather, it tells us something, so that we might respond in faith. As Peter does. He wasn't sure about himself, but he gets out of the boat.

So many people say that a big problem we have in the world right now is a crisis of faith. If people would just believe, then things would be better.

Former pastor of riverside church Ernest Campbell said, maybe the reason we seem to be lacking faith in our age is that we dont do anything that requires it.

And what this miracle teaches us about faith is that it comes with risk. The risk of doing something that requires faith.

First, the risk of belief. Because while so many people try to prove why they have faith, it inherently involves risk. It involves getting out of the boat. It involves benign in the chaos, and knowing that with God nothing is impossible.
And second, there is a risk that God is going to ask you to do something when you have faith.

Faith in Jesus guarantees that you are going to be asked to get up and follow him, not sit and watch him do everything.
Where is the chaos and risk in your life? It is there for each of us. We all go through times when we don't know what to do.

I feel it every day. That I don't know what to do, but have faith that God is going to lead me to and through the chaos.
In our church, you all are asked to do a lot. And sometimes it is risky for you, because it would be a lot easier to just say you were a part of this church and never come and do nothing. That is a lot easier. But I know you all don't do that.
You know that being a part of this church means something, and that while asked to do a lot, you know that is what faith truly is and requires of us.


I know that there is going to be risk in my faith and in being a disciple. We see it time and time again in Scripture and in life. And we will have the same doubts that Peter had when he realized what it was he was actually doing when walking on water.

I don't know if I can do it. I don't know if it will be successful. I don't know if I have the energy. I can't know for sure that the storm won't come.

And the good news is...Jesus picks us up out of those waves of doubt and fear. Smiles and laughs. O, you of little faith. But remember what I said about those with little faith, you can move mountains. So keep putting yourself in places that require faith. I will be there too.

I hope you all have weighed the risk of faith, and have found that that is where life is. I hope you make the decision to follow knowing that the risk is there. If you haven't, our doors are open to help you get out of the boat and to lift you up. And there is no better time to start, than right now. Invite your friends and neighbors too, we would love for them to experience the life of Christ.

So maybe we have never heard of anyone walking on water. But we did see 60 kids here for VBS and had new teachers working with them who were nervous, but they got out of the boat and found God was with them.

Maybe we can't walk on water. But we can collect school supplies and give them to kids who might need them. We can serve meals together. We can be the church for those celebrating life, and remembering those who have passed. Maybe we are called to something bigger than ourselves, but Jesus is with us, lifting us from the waves of doubt, and calming the storm. Telling us, keep following. You will walk on water someday. For now, follow me and listen for my call.

Economics of God 101: Matthew 14: 13-21

I never took economics in college. My wife majored in it. And we consistently have debates about economic policies of our county, state, and national government. And because she studied it and is smarter than I am…she usually wins those debates.

I took classes on the Bible. So that is usually where I land.

The more and more I read in Matthew, the harder it is. I always thought John was tough. Mark is basic, Luke specific, John hard to understand. But Matthew is tough to understand, first. Then, secondly, it puts demands on our lives that are tough to carry out.

I say this in comparing the four gospels because this story we read this morning is the ONLY miracle story that is present in all four, with slight variations. That’s important. Because the early stories of Jesus were passed down orally, this one story is the story to which ALL FOUR writers attest.

It is like if I had one on one interviews with all of you, and asked you what was important to you about this church. And you all said different things. Some say the children’s ministry, some say the work we do in the cemetary, some say heritage, some say youth, some say mission, some say Sunday School. But if ALL of you said the same specific thing, then I would know that while everything is important…that one thing is REALLY important.

If you remember, back on November 14 of last year, we all came together and I asked you a series of questions about this church while we were in small groups that you defined yourselves. That conversation was VERY fruitful to me, and I began to understand what was important here. And what I found was important is that here, you are family. And so I was able to reinterpret all of our efforts to make sure that, like the Olive Garden; when you are here, you’re family, no matter what your last name is or why you came here. When you are here, you are family, and I hope we convey that message tonight when we have guests here for our fifth Sunday night program.

So if this story is one that all four writers have in their gospels, we should invest a large amount of energy to it so we can better understand the gospel story.

The scene that we enter in Matthew is that Jesus has just been rejected in his hometown of Nazareth. He goes back to the place where he was from, and tells them who he truly is. And he tells them what he is doing. And the people laugh at him. Call him names. Aren’t you Joseph’s son? Yeah…you used to be a carpenter. You redid the cabinets at my house and now you are telling us that you are the Messiah?

That had to be hurtful to Jesus. The people he grew up with, knows, and loves…don’t believe him even though he is telling the truth.

Then, his best friend is executed by a corrupt government because he wasn’t doing things the government’s way. John the Baptist fought against the system, and lost.

So he wanted to go away for a while. By himself. And he went to a deserted place.

Being in a deserted place is very significant. A desert symbolizes that a big decision is to be made. It symbolizes wandering and new directions. It was in a desert that Jesus was tempted by Satan, and he goes to a desert once again to reorient his life because right now things aren’t going so well. The things he is saying aren’t accepted by the people he loves…so what does he do? Where does he go from here?

Yet, people follow him out there. And the desert becomes more than a symbol. It becomes what a lot of us think of as a desert. Dry, hot, without much hope of finding food or water anywhere. So he wants to be alone, yet people follow him because they are so spiritually hungry.

And he has compassion on them.

Throughout the book of Matthew, this is a theme that runs through whenever Jesus is about to perform a miracle. He has compassion on them. He shows them mercy.

Recently, the debates have been heated on both sides of the aisle in regards to our country’s debt ceiling. Some want compromise. Others don’t. Some want to raise it, others want to see what will happen if we don’t. And it is vicious. And, honestly, I don’t think anybody is going to win. Something will happen. That some will like and others won’t, but seeing what is happening to our country right now tells me that no one is going to win.

On Thursday, 11 people were arrested in the rotunda of the capitol building. They were protesting, which is illegal in the rotunda of the capitol building. They were called protestors, which I don’t think is a fair term. They were protesting the proposed budget, but I wouldn’t call them protestors. Advocates is more what they were. They were against the budget being proposed because they were advocates for the poor, which they felt the proposed budget neglects.

It was something that happened that was a blip on the radar. But what is most interesting about these advocates is that they were all clergy. Some United Methodist.

I’m proud of them. Because they show compassion. And compassion is something that is the first to be cut when it comes up against practicality. And I think that is backwards. When compassion and practicality are both in the conversation, my faith to tells me that practicality has no place being there.

And so does Jesus.

He has compassion on the people, and heals them. The day gets longer and longer and now people are hungry. Not just spiritually hungry, but physically hungry.

And the disciples tell Jesus to let these people go get themselves something to eat.

And Jesus says, no, you get them something to eat.

The disciples protest and say that they only have five loaves and two fish.
To which Jesus takes, asks for a blessing from God, and distributes to all of them. And they collect twelve basketfuls at the end from the leftovers.

I never saw this until I read it this week in Matthew. But the disciples’ protest of giving them something to eat rather them going to fend for themselves had a familiar ring to it.

I read it again and again and again, because there was something there that sang out to me but I just couldn’t put my finger on it. Some other Gospel writers say that it is only because a young boy brought the fish and loaves, but not in Matthew. Its different.

Its like when you are watching a TV show and an actor comes on that you recognize, but you don’t know where it is from. The internet movie database has saved my sanity for this reason. I can look up anyone and find where I know them from. Its great. Just type something in, and all the connections are made for you.

And the disciples’ words, “let them go get themselves something to eat”…and “all we have are these five loaves and two fish”…sounded so familiar to me, but I just couldn’t put my finger on it.

And then, I suddenly realized where I had heard it before. I have heard it in church meetings, in school board meetings, and in talks around the dinner table.

The words of the disciples are the same words that I have told myself time and time again.

And those words or protest are…”but, we only have enough for ourselves.”
I have said these words when I think about giving to the church. When I feel that I should give more to the church I think, but, we only have enough for ourselves.

Or when I think about new forms of ministry that we can do and I try to think through all of the reactions I hear the protest…but, we only have enough for ourselves.

Or when I am asked to give more of my time to something…but, I barely have enough time as it is!

Or when I’m asked to help someone…but, I barely can do that for myself!

I have thought these words whenever I am faced with a need. And a need that is big. One that I can’t fulfill easily. I can’t do anything, I only have enough for myself.

It is the first line of defensiveness.

We can’t feed these people…let them go fend for themselves…we barely have enough food to eat, ourselves.

So if we are to carry out our mission. To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, we cannot let this defensiveness take root.

Because look what Jesus does with the amount of food the disciples were planning on having for a meal. He asks God to bless it, and it turns into a meal for 5000 people. More than 5000 people. Because 5000 is a conservative estimate, it doesn’t include women and children. In my family, that would mean only 1 in 4 of us would count in the 5000 people, so it may have been as many as 20000 people…maybe more!

AND…there are 12 basketfuls left over. One for each disciple. So while the disciples wanted to split five loaves and two fish 12 ways, they were instead given an entire basketful to eat.

That is what happens, when we give what we have to God, rather than worry that we aren’t going to have enough to feed just ourselves.

I’m talking about money. I’m talking about time. I’m talking about clothing. I’m talking about food. I’m talking about relationships. I’m talking about it all. All of the things we so jealously guard thinking that if we gave ANY of it away, we wouldn’t have enough for ourselves.

What Jesus does, is not the way our world operates.

Be practical, preacher, you might be thinking. Put it in the bank. Save it so that we can be sure we have enough for ourselves. Keep the closet full and the pantry packed so we can have enough for ourselves.

But my faith tells me that when compassion and practicality are in the conversation, practicality has no place.

I say, put it in the bank, keep the closet full, and have the pantry packed, sure. But do it so if 5000 people show up on your doorstep needing money, clothes, or food; you can do something about it.

And God will bless it. That is my faith and my hope.

If we stay attune with the direction God is leading this church, and acknowledge that all we have comes from God…our church will not only do great things that will significantly impact this community and the world…but more than we can ever imagine will be given for us.

Its not the way our world operates, but it’s the way God operates.

So let the debates continue of how we can make sure that we have enough for ourselves, first. That’s how economics works.

I, for one, am going to trust God that it is in giving that we are blessed. That’s how God’s economics works.

After all, I believe in Jesus Christ, who gives. And I believe in a giving life. I am where I am because I have been given so much. Our church is where it is because it has been given so much. So we must also give generously.

So, like I said. Matthew is first hard to interpret, and then it tells us to do things that are hard. Matthew is a hard book.
Because it doesn’t make sense in our world. Its not a transaction that we do with God, its trust. We don’t love God for a purpose or a resolution, we love God with purpose and resolve. We don’t care for our own, we care for God’s own. We don’t pity, we have compassion.

In which world would you rather live? One that is based on our economy? Or one based on God’s economy?

Because I’ll go ahead and tell you, whenever we see God’s economy, it isn’t fair based on our economy. And the feelings will be there that what people give and receive aren’t fair.

But we will know, that it is good. And as we continue to be disciples of Jesus Christ, our protest of just having enough for ourselves will go away, and we will be left with another basketful to give.

Smart Farming: Matthew 13: 1-9; 18-23

I don’t think Matthew was a very good story teller. Its intriguing, and engaging, and all of that stuff. But, there is one pretty hard and fast rule when it comes to good storytelling that one should never break. And that is…never explain what you mean.



I’ll explain what I mean.



You know when you tell a joke to a group of people, and everybody laughs, except one person who says, “wait, I don’t get it.” And you have to explain the joke? Its never funny. It doesn’t matter how funny the joke is, if you have to explain the meaning, then it loses its humor.



For example. A string walks into a movie theatre, and tries to buy a ticket. But, the cashier says, we can’t let you into this movie, you’re a piece of string! So the string goes outside, twists himself all around, messes up his hair, and goes back in to buy a ticket to the movie. The cashier says, “didn’t I just tell you that we can’t sell a ticket to you because you’re a piece of string?” And the string says, “I’m a frayed knot!”



Now if I explain it. Even though that joke is hilarious. It won’t be funny anymore. You see. It’s wordplay. When he says I’m afraid not, it has a double meaning that both the string is disagreeing with the cashier. AND he is a frayed knot. A knot in the string. That is fraying on the end…because he messed up his hair? Get it?



So now that joke isn’t funny anymore, because I explained it.



That is where a tremendous amount of power comes from in any art form. And really, in any experience. Listening to a symphony, and you know if it is good, you don’t want experts telling you why it was good. That the melody perfectly balanced the harmony in a way that enlivened synapses in your brain that made the music “good.” Reading a poem that really affects you. As soon as you read an essay explaining why it affected you, it won’t affect you that way anymore. That the rhythm used in the first three stanzas set you up emotionally for a change in the fourth makes the poem, “meaningful.”



And I’m all for understanding. But sometimes I like things to remain meaningful…and people sometimes explain away the meaning.



Preachers do it with the book of revelation or the writings of the prophets all the time. They say this symbol means that. Or this horseman is really this. Or this ancient city really represents this modern city. When the truth is, no one knows. They are just guessing. And it is when you think that this symbol has one direct interpretation that you miss the beauty and artistry of the book.



And in our reading this morning, Matthew’s version of the parable of the Sower is told. And immediately after it, eight verses later, it is explained. The mystery is solved. No real reason to continue to search for meaning in that story, here it is. So that is what I mean when I say that Matthew broke one of the most important rules in storytelling. He explained its meaning.



A sower, God, spreads some seeds (the good news). Some fell on a rocky path (that is a type of soil that has no hope for growth whatsoever, you might as well throw it on Asphalt). And the birds came and ate it (that is the evil one claiming those seeds for themselves.) Some fell on shallow soil (that is the type of soil that gets really excited at first, but there is no depth, so they don’t pursue their faith). And the sun bakes the plants away. Some fell on thorns (that is the soil that is distracted by so many other things, that the good news cannot compete and gets choked out by the influence of everything else). And some fell on good soil (that is the people who hear, understand, persevere, and continue to grow) producing a hundredfold of the plant (the abundant grace of God.)



But maybe I’m not giving Matthew enough credit. Because while it is still explained. There is still a lot of mystery involved. And I think we still make mistakes in its meaning.



I think we mistakenly think this parable is about the seed. We think that we need to go out and spread seed, and to make sure we find good soil.



That is what a smart farmer does. And I know a lot of you are smart farmers, and know a lot about soil.



Now I don’t farm, or even have a garden. I tried once, but failed. I tried another time, and failed. I wasn’t very consistent in my gardening. Well, I was consistent I guess, just not in a good way.



But I think if I were to take it more seriously, I would try to find the best soil possible to plant my seeds. Make sure it is in the right amount of sunlight. I would take samples, and check PH balance. I would know when is the right season for planting what types of seeds, and I would try to build and foster an environment where the seeds could flourish. I would set up a watering and fertilizing schedule.



That is what a smart farmer does. A smart farmer checks the soil.



So there wouldn’t be any risk of seeds falling on the path, or in bad soil, or in thorns; because we wouldn’t spread our seeds there.



So why does this sower do that? Why even put the seeds on the path? Thorns are pretty easy to spot, why not steer clear of that section of the yard? Seems a little haphazard in his farming techniques.



And we already know that the sower is God. So why would God just go spreading the good news seed willy nilly like that?



That is a difference between us and God.



In our church, in all churches, we try to find the best soil. We try to find the techniques, we try to get the training, we try to read the right books, we try to find the best demographic report, we try to do all of it to ensure that our seed is falling on good soil.



We evaluate and analyze to make sure we in the good soil. And we can see evidence that we are in good soil, because disciples are being made. People who come, and join, and participate, and serve, and are in ministry. All the right things. It is the people who get excited and drop out that we wonder about. It is the people whose hearts are so hard that they can’t hear the gospel that we worry about. It is the people who are so distracted by other things that it chokes out the gospel message that breaks our heart.



You know these different soil types.



But we like good soil. We want our ministries to fall on good soil. And good soil is made up of all kinds of different things, and you need it all! It feels good to get your hands dirty in good soil! You heard the story; when seeds fall on good soil, these seeds produce a hundred fold! That is enough to retire on in one year’s crop!



And so, smartly, a lot of what churches do is try to make sure we are in good soil.



That is a difference between us and God. God is the sower, and spreads the good news everywhere.



Because God has a hope and trust in his promises that we can’t fully grasp. God promised that the whole world would be redeemed. The good soil, and the path, and the shallow soil, and the thorns. All of it.



That means, that the criminals, the hard hearts, the dishonesty, the pain, the tears, the totality of creation, can all be turned into good soil in God’s hands.



We try to stick to a successful plan and make sure we get to the good soil. God has the hope that we will all be good soil. And so he spreads seeds everywhere, let it fall where it may, because God is working the soil too.



Many of you are educators, and I’ll bet you can remember a student that you had that you thought was going to make your hair turn white. Always in trouble, never paying attention…and then you see them years later, and learn that they are a model citizen, and wonderful person.



It happened to us just last week. We were at the Franklin County baseball games, and a man came up to Mr. Bridges. Introduced himself, and we chatted for a little bit. He is a good person. Who cares deeply for his family. And lives a good solid life. And as we were walking away, Mr. Bridges shared with me that he would have expected to see that guy on the evening news, and not in a good way with how much trouble he used to get into. So even when we try to determine what is good soil, and what isn’t…the sower knows more than us.



Soil can change. The ground is shifting under our feet by the promises of God. And the ground is shifting without us even knowing.



To quote Bebe Campbell Moore, Our God told us to expect the best. And there is enough for everybody.



So while many read this and think it is all about the soil. Are you the good soil? Is our church sowing its seeds in good soil? Are your friends good soil? Is your family good soil? Does our demogaphic report show that we are accurately reflecting the community? Does our worship style make people feel better or less about themselves? How can we make sure we are the best soil we can possibly be?



Maybe the meaning that is still there in this parable, that isn’t explained, but instead is drawn out in our imagination by the telling of the story; is the mystery about the sower.



Who just gives good news away like that? Who spreads seed on a road, or in thorns? Who just invites anybody into their place of worship? Who hears about someone sick and puts aside everything to be by their side? Who heals people who don’t seem to give a rip about anyone but themselves? Who travels to places they have never been, to be with people they have never met, to do things they have never done, all because God asked them to? Who gives to a project that a church is doing that they will not directly benefit from?



Who does that?



The sower does. And if we are lucky enough to be good soil now, to have had the grace of God in our lives to prepare us to hear the good news so that it blossoms within us, maybe we can be more like the sower, and help change the soil around us.



It is not what a smart farmer would do. It is not what a good business would do if it wanted to make a profit. But it is what The Sower calls us to do.



Go, and preach the Gospel.

The Past Isn’t Past: Exodus 32: 1-14

Happy 4th of July weekend everybody! I know that for a lot of you this weekend is filled with time on the lake. Seeing friends, eating hotdogs. Blowing stuff up with fireworks. Everyone is on pins and needles to see if Georgia’s own Gravy Brown from Newnan will be able to bring home the championship in tomorrow’s hot dog eating contest on Coney Island.



America can be great.



Lately you hear a lot about our founding fathers. Whenever you hear some politician refer to them, usually incorrectly, to gain some kind of historical traction for whatever agenda they are trying to pursue.



Founding Fathers are the new buzz words used.



But I’ve told you before that I love and respect history. Especially our own country’s history. I am the son of a preacher and a librarian, and my grandfathers both fought in World War II. And my family has deep roots in the South.

But it is my grandmother on my dad’s side that instilled my love of history. Going to her house in Decatur, GA growing up we would play with plastic army men. Not surprising, but at grandmama’s house our army men wore blue and grey, and she would set up and re-create Civil War battles for us. It was pretty incredible.



We would spend all afternoon learning and fighting civil war battles. And we would go to sleep hearing tales of Uncle Remus by Joel Chandler Harris, where we heard the stories and learned the lessons of the old South.



I say this because knowing your history is important. It is not a political football to be kicked around as some have recently used it. Knowing how it happened, when it happened, and why it happened is powerful knowledge. It is he story of how our country became what it is. It is why we talk the way we do. It is why our prejudices are so deeply rooted. It is why we are America, named after a map-maker.



And it is said, that those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it, and I think that is true.



Knowing the history is important. And there are too many people who don’t know. Who don’t know how we came to be a country. Who hear words and names and have no association for them.



Names like Daniel Boone and Nathaniel Greene. Whose dedication helped win the American Revolution. Or people hear words and don’t put them in the right place. Words like, I have a dream, Ask not what your country can do for you, or bring me your huddled masses. We hear those words and know the nobility that is possible in our country. It is possible, but sometimes we mess it up.



In the preamble to the constitution it states that the purpose of our country is to form a more perfect union.



I like that.



Because America isn’t perfect. But we are on our way. We can wake up every day and know that we are a work in progress. And patriotism should never get in the way of our faith.



We are forming a more perfect union.



We need to remember that, and we need to remember our history.



But part of our history, that is very often overlooked is the book of Exodus. It is the history of the chosen people’s relationship with their Creator and Redeemer. We learn about how they escaped from Egypt, and were delivered to the Promised Land…only to find that someone was already there.

So while we hear words about our “founding fathers” like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson tomorrow…we should remember our founding fathers of Moses and Aaron. What they did for the people of Israel, and God’s involvement in all of it.



We hear the story this morning of a dark moment in Israel’s history. It is a sad thing that the Israelites turned their back on God. They melted down their gold jewelry to worship a god who would make the desert in which they were living a place to live. They wanted to trade the promised land, a land of freedom, and a land flowing with milk and honey; for the land they already had, the desert.



They became impatient. Forming a more perfect union was taking too long, so they decided they were just find where they were.



Being who God called them to be when he rescued them from Egypt was taking too long, so they decided that they would just sit and do nothing.

Wanting things fast and wanting them, NOW, you see, is nothing new. And if we don’t know our history, we are doomed to repeat it.



How many times in our own lives have we sacrificed what could have been for what is comfortable. For the thing that won’t make us work as hard?



Why else do you think the lottery is so popular? Instead of working, and doing good solid work in their life, people spend all their money on lottery tickets, to instantly become rich. Gambling to strike it big all at once.



That is what the Israelites are doing…and it is what we do too! Gambling with our lives. Putting things off until tomorrow what could be done today. Taking God out of the equation and putting ourselves in control.



Every so often, when I am getting swamped with everything that is going on in my life, I say a prayer that might help you too. God, get me out of my way. Because I am traveling on God’s way, not my own. And my trust in God needs to outweigh my trust in money, my trust in systems, and even my trust in power.



God, get me out of my way.



The church has tremendous potential for ministry. That is our promised land. It isn’t expanded territory, with more money and prestige, but our promised land is that we will become servants of one another. And if God is calling us to do something, why put it off because of time, and resources, and all of the other limitations that we can think of…to settle and stay right where we already are?



VBS is coming up in one week. There are ways you can help with it. There is no such thing as, “I have already put in my time there, let someone else do it for a change.” And there is no such thing as, “let the parents of the kids who are benefiting from the program do all the work.” And there is no such thing as, “that just isn’t the part of the church work in which I’m interested.”



Vacation Bible School is a perfect opportunity to share the love of Christ not only with kids, but with their parents too. And maybe, the kids will have such a good time here that they tell their mom and dad that they want to come back on Sunday. And maybe, those parents will come, and they will meet Jesus, too. And maybe, their lives will be completely changed by the love of Christ.

God has put this in our path. And it is going to take time, effort, and money to do it. And some people see that and wonder, is it really worth the effort? I can just let others handle it, since its not really my thing, and stay at home.



That is us turning from God’s way, onto our own way. Sacrificing promises for permanence.



Now, the other thing that is interesting about this scripture is the conversation God has with Moses. So many people say that God never changes. And when it comes to how much God loves us, and provides for us, and calls us to be the wonderful creation we are supposed to be, I would say that is true.

But you see here that God gets angry with the Israelites!

They have turned from me, so I’m going to turn from them! They want another god that doesn’t exist? They want to stay in the desert? Fine…let them.



And Moses reminds God of his promises. To Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He reminds him of the Covenant that has just been written into stone with the finger of God. And God changes his mind.



Essentially Moses says…see who we are without you? We each follow our own path that will lead to our own destruction. We end up as slaves in Egypt. We act with violence toward one another. We are vulnerable to evil things.



You promised to be with us. And God remembers his promise, and guides them back to the right path. God changed his mind.

Exasperation is something we all feel. Powerless to do anything about something we encounter. Poverty is one example. Family relationships can be another. No matter what we tell people or what we try to do, or what we sacrifice and give…it still just seems like a drop in the bucket with the overwhelming odds that are stacked against us. A child is always going to do things their way, no matter the advice and experience of the parents. A sibling won’t listen. People will do nothing to help themselves.



And it is tempting to throw up your hands and say, I’m done!

It is the temptation God is facing right here, but it is Moses who says…remember what you promised.



Remember your history. And turn back to the right path.



We are sharing this meal together. To remember. We celebrate the fourth of July to remember that we are forming a more perfect union, that should not be at the expense of others, but constantly striving for perfection.

But we share this meal to remember that God keeps his promises. And will continue to keep his promises. And that if we could get out of our way, and onto God’s way…then we will be delivered to what has been promised. Life eternal, for all of God’s creation.



Take your time this morning to remember those who were put in your path that helped you hear God’s claim on your life. Remember those times you were called to ministry, but ignored it. And pray, “God, get us all out of our way.”

Acts of Grace: Hebrews 13:1-2

Today is the last day in a series of sermons we have been having on hospitality. And the scripture we read, was actually the basis of the entire series. Hebrews 13: 1-2. Two verses, placed near the end of a letter that many believe was actually a sermon.



And there are a lot of different patterns for sermons. There is your “three points and a poem” sermon. There is your “tell them what you are going to say, say it, then tell them what you just said” pattern. And there is your “make one point, and say it over and over and over again in different ways until someone gets it,” pattern. All used by preachers throughout the centuries, and all still used today.



I’m willing to bet many of you have heard one of these sermons somewhere or another, and can probably fit them into a different category.

But usually, no matter the pattern of the sermon, it ends in the same way. That there is some sort of change in behavior or action as a result of studying scripture together in this way. And this sermon in Hebrews is no different. It is basically, what do you want to happen as a result of people hearing this sermon?



And one of those changes is the hope I have as a change in our lives. Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.



My father-in-law wrote his doctoral thesis on hospitality, and it is at the center of most everything their church is about. Welcoming the stranger. He learned it from his father, who upon retirement, began attending Dee’s church. And every Sunday, he would stand in the parking lot and help people into church, particularly older, single women, and those with children. If it was raining, he would bring an umbrella right to the door of the car. If it was cold, he would wear a heavy coat. And Dee commented that more people knew the church by the actions of his father in the parking lot, than by anything else that was going on inside its walls.



When I was at Chamblee First United Methodist, a group of people came to me asking what they could do with the 40 plus acres we sat on inside the perimeter of Atlanta. I asked them if they were willing to welcome the stranger, not for the purpose of them one day becoming members of the church, but just give them a place where they were welcome and comfortable. They said they were, and we built a nine hole disc golf course. The result of which had people walking on our property all day every day, and a couple who first came to the church to play disc golf, I eventually officiated their wedding, and they just had their first child, who they named Jordan. I get choked up just thinking about how such a small act of hospitality brought them into our lives.



And there are thousands of examples I can give you of showing hospitality. But my hope is, that we, as a church will begin to take an introspective look at our hospitality practices, and see where we can do better. Because we never know when we might be having angels to our Vacation Bible School, our Christmas program, or eating hot dogs at the Coggins’ farm.

And I hope it is a practice you will consider in all aspects of your life, not just when you come to church.



Because I believe God has shown us the ultimate hospitality, and that hospitality is at the core of who God is. Today is Trinity Sunday, the one Sunday of the year where we talk about this foundationally important doctrine, but it is so confusing that preachers tend to just acknowledge it and move on.



But I think the Trinity shows us hospitality. Because the trinity, while difficult for us to imagine as we are constricted by special limitations, in essence is about community. God the Father, serving as and alongside God the Son, who serves as and alongside God the Holy Spirit.



The three interacting together, none more important than the other, but serving with each other, welcoming everyone in to be a part of the beloved community.



The trinity is a foundation from which we can build our lives. A foundation that takes community seriously, takes family seriously, and can inspire the fact that the greatest joy and achievement we can ever achieve has nothing to do with money, or reputation…but with being with one another.

I know this church hears this calling upon our lives. I know it does. But I also know that we need to step further out of our comfort zones to welcome the stranger.



Imagine you are at the grocery store, and you are checking out. The people who are scanning and bagging your groceries are people too. Doing their jobs, but what would happen if you welcomed them into your life. Got to know their name. Do you know what would happen to their day if the next time you walked in, you remembered their name? That is an act of grace, freely given, just as God gives grace to us.



Or as the youth are on their mission trip this week. You will be welcomed to the campground by Randy Strickland and all of the wonderful volunteers who work with GAP, but what if when you went to someone’s house to do some work, you learned their story? You let their lives influence your own.

This week at annual conference, we had elections for delegates to general and jurisdictional conference. And some people I was excited to see elected, and some people I wasn’t. That just an honest feeling I had as I seek to be the best Christian I can be in the United Methodist Church connection.



And there was a good bit of negativity coming from some people. Saying that our United Methodist Church is in decline and we need to do something to stop the bleeding. To stem the tide of this trend.



But Bishop Alfred Norris preached at the ordination service that changed all of that for me. The first words out of his mouth for his sermon were, I declare a moratorium on negativity. Our church is bursting out all over, and we need to be there to help it burst to its fullest potential. And as I read report after report, I know it to be true. Good work is being done. And one of the keys to help the church burst forward as much as it can is to be hospitable and welcoming to the stranger. Welcoming them into our lives. All of those who no matter who they are, or where they are on life’s journey, to welcome them, and share with them the good news of Jesus Christ.



It could be the repairman coming to your house. It could be a neighbor with which you haven’t connected in a while. It could be a child who is so busy that you have to squeeze time into see them, but go drive them to the softball practice. Go sit at their baseball games and meet the other parents.



And I know you are busy. You want to get the groceries, pick up the kids, and go home to start dinner. But are we really too busy to do what God has called us to do? Are we too busy to welcome the stranger….which means we are too busy to entertain the very angels themselves.



There is always room for one more at God’s table. There is always room for one more in God’s life. And there is always room for one more on God’s pew. You were that one more at some point in your life, won’t you help someone else be one more, too?



It is the difference between getting through the day so you can mark through the to-do list so you can get back into the bed again…and welcoming the day, with all of the possibilities it brings.



And one of those possibilities is to welcome the stranger, and entertain angels.

It may call you to talk to someone who is different, looks different, maybe smells different, maybe has different priorities…but angels don’t always look like us. They come in all shapes and sizes, and are all loved by God.



Welcome the stranger, show hospitality. It can mean the whole world.



I have a friend, who when he was in middle school went to church to help deliver meals to people in the community. Kind of a meals on wheels thing. He traveled with an adult, and took meals to all of the different houses. When he got back to the church, another one of the adults came up to him, and shared this story. He went to a house, and dropped off some meals, and a young girl answered the door. About the same age as my friend. And as they were talking and learning more about one another, it turns out that this child was in my friends same class at school! And so they asked her if she knew him, and her eyes lit up. She said, I love him. He is so nice to me, no matter what. And when this adult was back at the church relating this story to my friend, he couldn’t remember the girl’s name, and my friend to this day has no idea who that girl was.



But hearing that a stranger, who needed love, received it from him just for showing hospitality to all, completely changed his life. He never found out who that girl was, but he figures it was an angel.



We all can experience the love of God this way, and I hope we all do.