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Seeing Jesus

4/26/2020

Isaiah 6: 8-10, Luke 24: 13-35
April 24, 2020

When it comes to noticing details, I'm not a very observant person. Just ask Julie. When she hangs a new picture or rearranges some furniture, it may be weeks before I notice. Ken Davis was preoccupied with the rules and didn't notice which pew to go to. All of us miss some details at times.
I think of a baby. She seems to study every detail of her world, yet in truth her range of vision is quite limited. I am really missing holding her on my lap, looking into her eyes while she looks everywhere but into my eyes. She did that Thursday night on Zoom. Her grandma and I are waving and calling her name and she is looking to see what was behind the screen. Why do babies do that? Her range of vision is growing daily and I doubt she can make out much detail on the screen at home, but light, movement, shadows all capture her attention.

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A Goodly Heritage

4/19/2020

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Psalm 16
I'm back to focusing on the Psalms today. And in particular, I'm focusing on verse 6 of Psalm 16. When I started studying it, I was reminded of a long-ago conversation with Arlyce Dedrickson. I miss Arlyce, she was a great encourager for me, but she'd also hold my feet to the fire. I couldn't just throw out random thoughts without reason. In the conversation we held, I don't recall details but we were talking about how my life had developed to the point where I was a pastor, a fact that is really quite a surprise to most who know me. All the influences and benefits, my parents and family, being born when and where I was all worked together to bring me to that spot. And she introduced to me a new phrase that has stuck with me: The Luck of the Womb. By that she was pointing out that who we become is so strikingly influenced by the circumstances of our birth and family.

Warren Buffet also had a term for this. Here's his explanation, “Just imagine that it is 24 hours before you are born. A genie comes and says to you in the womb, “just before you emerge you have to go through a huge bucket with 7 billion slips, one for each human. Dip your hand in and that is what you get — you could be born intelligent or not intelligent, born healthy or disabled, born black or white, born in the US or in Bangladesh, etc. I call this the 'Ovarian Lottery.' My sisters didn’t get the same ticket (I did). Expectations for them were that they would marry well, or if they work, would work as a nurse, teacher, etc. You can’t say you do everything yourself. We all have teachers, and people before us who led us to where we are.”
Both these views seem to leave out the place of God in all this, Psalm 139:16 “You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book!” God is in control.
Yet, if you are here watching today, you got a pretty good slip in the birth lottery. You were born free in a country with many freedoms. There are health advantages, opportunities, infrastructures like never before in history. You have a computer that allows you almost infinite resources. On top of all that, I remind you that you have been specially chosen by God as a beloved son or daughter. And so is the Christian in China who is locked in prison for her faith. So is the refugee in the Sudan who has no idea where his next meal is coming from. Our worth is not determined by our possessions or our location or our social standing. Our worth comes because God has chosen us, not the other way around. We are twice blessed because we have recognized God's call. We are indeed fortunate that we are living in a time and place where there are opportunities beyond almost anything known in history. As we thank God for that, give thanks with a humble heart for not every child of God has been blessed with the opportunities we have.
I've talked a lot and haven't given the key verse yet; “My boundaries enclose a pleasant land; indeed, I have a goodly heritage.” The Psalmist wrote of a goodly heritage. That covers many areas of life. For us now, as we celebrate 150 years as a congregation in Litchfield, we recognize the great heritage we have from the generations who have gone before us. As we each consider our own lives and where we are, we recognize as part of who we are the contributions of parents, siblings, grandparents. They are part of what the Psalmist called his goodly heritage. But part of our lives are also made up of boundaries... for the psalmist, his boundary was a pleasant land. But we know that for many of us, those boundaries do not always fall in pleasant places. Right now our boundaries are limited by the stay-at-home orders. And yet we have talked about surprise blessings in the midst of these new boundaries. Consider the extra time we have to just be. The time we have for prayer and meditation and reading. On Good Friday I preached on this and received a note with these words, “I think this has been our best Holy Week and Easter ever. Our whole lives have been focused on these events with lots of time to think about Christ and the church.” That's a surprise blessing found in new boundaries not of our choosing.
This Psalm invites us to find joy and peace and fulfillment in the boundaries of our lives. Not that we simply accept everything as it is, but to know our limitations while doing all we can to improve our lot and the lot of the world in which we live. Part of this living within God's boundaries in life means finding your peace with who God made you to be. Coveting, being jealous of the lives and talents of others can be like trespassing across boundary lines. We are to be aware of the place of God in our lives. Jesus taught us that the treasures of God's kingdom are of more importance than the things of this world. “9 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” This discourse is kind of about boundaries as well. Our treasure must be about God and God's ways rather than the riches of this world. This made me think of the line from “It's a Wonderful Life.” George asks his guardian angel Clarence if he's got the $8000 he needs. Clarence tells him they don't use money in heaven. George says, “It comes in pretty handy down here, Bub.” Of course he's right, but in its proper place, with the proper boundaries.
This is the second Sunday of Easter. Easter was when Jesus broke the boundaries that kept us in slavery to sin and the Old Testament Law. We celebrate this even as we seek to live in proper relationship with God and with each other.
I quoted Psalm 139: 16 earlier about God knowing us before we were born. Each of us is created as unique individuals with gifts and talents that are ours alone. You have a goodly heritage from God and from your specific upbringing. Each day, each moment we decide between things that are eternal, things of God; and things that are temporal, treasures on earth. Rest in who God has made you to be. But be all that God has called you to be. In Romans 12, Paul wrote about our relationship to each other in the body of Christ, “So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t.” (Romans 12: 5-6 the Message) You have a contribution to make to this world so be the child that God called you to be. Follow that call, reach to the very limits of boundaries so that you are all that God desires for you. Amen.

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Surprise

4/12/2020

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Surprise!
Colossians 3:1-4; Gospel: Matthew 28:1-10
Easter April 12, 2020 Zoom
Lots of changes are happening in these days of the Corona virus. One concern for so many is the loss of jobs. My mother-in-law Barb shared this story with me. It is about a man who's job has become obsolete, at least during the shut down. So he took up being an Ubber driver. He picked up his first customer and drove a ways. But when she tapped him on the shoulder to tell him something, he screamed and the car careened out of control. He turned around and shouted, “Don't ever do that to me again. You scared the daylights out of me!” The woman apologized and said, “I didn't realize a little tap would scare you so much!” The driver replied, “Sorry, it's not really your fault. Today's my first day as an Ubber driver, I've been driving a funeral van for the past 25 years.”
Surprise! This silly story reminds us, however, that Easter really is about surprise. And I know our pandemic is no laughing matter. But as we've shared from this pulpit before, laughter is good medicine.

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Be The Light

4/5/2020

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1 John 2: 8-10; 3: 18-24, Matthew 21: 1-11

Jesus knew where that parade with the path strewn with palm branches and cloaks into Jerusalem was headed- to rejection and the cross. But what about the people lining the streets? Where did they see this “Son of David” leading them? Some believed he was there to raise up an army and drive out the hated Romans. Some believed he would replace Herod or the High Priest and establish a just rule in Israel. Some were there just because they liked a parade! And some were looking for this great healer to heal their sickness, their disease; perhaps even their viruses.
In the past few weeks, I've noticed a theme to my sermons. That theme has been living in the hope that Jesus, the light of the world, brings us even in the valley of the shadow of death. That is a message that is important to get out there in times of fear and despair. But as followers of the Messiah, the Christ, we are called to more than living in the comforting words of scripture and the warmth of fellowship we've been able to share. We are commanded, in the words of John's epistle, “this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another.”

Belief brings us the hope that we've talked about, it brings us into the light of faith. And being in the light, as John continues, “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light.” Love is not a feeling. Love is action. And we are living in a time where a lot of our brothers and sisters are hurting. There is record unemployment. People are fearful for their lives even with the preventative measures we are taking. People are lonely, isolated, separated from family an friends; especially in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Those who are hospitalized with the Coronus virus are all those things; without a job, fearful of death and are not allowed any visitors, even spouses. There are some things we can do nothing about. But there are some positive actions we can take as we live as light in the darkness of this pandemic.
I saw an ad on TV, a current one using the crisis as the basis. The spokesperson said, “Most of us are worried about two things; our health and our wallets.” I hope that isn't true. I hope as Christians our top two concerns are how to best love and follow God and to love our neighbor in the midst of this crisis. That is the command. But for many of us, it is hard to know what that looks like. There are many stories telling of how people are caring for their neighbors. There are many stories from the people on the screen with us right now. I can't know everything people here are doing, but I know some and will make a list. I want us to both recognize those serving and help the rest of us with ideas about how to serve our neighbors in need.
-sewing and helping distribute surgical masks
-cooking, baking, distributing turkey dinners
-doing business with local restaurants, buying gift cards or take out
-helping pay bills when income has become limited
-sending notes to shut-ins, making phone calls
-help deliver needed supplies
-donate to organizations that help; Red Cross, Salvation Army, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance come to mind
-be respectful of social distancing; huggers stop hugging, give 6 feet space even if you don't feel it is necessary, respect other's needs for boundaries.
These are some ideas that make a difference. And if you feel overwhelmed, reach out. Call me and I can help direct you to the help you need!
This pandemic is upon us, we can't change that. But we can show the love that Jesus commands, we can be the light that make the valley less dark, less stressful, less hopeless. Daughter-in-law Julie shared a video on Facebook this week that fits exactly with what I'm trying to say. (video: Be A Light)
On that first Palm Sunday, Jesus entered Jerusalem, welcomed as a king. But the people missed the real reason Jesus came. They wanted him to solve their problems, to make life easy, free of worries and trouble and diseases. That was not the promise. John quotes this promise from Jesus, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16: 33) We will have war, we will have doubts, there will be darkness, noise, change... but we have peace...we have faith... and we are the light for the rest of the world! Be the light to this world of darkness. Amen.
Hymn: 88PH All Glory, Laud, and Hon

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Seeing Jesus

A Goodly Heritage

Surprise

Be The Light

Pastor Gordy

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