JUL192 EMPOWERED BY ANGELS I Kings 19: 1-8

JUL292 ONE IN CHRIST Galatians 3:23-29

JUL392 FREEDOM'S YEAR Galatians 3:26-4:7; 5:1, 13-26

JUL492 TRAVELING LIGHT Luke 10:1-12

JUL592 WHY DO WE CALL HIM GOOD? Luke 10:25-37

JUL692 ONE THING IS NEEDFUL Luke 10:38-42

JUL792.BON THE CRY OF FREEDOM Matthew 22:15-22; Romans 13:1-8; Galatians 5:13-18

AUG192 ON KNOWING WHAT'S BEST FOR YOUR KIDS Luke 11:1-13

AUG292 A NEW VANTAGE POINT Colossians 3:1-17

AUG392 WHY WE BELIEVE IN GOD Hebrews 11:1-16

AUG492 LESSONS FROM THE LOCKER ROOM Hebrews 12:1-2, 12-17

AUG592 RESPONDING INSTEAD OF REACTING Jeremiah 28:1-9

AUG692 WANT TO SIT AT THE HEAD TABLE? Luke 14:1, 7-14

AUG792.BON "SAY IT AIN'T SO" Deuteronomy 6:1-9; Romans 12:1-3

SEP192 A FAITHFUL FOLLOWER I WOULD BE Luke 14:25-33; Philemon 1-20

SEP292 WHEN HEAVEN REJOICES Luke 15:1-10

SEP392 WHAT IT TAKES Luke 16: 1-13

SEP492 WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND Luke 16: 19-31

SEP592 FACES AT A FUNERAL Mark 15:33-41

JAS92CS SERMONS FOR CHILDREN

JAS192CS EMPOWERED BY ANGELS

JAS292CS ONE IN CHRIST

JAS392CS FREEDOM'S YEAR

JAS492CS INDEPENDENCE DAY

JAS592CS TRAVELING LIGHT

JAS692CS WHY DO WE CALL HIM GOOD?

JAS792CS ONE THING IS NEEDFUL

JAS892CS ON KNOWING WHAT'S BEST FOR YOUR KIDS

JAS992CS A NEW VANTAGE POINT

JAS1092CS WHY WE BELIEVE IN GOD

JAS1192CS LESSONS FROM THE LOCKER ROOM

JAS1292CS RESPONDING INSTEAD OF REACTING

JAS1392CS WANT TO SIT AT THE HEAD TABLE?

JAS1492CS A FAITHFUL FOLLOWER I WOULD BE

JAS1592CS WHEN HEAVEN REJOICES

JAS1692CS WHAT IT TAKES

JAS1792CS WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

JUL192

EMPOWERED BY ANGELS

I Kings 19: 1-8

Colonel Jimmy Stewart stood looking out the window of his hut in England. He gazed in the direction of the English Channel and toward the continent beyond. Tomorrow he would command a squadron of B-24 Liberator Bombers on a dangerous mission over Germany. It was understood that some of the planes would not return; that some of the flyers would die or be captured. Jimmy Stewart was afraid.

He replaced the blackout curtain, turned and sat on his metal cot. Switching on a small light, he pulled from his pocket a letter that was worn and creased from being unfolded and folded so often. It was a letter written to him by his father, a veteran of World War I, a letter lovingly penned on the oak desk of his hardware store in Indiana, Pennsylvania. The note was one of understanding, affirming the fact that everyone is scared during war. The message was one of reassurance, that faith in God can cast out fear. His father included a copy of the 91st Psalm, declaring that the promise contained in the Word of God would sustain his son during the perilous journey. Jimmy Stewart once again read the Psalm: "... I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress...." With the promise contained in those words and a prayer offered unto the Creator, the colonel had the courage to fly.

All of us are afraid of a mission that lies before us. That mission may be as a parent. One comedian noted recently that most crimes of violence occur in the family. "So don't lock your doors," he says. "You may have to escape in a hurry."

He was jesting, of course, but being a parent today is scary. There are so many pitfalls.

And the cost! A recent magazine survey put the cost of raising a child today at a quarter of a million dollars. That really is scary.

I read sometime back about the male African hornbill bird. When his mate is about to lay eggs, the male hornbill seals her up with mud inside a hollow tree, leaving a tiny hole for her beak. He then works nonstop feeding her and their four chicks. By the time mom and babies are ready to break free of their sealed home, dad is usually dead from exhaustion.

Some human dads can relate to that. Single moms can relate even more. The future is scary. You may have read that thirty years ago it took an average young person only 4.5 years to reach his father's income level. Today, it will take the average young person 17 years.

Or, put another way, a young man of 19 leaving his parents' home in 1960 earned, by the time he reached 30, almost a third more than his father earned ten years earlier. But today a 30 year old male earns 10 percent less than his father earned the same decade earlier.

We live in a scary world. It matters not what your mission is. It may be as a businessperson. It may be as one beginning a new job. It may be as one who is dealing with the ravages of aging. Or it may be as one who is simply seeking to be a faithful disciple of Christ in a confusing and confused world. Whatever our mission may be, the future is uncertain. It is questionable if we will succeed. We wonder if we will be hurt--spiritually, emotionally, physically--in the process. Uncertainty haunts us. Can we persevere to the end?

OUR LESSON THIS MORNING IS ABOUT A MAN WHO FELT TOO INADEQUATE TO BE A PROPHET FOR GOD.

He saw himself as one without any special skills or abilities. He questioned if he had the stamina for the task to which he was called. Fearing for his life, he even hid. His name was Elijah.

Elijah's crisis of confidence came immediately after God had given him a great victory. You remember the story. Elijah challenged the priests of Baal to a contest. The test would be who could call down fire from heaven to consume a sacrifice placed upon the altar. The priests of Baal danced and prayed all day, but nothing happened. They became so frustrated and enraged that they cut themselves with swords and lances. Blood gushed forth from their bodies, and still Baal did not respond to their plea.

Elijah then took his turn. To prove the superiority of Yahweh he drenched the altar with twelve jars of water. He called unto the Lord. God heard his prayer and fire fell from heaven and consumed the offering. The people were convinced. They rose up and killed the prophets of Baal.

Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab and a worshiper of Baal, was angered by Elijah's action. She ordered that he be captured and put to death. Afraid of his impending execution, Elijah fled. He went a day's journey beyond Judah to hide in the desert. There he sat under a broom tree, begging God to take his life, believing he was a failure. Elijah had already forgotten the miracle of fire from heaven and now only thought of the vindictiveness of Jezebel.

ELIJAH VIVIDLY DEMONSTRATES THE DIFFICULTY OF BEING A FOLLOWER OF GOD.

Called upon to prove our faith, we have difficulty trusting that God will respond. Confronted by the hostility of others, we fear that God will not protect us. Required to do the impossible, we lose confidence in our Lord. But when we do trust, when we don't give into our fears, when we do hold on to our confidence, we find ourselves ministered to by angels.

Presbyterian missionary Rev. Benjamin Weir was held hostage in Beirut for sixteen grueling months. He suffered mental abuse as his captors continually told him lies and withheld family letters and national news from him. He endured the strain of being kept in isolation. He tolerated the hardship of always being chained.

Weir, in his book HOSTAGE BOUND, HOSTAGE FREE, relates how a glimpse of the Creator sustained him through imprisonment. One day, when taken to the bathroom, Weir discovered that by standing on the toilet he could look out the window. Radiant in the morning sun was the Bekkaa Valley and its fertile green pastures, beyond which was a display of snow-covered mountains. The inspiration received from looking out that window, Weir described with these words: "That sight, and the memory of it throughout the day, spoke to me of the grandeur of the Creator and his good intentions for the world and its people. This gave me hope and a sense of harmony." It was forbidden to look out the window, and soon his captors caught him. To prevent this from ever happening again, Weir's chain was made significantly shorter, but the memory and hope of that scene continued to live on in his soul. That memory, like an angel from God, sustained him in his hour of need.

Life is hard. Like Elijah, we may find ourselves under the broom tree questioning, wondering, doubting.

FORTUNATELY, THE GRACE OF GOD ALWAYS PREVAILS IN TIMES OF SPIRITUAL DISHEARTENMENT.

As Elijah sat under the tree brooding, an angel of the Lord came to him. Three times the angel approached Elijah, each time bearing the same message. The angel commanded Elijah to "arise and eat." No more moping around for Elijah. No more feeling sorry for himself. No more giving in to "the slough of despond." The angel of God told him to arise and eat. That's the way angels often talked to people in the Bible.

Halford Luccock once noted that we often hear the expression, "the voice of an angel." He began wondering what an angel would sound like. So he did some research, and discovered than an angel's voice sounds remarkably like a person saying, "Hurry up!"

He said that most people were under the delusion that the voice of an angel would always be beautiful. However, the words "Get up" are rarely beautiful, particularly at 7 a.m. Yet that is what the angels always say in the Bible. An angel comes to Peter in jail and says, "Rise quickly." An angel says to Gideon, "Arise and go in this thy might." An angel says to Elijah, "Arise and eat." An angel appears to Joseph in a dream, when Herod is slaughtering the infants, and says, "Go quickly." An angel appears to Philip and says, "Arise and go."

"Listen carefully," writes Halford Luccock, "and you can hear the voice of angels above the contemporary din of the world, a voice that ought to get us out of lounge chairs and comfortable beds. `Arise, go quickly!'" *

Elijah wanted to throw a Pity Party, but the angel said, "Arise and eat." This food, blessed by heaven, nourished Elijah, allowing him to travel forty days and forty nights without eating again until he reached Mount Horeb. It was on Mount Horeb that Elijah heard the still, small voice of God. How sweet it is to discover when we almost hit bottom, that we have not fallen so low that God cannot lift us back up. His ministering angels lift us to our feet. They tell us, "Arise and eat!" They tell us to get back in the battle. We are not alone. God is with us. And because God is with us, we can accomplish more than we ever dreamed possible.

On the evening of August 27, 1963, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was pacing the floor of the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C. The next day he would be standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial addressing a crowd of 250,000 people on the issues of equality and justice. The event was in celebration of the 100th Anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. The dilemma which confronted King was how to adequately express himself in the eight minutes he would be permitted to stand at the podium.

All through the night King worked on his speech, writing one draft after another. He demanded that his aides remain awake with him, so they could comment on each new effort. His friends tried to convince him to throw away the manuscript, and just allow the Holy Spirit to carry forth the words from his mouth. King would not entertain such a thought, and the vigil continued. By morning the speech was completed, typed, and distributed to the media.

Later that day King ascended the platform. There was great expectation among the audience as this noble orator stood before them. Slowly and deliberately King began to read his carefully prepared text. After a few short paragraphs, he suddenly realized the words were not adequate. Pushing the manuscript aside, King spoke from the heart, proclaiming, "I have a dream today."

What may be considered King's most noted address did not come from a prepared manuscript, but from the soul of a man moved by the spirit of God. Thus the angel comes to us, when we least expect it but are in greatest need. The angel of the Lord comes to us, filling us with the blessing of the Holy Spirit.

There will be times when each of us in our own particular mission, whether in our home or in our work or in our service to Christ, will face despondency and fear. Lacking courage and a resolute attitude we may falter and be tempted to quit. Take heart, we need not despair, for the angel of the Lord will also come unto us saying, "Arise and eat." If we heed His voice, and if we move out in faith, we will discover that God is faithful to His promises. We will win victories we never dreamed possible before.

-----------------------

*Halford E. Luccock in THE CHRISTIAN CENTURY

JUL292
ONE IN CHRIST

Galatians 3:23-29

It was Christmas Eve. A young Norman Vincent Peale was shopping with his father, Dr. Charles Clifford Peale. Clifford Peale was a physician who gave up his medical practice to become a pastor in the Methodist Episcopal Church. They were walking along Fourth Street in Cincinnati when a bum--what we would call today a street person--approached them. The man stretched out his filthy hand, placing it like a claw on young Norman's shoulder. Frightened and repulsed, Norman shook himself free and ran down the sidewalk. Dr. Peale went to his son, gave him a dollar, and instructed him to return to the man and offer him the money in the name of Jesus Christ. Norman did as he was told. He was surprised when the gentleman graciously received the money. Then the man smiled, and a beautiful radiance shone in his face. Traveling home that evening, riding the street car up Gilbert Avenue, Clifford Peale asked his son to describe what happened. Norman did not fumble for words. Quickly he answered, "I saw the man as he really is." His father responded, "Always remember and never forget it. Jesus Christ can make men and women what they can be."

That's a message you and I need to hear this morning.

JESUS CHRIST CAN HELP PEOPLE REACH THEIR TRUE POTENTIAL.

When we look into people's faces we ought to see not their obvious flaws, but what God can make out of them.

There is something within us that takes comfort in other people's shortcomings, isn't there? There is a story told on the late Dorothy Parker--a lady known for her sarcastic wit. She was at a cocktail party at which one of the guests praised another woman at the party. "She's very kind to her inferiors," said the guest.

With mock disbelief Dorothy Parker asked, "And where does she find them?"

Stripped of its sarcasm, her point is well made. There are no "superiors" in God's world nor are there "inferiors." There are only people. Precious people. People talented in various ways. Some are princes. Others are prodigals. But all are people with potential. Why? Because they have been fashioned by the Creator. That makes each one remarkably valuable. That's why St. Paul reminds us "there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

That's why it is absurd to divide people into acceptable and unacceptable, "our kind" and "not our kind." What is there in us that makes us classify people into groups and to judge some groups as being more acceptable than others?

A few years ago, when the Roman Catholic church was going through radical changes, a Jewish lady asked another Jewish lady, "Tell me, have you heard what's going on in Rome?"

"No," said the second. "I haven't. What's going on in Rome?"

The first lady said with great pleasure, "A meeting of high Catholic churchmen has decided that we Jews are not responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus."

The second Jewish lady raised her eyebrows. "And who is responsible then?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," said the first. "I think they suspect the Puerto Ricans."

Why must we always categorize people into groups? Why are we so hung up on those things that divide us? And why do we demean some groups--even to the point of persecution?

TO HAVE THE MIND OF JESUS IS TO VALUE EVERY ONE OF GOD'S CHILDREN.

No excuses. No "yes...buts." Every one.

Do you remember when Pope John XXIII was elected to office? He was seventy-seven years of age. He was only expected to be a caretaker Pope, a compromise among the College of Cardinals until a more suitable candidate could be selected. The jolly, rotund fellow was not expected to live long enough to effect much change in the Vatican and the closed Curia. As expected, he only held office for five years, dying in 1963. Yet, he is regarded as the most influential Pope of the century, for it was he who convened the Second Vatican Council. That Council revolutionized and revitalized the Roman church around the world. "When [people] are animated by the love of Christ," said this beloved Pope, "they feel united, and the needs, sufferings and joys of others are felt as their own." Pope John XXIII transformed and invigorated the church, because he understood that we are all one.

Love unites us. The poet Robert Browning wrote, "Take away love and our earth becomes a tomb." But the tomb becomes a day of resurrection with love.

Jesus taught this truth to us through his parables and short, pithy sayings. He warned us against being like the ungrateful servant, cautioned us not to be like the older brother, admonished us for having an attitude like the first laborers hired for the vineyard. He taught us not to throw the first stone, to take the log out of our own eye before we sought the speck in the eye of our neighbor, and to pray for those who persecute us. He instructed us to turn the other cheek, forgive seventy times seven, and go the extra mile. He asked us to love our neighbor as ourselves, to do unto others as we would wish them to do unto us, and when entering a room to sit at the foot of the table.

The principles Jesus taught, he also lived. Jesus invited to his table all sorts of people--Greeks, Jews, sinners, tax collectors--so they all would come to know his grace. He befriended a man who was hated by all: Zacchaeus. He met secretly at night with a man who was confused: Nicodemus. He healed a man who had a dreaded disease: the unnamed leper. These principles continued to be taught and practiced in the early church. James, the brother of Jesus, told us to "show no partiality" between a rich man and a poor man coming into the sanctuary. And from our lesson this morning, Paul wrote, "There is neither Jew nor Greek...slave nor free...male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." What a beautiful and important message. We are all one in the church. In the fellowship of believers we make no distinction between rich or poor, royalty or commoner, celebrity or plebeian. It makes no difference who you are, where you came from or what you have. You are a human being to be loved and recognized. Sadly, this is a truth we have not always acknowledged.

You may be familiar with the name Sojourner Truth. Sojourner Truth was a great lady who was both an emancipator and a suffragette. In the late 1840s the Akron Convention was held to expound upon women's rights. Ironically, most of the speakers at the convention were men--men who proclaimed the inferiority of women, of all things. Men who announced that women had no contribution to make to the community beyond that of being a homemaker. Men who believed that women lacked the sound judgement necessary to be registered voters. Men who heldforth that women lacked the ability required to conduct financial matters. Men who were certain that women were incapable of owning and operating a business.

When one male speaker announced the superior intelligence of men over women, Sojourner Truth could no longer remain silent. She mounted the steps leading up to the platform. Forcing the speaker to one side, she boldly stood before the assembly. Shocked at what just occurred, the audience fell silent. Then Sojourner Truth spoke words that all could hear. "Suppose a man's mind holds a quart," she said, "and a woman's don't hold but a pint; if her pint is full, its as good as his quart."

We would laugh at such logic today. Probably all of us can think of people we know, both men and women, who are running about a quart low. Still, we can thank God this is one controversy that can be laid to rest.

Is one sex better than another? Certainly not! Is one race better than another? Certainly not! Is one nationality better than another? Certainly not! Is the entrepreneur better than the laborer--the educated better than the uneducated--the politically powerful more important than the common citizen? Certainly not! Each of us has a special gift and talent to be recognized and respected. Each of us has a contribution to make, without which we would all be less. Each of us has a unique potential. To have the mind of Christ is to see another's potential.

EVEN MORE IMPORTANT, IT IS NOT TO CONDEMN BUT TO ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER AS CHRIST ENCOURAGES US.

It is a common practice at military academies for the upper classmen to haze the first year students. This is part of the initiation rites. Dwight David Eisenhower, as a second year student at West Point, participated in these activities. One day a plebe, as freshmen were called, bumped into Eisenhower. Such an act was unpardonable, so Eisenhower responded as expected-- yelling and screaming at the young cadet. Searching for the most demeaning thing he could utter, Eisenhower said the plebe looked like a barber. With that remark the plebe drew himself up to his full height, squared his shoulders, thrust forth his jaw, and responded that he was a barber. It was as a barber that he had supported his family prior to coming to the Academy.

Devastated, Eisenhower returned to his room. He retold the incident to his roommate, confessing, "I've just done something that was stupid and unforgivable. I just managed to make a man ashamed of the work he did to earn a living." In his autobiography Eisenhower wrote that for him this was a lesson about "the lack of consideration for others." In his room that day, Eisenhower vowed never to demean another individual again. It was a promise he kept through his life, even as Supreme Allied Commander during the Second World War and as the thirty-fourth President of the United States. He became an encourager and it showed in the effectiveness of his leadership.

That is the very heart of the Christian faith. John 3:17 tells us that Christ came into the world not to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. When we condemn another, for whatever reason, we are not of the mind of Christ. We are to encourage as Christ encourages us. If we hold that principle always before us, we will not err.

The 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott was begun by a lady named Rosa Parks. Rosa had just finished a hard day's work when she paid her fare to ride the Cleveland Avenue bus home. When she got on the bus, a number of white folks were already seated. She took her place at the rear of the bus, in the front part of the colored section. Rosa knew as more whites boarded the bus, moving their seats closer to the rear, she would soon have to stand so a white person could sit. Two stops later what she expected happened. No longer were there enough available seats for the white patrons, so Rosa was told to stand. She refused. The bus driver came back and swore at her, threatening to have her arrested. Still, she would not relinquish her seat. She was arrested, and thus began the bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama.

Years later Rosa Parks was asked why she would not stand when ordered. She responded it was because of her mother and her Christian upbringing. Rosa Parks declared, "I was brought up to believe in freedom and equality and that God designs all His children to be free." Bring up a child believing that, my friends, and he or she will never be satisfied with being second- class citizens.

It's time for us to see people as Jesus sees them. Christ sees folks as they can be. It makes no difference how they look or where they come from. He sees great potential. To have the mind of Christ is to see that potential, too, and to become an encourager just as he encourages us.

JUL392

FREEDOM'S YEAR

Galatians 3:26-4:7; Galatians 5:1, 13-26

A man in Alberta, Canada, delights in telling the story of his older brother's second wedding. The man's wife had died suddenly when they were both in their middle years. But then came a widow to the community, a feisty, free-spirited little person, and in just a short while, they asked the minister to come over for a house wedding. The families were gathered for the occasion, and the minister read the form. Then it was time for the vows. Everything went without a hitch, until he asked the bride, "And do you promise to love, honor, and obey him, until death do you part?" She puckered up her face for a minute. She wrinkled her brow as she thought. And then she was ready. She said, "Love and honor, yes! Obey, no!" The groom looked at his little bride, and his eyes shot wide open. He looked at the minister. And then he just shrugged. He said, "Oh, well, I guess two out of three isn't bad!" So they got married! And he gave her all the freedom she wanted! And they lived happily ever after!

We're like her, aren't we? We all want our freedom. And we don't want anyone to take it from us!

Maclean's magazine called 1991 "Freedom's Year!" for our world. And so it seems! A war for liberation in the Persian Gulf. A desperate struggle for political freedom in Russia. Hostages freed from captivity in Lebanon. Expansion of "Free Trade" in North America. Freedom for the ethnic communities of Yugoslavia. Free association for all races in South Africa. The list of freedoms and calls for freedom was a long one in 1991.

But freedom is such a slippery thing. You crave it one day. You have it the next. And then it becomes your worst nightmare. Not long ago, a family in the Maritimes won big in a lottery. For years they had struggled with a heavy debt load, financing a mortgage. Each member of the family had a job, and each one was expected to contribute toward paying off the loans. Now, suddenly, they were free! They could buy any mansion they wanted, and lay down cash for it! They didn't need to work! They could purchase all the toys and the trinkets their hearts had ever craved! They had it made! And a year later, Saturday Night magazine did a follow-up article on the family.

How had they coped with their newfound freedom? Well, the father was dead of a heart attack. Too much liquor and food, the doctor said. The mother was living with one daughter somewhere else. They weren't on speaking terms with the rest of the family. The old house was boarded up and left as a dirty eyesore. Some of the children lived in a new home, a large house on a big estate, walls and barbed wire fences around it. They were afraid someone would steal their newly-gotten wealth. And one son was in jail for murder. The folks in their old community shook their heads. "They used to be such nice people!" And the Saturday Night article ended by asking the question: What does it mean to be free?

That's the question at the heart of the dialogue between Paul and the Christians in the churches of Galatia, too. What does it really mean to be free? And the answer is almost a Catch- 22.

FOR ONE THING, FREEDOM IS A THIRST.

When you're thirsty, nothing hits the spot better than a long, cool, refreshing drink. But in a little while, you're thirsty again! And even when your thirst is quenched, you remember how good it felt to want, to crave, to need a drink! The craving is almost as enjoyable as the quenching.

Back in the 1960s, there was a serial mystery thriller on television that ended each episode with the hero caught in some terrifying predicament. People talked all week long about how he would get out of this scrape. And then they'd tune in faithfully the next week just to find out. Even the producers of the program sat on edge. That's because the writer didn't prepare his scripts in advance. When one episode was finished, he still had to write the next one. And then, one week, he really outdid himself. He wrote a scenario in which the hero was caught in a totally impossible situation! There was no way that he could break free! And on the set they shook their heads. Now what's he going to do? Then came the next script. And there, at the top, was a single line. It said, "With one uncontrollable bound, our hero was free." It made no sense. But that really wasn't the point, was it? Nobody really wanted freedom, or resolution, or peace to come for the man. That isn't why they watched! It was the thirst for freedom that was important. The craving. The longing. The hoping. The scheming. The new plans and counter-plans each week. Freedom is a thirst. And the quest of freedom itself is a driving force in our lives.

That's what Paul was facing with the Galatian Christians. They had thirsted for freedom, for life, for love, for acceptance, for something that really mattered. And in Paul's preaching they had found it. In the love of Jesus Christ it became real for them. But still, somehow, the craving went on. Freedom is never something that you can hold in your hand. It's ongoing, ever-developing. And that's why the thirst in their souls continued. Freedom is a thirst. That's one thing this morning. And here's another.

FREEDOM IS ALSO A TOOL.

When they cry for freedom in the Soviet Union, is total freedom, freedom from any restraints, what they hope for? You know it's not! Freedom from all restraints would spell disaster. It would mean the end of all promises. It would mean the end of the economic system. What is money, after all, but a promise of value? Most coins, and certainly all currency bills aren't worth the amount on their faces. They're only promissory notes! And a world of total freedom would destroy their value! Total freedom would be anarchy! Marriage is built on limitations to freedom. So is child-rearing. So are traffic laws, and civil codes. Freedom can never be an end in itself. Freedom is only a tool.

And Paul tells us what the goal of freedom is. He says that it's for the fullest expression of our mature spirits. He talks about the restraints we place on children. That's the reason for rules and regulations in a household, he says. They keep us safe while we're growing and developing. But then comes maturity and then freedom. The restraints are taken off. Why? So that we can find the dignity of our place in society. Without freedom we remain children. And without freedom we never fully express the best that's in us.

When Simon Bolivar led the nation of Peru to independence from Spain in 1924, they pleaded with him to become their first president. He refused. He said that his work was the work of liberation. Others were better suited to the task of governing. But still they wanted to honor him. So they offered him a gift of 1 million pesos. And he accepted the gift on one condition. He asked that he might supplement that gift with monies from his own estate, and then use all of that money together to purchase the freedom of the 3,000 individuals in Peru who were still slaves to other men. And he did exactly that. And when they asked him why he did it, this is what he said: "It makes little sense to free a nation unless all its citizens enjoy freedom as well." Freedom is only a tool. It can never be an end in itself. We use freedom to find our dignity.

Freedom is a thirst. And freedom is a tool. Here's a third thing this morning.

FREEDOM IS ALSO A TERROR.

This is Paul's biggest concern. The thirst for freedom and dignity in the churches of Galatia had left a lot of the people terrified. Many of them had grown up in Jewish homes. There was something comforting about the way that they had experienced religion in those homes. Everything was structured and orderly. Everything was tied to certain rules and regulations. There was something exact about it all, something controlled and safe. And the freedom of Christianity terrified these folks. It gave them a sense of being lost, like standing at the edge of Niagara Falls with no fences and railings.

Dostoyevsky put it so powerfully in his classic novel THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV. He pictures a scene in which Jesus returns to earth. It's the 15th century, and Jesus comes to Spain. Spain is ruled by the church. Spain is held in the sway of the Inquisition, the greatest heresy hunt of all times. The bishops of the church set down the law of Christianity. And they kill all those who don't toe the line. And here comes Jesus. He comes to Seville, while the fires of the Inquisition burn the day's quota of heretics. And Jesus comes quietly. But people seem to know him. They're drawn to him, by his gentleness, by his kindness, by his love. And he places no demands on them. A blind man cries out to see him, and he doesn't stipulate a penance. He simply opens the man's eyes to the joy of sight. And as they walk along, they come to the doors of Seville's cathedral. A procession of mourners is just leaving. They carry on their shoulders the coffin of a little girl, seven years old. And the mother throws herself at Jesus' feet and wails, "If it is Thou, raise my child!" And he does! And then comes the cardinal himself, the Grand Inquisitor. His eyes darken and his withered face grows black. He points a bony finger at Jesus, and he orders him arrested and thrown in prison. There in the dungeon, he confronts Jesus. He says, "You have no right to come back here and to mess things up for us!" He says, "You're destroying these people with your freedom! They can't handle it! They're like children! They need our rules and regulations! They need a church that keeps them huddled close in fear! Go away! Don't rock the boat! Take your freedom and leave!" And Jesus keeps silent the whole time. When the Grand Inquisitor finishes his tirade, Jesus waits for a long while. And when the Grand Inquisitor grows restless with the silence, Jesus finally stands. He says nothing. He only moves to the man's side. Then, with the tenderness of love and care, he softly kisses him. That's the only answer he gives.

Christ came to earth to love us. And love is freedom. And freedom is a terrifying thing. Because it will not coerce, it will not demand, it will not rule by force. Love offers itself unconditionally. And only those who freely take of it can find it.

And that brings us to the fourth thing this morning.

FREEDOM IS ALSO A TWIN.

It never stands alone. And the twin of freedom is loyalty. Liberty and loyalty. They always walk hand in hand. "You are free!" says Paul, "When you belong to Christ!" Do you see the irony in that? You are free--when you give up your freedom! But how can that be? How can you be free at the same time that you belong to someone else? How can slavery and freedom co-exist?

Look at your own life! What are the great memories that you have? What are the times in your past that jump out at you, and you say, "Ah, wasn't that marvelous?! Wasn't that beautiful?! Wasn't that something?" What do you find? You find that those are the times in your life when you became a slave of your own free will. You listened to a concert, and the music captured your soul, and it lifted you out of yourself. Or you were traveling through the Rockies, and the grandeur of the mountains took hold of you, and you were overwhelmed by awe and wonder. Maybe most of all, you remember the times when you gave yourself to another person. You stood at the front of the church at your wedding ceremony, and you said to her, "I'll be there for you! You can count on me! For better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, I give myself to you!" Or you held that tiny baby in your hands. And she was all wrinkles and squirming and softness. And you're big and powerful. And you're free. You can walk away from her and she can't even come after you by herself. And still you cuddle her! She wraps you around her finger, and all you can say is: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! A mother has a child. She belongs to that child. She could give up that child, but she chooses to be held by her commitments to that child. Day and night that child rules over her with a power greater than any rod of iron. Liberty finds its life in loyalty.

And here we come to the heart of the matter. THE PARADOX OF HUMAN LIFE IS THIS: that we are never truly free until we are fully possessed by Christ. Ian Maclaren tells the true story of a young woman in his book, BESIDE THE BONNIE BRIAR BRUSH. She's raised in a Christian home, but she wants to find her freedom. And so she goes. And she finds the kind of life she thinks is free. She gets for herself all that she's ever desired. But the getting's never enough. And what she possesses begins to possess her. Now she doesn't even know what it means to be free. One day she decides to go home. When she gets near the cottage of her birth, she wants to turn around. What's she looking for anyway? She's left this place behind! And her footsteps falter. She begins to turn her body. But then the dogs in the yard catch scent of her. And they haven't forgotten her, even though it's been so long. Then the light comes on at the door, and she knows she's caught. When the door opens, all she can see is her father, bathed in the lights. And he calls out her name, even though he doesn't have a reason to expect her. He calls out her name, and suddenly her feet take her running to him. And he takes her in his arms, and he sobs out blessings on her head. When she tells her neighbor later of that night, she says, "It's a pity, Margaret, that you don't know Gaelic! That's the best of all languages for loving. There are fifty words for `darling,' and my father could be calling me every one of them that night I came home."

There's the message of the gospel this morning. We are free! We are free to come and go! We are free to pick and choose! We are free to be this and to do that! But we find the depth of our freedom in commitment: to values that bring out the best in us; to careers that lift us beyond ourselves; to relationships that really matter; and most of all, to God. To our Lord Jesus. And if you find this to be "Freedom's Year" for you, you find your free and self-determined footsteps leading you home, to the love of a Father who sobs blessings on your head, who calls you His darling in every language of the human tongue.

JUL492

TRAVELING LIGHT

Luke 10:1-12

Sometime back a young family left for West Africa. Lee and Becky Prior and their three small children packed up and moved to the Ivory Coast.

A carpenter and a homemaker, Lee and Becky have joined a group called the New Tribes Mission. Their task is to translate the Bible into the language of the multiple African tribes who have yet to know the story of Jesus--to bring them the Gospel.

They had made a decision to be missionaries for Christ. They had heard his call first to come to him and receive his love and then to go out and tell others the wonderful Gospel story.

These young people discovered that to be missionaries they were called to "travel light." They left behind a comfortable furnished home and took with them only clothing and seven barrels of what they believed were the basic necessities of life.

Our text this morning has to do with traveling light.

Jesus calls his disciples together, gives them authority and sends them out...to carry the good news of God's Kingdom...to preach, to teach, to heal, and to confront evil wherever they find it...to be his missionaries. He charges them to carry no purse, no bag, no sandals.

Try to picture with me the typically dressed Jew in Palestine in the time of Jesus. He or she had five articles of clothing: Two tunics; one was an inner garment, the other, an outer one used as a cloak by day and a blanket by night. Then there was a girdle, a kind of waistband worn over the two tunics, a head covering, and sandals. A wallet or travelers bag was carried for food and money and slung over the shoulder. But Jesus told them to leave most of that behind. Missionaries travel light so they can concentrate on their Lord--to feel free to share his love with others.

Isn't there a message here for you and me? We are all called to be missionaries for Christ; called to share the story of our faith in Christ with others. Do we not often find ourselves so bogged down with stuff, with burdens, with activities, we can barely get out of our own way? Dragging so much baggage with us, so preoccupied with such a variety of things, we find it difficult to focus on Jesus and his call on our lives.

The twenty-third Psalm, familiar to all of us, offers a helpful image. David writes out of his own knowledge as a shepherd. One line of the Psalm is "He restores my soul." From time to time a shepherd is required to restore his sheep--for sheep have a tendency to get "cast down."

Phillip Keller, in his book A SHEPHERD LOOKS AT PSALM 23, describes what happens when a sheep is cast down. It finds itself on its back, all four legs straight up in the air, and unable to get back up. The attentive shepherd will set it back on its feet, massaging life back into its limbs. The shepherd restores the sheep.

What causes the sheep to become cast down in the first place? Sometimes it's because it wanders off into soft spots. But most often it's simply a result of having too much wool! The sheep's fleece becomes very long, heavily matted with mud and burrs and other debris so that it is weighed down with its own wool, rendered totally helpless and useless.

Wool in the Scripture is an interesting symbol. No high priest was ever allowed to wear wool when he entered the Holy of Holies. It spoke of self, of pride, of personal preference and the priest believed these things would bog him down.

Sheep do not particularly enjoy being sheared, but it must be done and when it is over, there is a great relief. There is no longer the threat of being cast down and there is pleasure in being set free from the hot, heavy coat. Set free to follow the shepherd once again.

Have you ever moved into a new home? What's the most common complaint in getting ready for such a move? "How did I accumulate so much stuff?" Most of us have too much stuff. Too much stuff can be a problem for missionaries. The more things we accumulate the more our freedom is restricted. The more stuff we have the more it demands our attention. The more attached we get to our stuff the harder it is to hear the call of Jesus.

Jesus' call to travel light may be a call to simplify our lives--to become more carefree--so we can regain a kind of "singleness of eye and heart," as Dietrich Bonhoeffer called it. (THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP)

Summer vacation can be a great teacher about a more carefree life. Ann Morrow Lindberg wrote a marvelous little book that's been read by thousands, GIFT FROM THE SEA. It is a profound work.

In it Ann Lindberg describes her alone time at her beach home. She tells how she experiences God's grace through the simplicity of the life she finds on summer vacation. Her life in the suburbs involves food, shelter, meals, planning, bills, doctors, dentists, vitamins, school conferences, car pools, extra trips for basketball, tutoring, camps, laundry, cleaning, mending, social arrangements, telephone calls, etc...

Life in our society, she says, is based on the premise of ever-widening circles of contact and communication. It involves family demands, community demands, national demands, and international demands. Our mind reels sometimes. It is not a life of simplicity but a life of multiplicity if we're not careful. It can lead to fragmentation rather than unification. If we're not careful it can destroy our soul.

Lindberg has been given a gift from the sea. It is the gift of simplicity. The sea and her little beach house have taught her the art of shedding; how little one can get along with, not how much. Clothes for instance. Instead of a closet full, a suitcase full.

Shelter--no rugs, no curtains. She found her anxiety about housework slipping away. No one to impress. Pride and hypocrisy in relationships ending.

She can't bring her vacation place back home, of course, but the shell on her desk reminds her of the ideal of a simplified life. To ask how little, not how much. To say, is it necessary?

I encounter so many people and so many families today whose lives seem so complicated. I wonder how they can keep track of all the conflicting schedules. Many seem so "strung out." Everyone's running in different directions. No meals together, no time to communicate, no alone time.

A pastor tells about a woman in his congregation. She is one of those over-committed types, always frantically busy, never stopping to catch her breath. "I'm too busy" is her constant cry. The pastor finally asked the woman, "How do you ever expect God to get hold of you if you never stand still?" It's a good question.

Do you remember a little poem that goes like this:

If I had my life to live over, I'd pick more daisies.
I'd try to make more mistakes next time.
I would be sillier than I have been this trip.
I would relax, I would limber up.
I know very few things I would take seriously.
I would take more trips, travel lighter.
I would be crazier. I would be less hygienic.
I would take more chances.
I would climb more mountains, swim more rivers, and watch more sunsets.
I would eat more ice cream and less beets.
I would have more actual troubles and fewer imaginary ones.
You see, I am one of those people who live practically and sensibly and sanely, hour after hour, day after day.

Oh, I have had my mad moments, And if I had it to do over again,
I'd have more of them.
Just moments, one after another, instead of living so many minutes ahead.
I have been one of those people who never go anywhere
Without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a gargle, a raincoat, and road map.
If I had my life to live over,
I would start barefooted earlier in the spring
and stay that way later in the fall.
I would ride more merry-go-rounds, and swing more.
I would do more water and sun-fun things.
I'd turn more somersaults, and roll in the grass, and go barefoot all over.
If I had my life to live over.
I'd spend more time at fun places.
I'd try to be more in touch with God and those I love.
I'd pray aloud more and not care what people think or expect of me.
I'd give more to me, and take more of you.
I'd just be me more and more....
Yes, I'd pick more daisies next time.

Churches can have the same problems as individuals. Churches too are called to be in mission, to be about the business of evangelism, to heed Jesus' instructions to travel light.

Often bogged down with business and concerns for facilities and so many details, a church can miss the voice of her Lord.

I'm reminded of a comedy skit done by a youth group. There is only one character--a pastor on stage answering the telephone. It goes like this:

Pastor: Good morning. Yes, sir, may I help you?

Voice: Good morning, peace be with you.

Pastor: Huh? Oh, sir, if you're looking for assistance the Calvary Mission is just two blocks down on Madison.

Voice: I came to give you something.

Pastor: Oh, I see, sir, didn't you see the sign out front, "No Solicitors?" Now if you don't mind, I'm very busy.

Voice: No one should ever be too busy for me. I've come to speak to your people.

Pastor: Oh, uh, sir, just what group do you represent?

Voice: I've been sent by my Father. I have a message for them.

Pastor: Well, that's very nice, sir, but you see, we do have a rather full schedule of events here at our church. We can't just pop things in at the last minute.

Voice: They must hear me. I have so much to give them.

Pastor: Well, I'm very sorry, sir, but you see, our theme for this month is "God is great in 88." Now, I don't quite see how your subject would fit with ours. As I said, we are a very busy church...why just this week alone...let's see here...Monday we have softball practice and in the evening Sara Plimpton will be showing her wildlife slides. And Tuesday's out. Oh my! The senior citizens will be going roller skating. And then Wednesday, yes, we have the craft class and the men's prayer breakfast. Well, as you see we just don't have a thing; but listen, why don't you have your representative give us a contact later in the fall...maybe something will have opened up, sir, sir?

Jesus calls us, loves us, but then sends us out, gives us authority to be his missionaries. "No purse, no bag, no sandals," to shed our excess wool, and to travel his journey of faith with him, a journey that calls us to travel light--to uncomplicate, to simplify, to catch a kind of lovely naivete once again.

To move with Jesus means we don't have to take all our provisions with us.

What is bogging you down? What excess baggage or wool might you still be carrying? Too much stuff? Too busy? Life too complicated?

Is the Lord calling you to leave behind the luggage of complaints, grudges, resentments? Healing often has to do with unpacking--shedding all those things that weigh us down and accepting Jesus' invitation to send us out as his missionaries, to fall in love again with our life of faith, to follow Jesus again with a light step and light heart, a little courage for the rough spots, prayers, a skip and a song. Traveling light.

JUL592

WHY DO WE CALL HIM GOOD?

Luke 10:25-37

Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, in his autobiography TREASURE IN CLAY, recounts a visit he made to a leper colony in Buluba, Africa. He intended to give a silver crucifix to each of the 500 lepers residing in Buluba.

The first person who came forward, however, was a man so disfigured by the ravages of leprosy that Sheen was repulsed by the sight. The man's left arm was eaten off at the elbow by the disease; so he extended his right hand. This hand, too, was unspeakably corrupted by this awful disease.

Unable to bear the leper's presence, Sheen held the crucifix above the man's palm and dropped it, where it was immediately swallowed up in the decaying flesh. Instantly, Sheen was aware of his unrighteous act. He had taken the crucifix--God's sign of identification with humanity--and refused to associate himself with one of God's children. Overcome with remorse, Sheen dug his fingers into the man's leprosy and removed the crucifix. This time, he gently placed the crucifix in the man's hand. Sheen respectfully handed a crucifix to each of the remaining 499 lepers and, in the exchange, learned to love them.

"And who is my neighbor?" someone once asked Jesus. Jesus replied by telling this story: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. `Look after him,' he said, `and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'" Now Jesus reciprocated with a question, "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" The answer was so obvious the inquirer responded immediately, "The one who had mercy on him." Then Jesus challenged everyone with these words, "Go and do likewise."

Nowhere in the Parable of the Good Samaritan is the word "good" used. Have you ever noticed that? Through the years, however, the word "good" has become synonymous with this man who dared to be a neighbor to a stranger. For all eternity he will be known as the Good Samaritan. Why? Why do we call him good?

FOR ONE THING, HE DID NOT TURN HIS BACK ON SOMEONE IN DISTRESS.

Isn't that our first reaction? We see someone who is hurting and we look away. That's what the priest and the Levite did. They were the religious leaders in the community. But they ignored the forsaken traveler. We can only guess why. Perhaps they did not want to be made ceremonially unclean by touching one they suspected was dead. Possibly they were just in a hurry and did not want to be inconvenienced. Whatever the reason, they both turned their back. The Samaritan was good because he turned his face on the man, not his back, and he showed him simple human kindness.

Mark Twain once wrote, "Kindness is a language that the deaf can hear and the blind can read." He was right, of course. Everyone can understand the language of love. It can be spoken in any dialect and still be comprehended by a person of any nationality, by the rich and the poor, by the old and the young, by both male and female. Kindness is a universal language for it does not speak to the intellect, but directly to the heart. The Samaritan was "good" for he spoke the language of kindness. Even though he was a Samaritan and the beaten traveler was a Jew, he reached out to him.

But there is a second thing to note.

THE SAMARITAN WAS ALSO WILLING TO DISRUPT HIS SCHEDULE TO HELP THIS MAN IN DISTRESS.

Time is such a precious commodity in our world. A Pennsylvania consulting firm recently released one of those studies estimating the amount of time the average American will spend doing various things over the course of a lifetime. The results are not encouraging. Consider:

Time spent opening junk mail: 8 months.
Time spent sitting at stoplights: 6 months.
Time spent searching for misplaced objects: 1 year.
Time spent trying to return phone calls: 2 years.
Time spent doing housework: 4 years.
Time spent standing in line: 5 years.

With time such a precious commodity, sometimes the greatest act of Christian charity is the willingness to give someone else your time.

When Clara Barton learned of the terrible plight of the wounded soldiers at the battle of Second Bull Run, she immediately left the security of Washington, D.C., for the battlefield. Arriving on Sunday she labored all day and on through the night, aiding the stricken men. Exhaustion could not stop her as she bandaged one man and consoled another. Fear could not deter this nurse from her appointed rounds. As Rebel skirmishers began to pass over the knoll of a nearby hill, Barton continued her work. Alone, she treated the injured as the other medical personnel boarded the train, hoping to reach the safety of the city.

Slowly the Confederate forces advanced; soon the hospital would be overrun. Aware of the impending doom, a Union officer rode up to Barton with a mount in hand. He called, asking if Clara could ride a horse bareback. Nodding she could, the officer yelled, "Then you can risk another hour!" While bullets passed by her, she stayed to bandage yet another man.

When the Samaritan stopped along the side of the road to assist a fellow traveler, he was willing to risk yet another hour. He was willing to take the risk of getting involved. He was willing to sacrifice his time. He was willing to surrender some of his belongings. He was willing to walk, so another could ride. He was willing to offer his coins at the Inn for a man who had none.

To be "good" we, too, must risk another hour. Seldom do we have the opportunity to schedule when we need to be involved. Usually it is thrust upon us when we least expect it and are ill- prepared. Surprise will always be our first response. Inconvience will always be our first thought. Unwillingness will always be our first desire. Then we remember the word, "good." And we swallow our pride and our prejudice and take the time to help.

This brings us to a third thing to be said.

THE SAMARITAN SHOWED HIMSELF CAPABLE OF THE HIGHEST ACT OF HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS- -THAT OF EMPATHY.

He saw in the traveler stripped and beaten on the road his own desperate need. For you see, suffering is a universal human phenomenon. Nobody can escape the heartache and sorrow of life. Everyone is subject to illness and grief. At one time or another we all will have to endure lost dreams and shattered ambitions. Money, power, and prestige offer no protection against such anguish. We are all neighbors, for you and I share the same physical, emotional, and spiritual distress. In the parable Jesus asked us to realize that the individual along the side of the road hurts as much as you or I have in a similar circumstance. Jesus hopes we will entertain the weary traveler's agony as our own.

Actress Ann Jullian's struggle with cancer and her resulting double mastectomy has been much publicized. She allowed her story to be told to encourage and support others who are enduring a similar ailment. Ann's husband, Andy, extends the same sympathy to the public. His sentiment is best expressed in a comment he made after viewing President Reagan on television. The newscast showed the former President lugging a potted plant to his wife Nancy, a patient at Bethesda Naval Hospital, who also had a mastectomy. Observing Ronald Reagan's concern for his beloved spouse, Andy concurred, "I felt sorry for him. He is simply a guy, just like you and me. He may be the President of the United States, but at that moment he was a husband worried about his wife."

Suffering is equitable, for no one is spared. Understanding the pain of our own afflictions makes us more willing to help our hurting neighbor. That help may come as a kind word, a visit, or a comforting embrace.

Mother Teresa once put it like this, "The biggest disease today is not leprosy or cancer. It's the feeling of being uncared for or unwanted, of being deserted and alone. The greatest evil is the lack of love and charity, and an indifference toward one's neighbor who may be the victim of poverty or disease or exploited and at the end of his life, left at a roadside."

In his Inaugural Address, President George Bush declared, "For this is the thing: This is the age of the offered hand." With all due respect to the President, my observation is that there are not enough hands being offered. Am I wrong? It appears to me we are still in the age of "looking out for No. 1." We need to see in our neighbor's distress our own desperate need.

But there is a final thing to be said:

THE SAMARITAN WAS "GOOD" BECAUSE HE SAW IN THE TRAVELER CHRIST HIMSELF.

Oh, the Samaritan wouldn't have expressed it that way, but Christ did. "When you do it unto the least of these...."

Walt Whitman expressed it this way, "In the faces of men and women I see God." In the face of every forsaken pilgrim stranded along the side of life's road, we perceive the presence of our Lord. Thus, mere acquaintances are turned into friends. Why? Because a man from Nazareth once befriended us.

Frederick Douglass approached the front door of the White House, seeking admission into Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Ball. Just as Douglass was about to knock on the door, two policemen seized him, barring the black man's entrance. Douglass, a large, powerful man, brushed the officers aside and stepped into the foyer. Once inside, two more officers grabbed the uninvited guest, all the while uttering racial slurs.

As Douglass was being dragged from the hall, he cried to a nearby patron, "Just say to Mr. Lincoln that Fred Douglass is at the door!" Confusion ensued. Then suddenly the officers received orders to usher Douglass into the East Room. In that beautiful room, the great abolitionist stood in the presence of the esteemed President. The place quieted as Lincoln approached his newly arrived guest, hand outstretched in greeting, and speaking in a voice loud enough so none could mistake his intent, the President announced, "Here comes my friend Douglass."

The President had called Frederick Douglass friend. Who dared demean Douglass if he was a friend of the President?

Jesus Christ, the Lord of the universe, has called us his brothers and his sisters. God has called us His own children. But not only us. Also the person who lies stripped and beaten by the side of the road. He--or she--is our friend, our neighbor. So we pause and we help, because once there was a man who paused on a cross for us. And we remember, and like Bishop Sheen we retrieve the cross from the decaying flesh, and say, "Friend, what can I do to help?"

JUL692

ONE THING IS NEEDFUL

Luke 10:38-42

This is the age

of the half-read page;

The quick hash

and the mad dash.

This is the age

of the bright night
with the nerves tight;

And the plane hop

with a brief stop.

This is the age

of the lamp tan
in a short span.

The brain strain

and the heart pain;

The catnaps till

the spring snaps
and the fun is done.

I know, that sounds kind of cynical. But there's lots of truth in that poem. An article in the magazine, PSYCHOLOGY TODAY, had this to say:

"In the next 12 months, we will consume around 20,000 tons of aspirin...That totals 225 tablets per person, per year, or 2/3 of a tablet per person, per day. If you go by these sales figures alone, it would suggest that most everyone in the United States has a headache most of the time."

I don't know if this generation is any more "uptight" or anxious than the last one. However, a seminar leader made a statement recently that caught my attention. The statement was this: "Twenty years ago people were asking: `How can I get to heaven?' Today people are asking: `How can I get through this day?'" That statement made such an impact on me because:

*That's what I've been hearing.
*That's what I've been seeing.
*That's what I've been feeling inside.

You may have seen the study that showed that in the early 1900s the top ten killers of humankind in the United States were all infectious diseases. In the 1980s it is estimated that the top ten killers of humankind are all stress-related diseases. The medical profession, changed economic conditions, and child protection laws have all worked to reduce substantially the death rate. Meanwhile, our lives have gotten more and more complicated.

We're such busy people. Many of you are under lots of pressure at work or at school. Some of you are under stress because of a shaky marriage or problems with the children. Of course, some of us deal with stress better than others.

Dr. John Anderson tells about a cartoon that appeared in the NEW YORKER magazine. Approaching a small bridge plainly marked, "Load Limit--8 tons" was a truck, also marked on its side, "8 tons." When the 8 ton truck was about in the middle of the bridge with the 8 ton limit, a bluebird lighted on the top girder. At that point the bridge gave way and crashed with the truck into the river below, to the obvious surprise of the bluebird.

The bridge was built as indicated for 8 tons; the truck weighed exactly that. The bridge could hold up under its load limit, but not under 8 tons and one bluebird.

Of course, this story is wonderfully ridiculous. Most bridges could stand up under their load limit and several thousand bluebirds extra. But, to be sure, all bridges have a breaking point somewhere--that point at which the bluebird would be just much too much. But, friends, it really isn't the bluebird that breaks it down. It is the fact that 8 tons are already present.

We all have bluebird troubles, don't we? We are all burdened by the facts of our lives which load us to the point of "load limit." We let little things get the best of us, little bluebirds of nothingness, tiny bluebirds of no importance, but just the thing to bring us down. Every person has a limit and we would do well to watch for the warning signs of one bluebird too many. There is always a load limit. *

Obviously, we are not the first generation of people who are under lots of pressure, anxiety and stress. There were people uptight and anxious in the time of Jesus too. In fact, in our gospel text, Jesus told a good friend named Martha to slow down and "smell the flowers," so to speak.

Jesus was coming to Bethany to visit Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha. Great news! Martha didn't hesitate a minute to begin the preparations. A thorough house cleaning. And, no doubt, cooking and baking many of the foods she knew that Jesus liked.

Jesus must have arrived early. (Don't you just hate it when people arrive early? Here you are, making last minute preparations. You're still in your grubbies giving that floor a last vacuuming, when the doorbell rings. There are your guests! You had just enough time for a quick shower and change of clothes. So much for those plans. You chastise yourself and say: "I knew I should have started earlier.")

Whether Jesus arrived early or not, suffice it to say that there were more things to be done. Martha was working feverishly. Mary was working feverishly, too. But when Jesus arrives, all of Mary's activity stops as she visits with and listens to him.

Meanwhile, Martha's in the kitchen finishing up the meal. "When is that girl going to get in here and help me finish up?" she huffs. The pots and pans and slamming doors get louder and louder. That doesn't work. So, finally Martha can't stand it anymore. She bursts into the living room, hands on her hips, her face flushed with anger, as she blurts out these words to Jesus:

"Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me!" I picture Jesus responding with a loving smile, as he says to her: "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her."

Can't you just empathize with Martha here? Shocked. Embarrassed. What was she supposed to do, let the casserole burn in the oven?

If we don't know the rest of the story, we may assume that Martha had quite a shallow faith and that Mary had all the spiritual depth. Not so! Recall when Lazarus died? They had sent for Jesus several days before. When he finally comes, Martha hurries to him while Mary stays home. "If you had been here," she says to Jesus, "my brother would not have died." No recrimination. Just simple trust. "I know even now," she goes on, "that God will give you whatever you ask of Him!" Notice that Martha did not say, "I hope" or "I think," but she said, "I know"! In spite of her sorrow, she exclaims: "I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God who was to come into the world!"

What a confession of faith! The woman who once was flustered by last minute preparations has become one of the first to recognize and proclaim who Jesus really is. Martha's faux pas was not lack of spirituality. It was a matter of timing and perspective. In Ecclesiastes chapter three, we hear the rhythmic cadence of the writer who says:

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven...
...a time to be born, and a time to die.
...a time to break down, and a time to build up.
...a time to cry, and a time to laugh.
...a time to keep silence, and a time to speak."

There's a time for everything. The tough part is keeping it all in perspective. How to you achieve the kind of wisdom that avoids "making mountains out of mole hills and mole hills out of mountains"?

Have you ever been in a hurry and buttoned up a long overcoat with lots of buttons and when you were done, found out that the coat was uneven? What went wrong? I'll tell you what went wrong. When you don't get the first button in the right hole, all the rest are out of sequence too, right?! That's a parable about life. Jesus said it this way in the Sermon on the Mount: "Seek first God's kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well." (Matthew 6:33) If the Lord is not the high priority in your life, then, like the overcoat, so many other things in life will be out of whack as well.

Is it true that people today are not asking as fervently as in the past, "How can I get to heaven?" Is it true they are asking: "How can I get through this day?" Who really knows for sure. Ultimately, it really doesn't make that much difference. Even though the questions are different, they are co-dependent in a startling way! For the closer we are to Jesus Christ, the more he will have a positive effect on our faith-walk each day. I like this prayer because it captures the themes of both questions:

"O Lord, help me to remember that nothing is going to happen today, that you and I together, can't handle." Amen.

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* Adapted from David Capehart, "One Bluebird over the Limit," NATIONAL CHRISTIAN REPORTER, January 29, 1989. Contributed by Mike McConachie, First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Paris, Mo.

JUL792bBON

THE CRY OF FREEDOM

Matthew 22:15-22; Romans 13:1-8; Galatians 5:13-18

This past week we celebrated Independence Day. This day is a special time, set aside to celebrate many gifts and opportunities that "Freedom" brings to the American citizen. It celebrates our independence from England and our dependence on God. I remember watching President Carter receive the distinguished Medal of Freedom in Philadelphia. It was an inspiring moment for me to see Jimmy Carter get the respect he deserves since his defeat in 1980.

The Fourth of July always sets me to thinking about the relationship of church and state, and God's will and providential care for both of these institutions that I am a loyal member of- -one by birth and one by a "new birth". I know Jimmy Carter also struggled with his commitment to the Christian faith, and his responsibilities as President of the U.S.A.

I have always been moved by my studies in American history as an under-graduate that our search for freedom was hardly "free" but was made possible by the sacrifices of many brave men and women who have gone before us-- Bunker Hill to Valley Forge, to Gettysburg, to San Juan Hill, to the Normandy Invasion, to the Vietnam jungles.

What does it mean to be an American? What are the values, the commitments that are needed? What is the role of freedom here?

What does it mean to be a Christian on the soil of these United States of America? Where does loyalty to one begin and loyalty to the other end? What does freedom mean in this context? Are we freed only to burn flags?

In our reading from the Gospel of Saint Matthew, Jesus Christ appeals to his followers to render unto Caesar that which was Caesar's and unto God that which was God's. It was an appeal for the right relationship between a Christian citizen and government. How would you respond if your government asked you to do something against God's word?

I believe the Bible teaches separation of the institutions of church and the state. However, it does not endorse or teach, as the secular humanist and atheist believes, the absence of Christian principles being demonstrated in the lives of those who govern. God is sovereign over everything and everyone.

In the Old Testament, the Priest came from the Tribe of Levi. The Kings came from the Tribe of Judah.

This is why in Jesus Christ the two offices were combined, as the Bible teaches in Zech. 6:13: "He shall sit and rule on his throne; and he shall be a priest on his throne."

I want to make perfectly clear today that Matthew 22:21 is not an endorsement of two systems of ethics or two distinct lifestyles. Matthew 22:21 is Jesus' endorsement of the necessity of government to help oversee human activity and provide for order in a chaotic world.

Let me remind you that God has established three institutions to nurture human life to provide meaning, purpose, power and structure:

The Home (Genesis 2:8-15)
The Government or State (Genesis 9:1-17)
The Church (Acts 2)

Now, let us turn to our lesson from Romans 13 for today for insight about government and its purpose, and our responsibility in it.

THE FIRST PRINCIPLE THAT PAUL SETS FORTH IS THE NECESSITY OF GOVERNMENT.

Paul called for all believers to accept the reality of government on one hand, but to transcend it on the other hand. That is Paul's way of saying, that government is a necessity. The function of government is to provide an orderly environment for human life. Given all the sinfulness of the human race, Paul took government to be a necessity for helping to preserve the goodness which God had put into life. Without some intentional ordering of society, our human frailties would eventually destroy us.

Paul is saying that if there were no laws, no institutions like marriage and the family, no governments, the winds of chaos and confusion would so devastate society that human life would nearly be impossible. So this is why Paul says that government is a necessity, ordained by God. (1) Even without the entrance of sin into human affairs, some type of government would have been needed to maintain society. According to James Reichley, what democracy needs to survive is a value system that undergirds it with structure and authority.

THE SECOND POINT I BELIEVE PAUL MAKES IS THAT GOVERNMENTS ARE NOT TO TAKE THE PLACE OF GOD. The bottom-line of Chapter 13 from Paul to the Romans is that all governments and their powers come from God and are responsible to God. God is our authority-- beyond all other authorities.

Many Christians quote only the first sentence of this chapter: "Let every person by subject to the governing authorities." However, the most important sentence is the second one: "For there is no authority except from God..." This is true in religion, as well as in politics, in the sanctuary, as well as in the Halls of Congress, in the "Church House", as well as in the White House. Beyond the power of government, there is the power of God. Dr. Coffin once said in a sermon, "Christians, like Jesus, have God as their authority, and no authority as their God."

Many years ago, Dr. Harry E. Fosdick offered a helpful story. He compared government to a pump. A pump can only pull out of the well that which is already there. Government is the same. The ruling authorities can only insure a solid moral and spiritual foundation for American by pulling it out of the American people. Government cannot legislate morality; it can only structure the moral commitment that we allow to exist. This is why we must be salt, light, leaven.

Recently while on vacation, I took our out-of-town guests to New York City to see the special attractions of the Big Apple.

On Sunday, as we came out of the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church to walk through Central Park to eat at the Dallas Barbecue Restaurant, we noticed that the police were setting up for a parade. I said, "Great, we can see a famous New York City Parade." I asked the officer, "What parade is it?" He answered that it was the Gay-Lesbian Parade to celebrate homosexual and lesbian lifestyles. I was greatly disappointed.

The New York City government can change their view of this lifestyle, but they cannot change the wording of God's law. Government, unfortunately, only reflects the moral commitment that already exists.

Then my mind reflected on Acts 5:27 where the Bible declares that "we must obey God, not man!" Government can never replace God's word.

Yes, I believe Christians, clergy and lay folks alike should participate in the political arena and process. For born-again, spirit-filled believers have values, morals and viewpoints that can enhance and lift the quality of life in every generation. However, our motivation is love, not power. When we participate in the political process, we do so realizing that the foundation of the Kingdom of God is much LARGER, DEEPER, AND BROADER than the platform of any particular political party.

In bringing this section of our sermon to a conclusion, let me repeat, "Let God Be Our Authority"--beyond all other lesser authorities in life--because GOD is an authority we can always trust.

Now, let us turn to our lesson from Paul's letter to the Galatians, especially Chapter 5.

According to Maxie Dunnam, the Book of Galatians is the "Magna Carta" of evangelical Christianity. (2) It is Paul's great declaration of religious freedom. However, it is a freedom that involves independence from men and women--BUT DEPENDENCE ON GOD.

It is in Galatians that Paul says, "...let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." In Galatians he says, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." In Galatians he declares, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male or female; for ye are all one in Jesus Christ."

Well, freedom is a frightening thing. We all want it, but it has its obligations and responsibilities. When a child is finally set free at eighteen or twenty-two, she or he finds out that it is different being on one's own. And many of them end up back in the nest. Freedom overwhelmed them.

The cry that I have heard from the various countries and its people for the last two years has been the crying and yearning for FREEDOM. From Germany to the Soviet Union, from Poland to Romania, from China to Chile, from South Africa to the West Bank, is the cry for freedom.

The walls have fallen and Checkpoint Charlie is no more. Structures of political oppression are changing in the Soviet Union and various Eastern Bloc Nations. Where tyranny once prevailed, human dignity and liberty are now flourishing. We rejoice with those who are experiencing the political, social, and economic revolution taking place that will provide them greater freedoms and liberties.

However, as Paul points out, freedom raises many concerns. Freedom always produces a crisis. Freedom affords both danger and opportunity. Freedom requires RESPONSIBILITY AND DISCIPLINE. What will dominate in our lives now?

As I wrestled with this text, I became increasingly convicted that what Paul was declaring is that when we commit ourselves to Christ we aren't just being FREED FROM SOMETHING--BUT BEING FREED FOR SOMETHING. It is not only an unshackling but a call to be elevated for a greater spiritual journey. We are being FREED TO SERVE GOD, and rendering invalid all the other small gods that wish to dominate and control our lives.

It is true: unless we are freed by Christ, no man or woman, regardless of what country they live in, even if it is a Christian nation, is truly freed.

This is what Paul was declaring in his letter to the Galatians. You can only be "Absolutely Free" by faith in Christ alone when you walk by the Spirit.

Peter Yakovlevich Vins wrote his family from his Russian prison in 1936. He asked them to pray that Jesus would empower him so he could be a faithful witness for his Lord. Then he concluded with this statement: "It is better to be with him in prison that at liberty without him." This why we sing "Faith of Our Father"- -living still, in spite of dungeon, fire, and sword.

MERE RELIGION CANNOT CHANGE OUR LIVES.

Observe Northern Ireland. Both sides are staunchly religious--the Protestants and the Catholics. Even the secret agents of the IRA claim to be devoutly religious. Iran is fanatically religious. Religion doesn't provide the answer. Here in our country, religion is not answering our dilemmas. We are being overwhelmed by secular humanism that has not merely isolated itself within secular circles but has pervaded theology, education and other aspects of life. Religion is not the answer, particularly when you set aside certain facets and cling to them as if they were the whole truth. (3) Only faith in Christ can save us and free us for God.

Loren Eiseley, in his book THE IMMENSE JOURNEY, tells of the time when he captured a sparrow hawk while on an expedition to secure wildlife for a zoo. As he prepared to build a cage for his captive, Eiseley scanned the sky in vain for the mate who had escaped when the nest was raided. The author then described what happened as he took the young male out of the box in which he had been confined overnight:

"He lay limp in my grasp and I could feel his heart pound under the feathers, but he only looked beyond me and up. I saw him look that last look away beyond me into a sky so full of light that I could not follow his gaze...I suppose I must have had an idea then of what I was going to do, but I never let it come into consciousness. I just reached over and laid the hawk on the grass.

"He lay there a long minute without hope, unmoving, his eyes still fixed on that blue vault above him. It must have been that he was already so far away in heart that he never felt the release from my hand. He never even stood. He just lay with his breast against the grass.

"In the next second after that long minute he was gone. Like a flicker of light, he had vanished with my eyes full on him, but without actually seeing even a premonitory wind beat. He was gone straight into that towering emptiness of light and crystal that my eyes could scarcely bear to penetrate. For another long moment there was silence. I could not see him. The light was too intense. Then from far up somewhere a cry came ringing down.

"I was young then and had seen little of the world, but when I heard that cry my heart turned over. It was not the cry of the hawk I had captured; for, by shifting my position against the sun, I was now seeing further up. Straight out the sun's eyes, where she must have been soaring restlessly above us for untold hours, hurdled his mate. And from far up, ringing from peak to peak of the summits over us, came a cry of such unutterable and ecstatic joy that it sounds down across the years and tingles among the cups on my quiet breakfast table.

"I saw them both now. He was rising fast to meet her. They met in a great soaring gyre that turned to a swirling circle and a dance of wings. Once more, just once, their two voices joined in a harsh wild medley of question and response, struck and echoed against the pinnacles of the valley. Then they were gone forever, somewhere into those upper regions beyond the eyes of men." (4)

When we are in Christ, we also can move into the upper regions of spiritual life to be liberated from all that cages and shackles our human spirit. Christianity was never intended to be a cage confining the human cry for freedom but rather provides an arena in which we are freed by God's grace to work out our salvation to His glory.

THE GLORY OF GOD IS A HUMAN BEING FULLY ALIVE AND FREED BY THE WORK OF GRACE.

We are freed to love everyone, freed to laugh and cry, freed to live and die, freed to be God's light in a darkened world.

The cry of freedom and for freedom is only found in Jesus Christ, who was the world's first and only truly free person.

When we are free in Christ, we are then free to work in the human family, participate in the governmental arena and empowered to serve in the church family, telling and proclaiming the old, old story of Jesus and his love.

As we consider our human family, our national family, and our church family, let us remember the inspiring words of Adoniram Judson: "The future is as bright as the promises of God." In Christ, we are truly "free".

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1. Mark Trotter, "Grace All the Way Home," THE UPPER ROOM (Nashville, TN: 1982), pg. 135.

2. Maxie Dunnam, THE COMMUNICATOR'S COMMENTARY, Volume 8, Word, Inc.

3. Loren Eiseley, THE IMMENSE JOURNEY (New York: Random House, 1946), pp. 190-192.

4. James Draper, THE CONSCIENCE OF A NATION (Broadmann Press, 1983), pg. 124.

AUG192

ON KNOWING WHAT'S BEST FOR YOUR KIDS

Luke 11:1-13

A small boy, sitting on his grandfather's knee, noticed that Grandpa had a red mark on each side of his nose.

After looking for some time, he asked, "What gave you those red marks on your nose?"

"Glasses," was the reply.

After further reflection, the little boy asked, "Glasses of what?" (1)

Children can keep us off balance, can't they? One mother, writing about her toddler, was mystified that a child who can swallow three bottle caps and a paper clip can choke on a mouthful of mashed potatoes. (2) It doesn't seem possible, but it's part of the mystery of being a parent.

Maybe that is why one cynic said there are some children who should be applauded with just one hand.

It's difficult being a parent. A recent government study found 88% of adults believe it is harder to be a parent today than in the past. "What was painfully clear," says commission chairman Sen. John D. Rockefeller, "was that families are really trying, but it's increasingly hard for them to make ends meet and spend time with their children."

According to this study,

. 87% of parents have financial difficulties.
. 81% say they don't spend enough time with kids.
. 33% say kids receive less love, care and attention than they did 10 years ago. (3)

It's even more difficult in the increasing number of single parent homes. Not only are the financial burdens heavier, but according to this same study, "20% of children from single parent homes had not seen their father in five years." It's tough.

Even in the best of homes raising children is a challenge. Even if the marriage is intact. Even if finances are not a major concern. Even if parents have time to spend with their children, it's tough.

FOR ONE THING, THERE IS A FINE LINE BETWEEN PROVIDING FOR A CHILD AND SPOILING IT.

Anyone relate to that? There is a fine line between providing for and spoiling--and it doesn't just relate to toys. How tough or how tender should we be with kids? Does anyone have an answer for that one?

A burst of thunder sent a three-year old flying into her parent's bedroom. "Mommy, I'm scared," she said.

The mother, half-awake and half-unconscious, replied, "Go back to your room. God will be there with you."

The small figure stood in the unlit doorway for a moment and then said softly, "Mommy, I'll sleep here with Daddy and you go in there and sleep with God."

It's tough the first night we make a child sleep alone in her own room. To hear her crying herself to sleep, to ignore her plea for another drink of water, to turn over and go back to sleep when you know she is frightened and lonesome is difficult. Yet you know for the child's own good this is a transition she must make. She cannot stay an infant forever. There is a fine line between providing for a child's needs and spoiling that child.

THERE IS ALSO A FINE LINE BETWEEN GENUINELY ASSISTING YOUR CHILD AND PREVENTING THAT CHILD FROM LEARNING TO TAKE ON RESPONSIBILITY.

Anybody disagree with that? We know that learning a sense of responsibility is one of the essential tasks of childhood. But again, that's hard.

A little first grader appeared to be greatly upset when he came to the principal's office and asked if he might use the telephone to call his mother.

"Is there something wrong?" the principal asked. "Can I help you?"

"Well," the little fellow said, "yesterday I forgot my sweater and left it here at school. This morning my mother told me not to come home without it. I can't find it anywhere, and I want to call her on the phone and ask her where she wants me to go." (4) Poor tyke, but also poor Mom. Trying to teach him how to keep up with his things. To be responsible for himself.

There is an interesting difference between Japanese and American parents at this point. Ezra and Suzanne Vogel observe that Japanese parents encourage their children to be dependent. It is part of their culture to rely heavily on others for emotional support and decisions about their lives. For example, the Japanese firm is highly paternalistic and takes a great deal of responsibility for making the employee secure and comfortable. Thus, the dedicated Japanese mother encourages her child to feel dependent. The Vogels observe, however, that just as the American mother has always complained about the success of her efforts and felt that her children were too independent, so the Japanese mother tends to feel that her children are too dependent, despite the fact that she has trained them this way. (5)

Again, there is that fine line between dependence and independence. Between freedom and responsibility. How much should I do for my child? How much should he or she do for himself or herself? Sometimes parents rob their children of developing a sense of responsibility because it is easier to go ahead and perform a task for them than it is to get them to do it themselves. It is easier to give in than it is to set firm guidelines.

I don't want to seem judgmental, but my guess is that in today's world there are more problem parents than problem kids. Did you see in St. Louis this year where they had to cancel the annual city-wide Easter egg hunt, because parents were getting out of hand? If you don't believe that can happen, visit any Little League ballpark. It's hard, but we can sympathize. Where do you draw the line in teaching a child responsibility, to take up for themselves, to be independent, yet to care for others? We need the wisdom of Solomon for such tasks.

FINALLY, THERE IS THE PLACE OF ADVERSITY IN OUR CHILDREN'S LIVES.

None of us wants to see our child get hurt. We want to protect our children. We don't like to see them fall down and bruise their knees. We don't like for them to have to receive hurtful remarks from other children. We would do almost anything to keep them from experiencing pain. We're like the father of professional football great, Sid Luckman.

Luckman was the star quarterback for the greatest football team of the 1930s and '40s, the Chicago Bears. His father was an immigrant tailor in Brooklyn and rarely got to see his son play football. But one Sunday the Bears were in New York to play the Giants at the Polo Grounds, and Luckman arranged for his parents to have seats on the 50-yard line. For most of the first quarter, things went smoothly. Luckman was passing crisply and the running game was working well. But then on one play, the Bears' pass protection broke down. Giant defenders rushed in, and Luckman had to scramble, to dodge the tacklers before they could get to him. As he was running back and forth, trying to avoid these huge linemen, you suddenly heard a voice call out from the sidelines, "Sidney, let them have the ball. I'll buy you another one." (6)

We can appreciate that. We want to protect our children not only from physical hurts but from emotional hurts as well. And yet we realize that where there is no hurt, there is no growth. If you learn to roller skate, you're going to fall. If you learn to deal with people, you've got to learn to deal with criticism and sarcasm and demeaning behavior. We can't forever protect or shelter our children from life's darker side. There comes a time when, for the child's own good, we have to step back and let go.

CAN WE NOT SEE THAT GOD HAS THESE SAME DILEMMAS WITH US? That is what our text is about. Jesus says in Luke's account, "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who trust him." Luke has a tendency to spiritualize things. Matthew's account reads like this: "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good things to your children, how much more will your Father which is in heaven, give good things to those who ask Him!"

In other words, watching over us is One who is a loving parent. He knows our real needs. He will grant us anything in this world that is in our best interest. However, He knows what will make us stronger and what will ultimately weaken us. He knows the potential within us and He knows our breaking point. Most importantly, He knows what it will take to fit our souls for His Kingdom. Sometimes His greatest gift is an unanswered prayer, because He sees what we cannot. Even though He does not like to see us hurt, any more than we like to see our children hurt, He cares even more for us than we care for them. And He knows what is in our best interest.

A story in Christian Worker's magazine tells about a young man who was trying to establish himself as a peach grower. He had worked hard and invested his all in a peach orchard which blossomed wonderfully --until a frost came and killed all the blossoms. The young fellow did not go to church the next Sunday, nor the next, nor the next, nor the next. His pastor went to see him to inquire about his absence. The young fellow exclaimed with bitterness in his voice, "I'm never coming again. Do you think I can worship a God who cares for me so little that he would let a frost kill all my peaches?"

The old minister looked at him a few moments in silence, then said kindly, "God loves you better than He does your peaches. He knows that while peaches do better without frosts, it is impossible to grow the best people without (some adversity). His object is to grow people, not peaches." (7)

There is a lot of sound theology there. God's intent is not to grow peaches. It is to grow people--people whose hearts, minds and souls are fit to share eternity with Him. He knows it is at the broken places that we become strongest.

Our text, then, is about trust. It is about letting go of our resentments, our doubts, and our fears. It is about believing that there is never a storm so tumultuous that He cannot bring us safely through. That there is no night so dark that His light cannot penetrate it. That nothing is going to happen to us that by His grace we cannot handle. If you then, imperfect as you are as a parent, know how do give good things to your children, can't you trust God to provide you this day with the things you need?

----------------

1. Sunshine Magazine.

2. Marlys Huffman, Quote, 1-92, p. 28.

3. USA Today

4. Winston K. Pendleton, FUNNY STORIES, JOKES AND ANECDOTES

5. Philip Slater, THE PURSUIT OF LONELINESS (Boston: Beacon Press, 1970).

6. Pulpit Resource

7. Don Emmitte

AUG292

A NEW VANTAGE POINT

Colossians 3:1-17

Whenever people visit a beautiful, impressive church building, invariably there are two things they want to do: they want to go up to the pulpit and see how things look from this perspective; and then they want to go up in the balcony, if there is one, and look down on everything.

And isn't that typical? There's something inside of us that needs to climb to the top and get the view from above.

When we were children, we'd climb trees and build secret houses for ourselves up in the branches and spy down on the world below. When we were older we'd climb to the top of a skyscraper and gaze upon a vast city below.

Why do we need to do that? What's inside of us that makes us want a view from above?

Psychologists have an answer. They say there's a sense of power that comes when we stand above the world. We can play "god," looking down on everything, having a feeling of omnipotence! It's kind of the Goliath complex in us: you remember the big warrior of the Philistines, in Old Testament times. He stood half a man's height above everybody else, and he thought his size made him invincible. When young David came out to meet him on the battlefield, he laughed, and said, "Look at the little puppy that's running after me!" Goliath lost his head in the clouds, and his thinking got a little fuzzy. But that's what we all like to feel, now and then. A sense of standing over everybody else. The Jolly Giant who fears no little creatures below.

But there's another reason we like the view from above, something not quite so selfish. It's a sense of perspective. When you look out the window of an airplane, you begin to see how things fit together, how the hills and valleys interlock, how the fields form a mosaic, and the towns have some shape and definition.

That's the idea Paul has in mind when he writes to us about Jesus' ascension in Colossians 3. He says that if we want to find some method to all the madness of life, we need to get the view from above. We need to follow Jesus into heaven, and see things from his perspective in glory. The first two chapters of Paul's letter to the Colossian Christians are a grand testimony to the reign and rule of King Jesus. Paul writes, "For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether principalities or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him." (1:16) And if that's not enough, Paul goes on to say, "He is before all things, and in him all things hold together!" (1:17)

SOMETIMES THAT'S KIND OF HARD TO BELIEVE!

Is that what you see when you look at the world around you--that Christ is over all things? Is that what you say each morning after you read the newspaper? "Well, I see Jesus has everything under control?" It's not what we say, is it? Not if you read the same paper I read. Just the opposite seems to be true.

John Steinbeck earned a Pulitzer Prize in 1940 with his book, THE GRAPES OF WRATH. Tom Joad is the main character in his book. Tom's Grandpa homesteaded a farm out on the prairies. He broke the sod. He worked the land. He raised his family. And when he died, Tom's Pa took over. The land was good. God blessed his efforts. And all was right in the world. But then the bad years came. The rains stayed in the clouds. The grasshoppers ate their fill. The winds battered the tender shoots of grain. And one by one, the farmers went bankrupt. First they borrowed a little money, just to feed the family. Then they couldn't pay it back. And finally the sheriff came out, and told them to get off the land; it wasn't theirs anymore! But whose land was it? Well, it belonged to the bank. So they went to the bank. "I'm sorry," said the bank manager. "I can't help you. You see, I only administer the bank." So they go to the Board of Directors. "We're sorry," say the Board of Directors. "We'd like to help you, but our hands are tied! The shareholders, you see....They're the one's who tell us what to do." And who are the shareholders? A thousand faceless people, all over the country. And Tom Joad's father wants to hit somebody. He wants to punch somebody in the face. But nobody's to blame. There's a monster that controls everything. And nobody can help it. And nobody knows what to do. And nobody seems to hear when the preacher prays and the baby cries.

That's where we all live, most of the time. And Paul knows that. At the beginning of Chapter 2, he says life is a struggle for him. He says he struggles to get people to see the mystery of God in Jesus Christ. He says people love to follow fine-sounding arguments, and run after the latest fad. He says they end up in the maze of life, and can't see the forest for the trees. They get caught up in what he calls "hollow and deceptive" philosophies. If you can't see how things fit together, if you don't have a perspective which is larger than yourself, that's where you end up. The world according to me!

A gravestone in an English cemetery carries this epitaph:
Here lies a fellow who lived for himself
And cared for nothing but gathering pelf.
Now where he is or how he fares,
Nobody knows and nobody cares!

Frightening, isn't it, to live in a little world, and have a small view on things; to get lost in the forest of traffic, and be eaten up by some unseen monster.

BUT THAT CAN CHANGE FOR YOU, SAYS THE WORD OF GOD.

It can change when you get the view from above, the perspective on life that Jesus has, ascended to glory, sitting next to his Father in Heaven. It's a perspective that doesn't deny the evil we see around us. It's a perspective that doesn't try to sugar-coat everything in some kind of syrupy-sweet religion. Rather, it's a perspective that puts evil in its place, and catches the larger purpose for which we exist.

Maybe you remember that novel by E. M. Forster, A ROOM WITH A VIEW. Lucy Honeychurch is visiting in Italy with a friend. They're rich English people, out on holidays, and when they get to a hotel, they want a room with a view. They want a room that looks out on the beautiful things of Italy: the colors of nature, the marble statues, and fine architecture. But there's only one room left. And it's on the wrong side of the hotel. It doesn't have "a view"; at least not the kind of view they want. It looks down on the markets, and the teeming mass of people, poor people, rough people, the kind of people they don't want to know about. All the other rich people pity them. A room with no view! What a terrible way to spend the holidays! And Lucy Honeychurch at first buys into that idea. Think of her name: "Honeychurch" Religion where everything is nice and pious and oh, so sweet! But Forster changes her heart. He helps her to see the poor people. He has her heart reach out in compassion and touch their hurts, and share their needs. She begins to see life as it really is. In the end we get the feeling that Lucy Honeychurch actually does have "a room with a view." It's a view of things as they truly are. It's a window looking down on a world of good and evil, of beauty and pain. And Lucy Honeychurch reaches out to that world.

THAT'S WHAT PAUL SAYS GAINING THE PERSPECTIVE OF CHRIST CAN DO FOR US. It can give us the perspective of Christ in heaven, and then fill us with his character as we continue to live in this world. Paul says it begins with a confession of faith, and then continues with a conscious decision. The confession of faith is this: Jesus Christ is Lord and Ruler of the Universe!

It may not always seem like that's the case, but, as Paul says in another passage: We live by faith, not by sight! Just because I don't see my family during the day doesn't mean they don't exist. Just because no police officer reads me my legal rights doesn't mean the Law isn't working. Just because I don't understand electricity, doesn't mean the lights won't go on when I flick the switch. That's the way it is with our testimony of faith. Even if God's ways are sometimes a mystery to me as I read my morning newspaper, it doesn't mean He's not there or that somehow He's lost control.

A man and his little boy were testing the Springtime winds with a brand-new kite. It was a big kite, colorful and fancy. And they had a huge spool of string. The breezes were blowing stiff. And the kite begged to run wild. And so they let out all the string. And the kite went so high that the little boy couldn't even see it anymore. Is it still there? he asked. Yeah, it's still there! But how do you know for sure? I can't see it anymore! I know it's still there, his Dad said, because I can feel it tugging at the string!

And that's how we make our testimony of faith, isn't it? When we love somebody, even when we can't see him, we say he's tugging at our heart-strings. And when we confess that Jesus is Lord and Saviour, we feel the tug of his love inside. Even though he's disappeared from sight for a while, we know he's alive, and we know where he's at, and we know what he's doing, and we know he's coming back again. That's the testimony we make with Paul here: Our lives are now hidden with Christ in God, and when Christ appears, we will be with him in glory!

AND THEN COMES THE CONSCIOUS DECISION ABOUT LIFE.

It's a choice as basic as changing clothes. Take off your old clothes, says Paul, and put on the new ones! Take off your little perspectives, the way you'd naturally see things, and then put on the clothes of a new perspective, the view of life from Christ's vantage point in heaven. Paul says in verses 9 and 10, "Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in know-ledge in the image of its Creator." What does that mean, in practical terms?

Well, the idea originally came from an ancient Greek philosopher named Pyrrho. He honestly believed that the sensory world didn't exist. He thought all he saw around him was just a projection of his mind. He told everybody that they shouldn't worry about things. Nothing actually existed anyway. Well, the townspeople got a kick out of that. And one day they got the laugh of a lifetime. Here was Pyrrho, who said nothing really existed out there, and he was running down the street, chased by a rather vicious dog! In a desperate move, he grabbed hold of a tree branch, and swung himself up to safety. And the crowds gathered around, and they called up to him, "Hey, Pyrrho! Why are you running from a dog that doesn't even exist?" And Pyrrho shrugged his shoulders, and told them, "It's difficult to put off the old man!" And ever since that day, philosophers talked about putting off the old man, the old self, the old perspective, and putting on the new way of life.

That's what Paul's talking about here. If you believe Jesus is in charge, if you confess that he's Lord over Creation, then live as if that's the case! Live as though he matters! Live as if his perspectives were your own! Stop being chased around by the dogs of anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language! (vs. 8) Instead, let the new you come alive, the new you that wears Christ's clothing: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. (vs. 12) Put off the old man, the man of little perspectives and selfish motives. And put on the new man, the self that knows that Christ rules this world, the self that is transformed by his love.

When Henry David Thoreau wrote his classic wilderness book, WALDEN (1854), he told of a powerful custom among the Mucclasse Indians. Once a year they had a village-cleanup called a "busk." First, they would make new clothes for themselves, and new furniture, and pots and pans, and all the other necessities of life. They would keep all of these new things in a new building just outside of the village. When everything was ready, they would begin the annual spring cleaning. Every corner of every house was scrubbed. Every stick of furniture was thrown out. Every child's toy went on the garbage heap. The dirt paths were swept, and the weeds were plucked up. Even the food that was left over from the winter was thrown out the door. Now all the refuse was gathered together. They piled it high in the center of the village. Then the chief set the heap on fire, and while they were watching it burn, they took off their old clothes, and threw them into the flames. They tended the fire carefully, and made sure every last piece of garbage was burned. They even waited for three days to make sure everything had been destroyed, and no coals were still glowing. And on the fourth morning, washed and bathed, and dressed in their new clothes, they gathered again at the heart of the village. Now the chief started a new fire, by rubbing sticks together, and from the fresh flames each family took a burning faggot home. The old was gone. Life was beginning again!

That's the kind of thing Paul is talking about here. If you believe that Christ rules in heaven, that he has given you a new life and a new perspective on things from his vantage point, then make a conscious decision to live that way. If you believe Jesus rules, then choose to act in ways that reflect his perspective and his love! That's the choice of a living faith! That's the perspective of Christians who celebrate Jesus' ascension to glory. That's the lifestyle of those who have a new vantage point from which to view the world of God!

AUG392

WHY WE BELIEVE IN GOD

Hebrews 11:1-16

There's a little town up the Fraser Valley in British Columbia called Lillooett. There's a small-town newspaper published in Lillooett. And for many years the editor of that paper was a woman named "Ma" Murray. "Ma" Murray was kind of a tiger, in her own way. She was a social activist. And every issue of her paper rode concerns about labor and about human rights and about native issues. But here's what was so striking about "Ma" Murray's paper. She always wrote in a frenzy. So much so that she didn't pay much attention to punctuation. She wouldn't put quotation marks around the things that other people had said. She'd run sentences on and on, without throwing in a period now and again. And people criticized her for it. If you're going to publish a newspaper, they told her, then do it right! Put the punctuation marks where they belong! So here's "Ma" Murray. And she doesn't really care what people think about her style. So what does she do? On the first issue each year she covers the whole front page with nothing but punctuation marks! Commas, and colons, and exclamation points, and quotation marks, and periods, and question marks....They're all there! The whole front page! "There!" she'd say, "I've given you all the punctuation marks you'll need for the whole year! Just use them whenever you think they're necessary!"

This morning we want to deal with one of the punctuation marks of life--the question mark. Not just any question mark, but a question mark that gets at the root of our lives: WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE? That's the question each of us must eventually answer. What are we doing here?

Some of you watch the television program called "Quantum Leap." It's about a time traveler who pops in and out of other people's lives. And each time he has to ask himself: What am I doing here? And the reason he has to ask that question is because the people who's lives he gets into, haven't been asking that question. They've just been coasting along, one day to the next. And then, all of a sudden, a crisis erupts. And now somebody's got to figure it all out before it's too late. What am I doing here? What's my life all about, anyway?

We need question marks in our lives, don't we? We may not always want them, but we need them. Two English writers, George Elliot and Herbert Spencer, were once having a conversation together. They were talking about the lines on people's faces. The wrinkles that we earn over the years. Sometimes we call them laugh lines. Sometimes they look like worry lines. And George Elliot noticed that Herbert Spencer's forehead was smooth. There weren't any wrinkles there at all. And Herbert Spencer smiled a bit, and he said, "Well, that's because I'm never perplexed!" And George Elliot replied, "Well, that's the most arrogant thing I've ever heard!" And it is, isn't it? Don't you just hate it when somebody is a "know-it-all"? Never perplexed. Never disturbed. Never having any questions about life, or about why things happen.

Our Scripture reading this morning was first addressed to very perplexed people. They were Jewish Christians. They thought they had it all together. They knew their history. And they knew their identity. And then one day something happened to change it all. The legions of Rome marched through Palestine. And they plundered Jerusalem. They killed the priests. And they destroyed the Temple till it was less than a dusty ruin. This was crushing to those who had grown up in the Jewish faith. They'd suffered a lot throughout their history. They'd endured more than most people should have to. And one of the things that kept them going was the Temple in Jerusalem. It was the doorway to heaven. It was the gateway between this world and the spiritual realms. It was the place that God promised to meet with them. And now it's gone! And the questions come. Who is this Jesus we thought we knew? What good is religion if it lets you down? Where's God when you need Him most?

You ask those questions too, don't you? That's why this letter was written. That's why it's in the Bible. Because there are profound questions at the bottom of our lives. And even if we don't always think about them, even if we drift on from day to day, they come back to us in the crisis. Why? For the same reasons that these verses are planted in the Scriptures.

BECAUSE THE MEANING OF OUR LIVES IS ALWAYS BIGGER THAN OUR EXPERIENCE.

Faith, says the scripture, faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. The meaning of our lives is always bigger than our experience.

Remember the games you played as a child? You sat there at the table, in your high chair. You covered your face with your hands and you said, "Mommy! Mommy! Where am I?" And you thought that if you couldn't see her, she couldn't see you. Your world was only as big as your senses. Your world was only as big as your experiences. What you see is what you get. And nothing more. And then, somewhere along the line you had to learn the truth. The world is bigger than our experiences.

The early Jewish Christians couldn't just cover their eyes and all of the problems of their faith would go away. They needed to know that there was something bigger to their lives than the doubts of perplexity and the mysteries of experience that pummeled them.

Life means more to us than our experiences. It has too. For the Jewish Christians, the meaning of their lives was bigger than the Temple, bigger than the sacrifices, bigger than a legal code. Faith, says the scriptures, is the certainty of what we do not see!

There was once a man named Tertullian who loved to ask questions. He had an inquiring mind. And before he became a Christian, he tried to find the meaning of life in a lot of different philosophies. And each time, as he kept asking Why? Why? Why? Eventually the answers gave out, and he wandered on, a disappointed man. And then one day he met a man whose answers made sense. He didn't pretend to know everything. But he did know God. And Tertullian became a Christian that day.

Some of you have read the book by M. Scott Peck called THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED. M. Scott Peck is a psychiatrist. And he wrote that book to try to help people find meaning to their lives. When he began writing that book, he wasn't himself a Christian. But the longer he wrote, and the more he observed those who came to him for help, the deeper he realized that life doesn't make sense if all we see is all we get. M. Scott Peck became a Christian when he followed the question marks in his soul. The meaning of our lives is bigger than our experiences.

Here's the second thing:

WE BELIEVE IN GOD BECAUSE THE MEANING OF OUR LIVES IS ALWAYS FOUND IN PLUSES RATHER THAN MINUSES.

Did you see that in these verses? Creation, says verse 3, was the big plus of God. He added to reality. He created these worlds. There was more to the universe after God was finished than there was before he started. And look at the other verses. Remember the story of Cain and Abel? Cain always took from those around him. He always tried to see what he could get from them. Abel gave the best he had! Enoch gave himself to God. That's why he was a man of great faith.

That's why it's such a shame when people sometimes define their Christianity in negative terms. What does it mean that you're a Christian? Well, it means that I don't do this, and I can't do that...It means that I shouldn't and wouldn't, and couldn't...

A little while ago I mentioned M. Scott Peck. You know what he says? He says that the psychiatric profession owes its very life to the church. And do you know why? It's because, he says, most people who have great emotional difficulties come from religious homes where God was portrayed as a minus sign rather than a plus sign. God was always out to get you. Don't do this or you'll be sorry! Live in fear because God sees every mistake you make!

Peck tells of Kathy. Kathy who wanted to die, because the torment of an all-seeing and all-punishing God ripped the very life out of her waking hours. Peck tells of Theodore, who entered his office an atheist, because he couldn't stomach the God of his parents. Always on the take. Always looking down in judgment. Always waiting to strike. Today Theodore is a minister of the gospel. Because he finally asked the deepest questions of his soul. And when he did, he found that God didn't hate him for it.

What's the meaning of your life? Isn't it found in the pluses rather than the minuses? Do you know that a negative Christianity is no Christianity at all? The Hebrew Christians wanted to go back to playing a game, where God was a scorekeeper, and they had to make the grade. Don't you see? says the writer. Don't you know? Don't you understand that you can never find God on the scorecard of your own accomplishments? We believe in God, not because he takes life away from us when we don't deserve it, but because he adds life to us when we don't know where else to turn! We love because he first loved us!

Why do we believe in God? We believe in him because the meaning of our lives is always bigger than our experiences. Because the meaning of our lives is always found in the pluses rather than the minuses.

And here's one more thing this morning.

WE BELIEVE IN GOD BECAUSE THE ULTIMATE MEANING OF OUR LIVES IS ALWAYS STILL AHEAD OF US.

Do you see that here? Abraham is on a quest. The saints of the Old Testament times are always on a quest! The meaning of our lives isn't in the past or the present, but in the future, in the thing God is yet to do with us. Listen again, "...they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth." People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had the opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

Why do we believe in God? Because life is too precious to be wasted in these few years. If the meaning of my life is finished when I've ended my brief pilgrimage here, then what was the good of it? Says the Apostle Paul when they asked him that question, "If, for this life only, we hope in God, then we are to be pitied more than all men!" But life is more than just this short race. And we know it, because we believe in God, and we believe in the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

There's an old legend told among the peoples of the Hebrides. It's the legend of the god of the sea, who always wanted a child of his own, a human child. And once it almost happened. They were going between the islands, some of the peoples, in small canoes. And the ocean god tossed his waves, causing one of the canoes to capsized. The passengers fell into the water and a young boy among them almost drowned, though they fetched him back from the waters. "But," said the god, "I shall not worry, for I was able to toss a wavelet into the little one's heart. He will come back to me, because the sea is in his soul."

And that's the picture of the scriptures as well. We are born with a hunger in our souls, a hunger for meaning, a hunger for purpose, a hunger to make sense out of our lives. And that hunger leads us full circle round again to the one who made us. There's a verse in Ecclesiastes that puts it like this, "He has set eternity in the hearts of men." (3:11) That's why life is a pilgrimage for us, why we look for the meaning of our lives in the future, why we carry our question marks with us toward that far horizon. William Wordsworth put it beautifully in one of his poems. He describes our life as a journey across a tiny island. In the morning of our lives, we touch the eastern shore. And through the days of our lives we wander our way west. But all across the island we can still see the Sea of eternity that surrounds us, and we can still hear the lapping of the waves in our hearts, "...in a season of calm weather/Though inland far we be/Our souls have sight of that immortal sea." And it beckons us on to the far horizon, the western shore, where God collects us once again with all of our new experiences into the grand mystery of His serenity.

The wavelet of eternity has been tossed into your heart. It calls and it beckons you. And you may not want to hear it. But in those nights, when you're silent upon your bed, you feel it.

It's like a short story by H. G. Wells, "The Door in the Wall." A little boy, about six years old, is wandering about, and he comes to this white wall and there's a green door in it. He opens the door, and when he goes in, he enters a country of enchantment--a world of charm, where he's perfectly loved, and fully accepted. And he wants to stay there, but for some reason he can't. For the rest of his life he's haunted by that country. He's haunted by that place where he was most himself. And he spends his life trying to find it again.

What are the question marks in your life? What are you asking? "Does my life have meaning? Is there a purpose for it all?" Do you know what those questions are? They're the echo of eternity, still bobbing in your soul. They're the call of the Western Sea, and they're the enchantment of heaven. And the meaning of your life, the full meaning of your life, is still ahead of you. Because you won't find all the answers to your questions till you cross the River Jordan, till you open the door in the wall that Jesus has unlocked. There, by the grace of God, all questions will become one question. And this is the question you will hear. It's the question Jesus posed to Peter one day. It's the question at the heart of every other question: Simon, do you love me? Child of eternity, do you love me? And when we find the answer to that question, the rest of our questions form the doxology. And there we will be: Lost in wonder, love and praise!

AUG492

LESSONS FROM THE LOCKER ROOM

Hebrews 12:1-2, 12-17

Cathy and her boyfriend, Irving, who is a golfing fanatic, are on vacation. They are on the golf course.

Cathy: Here's your ball, Irving! It was over in the weeds!

Irving: AACK! You moved the ball! You're not allowed to move the ball, Cathy!

Cathy: Who cares? We're the only ones out here!

Irving: It's against the rules! You can't break the rules!!

Cathy: You hate rules!

Irving: But this is a SPORT! It's no fun without rules! It's pointless unless everyone plays by the exact same rules!

As Irving walks away, Cathy follows after, writing in her notebook, "To do after vacation. Get relationships declared a "sport" and print up rule book for all the men." (1)

Not everyone in this room is a sports fan. I recognize that. There are some of us who cannot even understand the almost pathological appeal that sports have for some people. One man was annoyed by his wife's constant sniffling as she watched a weepy soap opera. He said, "For Pete's sake, why is it you cry about the imaginary woes of people you've never met?"

She answered angrily, "For the same reason you yell and scream when a man you don't know hits a home run."

Different strokes for different folks. That's what makes life interesting. Still, sports are an important phenomenon in our culture. No one here will argue that. St. Paul was a sports fan. That's right. The Apostle Paul, whose letters or epistles constitute half the books in the New Testament, was an avid sports fan. He was fascinated with the Olympics--and especially with the running events. Images drawn from foot racing turn up again and again in his writings.

For example, in his first letter to the Corinthians, he asked: "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?" And then he advises his readers, "Run in such a way as to get the prize" (9:24).

Paul's point is straightforward: If you are going to compete in the race of life, run to win. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul tells us that when he first received his life's mission to preach the Gospel among the Gentiles he went in secret to the leaders of the Jerusalem church because he was afraid, in his words, "that I was running or had run my race in vain." (Gal. 2:2)

How sad, he seems to be saying, to run life's race and have nothing to show for it. For Paul, lessons from the locker room have much to say about the Christian life. Even if sports is not your thing, I believe you can appreciate some of the principles St. Paul found in both.

THE FIRST PRINCIPLE IS THAT VICTORIES ARE FIRST WON NOT ON THE PLAYING FIELD BUT IN THE TRAINING ROOM.

In Paul's words, "Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize...." In other words, the final victory demands more than determination. It requires discipline.

Former Michigan State football coach Duffy Daugherty tells a great story about a winning field goal kicked by a young man name Dave Kaiser against UCLA many years ago. The game was in Los Angeles and the field goal gave Michigan a 17-14 victory.

As Dave Kaiser came back to the bench to meet the roaring enthusiasm of his teammates, Coach Daugherty said: "Nice going, Dave, but I noticed you didn't watch the ball after you kicked it. How come?"

Kaiser replied, "You're right coach, I didn't watch the ball. I was watching the referee to see how he would call it. You see, I forgot my contact lenses. They are back at the hotel. I couldn't even see the goal posts!"

Daugherty was shocked and at first very angry that Kaiser had not told him about his contact lenses. But after he thought it over he changed his mind entirely. Why shouldn't Kaiser kick without his contact lenses? Kaiser was a disciplined kicker and had practiced for long hours. He knew well the angle and the distance to the goal even though he could not see it. The whole process of kicking the ball was programmed into his body and mind by the ongoing discipline of daily practice. In that moment, when the ball went through the goal posts, discipline paid off. (2)

It always does. If you jump into a taxi cab in New York and ask the driver, "How do I get to Yankee stadium?" don't be too surprised if he replies, "Practice! Practice! Practice!" The key to life is discipline. That is true in any endeavor. It is true in the classroom, in the workplace and it is true in our relationship with Christ. The Christian life involves good mental, emotional and physical habits. In another place Paul reminds us we are temples of the living God. We do not defile a temple. The life of faith, like that of an athlete, is a life of discipline.

A SECOND LESSON WE CAN LEARN FROM THE LOCKER ROOM IS THE IMPORTANCE OF A CLEAR-CUT SENSE OF DIRECTION AND PURPOSE.

It is important to spend those long, grueling hours sharpening your competitive skills. It is just as important to run a straight and intentional course. If you get confused and turned around while fielding the kickoff, you just might return it the wrong way. If you hit a home run but trot first to third base, then to second and then first before going home, your effort will count for nothing. You can be the fleetest athlete in the world, but if you don't stay on course, it's not likely you'll find your way into the record books--except as a bad example. Paul writes in his letter to the Philippians: "Not that I have already...been made perfect, but I press on...Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (3:12- 14)

Nowadays, we talk about focus. The person who has his or her life focused--who knows where he or she is going--is most likely to succeed. We know that Bill Clinton from his college days was focused toward being President of the United States. Whether he makes it or not is yet to be determined, but the fact that he has come so far is testimony to the power of focus. There is very little that a truly focused person, who is also a person of discipline, cannot accomplish.

After his conversion, St. Paul focused everything he was and everything he hoped to be on one thing: serving Christ. Two thousand years later, we are still studying and learning not only from Christ, but also his servant Paul.

Does your life have a focus? Are you driven by a great purpose? To be driven by a great purpose means that we get rid of anything in life that would keep us from attaining the goal we have chosen. St. Paul writes in our text from Hebrews, "...since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Get the picture? We are on the track waiting for the starter's signal. Everyone who has ever walked this life in faith is cheering for us. But we can't start the race until we get rid of the monkeys on our back, until we get rid of our selfishness and arrogance, our sloppiness and pride. You can't run a race looking over your shoulder. And you can't live your life fully if you are bogged down with unfinished business--regrets, grievances, hurt feelings. Get your eyes on the goal and get rid of anything that is slowing you down. It's like the imaginary conversation between two marriage partners named Liz and Gil:

Liz: "Gil, you promised you would be home at 4:00. It is now 8:00."

Gil: "Honey, please listen to me. Poor ol' Roger is in the hospital. He was knocked unconscious by a stray shot on the eighth green."

Liz: "Oh, that's awful."

Gil: "It surely was. For the rest of the game it was hit the ball, drag Roger, hit the ball, drag Roger."

If we are to get anywhere in the event known as life, we have to stop dragging Roger! We have to divest ourselves of anything that slows our progress toward our ultimate goal. At the finish line waits the all-time world record holder and judge. If we just keep our eyes on him, we will be all right. If we just run the race as he did, we cannot lose. Paul had learned to put first things first, to do what Jesus requires of his followers, before everything else to seek God's dominion and His justice and to let everything else fall into place.

But there's one more lesson to be learned from the locker room.

WE NEED TO EXPERIENCE, IN ADVANCE, IN OUR MINDS AND HEARTS THE KEEN JOY OF VICTORY.

In his second letter to Timothy, Paul says, "...I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day...." (4:7-8).

Paul had a profound sense of the one who had called him, the God to whom he had committed his life. Paul knew God not as an abstraction or a vague idea. He knew Him as his trainer, teammate, and judge. Paul was sure that God's grace would carry him across the finish line as a winner. He could almost feel the gold medal on his chest, could see the laurel wreaths being placed on his head, could hear the cheers of those whose opinion really counts. And you and I need that kind of anticipation in our lives, too.

Most athletes know what I am talking about. Studies of winners show that before they ever head for the track or the ball field or the gridiron, many of them in their own minds will see themselves performing, effortlessly, flawlessly. The decathlon participant will see himself clearing the hurdles. The wide-out will hear the crowd cheering as he catches the winning pass, the swimmer will feel herself touching the wall just before her competitor. They all will experience the thrill of winning in their hearts long before it actually happens before crowds of spectators.

Our spiritual ancestors knew about such things. They sang, "When we all get to heaven..." and they had a feel for that great day about which they sang. Do you feel yourself heavenbound this day? It will make a difference how you live in this world if you do.

Lessons from the locker room. Let's bring them together: If you are going to compete in the race of life, run to win. And that means committing yourself to a life of discipline. It means seeking to be all God has created you to be. It means knowing where you are going--focusing in on the tasks at hand. It means avoiding distractions. It means getting rid of any sin in your life that may serve as a hindrance. And it means running your race with the anticipation that you're not headed down a dead end street. You're running to cross God's finish line. Keep these rules in mind and you will finish a winner in everything you do.

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1. San Jose Mercury News, July 10, 1991, 8D.

2. PASTOR'S DIGEST, adapted.

AUG592

RESPONDING INSTEAD OF REACTING

Jeremiah 28:1-9

Will Rodgers had a reputation that he could make anyone laugh. President Calvin Coolidge had a reputation that he never laughed at anything. Finally, Will Rodgers was invited to the White House. People wondered what would happen. Both men's reputations were at stake. It is said that Will Rodgers came through the reception line and was introduced to the President. "President Coolidge, this is Will Rodgers. Mr. Rodgers, this is President Calvin Coolidge." Will Rodgers leaned forward and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name." The President cracked up and started laughing.

We admire people who are quick on their feet, don't we? Quick on the comeback, saying the right thing at the right time.

General George Armstrong Custer was that kind of person. In fact, many historians think he might have been the next President of the United States if he hadn't been killed in the Battle of Little Big Horn. He was so popular that the Democrats were priming him to be their next candidate. Gen. Custer had a reputation for being quick on his feet, able to analyze battle situations and react quickly. His quickness paid off in many battles.

Fresh out of West Point, he served under General McClellan in the Civil War. Once Gen. McClellan marched to the edge of a river, where he and all of his officers stopped their horses. Gen. McClellan commented, "I wish I knew how deep this river was so I knew whether the troops could cross or not." The officers sat on their horses wondering what to do. Custer spurred his horse and rode into the middle of the river. From the river he called out, "General, this is how deep it is." No wonder Custer had a reputation for being able to make quick decisions. It was his strength. Also, it was his weakness.

Once when Custer was marching his 7th Cavalry across the plains he decided to try the speed of his greyhounds against a herd of antelope grazing two miles away. On the spur of the moment, he left his troops and took off after the antelope. He chased this herd several miles but couldn't catch up with them. By the time he stopped he realized he was lost out on the Great Plains. Looking around to try and get some directions, he spotted his first buffalo. Giving in to the emotions of the moment, Gen. Custer spurred his horse and took off after the buffalo. After chasing the huge bull for several miles, he decided to finish the hunt by shooting the buffalo in the head. As he lowered his revolver to the buffalo's head, the animal whirled on the horse, so that Custer's thoroughbred reared just as Custer fired the shot. Gen. Custer shot his own horse in the head. As he freed himself of his dead horse, he discovered he was without food, without water, without a horse, lost out on the Great Plains. Hours later, his troops found him. He might easily have died out in the middle of the prairie. (1)

People like Gen. Custer are popular because they show the ability to be decisive--sometimes to their own detriment. The prophet Jeremiah, on the other hand, was not quick at all. He did not react like Will Rodgers or Gen. Custer. He was the kind of person who had to go home and think about it for a while and then come back later to give his response.

In today's scripture, we read about the false prophet Hananiah who announced to the people that they didn't need to listen to Jeremiah any more. Jeremiah had spent many weeks wearing a wooden yoke around his neck. It was the same kind of yoke that an ox would wear to plow the field. Wearing the yoke around his neck, Jeremiah announced to the people and to the priests, "God will send us into bondage. God is going to judge us for our lack of repentance unless we turn from our evil and wickedness. God will send us into slavery in Babylon." Hananiah took the yoke off of Jeremiah's neck, broke it, and announced, "Thus says the Lord, our bondage will be broken. Babylon will be defeated so that we will be victorious and live at peace within two years." Jeremiah stuttered and stammered. He didn't know what to say. His only reaction was to answer sarcastically, "A-men! Go ahead, tell everybody that. I hope you are right!" Not knowing what to say, he went home.

When Jeremiah got home, he rethought that whole conversation. Have you ever done that? Have you ever thought, "Boy, I wish I had said such and such...." I suspect Jeremiah laid in bed at night thinking about what had occurred. He prayed about it until the Lord gave him a response.

Jeremiah came back some days later and made his announcement to Hananiah, "You've taken a wooden yoke from my neck and you've broken it and said that God will break the yoke of Babylon. Here is the word of the Lord. God says you have broken a wooden yoke but God will replace it with a yoke of iron. Babylon will destroy our nation as punishment for our sins. Hananiah, since you misled the people with your lies, you will be dead within a year. Now, let's see who the true prophet is!"

Jeremiah responded instead of reacting. He wasn't quick on his feet. He had to go home and think about it for a while, but when he was finally ready with a response, it was a message from the Lord. Let's think for a few moments this morning about the difference between reacting and responding--between taking impulsive actions and thinking things through.

FIRST OF ALL, WHEN WE RESPOND--WHEN WE GIVE SITUATIONS ADEQUATE THOUGHT--WE GUARD AGAINST BEING GULLIBLE.

The false prophet Hananiah used all the right phrases. He said, "Thus says the Lord," the official phrase of a prophet. He brought comforting words. Shouldn't a preacher comfort the people? And yet, Jeremiah knew the message was wrong. He couldn't put his finger on it at first, but he knew something was wrong. He needed to go home to think about it and pray about it in order to clarify God's will for that situation.

We also need to be careful not to be too gullible just because someone uses the right words and sounds convincing.

In the 1930s, a politician in Germany used all the right phrases. He spoke about "God and country." He spoke about God being "on our side, so let's get this nation going again." The German people cheered for him. But not just the people. He was against communism, so the churches thought he must be on their side as well. Thus, Adolph Hitler came to power in Germany using all the right phrases. Many thought he would save their nation. How sadly mistaken they were.

When we learn to respond instead of reacting, we are recognizing that quick, easy answers are usually not the true answers. Quick, easy answers look like they offer an immediate solution to problems, but usually they don't take into account the complexity of certain situations.

Sir Thomas More wrote a book in the 1500s called, UTOPIA. He described a place where everything is perfect. Utopia is a place where decisions are always wise and people are always happy. As Garrison Keillor would say, "The children are all above average." Sir Thomas More devotes a portion of the book to his ideas for a perfect government. He writes, "There's also a rule in the Council that no resolution can be debated on the day that it's first proposed. All discussion is postponed until the next well- attended meeting. Otherwise someone's liable to say the first thing that comes into his head, and then start thinking up arguments to justify what he has just said instead of trying to decide what's best for the community. That type of person is quite prepared to sacrifice the public to his own prestige, just because, absurd as it may sound, he's ashamed to admit that his first idea may have been wrong--when his first idea should have been to think before he spoke."(2)

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we made a rule in Congress that when a resolution or a new bill is presented on the floor, nobody can debate it for a month, because everybody has to think before they speak. Wouldn't that be wonderful? I wonder what it would do for the leadership of our country if we learned to respond instead of reacting off the top of our heads? What if we stopped jumping to quick, easy answers and instead carefully thought out the deeper issues with all their complexities?

Arthur Gordon is a wonderful Christian writer. He has written a book called A TOUCH OF WONDER, telling some of his own experiences. He has interviewed famous people and traveled widely. One of his chapters is titled, "The Power of Purposeful Pausing." In it he discusses a quote from Robert Louis Stevenson. Here's the quote: "Extreme busyness, whether at school, work or market, is a symptom of deficient energy." In other words, staying busy is not the sign of a person with a high energy level. It is rather the sign of a lazy person. Why? Because the overly busy person has not put enough energy into the really hard work of thinking and setting priorities first! Arthur Gordon read that statement and realized that if we took more time to pause, we would increase our efficiency and the work we do would be better. He calls it "the power of purposeful pausing." (3)

But there is a second reason for responding rather than simply reacting.

WHEN WE PAUSE TO RESPOND, WE GIVE GOD A CHANCE TO SPEAK AND TO ACT.

If Jeremiah had merely spoken with no time for thought, the words would have been his words and not God's. Sometimes we need to pause to listen to God.

Most of us cherish the music of Handel's "Messiah," particularly at Christmas. We love the beautiful choruses and the solos. We stand together reverently as we listen to the "Halleluia Chorus." But most of us don't know much about Handel's life and what brought him to write "Messiah."

In his 30's Handel became successful as a composer. By his 20's he had already established his reputation throughout Europe as an outstanding organist. On moving to London, he decided to build a reputation as a music composer. Through his 30's and 40's he continued to write music in London. He primarily wrote operas for the upper class. The difficulty was that it took him so much time to write an opera and to rehearse it with the singers and to get everything ready that by the time it was finally performed, he was deeply in debt. His income from each opera went to pay back the debts he had incurred during the composing and rehearsals. It took him about 2 months to get an opera ready. The opera would run for 3 or 6 nights; sometimes a really well- received opera would run for 11 nights. He would pay his bills and then immediately he needed to start on another opera.

For 20 years his life became a frantic routine of churning out more and more operas to pay his debts. He was living on the edge of debtor's prison day in and day out. Can anybody relate to that--running day and night just to stay even? Then, when he was 52 years old, Handel suffered a stroke and lost the use of the right side of his body. He could no longer accompany his operas. He was forced, by his bad health, to take a break. He left London and went to France to soak in some hot, natural baths. He wanted to get the right side of his body working again. It was on one of those days, while sitting in the bath, praying that somehow his right hand would be restored so he could continue with his music, that somebody said to him, "Sometimes people need more than entertainment. I can still remember when I heard your oratorio, `Esther.' That oratorio inspired me. It lifted my spirits at a time when I was discouraged." The speaker was not aware that the music for "Esther" had been stolen from Handel and used by someone else who combined it with the biblical material. The speaker continued, "Monsieur Handel, the world is full of discouragement. Why don't you write something that will inspire human beings to live useful lives?" (4)

Bathing in those hot baths for a number of days, Handel finally began to get a little movement in his hand. With full recovery, he was able to use his arm and his hand again. It was a day of rejoicing when he could sit down at an organ and play again with both hands. He returned to London. But in the back of his mind he kept thinking about that statement made to him at the baths. When he got back to London, he began writing music for biblical oratorios along with operas. Writer Charles Jennens asked for an appointment with Handel to discuss some new music for a libretto he had written called "Messiah." Handel was so impressed by the compilation of Old Testament prophecies which were fulfilled by Jesus that he sat down and worked for twenty- four straight days. In less than a month he completed the music for the "Messiah."

The last 20 years of his life he spent writing music for biblical oratorios. He took many Old Testament passages and put them to music. He discovered his real gift was inspirational music. Now he had a higher purpose than frantically churning out opera after opera to pay debts. But it took a crisis in his life to make him pause long enough to make the discovery. It is a shame when we wait until we have a stroke or a heart attack or a divorce before we sit back and think about where our lives are headed.

Like Handel, you and I need to pause every so often in order to get God's perspective. We need to respond instead of frantically reacting. Jeremiah went home and prayed, "Lord, give me a response." We need to do the same. When we take time to thoughtfully and prayerfully respond, we find our way through to real answers--not the simple, superficial answers that always please the crowd. And we give God a chance to give us His answer. We give Him the chance to act in ways that bring real solutions, real healing, and real hope.

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1. Stephen E. Ambrose, CRAZY HORSE AND CUSTER, 1975, pp. 266, 267.

2. Sir Thomas More, UTOPIA (Penguin Classics, 1965), p. 75.

3. Arthur Gordon, A TOUCH OF WONDER (Guideposts, 1974), pp. 211- 213.

4. Charles Ludwig, GEORGE FREDERICK HANDEL (Mott Media, 1987), p. 148.

AUG692

WANT TO SIT AT THE HEAD TABLE?

Luke 14:1, 7-14

Isn't it refreshing when people in the spotlight don't take themselves too seriously? Democratic Senator Fritz Hollings tells colleagues he took a "polygraph" test recently to find out what the lie-detector fuss is all about. But Hollings, a silver- haired and flamboyant orator from South Carolina, reports he flunked the test when he started a sentence with: "In my humble opinion...."

Shortly after Senator Bob Kerry of Nebraska announced his availability for the Democratic presidential nomination, he made an appearance at the National Press Club in Washington, where he was questioned by members of the press. One ink-stained wretch asked Kerry, "How do you compare yourself to the late William Jennings Bryan?" Bryan, who also was from Nebraska, was the Democratic presidential candidate in 1896, 1900 and 1908. After a short pause, Kerry replied, "Well, most importantly, he's dead and I'm not..." (1)

Barbara Bush once compared herself to her predecessor: "Nancy Reagan adores her husband; I adore mine. She fights drugs; I fight illiteracy. She wears a size 3; so's my leg." (2) No wonder some of us think the country would be better served if the election were between Barbara Bush and Hillary Clinton.

Don't you love a person with a sense of humor? A person with a sense of perspective? A person who doesn't take himself or herself too seriously? If so, then you really ought to love Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus had a terrific sense of humor. He made puns. He used hyperbole--extreme exaggeration. And he kept people off- guard with his unique perspective on life. An Old Testament prophet described the coming Messiah as a "man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." Some Christians have taken that text to mean Jesus was somber all the time. Absurd! Would the common people have heard him gladly if he had been an old sourpuss? John the Baptist baptized multitudes, but nobody ever said they "enjoyed" hearing John the Baptist. People enjoyed hearing Jesus. Sad-faced Christians who don't appreciate Jesus' humor miss a lot of the richness of his teachings. If you can imagine Jesus with a smile on his lips and a twinkle in his eye when he said some of the things he said, his teachings come alive. For example, our text for the day. What sour, sorrowful, melancholic religious leader is going to give advice to his followers like this:

"When you are invited to a wedding feast," Jesus said, "do not sit down in a place of honor. Suppose a more prestigious person than you is invited? Then the host of the wedding feast will come to you and ask you to move down. That will be most embarrassing to you. Let me give you a better strategy. When you go to a wedding feast, sit down in the lowliest place in the room. Then when the host spots you, he will invite you to move up. Then you can have a modest smile on your face as you say, `Excuse me, excuse me,' and make your way toward the front. You will be honored in front of all your friends." What kind of advice is that for a spiritual leader to give to his followers? There's nothing theological about it. Nothing awe-inspiring. It's practical. It's humorous. It's lighthearted. Folks are sitting around grinning at the freshness of Jesus' insight. Then Jesus drives his point home. "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Then Jesus turns to his host and says, "When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your kinsmen or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return, and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just." (RSV)

In his unique, joyous way Jesus gives us some practical lessons that only a few wise persons ever heed. The first lesson is this:

GREATNESS IS NOT MEASURED BY HOW MUCH WE GAIN, BUT BY HOW MUCH WE GIVE.

How many millionaires has America produced over the past two centuries? I don't know the figure. Tens of thousands, I'm sure. Of those millionaires who are dead, how many can you name? Not very many. Most of them are gone. Forgotten. All their toys are back in the box. Somebody else lives in their magnificent homes. Everything they worked for has turned to dust. Except the few who learned the lesson that greatness is measured not by what you gain, but by what you give. Would Carnegie and Vanderbilt and Rockefeller be remembered if their names were not engraved on public buildings, libraries and universities? Would we have any idea who old Joe Kennedy was--with all his millions of dollars-- if his boys had not devoted themselves to public service? And a century from now, whose names will live on after all the lifestyles of today's rich and famous have faded into obscurity? Albert Schweitzer? Mother Teresa? Mahatma Gandhi? Martin Luther King, Jr.? The number will be few. Some great scientists, a few artists, a political leader here and there. In every case I can promise one thing. Each of them will be people who gave more to the world than they received.

It's interesting to watch the rising esteem with which the national press is regarding former president, Jimmy Carter. While he was in office many of them felt he wasn't a very good president, but most of them now agree he's the best ex-president we've ever had. Why? He's devoted himself to a life of serving.

Is there anyone in this room who is not convinced? We all know it's true--even if we sometimes forget it. I hope today's Yuppies and Muppies and even some affluent retired folk make that discovery before it is too late. We have some problems in our society that cannot be solved until more people in the upper strata of society are as concerned with giving as with gaining. That's the first lesson Jesus teaches us with this humorous little example. Greatness is measured not by what we gain, but by what we give. The second lesson is like unto the first.

TRUE STATURE IS NOT MEASURED BY HOW MUCH WE PUFF OURSELVES UP, BUT BY HOW WILLING WE ARE TO HUMBLE OURSELVES.

How much silliness goes on in this world because of inflated egos!

I once read in a newspaper article that in 1970 two researchers for the Kinsey Institute began a rather extensive survey of the sexual attitudes of 3,000 adults. By 1980 the work was compiled and almost ready for publication. One small detail remained. Albert D. Klassen and Colin Williams, the authors of the survey, still needed to agree on whose name would appear first on the publication. Guess what? A decade later, the research was still waiting for publication. Other researchers interested in the results of the study had to intervene to help resolve the squabble. Apparently some of the academic community felt that 10 years was long enough for the two men to decide whose name should come first on the title page! (3) Someone once said, "If you want to realize your own importance, put your finger into a bowl of water, take it out, and look at the hole." (4)

Do you remember a play about a bird named Chanticleer who thought his crowing brought the sun up each morning? Day after day he got up at dawn and crowed. Sure enough, the sun did rise! It was only logical to him that he was responsible for this sequence. One day, though, he became preoccupied with some personal problems and forgot to crow. Sure enough, the sun rose anyway! How silly we are when we puff ourselves up. We elevate ourselves much more surely through simple humility.

Virtuoso violinist Pinchas Zukerman was giving a master class to a group of young artists who had come to the Aspen Music Festival. The young artists were being observed by a large audience of their peers and distinguished teachers and performers. The atmosphere was electric. To each of the talented performers Zukerman offered friendly advice and encouragement. He discussed their playing in detail, and would pick up his own violin to demonstrate finer points of technique and interpretation. Finally came the turn of a young musician who performed brilliantly. When the applause subsided, Zukerman complimented the artist. Then he walked over to his own violin, caressed it, tucked it under his chin, and paused a long moment. Then, without playing a note or uttering a word, he placed it back in its case. This time the applause was deafening, in recognition of a master, who could pay so gracious a compliment. (5)

We all know it's true. The person who is constantly puffing himself or herself up--bragging about exploits, showing off trophies, buying bigger and better things to stay one step ahead of the Jones--is at heart very insecure and fearful. Such a person is deathly afraid that he or she really does not measure up. The greater the emptiness on the inside, the greater the need to surround ourselves with the trappings of success on the outside. The more unsure we are about our own self-worth, the more we need the envy of others. The less sure we are of ourselves, the greater our need to lord it over others. Yet someday we realize it is all a sham. True stature is not measured by how much we puff ourselves up, but by how willing we are to humble ourselves.

But tell me. Where does a feeling of self-worth come from if not from the trappings of success? How can we prove that we are somebody if we do not kick and claw our way to the top? How else can we prove that our lives really count? I know of only one answer.

IT IS TO FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST HIMSELF.

He could have had it all, the Bible tells us, but he gave it all up for you and me. Instead of seeking to gain, he gave. Instead of puffing himself up, he humbled himself unto the cross. And what happened as a consequence? God raised him up and gave him a name above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow.... That's true greatness.

Follow Jesus' example. Be as concerned about giving as about gaining. Humble yourself and trust your reputation to God.

One man who took Jesus seriously was Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi acknowledged that he had been much influenced by the Gospels and touched by the life of Christ. As he once remarked, "I might have become a Christian had it not been for Christians!"

Gandhi did not lead the masses by standing like a monarch above them but by identifying with them and sharing in their circumstances. A part of Gandhi's greatness was that not even the untouchables of India were beneath him or were made to feel uneasy in his presence. Other Indian leaders lived in mansions, far removed from the masses, going everywhere and doing everything first-class, but Gandhi would not allow anyone to be lower than he. Other Indian dignitaries, usually of high caste themselves, were no more willing to associate with untouchables than with lepers. Gandhi not only lived and marched with untouchables, he gave them a new dignity and a new name. He called them HARIJANS, "the people of God." (6)

In the same way Christ has given us a new dignity and a new name. Such dignity does not come from what we have, but by what we are--those called by his name. Now we are to go out to give that same dignity to others.

Want to sit at the head table? Then do it like he did it. Give more than you get. Humble yourself and serve others.

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1. James Dent in Charleston, W.Va. Gazette, 12/9/91.

2. Donnie Radcliffe, SIMPLY BARBARA BUSH (Warner Books)

3. Researchers' Dispute Over Who Gets Credit Delays Sex Survey Publication," The Knoxville News-Sentinel (June 27, 1989), Section A, p. 7.

4. Robert Burdette

5. Victor Rangel-Ribeiro, READER'S DIGEST, August 1989, p. 76.

6. Conrad Hyers, AND GOD CREATED LAUGHTER (Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1987).

AUG792.BON

"SAY IT AIN'T SO"

Deuteronomy 6:1-9; Romans 12:1-3

Back in 1919, the Chicago Blacksocks Baseball scandal was unfolding in the newspapers before the public eye of the American people. One afternoon as Shoeless Joe Jackson was leaving the field, a die-hard baseball fan cried out, "Joe, say it ain't so, say it ain't so."

The July 6, 1990, issue of the United Methodist Reporter newspaper reported the findings of a gallop poll that was conducted by the Board of Discipleship and the Reverend Ray Sells, a denominational executive. Here is what it states, "Study Says UMs Don't Live Out Their Faith."

"United Methodists are being influenced more by the values of American society than by the values of the Christian faith. Study results show that `people are bringing cultural values into the church for affirmation, not challenge...'

"What we've found is that the values in the marketplace have more power to shape people's lives than the values of the Christian faith. I wanted to shout, `Say it ain't so,' but I know it is. It was a disturbing indictment. And I wondered, if it's true of Methodist people across the nation, could it be true of us? Once again, inwardly I cried out--say it ain't so. However, deep down, we know it is true." (1)

Jesus is right, one of the prerequisites for being healed and transformed is to first acknowledge that we need a physician and that we are sick. Did you know that only a quality Christian education (Sunday School) can enable you to live out your faith in the marketplace?

When I was studying secondary education during my days as an undergraduate, I was taught the following verse:

"Sow an act--you reap a habit.
If you sow a habit--you reap a character.
If you sow a character--you reap a destiny."

I can remember once visiting a tree nursery looking for a certain type of tree. I was surprised to see a sign that said, "The best time to plant a tree was 15 years ago." The next line stated, "The second best time is today."

If you are not presently active in our Sunday School, the best time is today to train you and your family for God.

Today we are going to examine the importance of Sunday School training for our children and adult Christian Education for the entire journey of life.

First, we are called to teach our children by example, and it must be authentic. Our actions have more influence than we know. Let me illustrate.

When Sally was six years old, she was with her father when they were caught speeding. Her father handed the policeman a twenty-dollar bill along with his driver's license and the policeman did not give him a ticket. "It's all right, honey," the father said, "Everybody does it."

When the girl was eight, she was a part of a family gathering which discussed income taxes. Her uncle revealed how he had cheated the government out of a thousand dollars because he didn't report some of his earnings. He turned to Sally and said, "It's all right, Sally, everybody does it."

When Sally was twelve, she lost her contact lenses on the way to school. Her mother told him, "We'll just report to the insurance company that they were stolen. That way, they will pay for them." She added, "It's all right, Sally, everybody does it."

When she was nineteen, a college classmate offered Sally the answers for her upcoming test for $150. "It's all right," the upperclassman explained, "everybody does it." Sally was caught and was dismissed from the school. She was greeted at home by her father and mother who with great indignation said, "Where did you learn to act like that?" "I learned it from you, Mom and Dad." Oh, please, "Say it ain't so." Knowing the sickness means we are on the way to being transformed.

Yes, a rather obvious concern of each parent in the sound of my voice today is the training of our children. Lead by example- -but be careful the example you are leading is worthy of consideration.

Secondly, please don't fall victim to a prevailing thought that is commonplace in our society, that children should decide for themselves. We are to teach and train them from birth.

Shortly after baby ducks are hatched from their shells, they will become attached, or "imprinted" to the first thing they see moving towards them. From that time on, they will follow that particular object when it moves in their vicinity. Ordinarily, they become imprinted to the mother goose who was on hand to hatch the new generation. If they are removed, however, the baby ducks will settle for any mobile substitute, whether alive or not.

Time is the critical factor in this process. The baby ducks are vulnerable to imprinting for only a few seconds after they hatch from the shells; if that opportunity is lost, it cannot be regained later. In other words, there is a critical, brief period in the life of the baby ducks when this instinctual learning is possible.

There is a critical period when certain kinds of instruction is possible in the life of a child. There is a brief period during childhood when youngsters are deeply influenced by religious training. Their concepts of right and wrong, which Freud called the superego, are formulated during this time, and their view of God begins to solidify.

As in the case of that gosling, the opportunity of that period must be seized when it is available. Leaders of the Roman Catholic Church have been widely quoted as saying, "Give us a child until he is 7 years old, and we'll have him for life." Their affirmation is usually correct because permanent attitudes can be instilled during those seven vulnerable years.

Thirdly, never forget the fact that both as adults and children we must constantly re-learn and reinforce the basics of life.

The most successful professional football coach during the 1980s was Bill Walsh of the San Francisco Forty-Niners. He retired and became a TV commentator. He recently lectured at a couple of football clinics and realized how much he missed coaching.

Bill Walsh has decided to return to coaching in a small way. He conducted a series of camps for National Football League quarterbacks and quarterback coaches. He taught the basics--how to take a snap, drop back, set up, release, etc. Those are the most simple basics for a quarterback.

It's amazing to me that professional quarterbacks will attend a camp to do such simple procedures. Ten-year-old kids in peewee football are taught those simple basics of taking snaps, dropping back, setting up, etc. High school and college quarterbacks drill on those things all the time. These pro quarterbacks are paying $10,000 for the week-long session plus they get video tapes to study at home!

The New York Jet coach, Bruce Coslet, was the first to enroll his quarterbacks. He said, "The number one premise when a quarterback gets to the pro level is that he knows everything, but their technique can slip. They need drills to reinforce it over and over again and I can't think of anyone who is a better teacher and technician than Bill Walsh." Even professionals can get away from the basics and their techniques can slip.

Some of the basics of the Christian faith are humbling ourselves to receive God's daily grace, studying and applying His word, praying, meeting the needs of people who are hurting, and witnessing our faith. Even those people who have been in church for a long time and are pros need to go back to the basic training camp. Reflect on how effectively you are following the basics right now. If it's worth $10,000 for a pro quarterback, think how much more it is worth for you and me who are God's quarterbacks on the most important team playing in the most important game in town! (2)

It is reported that once during the Vince Lombardi years in Green Bay, the Packers were resoundingly "whipped" by an opponent. They did everything wrong. The next day at practice, Coach Lombardi said, "Gentlemen, I have seen enough. We must start at the beginning--the object I am holding is a football." Max McGee, being the jokester he was, said, "Coach, please don't go so fast."

Worship, Bible reading and study, praying, serving, and tithing are the basics for the building of a Christian life and witness.

Lastly, our faith must receive training for the totality of the human experience and responsibility.

Dr. William Sloane Coffin once shared at Riverside Church in New York City a November 1983 Reader's Digest that featured the following five articles:

"How to Stay Slim Forever"
"Five Ways to Stop Feeling Tired"
"How to Get Your way"
"What it Takes to Be Successful"
"How Safe Are the New Contraceptives?"

It would appear that the editors have concluded that their millions of readers are--consecutively--fat, lazy, frustrated, unsuccessful and lascivious. The thought that the editors might be right, that we are indeed a nation of autoerotic stumblebums, it enough to chill the heart. (3)

Say it Ain't So, but if you would review the current magazines' selections in the 1990s you would see the same topics being explored. Romans 12:1-3 pulsates with the message that our minds are not to be squeezed or conformed to the pressure of this world's values, but be transformed by the renewal of our mind by the power and spirit of God.

Dr. Coffin is most correct when he further stated, "We need a theology that knits together homo religiosus and homo politicus, so that Christians can once again see how theological and Biblical insights relate to public life as well as to private life. We need a theology that sees sin not only in personal but also in institutional form, for the principal actors in today's world are nations, businesses, enterprises, political and economic groups of one kind and another."(4)

The whole of our faith is to be public before our children and the world. "Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates." (vs. 8-9) Ours is not to be a secret religion or camouflaged faith. Our children must see that faith belongs to our public life, not just Sunday in the sanctuary.

However, this will never take place if we, as Dr. Charles Stanley said on his "In Touch" television broadcast, only spend "37 seconds a day in training with our children." Dr. Stanley painfully pointed out that the average American father spends more time watching Lite Beer commercials on television, than he does giving religious training to his children. Oh, please, say it ain't so, please, say it ain't so. This is the painful diagnosis, but oh, what a remedy God gives in His Holy Word to reverse this distractive, detrimental condition in the American family.

I believe the church's greatest contribution to the world comes when it teaches and lives out it's commitment to Christ rather than conformity to the world. We then become salt, light, and leaven.

That is why we celebrate and lift up the importance of Sunday School training and Christian education. Christian education is, at its very essence, the process of teaching disciples of Jesus Christ how to hear God's word in the midst of all the world's words.

God's word not only teaches us how to think--but where to walk. The Christian faith calls us to put on the armor of God for the battlefields of life. Remember, Karl Barth says to read the Bible on one hand and the newspaper on the other. Don't forget the Bible hand.

The Church is only one generation away from extinction. Think about that: the Church is only one generation away from extinction. If one generation stops telling the Gospel story to its posterity, the Church will be extinct. Stop teaching, close the Sunday School; that will spell doom for Christianity. Sunday School connects the present generation with the past. Our teachers are links in a chain stretching from this moment back to Wesley, Luther, Augustine, Paul, and the Apostles, and to the foot of the Cross. The connecting chain of faithful teachers extends from the Lord Jesus Christ down through history to this very sanctuary. Will we break the connection? I think not, I pray not. Say it Ain't So.

Better than that, demonstrate it--by being present in Sunday School with your children and your Bibles.

Remember what I shared earlier in this sermon? Let me repeat it once again:

Sow an act--you reap a habit.
If you sow a habit--you reap a character.
If you sow a character--you reap a destiny.

Further remember, the best time to have begun the process of training your mind for God was 15 years ago for many of us. The second best time is today. The second best time is today.

------------------------

1. The United Methodist Reporter, Eastern Pennsylvania Edition, July 6, 1990, pg. 3.

2. Dr. John Ed Mathison, The Weekly Frazer Memorial Messenger, August, 1990, pg. 1.

3. Dr. William Sloane Coffin, LIVING THE TRUTH IN A WORLD OF ILLUSIONS (Harper & Row, 1985), pg. 112.

4. Ibid, pg. 113.

SEP192
A FAITHFUL FOLLOWER I WOULD BE

Luke 14:25-33; Philemon 1-20

President Harry Truman once made a trip to the old west town of Tombstone, Arizona. Ghosts of the famous and notorious alike crowd the streets of Tombstone--people like Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. When Truman returned from Tombstone, though, he didn't talk about the legendary heros. Instead he recalled the words engraved on the headstone of a simple man buried at Boot Hill. The inscription read: "Here lies Jack Williams. He done all he could."

Included on a church's annual commitment card was a question: "How many Sundays do you plan to attend Sunday School and worship this year?" Persons were to answer with 50 weeks, or 40 weeks, or 30 weeks. One comment stood out: "We'll come as often as we can." That's not really a commitment, is it? It's like saying, "We'll come when we feel like it," or "when we don't have anything better to do." Is this what Jesus has in mind when he calls persons to be his followers?

Two friends were having coffee one morning. Both were members of the same church. In fact, Doris joined the church because of Betty's invitation. As they were sipping their coffee, they began discussing their Sunday School lesson of the previous week. Doris said, "I thought it was easy to be a Christian. No one ever told me about all this discipleship stuff." Is this what Jesus has in mind when he calls persons to be his followers?

Two colleagues had worked together for many years and became friends. They had lunch together every week. They even went out socially on occasion with their families. One Sunday Bill visited his sister's church to hear his nephew in the youth choir when he noticed his friend. The next morning at work Bill confronted his friend and co-worker. "I never knew you were a Christian. In all the years I have known you not once did you mention that you attended church." Is this what Jesus had in mind?

Dallas Willard, in his book THE SPIRIT OF THE DISCIPLINES: UNDERSTANDING HOW GOD CHANGES LIVES, says that the average Christian has no concept of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. He writes: "For at least several decades the churches...have not made discipleship a condition for being a Christian. One is not required to be or [even] intend to be, a disciple in order to become a Christian, and one may remain a Christian without any signs of progress toward or in discipleship. Contemporary American churches...do not require following Christ in his example, spirit and teachings as a condition of membership...discipleship clearly is optional." (1) Is this what Jesus has in mind when he calls persons to be his followers?

Being a modern day disciple of Jesus Christ involves more than just going to church when the urge hits us. Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is more than hymn singing and vague good will toward our neighbors.

BEING A DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST IS A WAY OF LIFE!

Throughout the Gospels we find large crowds of people gathered around Jesus. Many were curious about him. They wanted to see him and hear him. He was the talk of many villages--a celebrity, if you will. Though the crowds who gathered around him were enthusiastic, Jesus wondered if they were really willing to follow him. He said to them: "Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple." That's harsh. Uncomfortable. Jesus wanted the people to understand that being a disciple demanded their whole life--not just the times when it was convenient. It was like the old ad they used to run for Pony Express riders: "DUTY IS HAZARDOUS, ORPHANS PREFERRED." Jesus wanted people to understand what they were getting into.

In the first century, there was often conflict within families when one family member converted to Christ while the rest of the family did not. Jesus wanted to be sure that those who were following him knew the range of difficulties they faced. Being a modern day disciple of Jesus Christ still may cause hard feelings within families. Anne Tyler, in her novel SAINT MAYBE, tells the story of a nineteen-year-old man named Ian. Ian feels guilty about his brother's death and feels some responsibility to help raise his brother's children. At Christmas break, Ian sees how taking care of his brother's three children is wearing his mother down. Ian contemplates leaving college to help. One January evening a few days before he is to return to college for Spring semester, he notices a yellow glow through a window. He creeps closer to read on a sign, "Church of the Second Chance." He hears the congregation singing, "Something, something, something lead us..." He misses most of the words, but the voices are strong and joyful so he goes in. They sing some more hymns. Reverend Emmett prays. There is something about the prayer that catches Ian's attention. After the service Ian talks with Reverend Emmett. The pastor asks Ian, "What was it you needed forgiven?" Ian tells him what he is feeling. The last thing Reverend Emmett tells Ian is, "It's the religion of atonement and complete forgiveness. It's the religion of the Second Chance."

Ian goes home and tells his parents of his conversation with Reverend Emmett and his decision to take some time off from college to help with the family.

"I don't understand," his mother says.

"No one in his right mind would approve," his father tells him.

"What in the name of God...?" his mother exclaims.

"Well, that's just it," Ian says, "I mean, I don't want to sound corny or anything but it is in the name of God." Ian tries to quote some Scripture: "Let us not love in--`what'--in just words or tongue, but in...."

"Ian, have you fallen into the hands of some sect?" his father asks.

"Of course, we have nothing against religion," his mother tells him, "we raised all of you children to be Christians. But our church never asked us to abandon our entire way of life."

"Well, maybe it should have," Ian says. His parents look at each other. (2)

Sometimes being a disciple of Jesus Christ causes misunderstandings or even hard feelings among family members. Jesus wanted his would-be followers to consider the risks involved in following him.

But Jesus does not stop there. "Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple."

BEING A MODERN DAY DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST ISN'T SOMETHING TO TAKE LIGHTLY.

This is what Jesus wanted the people to understand. Being a disciple of Jesus Christ demands our very best in everything we do. There is no such thing as a part-time Christian. BEING A DISCIPLE IS A WAY OF LIFE.

Do you remember that story that Maxie Dunnam tells about an American businessman who traveled to Europe to see the famous Oberammergau Passion Play? Following the performance the businessman had the opportunity to meet and talk with Anton Lang who portrayed Christ in the Passion Play. Seeing the cross that was used in the play, the businessman wanted his wife to take his picture with it. Handing the camera to his wife, he asked her to take his picture while he lifted the cross to his shoulder. To his surprise he could hardly budge the cross from the floor.

"I don't understand," he said to Mr. Lang. "I thought it would be hollow. Why do you carry such a heavy cross?" Anton Lang's reply explains why this play draws people from all over the world to that little Bavarian village every decade. "If I did not feel the weight of His cross," he said, "I could not play the part." If being a disciple of Jesus costs us no pain to acquire, no self-denial to preserve, no effort to advance, no struggle to maintain, then this isn't what Jesus had in mind. Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is not something we should take lightly. It involves our total commitment.

"Which of you," asks Jesus, "would start to build a tower if he did not have the means to complete it?...Or what king would wage war with another king if he knew he had less troops than the other king?" Jesus wanted the people to think about what they were doing and then to decide if this was truly what they wanted. And friends, you and I need to give some thought to our discipleship, too. Following him is a way of life. Following him is not to be taken lightly.

FOR, YOU SEE, EVEN AS MODERN DAY DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST, THERE WILL BE TIMES WHEN IN ORDER TO REMAIN TRUE TO JESUS WE WILL HAVE TO GO AGAINST THE VALUES OF THE WORLD.

One of the great leaders of the early church was the Apostle Paul. Paul knew from his own experience the cost of being a follower of Jesus Christ. Paul had been shipwrecked, stoned, left for dead, and thrown into prison. Paul knew both the joys and the pains in being a follower of Jesus.

In our Epistle lesson Paul is in prison. Even in prison he talks about his faith in Jesus Christ. He meets a young man named Onesimus and converts him to Christianity. Onesimus is a runaway slave. As they talk together Paul discovers that he knows Onesimus' master, Philemon. Paul had been to the home of Philemon and Apphia. In fact Paul had brought Christianity into their home.

Onesimus is convinced after his daily conversations with Paul that the best thing for him to do is to return to his master. There was risk involved for both Paul and Onesimus. Paul was aiding a runaway slave, and Onesimus risked being killed.

Paul writes a letter to Philemon for Onesimus to hand deliver. In it Paul says concerning Onesimus, "Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful both to you and to me...So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me."

Onesimus became a new person once he became a follower of Jesus Christ. Philemon was also a new person in Jesus Christ. Philemon accepted Onesimus and eventually sent him back to Paul.

Have you ever wondered what happened to Onesimus? In the first century before Ignatius of Antioch was executed, Paul wrote several letters to churches in Asia Minor. One of these letters was to the church at Ephesus and was addressed to the Bishop of Ephesus whose name was Onesimus. Many Bible scholars believe that the runaway slave Onesimus became a great leader in the early church. (3)

Sometimes being a disciple of Jesus Christ means going against the values of the world. There is risk involved but there is also great joy in being a disciple. But risks must be taken. The greatest risk in life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing, does nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing. (4) Some people might believe that being a Christian is easy, but we know better. The life of the modern day disciple requires our very best. It requires our total commitment. Discipleship is a way of life. And as the disciples, the Apostle Paul, Onesimus and countless followers through the centuries have discovered, Jesus is with us every step of the way.

-----------------------------

1. Dallas Willard, THE SPIRIT OF DISCIPLINES: UNDERSTANDING HOW GOD CHANGES LIVES (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1988), pg. 258.

2. Anne Tyler, SAINT MAYBE (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1991), pp. 115-129.

3. Leo Buscalgia, LIVING, LOVING, & LEARNING (New York: Fawcett Columbine, 1982), pg. 202.

4. PROFILES: MEN AND WOMEN OF THE BIBLE RESOURCE BOOK (Nashville: Graded Press, 1986), pg. 88. TOP>

Main Sermon Index

SEP292
WHEN HEAVEN REJOICES

Luke 15:1-10

An owner of a small, crossroads store was appointed the local postmaster. But six months after his appointment, not one piece of mail had left the village. When concerned postal officials from Washington investigated, the local postmaster explained, "Well, it's simple; the bag ain't full yet."

Once there was a church board that decided it wanted its congregation to grow numerically. An evangelism committee was chosen. The first thing the committee did was read every book and article they could find on church growth. The second was to ask persons in the congregation what they thought of when they heard the word "evangelism."

They discovered that many people were unsure of what exactly evangelism is. Some had negative images, thinking evangelism is people in the street shouting "repent, repent, repent" or handing tracts out to strangers. It was something other churches did but not their church.

The evangelism committee was both surprised and challenged by the results of their informal survey. The committee understood evangelism as something Jesus commanded of all believers. They focused on Jesus' teaching: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19) Believing that the church should be always reaching out to others, they devised a plan to attract new people to their church.

Full of enthusiasm, they shared their plans with the congregation only to get a mixed reaction. Many of the members were like the postmaster who wouldn't deliver the mail until the bag was full. "Before we go after new members, we should try to win back members already on our rolls," some said. "I like the church the way it is now," said others. Someone summed it up best: "Who wants strangers in our church? We should just stick to our own."

Go back with me two thousand years. Jesus is enjoying a meal with some tax collectors and some other people we might call "unchurched." The disciple Matthew had been a tax collector before following Jesus. Maybe these were his friends. Jesus enjoyed being with people--even people on the fringes of society. Some Pharisees were close by. They saw Jesus eating with these people they considered sinners. The Pharisees were uncomfortable, for they were keepers of the Jewish tradition. They believed avoiding sinners and other outcasts of society was the only way to live a truly holy life. The Pharisees could not understand why Jesus ate with such people. They thought Jesus had a lot learn about their traditions.

Here is the first thing we need to see.

JESUS EATING WITH SINNERS SUGGESTS THAT THERE MAY BE PEOPLE WHO ARE OUTSIDE GOD'S FAMILY WHO ARE READY TO COME BACK IN.

Jesus heard the "grumbling" and complaining of the Pharisees. In response he told a parable about a shepherd who had one hundred sheep. At the end of a long day the shepherd was counting his sheep when he discovered that one was missing. He had a dilemma. Would any shepherd leave ninety-nine sheep in the wilderness to search for one that was missing? Common sense would probably lead us to protect the ninety-nine that were accounted for. Maybe that's why St. Paul talked of the "foolishness of God." This shepherd leaves ninety-nine sheep and goes searching for one that has gone astray. When the shepherd finds the one lost sheep, "he calls together his friends and neighbors saying to them, `Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.'"

Jesus was portraying God in a different light than the Pharisees were accustomed to seeing God. Harry Emerson Fosdick put it this way: "Beneath this outreaching search of Jesus for the despised and outcast was a profound religious conviction that went beyond customary thinking...God cared for these lost souls; God valued them, had compassion for them, sought after them." (1) Jesus said, "There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance."

This went against everything the Pharisees believed. According to William Barclay, the strict Jews did not say, "There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents," but instead, "There will be joy in heaven over one sinner who is obliterated before God." (2) No wonder they were uncomfortable seeing Jesus eat with such people.

By eating with people that others turned their backs on, Jesus demonstrated how much God loves all people and how gladly, joyfully, He welcomes back wayward and lost children. There are some who have strayed away but are ready to come back. When they return we are to welcome them with open arms and rejoice with them. This brings us to another important truth.

THE CHURCH HAS LOST ITS PRIMARY FOCUS WHEN IT FAILS TO SEARCH FOR THOSE WHO ARE OUTSIDE ITS FELLOWSHIP.

In far too many churches all the energy and focus has been on the members inside the church. We have forgotten those outside the fold.

Dr. William Oden has traced the development of the American church over the last two hundred years. On the American frontier the major concern was winning souls to Christ. Preachers would go into saloons and other places where "sinners" congregated, trying to convert them. Much effort and attention were given to bringing lost persons into the fold. Over the years attention has shifted from those outside the church to those already inside. Dr. Oden writes, "We have had a radical shift from the priority of saving souls...to a priority of pastoral care within the flock." In the parable of the lost sheep Jesus is telling us that our focus should be on searching for the lost sheep. This does not mean we are to neglect the ninety-nine. But when we find ourselves among "tax collectors and sinners" we are to welcome them back as forgiven children of God.

Dr. Fred B. Craddock, nationally known preacher and professor of Preaching and New Testament at Candler School of Theology in Atlanta, tells about a church in east Tennessee that he pastored in his student days. It was a beautiful little church, a white frame building, pretty as a picture. There were good people in that church, too, a warm, loving family of a congregation, fine people.

But when Dr. Craddock arrived, he noticed something. He noticed that none of the new people in town--the people who had come to work on the big government project over at Oak Ridge and all those people living in trailers and hastily built shanties with all those children--none of those people were in that church. Craddock called the church board together and told them, "We need to reach out to those folks who are out here. They are close. Here's our mission." And the chairperson of the board said, "Oh, I don't think so. They wouldn't fit in here." Craddock protested, "But they need the gospel. They need the church." "No, I don't think so," said the chairperson. And the next Sunday night the board passed a resolution, "Members will be admitted to this church only from families who own property in the county."

Years later, Craddock took a trip back to that little town. He searched out the church and found it. It was still a pretty place. But out in front of that pretty little church was a sign that read: "Barbecued Chicken, Ribs & Pork." It wasn't a church anymore. The church had died. It was a restaurant now and it was full--full of all kinds of people, sitting in those pews, eating barbecue. The building was packed and Craddock said to his wife, "It's a good thing this isn't a church anymore. These folks would not be welcome."

Somehow we have lost our focus. The Parable of the Lost Sheep reminds us of our mission to reach out to welcome sinners into the life of the church. This brings us to one final truth.

FOR THE NINETY-NINE FAITHFUL THERE IS JOY IN BRINGING LOST PERSONS INTO THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH.

That's the kind of church Jesus means for us to be--a church where there is a joyous commotion every time someone who has been outside the church's fellowship makes his or her way home to the Father's house.

Jesus told another parable. A woman had ten silver coins, but she had lost one. She sweeps the house from top to bottom searching for her lost coin. It was no easy task to find a lost coin in a house with a dirt floor and one window. William Barclay comments that finding a lost coin in such a house was like trying to find a lost needle in a haystack.

After a careful search and diligent cleaning, the woman finds her lost coin. She is so happy. Again a huge celebration is planned for her friends and neighbors. "Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost," she says. It took some effort on her part but the joy of discovery was well worth the effort. She wants to share her good fortune with her friends.

It reminds me of a young husband I heard about recently. Kevin stopped at the bank on his way home from work on Friday afternoon. He cashed his paycheck and went home. Like any good newlywed husband, Kevin turned his money over to his wife. His wife discovered that there was money missing--one hundred dollars. She asked him, "What did you spend a hundred dollars on?" Kevin was dumbfounded. After some discussion Kevin realized that he did not count the money when he was at the bank. It must have been the teller's fault. She did not give him all his money.

All Kevin had to do was go to the bank on Monday morning and explain that the teller hadn't given him the right amount of money. He stopped to think. Who would believe such a story? He wasn't sure he would believe such a story. Was the teller dishonest? Did she keep his money on purpose? Kevin had no proof. The more Kevin and his wife thought about it the more it seemed like their money was lost forever.

On Monday morning Kevin returned to the bank and explained what had happened. To his great surprise the teller had an extra hundred dollars in her drawer. She could not explain where the money came from and hoped she did not cheat any of her customers. Kevin was so happy, he called his wife at work and said, "I have my lost money." He was delighted in much the same way as the woman in the parable when she found her lost coin. "From now on," Kevin says, "I'm going to count my money before I leave the bank." (4)

There is joy in finding what is lost. Jesus suggests that there are people, maybe even neighbors or co-workers, who have strayed but are ready to be found and come back to God. We need to regain our primary focus--to search for the lost and welcome them back with open arms. When that happens, all of heaven rejoices with us. Jesus said, "I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

-----------------

1. A quote from a sermon by Harry Emerson Fosdick, "As Religious and Moral Outcasts Saw Him," from THE MAN FROM NAZARETH (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1949), pg. 135.

2. William Barclay, THE GOSPEL OF LUKE (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1975, pg. 200.

3. From an article, "Without Reserve: A Critical Appreciation of the Itineracy," William B. Oden, from SEND ME?, Donald E. Messer (ed.), (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1991), pg. 51.

4. True experience of my brother-in-law. Thanks to Kevin for allowing me to share his experience in a sermon.

SEP392
WHAT IT TAKES

Luke 16: 1-13

An insurance salesman stuck his head into a department store sales manager's office. "You don't want to buy any insurance, do you?" he asked timidly.

"Young man, who taught you how to sell?" asked the sales manager. "Don't ever ask that kind of question! Your problem is a lack of confidence. Give me an application blank. I'll buy some insurance from you to give you confidence in yourself." After completing the application, the sales manager gave the young man a lecture: "Now remember, each customer is different. Figure out what each one really wants. Then you will know how to develop an approach that fits."

"That is exactly what I do," said the salesman. "I just gave you my approach for sales managers. It works almost every time." (1) Clever. Shrewd.

Jesus once told a humorous parable about a wealthy man who had a shrewd, clever manager working for him. Word reached the wealthy man that this manager was "squandering" the wealthy man's property. He called the manager on the carpet. "What have you been doing with my money?" the wealthy man asked him. "Get your books in order. You're fired!"

The manager was panic stricken. "What'll I do now?" he asked himself. "I'm not strong enough to dig ditches, and I'm too proud to beg." He decided that the best thing he could do in the limited time he had left was to make friends with the wealthy man's customers. He thought, "If I do a favor for my boss' customers then they will remember me. If I ever need a favor from one of them, they will owe me." Of course, he would need a favor from them--he would soon be out of work. Time was running out. He had to act fast before word reached his boss' clients that he was being fired.

He called in all the people, one by one, who owed crops to the wealthy landowner. He asked them, "How much do you owe my master?" The first person answered, "A hundred jugs of olive oil." "Fine," said the clever manager, "Take your bill and make it fifty." Another client came in who also had an outstanding bill to pay. "How much do you owe my master?" the employee asked. "A hundred containers of wheat," the man replied. "Take your bill and make it eighty," the clever manager said. And so he continued through the list of persons who owed crops to his master. He reduced all of their bills. All his master's clients would owe the shrewd manager something for the favor he did them.

What happens next, though? Well, use your imagination for a moment. Those farmers who had outstanding balances reduced were so grateful they went to the wealthy landowner's house to thank him and congratulate him on being such a generous man. Times were tough, and it would be a real hardship for each of the farmers to pay their balances off in full. It was a huge relief for them to have part of their outstanding balance reduced. They could hardly believe the landowner was so generous. It was a side of him they had never seen before. One of the farmers wanted to make him "Man of the Year" for his act of generosity.

Of course, the owner didn't know what in the world was going on. He never told his manager to reduce balances on accounts. What was his manager up to, he wondered. As the landowner gave more thought to what had happened, he realized that he had been outsmarted by his manager. The landowner was in an awkward situation. He had two options. He could have his manager thrown in jail and tell all the farmers standing in his front yard praising his act of generosity that a mistake had been made and they still owed the full amount. Or he could say nothing and gain a reputation for being a most understanding and generous man. The wealthy landowner decided to keep quiet and accept the "Man of the Year Award."

By the time the wealthy landowner caught up with his employee he was no longer angry with him. The owner commended the clever manager because "he had acted shrewdly." Shrewdness paid off for the manager. Instead of being out of work with no prospect of a job, he had a new opportunity to better himself. I would like to believe that given a second chance the clever manager would no longer squander his master's property.

A lot of people have trouble with this parable. It seems the shrewd manager is being rewarded for being dishonest. He is not. Remember, Jesus was a great story teller. Sometimes he used humor to get his point across. I have taken a little liberty with the retelling of this story, because I believe it helps us understand the way Jesus originally told it. In this delightful little story, he is showing us a man who is clever and resourceful. He is a creative problem solver. The late British Bible scholar, T. W. Manson once said about the shrewd manager, "This is a fraud; but it is a most ingenious fraud. The steward is a rascal; but he is a wonderfully clever rascal." (2)

Jesus is addressing his disciples. There is some quality in the shrewd manager that Jesus wants his followers to see. "The children of this age," says Jesus, "are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light." In other words, he expects his followers not only to be faithful and good. He also expects us to use our brains.

FOR ONE THING, HE WANTS US TO EXAMINE THE WAY WE TREAT MATERIAL THINGS.

The shrewd manager used his authority over the wealthy man's accounts to make friends. Do we have control over our material things or do they have control over us? Sometimes possessions get in our way and prevent us from being the persons Christ calls us to be.

An interesting story appeared in the newspapers sometime back. Worshipers at the Second Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church in Cleveland, Ohio, had a rude interruption during worship services earlier this year. Three guys wearing masks burst into the church. One pulled out a gun and announced that the worshipers were to get out their money and remove their jewelry and rings. It was a tense moment for this congregation. But hold on. This hold-up was not what it appeared.

It turns out that the church's pastor, the Rev. Napoleon A. Harris, IV, staged the robbery to teach his congregation a lesson. The message was about "robbing God." Rev. Harris said the lesson was one of "responsibility, accountability, and dependability."

"It is my job to convey God's word," Rev. Harris said. "There's nothing comfortable about telling God's word," he said about his little staged drama. The police saw the incident in a different manner. They described the lesson as a dangerous game. Rev. Harris doesn't understand the fuss. He said, "I teach practical lessons every week." (3)

Jesus is trying to teach us a practical lesson here and his story is just about as shocking. The Parable of the Shrewd Manager challenges us to rethink the influence our possessions have over us. Do we give our very best to God or do we hoard and spend our money only for ourselves? Do our possessions have control over us or do we use them to draw us closer to Jesus?

American novelist Ernest Hemingway used to give away some of his possessions at the beginning of each January. He gave them away to demonstrate that he owned them; they did not own him. Jesus wants to examine our ownership of our material possessions.

IN THE PARABLE OF THE SHREWD MANAGER JESUS ALSO TEACHES US TO THINK OF THE FUTURE.

In a time of personal crisis the shrewd manager did not think about how good he once had it. He planned for the day when he would have no job, no food, and no place to live. The shrewd manager considered what the future had in store for him and decided he had to act in a creative way.

Wise people today know there is very little security anymore. Jobs can be lost, pension plans can be robbed. And then there's Social Security. Will it be there when we need it? Anybody who doesn't plan carefully for the future today is foolish indeed.

Even more foolish is laying up treasure for this world only. Dr. Maurice Boyd, former pastor of Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City, comments: "Jesus found many who lived as though this world was going to be their home forever, never looking beyond it...." (4) There are many people making the same mistake today. The shrewd manager looked beyond his present circumstances. So should we. It is possible to be rich in things and to be bankrupt with God.

IN TELLING THE PARABLE JESUS WANTS HIS FOLLOWERS TO SHOW AS MUCH INTELLIGENCE IN USING MATERIAL THINGS AS THE MANAGER DID LOOKING OUT FOR HIS OWN INTERESTS.

Because of the shrewd manager's creative thinking, he was commended. It was a win-win- win situation. Everyone was a winner at the end. The shrewd manager not only had people in his debt but also had the praise of his master, the wealthy landowner. The farmers were happy because they had some of their outstanding debt reduced. And the wealthy landowner was seen as a generous man by everyone for reducing what people owed him. William Barclay states that "our Christianity will begin to be real and effective only when we spend as much time and effort on it as we do on our worldly activities." (5) That's Jesus' intent. It is not to praise the manager's dishonesty, but his attention to his situation.

Robert Fulghum, in his latest book UH-OH, tells of a scene he watched while eating breakfast in a cafe in Northwest Thailand. He tells of the dusty yellow light of an early summer morning. In the shade of graceful old trees in the forecourt of an ill-kept temple, three small girls are offering little clay amulets tied to small bamboo cages containing tiny birds to those who come to pray. The birds are not actually for sale in the sense that you can take them home with you. When you give the little girls a few coins, you are entitled to set one of the birds free and thereby add to your achievement of merit. You keep the amulet as evidence of your act--a kind of ecclesiastical receipt for a righteous act.

After breakfast, he visited the temple with a native friend he had made. They walked around to the back. On a wooden table was the rest of the story--a pan of water, and several uninhabited bamboo cages with bread crumbs just inside the open doors. When the sparrows are freed out front by the worshipers, they fly around the temple to the table, take a drink of water, hop into a cage to eat the crumbs, and another little girl gently closes the cage and places it in a larger basket to be carried around front.

The native explained that this was not an "official business of the temple." The little girls provide food and water for the birds, the birds provide an opportunity for a religious gesture to those who come to pray and they, in turn, provide a small income for the little girls. "It is no secret how the matter works," Fulghum writes, "and no hypocrisy is involved--everyone has a part in an enterprise to which everyone gives and from which everyone is given." (6)

It is an interesting story. It is the kind of story Jesus might tell. Not to praise the deceit involved, but as an example to his followers that we are to think about the resources and the opportunities we have. We are to look to the future--our future here and our future beyond. We are to give the same kind attention to our situations as did the shrewd, clever manager.

-----------------

1. R. Robert Cueni, THE VITAL CHURCH LEADER (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1991) Introduction by Herb Miller, pp. 12-13.

2. T. W. Manson, THE SAYINGS OF JESUS AS RECORDED IN THE GOSPELS ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW AND ST. LUKE, arranged with Introduction and Commentary, (London: SCM, 1971), pg. 292.

3. "Spreading the Word by Hook or by Crook," The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 13, 1992, pg. 3.

4. "Running to Paradise," sermon by Dr. R. Maurice Boyd, Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, New York, June 17, 1990.

5. William Barclay, THE GOSPEL OF LUKE (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1975), pg. 208.

6. Robert Fulghum, UH-OH (New York: Villard Books, 1991), pp. 83-85. TOP>

Main Sermon Index

SEP492

WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

Luke 16: 19-31

"Grandfather's Corner," is the story of an old man who lived with his son and his son's wife and children. The man was almost deaf and blind and had difficulty eating without spilling his food. Occasionally, he would drop a bowl and break it. His son and his wife thought it was disgusting and made the old man eat in a corner behind the stove. They gave him a wooden bowl which could not be broken.

One day the old man's little grandson was working with some pieces of wood. When his father asked what he was doing, he replied, "I'm making a trough for you and mother to eat out of when I'm grown up." From that moment on, the grandfather rejoined the family at the table. No one ever said another word about it. (1)

What goes around comes around. The way we treat other people is the way we will be treated. That is especially true within the family. The boy saw how his father treated his grandfather and assumed that it was an acceptable way to treat someone who was old.

Jesus told a parable. A certain rich man had the very best of everything. He was so rich that he didn't need to work. He had the finest clothing money could buy. He wore the finest robes, fit for a king. He had so much food that he was able to have a feast every day. He lived a life of luxury and was the envy of all his neighbors.

Living outside the gate of the rich man's estate was a homeless man named Lazarus. Lazarus had nothing. He was desperately poor and hungry and sick. His drew his only comfort from dogs who came and licked running sores that covered his body. Lazarus spent his days lying on the ground waiting for the servants to throw some food out to him. In the days before forks and spoons persons ate with their fingers. They would wash their fingers in small bowls placed on the table. Wealthy people would dry their hands on loaves of bread which would be thrown out. This discarded bread was what Lazarus ate. He lived day to day, never knowing how much food he would get or if he would get any. The little bit of food he did receive he shared with the dogs.

The rich man surely saw Lazarus lying in front of his house, but he never paid much attention to him. We know how it is, don't we? Sometimes we too are guilty of blocking unpleasant sights from our mind. Poor people living in the streets and under bridges might as well be invisible. We pretend that we don't see them. We act as though we don't hear their cries for food as we pass them on the streets. Poor people are often forgotten people. No one cares much about them. Even worse, there seems to be a great deal of anger building in our society towards those who are without. The rich man never really noticed Lazarus. He was just someone who was there--part of the scenery.

WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND.

Both men die and something totally unexpected happens. A reversal of fortunes takes place. As Jesus told this parable, "The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham." The rich man was not so fortunate. He was headed for a warmer climate. The rich man, who had the best in life, was in Hades while Lazarus, the poor man who had nothing, was at Abraham's side.

ACCORDING TO JESUS, GOD OFTEN TURNS THE TABLES.

Jesus taught many times about God's reversals. Jesus said, "But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first." (Matt. 19:30) On another occasion he told his disciples, "Whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave." (Matt. 20:27) This goes against our nature. We admire and are fascinated by wealthy people, aren't we? We dream of joining their company.

No doubt some of the Pharisees were dismayed with Jesus' parable. From their viewpoint, the fact that the rich man was wealthy meant God showed favor on him. The Pharisees believed that righteous people were rewarded by God with wealth. In their thinking, the rich man should be the hero--not poor Lazarus. Sounds like many affluent people today.

All through this parable Jesus reverses the common perceptions. For example, notice that the rich man is nameless. Even in our world rich people are known by name and by face. We see them on television programs showing off their luxury homes. We see their faces on magazine covers in the supermarket. We know who they are. The poor, on the other hand, are often nameless. We don't know their names or their faces. In this parable the poor man ends up along side of Abraham while the rich man ends up in Hades.

GOD TURNS THE TABLES. HE REVERSES WHAT WE THINK IS IMPORTANT.

God's ways are not always our ways. Both men die and the rich man discovers what life was like for Lazarus. Sometimes we understand someone better when we are able to view life from their angle.

It's happening with increasing frequency in the Memphis, Tennessee, area. Perhaps you've seen the stories in the newspapers. Somebody slips into a house or apartment, "cases" the place and snatches up whatever he or she wants. All this takes place under the eyes of a deputy sheriff. And it's perfectly legal, thanks to Criminal Court Judge Joe B. Brown.

Judge Brown raised some eyebrows by ordering several burglars to open their homes to former victims. "He [the burglar] learns what a good citizen feels like," the judge says, "worrying whether he's going to come home and find all his stuff still there." With deputies in tow, victims can take what they want up to a limit set by the judge that approximates the value of what they lost. ,p> One victim made several visits before he was satisfied. "The first day he didn't find anything, but the second time he came back, he bagged a color television and a stereo component set," Judge Brown said. (2)

In torment the rich man looks up and sees Lazarus at Abraham's side. The rich man calls out, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames." Do you see the irony? Instead of Lazarus begging for food from the rich man, now the rich man is begging for a few drops of cool water from poor Lazarus.

WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND.

This parable teaches us that

WHAT'S IMPORTANT IN LIFE IS NOT HOW MUCH WE HAVE, BUT THE WAY WE TREAT OTHER PEOPLE.

The rich man was not a bad person. He kept the letter of the law. His only sin was that he failed to notice Lazarus lying in his doorway. The way we treat other people says something about our understanding of what it means to be a Christian. Do we treat the people we come in contact with in ways that Jesus would want us to? Or, like the rich man, do we pretend they are not there?

Abraham answered the rich man saying, "Child, remember that during your lifetime you received good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony."

Let me give you a quiz? What can you take with you when you leave this world? Nothing? That's not altogether true. There is one thing that survives the grave. Relationships--relationships with others and our relationship with Jesus Christ. That's it. That's the only thing we can take with us. Was the rich man really rich? The truth is, he didn't have anything that mattered!

Dr. Leo Buscalgia tells of an experience he had in Cambodia years ago. He noticed that during monsoon season the people's way of life changed. The great rains washed away their houses, so the people lived on great communal rafts, several families together. Dr. Buscalgia writes: "I went down there on a bicycle and there they were. I thought I'd help these people move and become part of their community. The Frenchwoman whom I was talking with just laughed. `What do they have to move?' she asked. `Nature has taught them the only thing they have is from the top of their head to the bottom of their feet. Themselves, not things. They can't collect things because every year the monsoon comes.'"

Dr. Buscalgia reflected upon what he saw: "I couldn't help thinking to myself, what would you do, Buscalgia, if the monsoon came to Los Angeles next week? What would you take? Your color TV set? Your automobile? The only thing you have to take is you." (3)

The only thing we take to the grave and beyond is our relationships with others and with Jesus Christ. So, instead of trying to accumulate as many possessions as we can, our goal should be to strengthen our relationships--with our family and friends, with the homeless at our gates, and most of all, with Christ. Ultimately, of course, they are all part of the same package. Jesus said, "...just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me." (Matt. 25:45) The rich man could have helped poor Lazarus, but chose to ignore him. The rich man discovered what goes around comes around.

In Mel Brooks' latest movie, "Life Stinks," Brooks plays wealthy businessman, Goddard Bolt. Goddard Bolt has the very best of everything money could buy. He rides in a chauffeur driven limousine. He's wealthy and his sights are set on making more. His plan is to tear down some old downtown buildings and construct a modern complex with luxury condominiums and a mall.

"What about the people living down there?" one of his employees asks him. "What people?" Goddard Bolt asks, "There are only old deserted buildings." What he doesn't take into account are the homeless people living in those "old deserted buildings" and in the alleys.

A wager is made that Brook's character cannot live among the street people for thirty days. He accepts this wager. While he is living on the streets, he learns firsthand what it's like to be homeless. He also makes some friends among the homeless and discovers that they are not bad people--just people down on their luck. On a rainy night one of his new friends, Sailor, dies on the street and the next morning is found on the sidewalk. No one cares. No one even stops to see if he is dead or alive.

At the end of the thirty days Goddard Bolt is a changed man. No longer is making money his only goal in life. Now he wants to build new homeless shelters where he once planned luxury condominiums.

Like the wealthy man in our parable, Goddard Bolt was always too busy or too preoccupied to notice the poor and homeless persons living right outside his building. Unlike the wealthy man, Bolt realized his error and was able to change his ways and attitudes before it was too late.

I hope you and I are that fortunate. For there is much of the rich man in us. There is much we would not see. For a few moments a graphic injustice or a riot opens our eyes just a bit, as occurred in Los Angeles this past Spring. But then we go back to the way things were. We forget that what goes around comes around. God is a God of justice. Be careful who you ignore. The tables may someday be reversed.

--------------

1. Leo Buscalgia, BUS 9 TO PARADISE (New York: Wm. Morrow & Co., 1986), pg. 249.

2. "A Turnabout in Foul Play," The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 10, 1992.

3. Leo Buscalgia, LIVING, LOVING, AND LEARNING (New York: Fawcett Columbine, 1982), pg. 17.

SEP592BSC

FACES AT A FUNERAL

Mark 15:33-41

Ruth Lowe was a young widow in Toronto. Just a year before, she'd been a blushing bride. But soon after their wedding, her husband was killed. Now she didn't have the energy to live. Her friends tried to help her cope. Her parents urged her to get started again. Play the piano! her father said. You used to always do that when you were frustrated or lonely! But Ruth's young husband had been a pianist. And now their piano seemed like an enemy rather than a friend. One night, though, Ruth sat at the keyboard. She fingered the keys. She played a few chords. And then she began to write a new song. She wrote it through her tears. And within a few months, it became a smash hit across North America. They all wanted to hear it again. And they all knew the title. It was the same as the words of the opening line: "I'll Never Smile Again!"

Death doesn't usually allow us to smile. Did you ever look around during a funeral. All the heads are bowed. No one looks back at you. No one smiles. "A grave," said the poet Wordsworth, "A grave is a tranquilizing object. It demands sorrow. It requires silence. It forces tears."

And here, in Mark 15, you have the faces at a funeral. There's the face of the centurion. He looks up at Jesus. And he feels the terrible power that's ripping the world apart. And, almost in terror, he yells out: "Surely this man was the Son of God!" He's not smiling. He's not laughing. He's frightened. And down below, you see the faces of the women. Mary Magdalene is crying. Ever since Jesus healed her and threw out the demons, she's loved him. He was her life, her passion, her identity! If she had known Ruth Lowe's song, she would have sung it right then: I'LL NEVER SMILE AGAIN!

Faces at a funeral. The others are there too: the friends of Jesus, the friends of Mary, the friends of the disciples. Jesus' mother is there. Maybe she's thinking about that day, long ago, when she stood in the Temple as a young bride. Her cheeks were rosy, and the puffiness hadn't all drained away after her pregnancy. She and Joseph were bringing their little boy for his dedication ceremony. And an old man stepped out of the crowds. He seemed to know them. He took hold of their baby and blessed him before God. He looked at Mary, with shining eyes, and praised her little boy. He'd be a leader of men, a ruler of nations, a gift from God! And then suddenly his eyes drilled a hole right inside of her. "A sword will pierce your heart!" he said. And here she was. It was a funeral for her son. His body twisted in agony above her. Her heart felt the sword of his pain. Her face was wet with tears. And she knew what Ruth Lowe meant when she sang: I'LL NEVER SMILE AGAIN!

That's the way it is at a funeral, isn't it? No one looks you in the eye. No one dares to say too much. It's not the time. It's not the place. There's a song that asks the questions: "Why do the birds go on singing? Why does the sun shine above? Don't they know it's the end of the world?! It ended when I lost your love!" And here are the lovers of Jesus. Faces at a funeral. Not a grin among them. Not a dry eye. Not a heart that isn't crying out: I'LL NEVER SMILE AGAIN!

Did you ever feel that way? Did you ever find yourself singing Ruth Lowe's song, "I'll Never Smile Again!"? All of us have, haven't we? Some of us have been at the funeral only recently. And you know what's the worst thing about it? It seems that there are always some people around you, at a time like that, who make fun of it all! Just like here: there's a little group that came to the cross just to see the show! They make fun of Jesus. They tease him with wine. They laugh at his dying words. And they couldn't care less how you feel.

I remember how it was for a woman in my congregation in Alberta. Seven years ago, right about this time of the year, she called me up. She wanted to talk with me. I was glad about that. I knew there was something wrong. Every Sunday, when she came to church, she'd sit with her head bowed down. When we met at the door, she'd turn her eyes away. But if I asked her about it, she'd just start crying, and walk away. Now she told me.

"I know it's wrong," she said. "I know I shouldn't feel this way about you, but I just can't help it." She shook a little, and her fingers twisted her handkerchief. She said, "I'm angry with you!" I tried to figure out what I might have done. I couldn't think of anything that had happened between us. She said, "It isn't anything you've done! I just resent that you're so happy when I'm so sad!"

You see, a year before, on Easter Sunday, Brenda and I were married. We were so excited, so happy, so thrilled with our "big day!" But this woman's father was dying. He had cancer. I went to see him on Good Friday, and we talked about his faith and his family and his coming death. When I was leaving, he wished me well for our wedding. And I knew, when I said goodbye, that I wouldn't see him again. He died a few hours after our wedding reception. Just when we were beginning our honeymoon.

And now, as long as we were in Iron Springs, our wedding anniversary and his death stood back to back. Every time we smiled, she cried. Every time we remembered the excitement of "our day," she remembered the night that death came calling. How could we be so happy, especially at this time of year, when she was so sad?! How could we invite people to celebrate with us, when hardly anyone remembered the day her father died?! It wasn't fair! It wasn't fair! And she'd begun to hate me for it!

She knew she was being unreasonable. She knew she shouldn't feel like this. But she couldn't help it. That's the way it was inside. Faces at a funeral. Don't laugh while I'm crying! Don't mock my pain!

In one of Ernest Hemingway's stories, ISLANDS IN THE STREAM, a father walks along the beach. His oldest son was just killed in the war, and he can't bear it. He refuses to eat. He won't sleep. Friends try to get him back to the house. "I know I have to let go of him," he says. "But I can't do it today!" Not today. Not tomorrow either.

I'LL NEVER SMILE AGAIN! Those are the faces at the funeral. Ordinary faces. Of ordinary people. In the ordinary pain of death. And we're there with them.

But there's one more face at this funeral. It's the face of Jesus. It's the face on the cross. And on Good Friday, that's the face we have to look at. It isn't a pretty face. Isaiah the prophet said: "He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him." (53:2) His face was one of suffering. It was the face of pain. The face of a broken heart and a crushed spirit. If it were an ordinary person up there, this would be just another ordinary face. But the problem with this ordinary face is that it's worn by a very extraordinary person. For the centurion was right! Heaven and earth are being ripped apart. Things are turned upside down. The creation is shaking. And this ordinary face at the funeral is the human face of God!

Think of that for a minute. The human face of God! It's hard to imagine, isn't it? A Japanese writer, Shusaku Endo, talks about that. He's a Christian. But he's one of a very small minority. Less than 3 percent of the people in Japan are Christians. And Shusaku Endo thinks he knows why. He says that the Westerners who came to Japan over the years always talked about the power of the Christian God. He's a God of glory! He's a God of armies and victory! He's a God of power and might! And he says, the Japanese were impressed with that! They showed their thirst for power in the battles of World War II. They continue to show their taste for victory on the Tokyo stock exchange. They like glory and splendor and strength. But, he says, there's one thing the Japanese value even more. They value weakness. They value someone who serves. They value a mother who weeps for her children. And that's something, says Shusaku Endo, the Christians who have come to Japan haven't talked about in the past. A God of glory! Yes! A Lord of power and might! Sure! A Divine King who leads armies into battle! Of course! But a God on the cross? A God of weakness? A face at a funeral? No! No, not that! And that's the surprise of Jesus on the cross, isn't it? An ordinary face. On a very extraordinary person.

What does it mean? What does this face mean? Sure, we know all the answers! This is God's way of taking away our sins. Jesus had to suffer the full punishment of hell for us. We talk about the "atonement." But couldn't God have thought of another plan? Couldn't he have pulled it off a in better way, a more "godly" way? Something more in tune with divine power and might and strength? Probably. There's a song that says, "He could have called ten thousand angels to destroy the world and set him free!" But if he would have done that, he would always remain the "GOD OUT THERE!" The "MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE!" The "LORD OF GLORY!" And Christianity would have become just another religion, just another way to tap into some universal power, just another "My God is bigger than your God" boast.

The Cross said something different. The Cross spoke a Word that couldn't be spoken in any other way. It told of the horror of death, the pain of death, the wickedness of death. And it said that God was sick and tired of death too! Not just because it was a bother! Not just because it was some kind of annoyance! Not just because it threw a monkey wrench into the fine machine of the universe He'd made. God was sick and tired of death because it hurt! And He knew how much it hurt! And He felt the pain of those at the funeral! And He saw the look in their eyes! And Jesus cried out with the agony of their hearts, "My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?!" That's what the human face of God was all about on the Cross outside Jerusalem!

Some years ago, the gentle Catholic scholar, Henri Nouwen, was living in Paraguay. He knew a man in a certain town. The man was a doctor. And doctors are educated men, honorable men, a little better than the average person on the street. The military leaders in the district didn't like this doctor. They thought he was too uppity. So one night the police arrested his teenaged son. They locked him in a filthy jail cell. They beat him up. They tortured and abused him. They burned cigarettes into his skin. They shocked him with electric prods. And then they killed him. Violently.

The family prepared for the funeral. They wanted to wash the boy's body. They wanted to dress him in his best suit. They wanted to comb his hair, and lay him in a coffin of silk padding. They wanted to put a little smile on his face, and show him peaceful at the end. But the doctor said, NO! He dragged the bloody mattress from the jail and tossed it down at the front of the church. He left the body of his son twisted in torture. He didn't wash away the blood or the puss or the filth. And when the villagers filed by on the day of the funeral, they knew the doctor was one of them. They knew that he understood them. They knew that he was touched by their troubles and pained by their grief. And they knew that he would never stop fighting with them, until all the wickedness and all the corruption and all the rotten sinfulness in their world was put away forever. That day the doctor wore their face. They looked around at the funeral, and he was one of them.

That is what's so striking about the face of Jesus on the cross! It sets God down among us. It puts Him in our shoes. It lets us see Him at a funeral, where all the eyes are crying and all the faces are puffy and all the heads are tilted toward the floor. In fact, that's what the tearing of the Temple veil meant, in verse 38! There was a big, dark, heavy curtain separating the inner room of the Temple from the outer room. The inner room was the secret place of God. No one could go in there, except the High Priest, once a year on the Day of Atonement. But now that veil is ripped. It's torn apart from top to bottom, as though by the powerful hands of a towering giant. It's not torn apart by priests. It's not torn apart by Levites, working in the Temple. It's torn apart by God Himself.

And when Jesus hangs on the Cross of Calvary, God steps out of hiding. The human face of God. That's what you have at this funeral. He's left the hidden realms of glory. He's left behind the secret places of the inner rooms of the Temple. He's stepped out of the shadows of distant places, and He walks right into the funerals of our world. The human face of God. It says that God is one of us. It says that God understands us. It says that God won't stop until all the wickedness and all the corruption and all the rotten sinfulness in our world is put away forever.

In her book, THE HIDING PLACE, Corrie Ten Boom tells of her days in a German prison camp. Every Friday the women would have a medical inspection. They had to take off all their clothes. They had to march past all the guards. They had to listen to the jeering and the coarse jokes and the humiliating taunts of the men. And "one Friday morning," says Corrie, "a verse from the Bible just jumped into my head. It was the verse from Jesus' crucifixion. They stripped his clothes off him. He hung naked on the cross." Corrie says the only pictures she'd ever seen of Jesus on the cross were the ones where they put a strip of cloth around his private parts. But, she says, that was only something the artists did because they were ashamed! They didn't want Jesus exposed. But the truth is, Jesus was really naked! He was humiliated! He was stripped of any dignity! He was paraded like a spectacle in front of the soldiers. Just like her! So he knew what she was going through! And he understood! And he cared! And he was as frustrated with this horror as she was.

That's what the Cross is all about. Faces at a funeral. Our faces. Ordinary faces. Puffy, crying faces. And his is there too. The human face of God. And that's what turns the Cross of Jesus Christ into a symbol of honor for the Church. That's why we wear it with pride and display it in our churches and sing about it in our songs. The Cross of Jesus Christ puts the human face of God right next to us in the funerals of our lives. He knows. He understands. He cares. And He won't stop fighting next to us until all the pain and all the torture and all the rotten sinfulness is thrown out of our world.

And that's why we sing:

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride!

For in the faces at the funeral on Good Friday morning, we see the human face of God, who loved us, and gave himself up for us, and walks with us in the struggles of our lives.

SERMONS FOR CHILDREN
JAS192CS

EMPOWERED BY ANGELS

Scripture: I Kings 19: 1-8

Object: Flashlight without batteries. Bring good batteries with you.

Good morning, boys and girls:

What is this I have in my hand? That's right, it's a flashlight. (Hand the flashlight to one of the children.)

Could you turn this on for me, please? Uh-oh, the light didn't turn on. Can anybody guess why? That's right, a flashlight needs batteries to work. (Put the batteries in the flashlight).

Now turn it on. Good, it works.

You know, we Christians are like that flashlight. What do we need to light us up and make us work? We need faith in God. Faith means that we believe in God and trust Him. The Bible says that if we have enough faith we can move mountains. Our faith can give us power, just like the batteries give the flashlight power. When we really believe in God with all our heart and soul, He gives us the power to do anything. Our faith lights us up and makes us stronger.

---

JAS292CS ONE IN CHRIST

Scripture: Galatians 3:23-29

Object: Two similar-looking shoes

Good morning, boys and girls:

Can anybody tell me the difference between these two shoes? That's right, they're slightly different colors. Different shapes, too. But really, there's not much difference between these shoes, is there? We use them for the same things--walking. They're both comfortable and nice-looking. No big difference.

You know, that's how God looks at us. We might be different sizes, or colors, or religions, but that's not important to God. We are all God's children, and that's what really matters to Him. He doesn't care what we look like. He loves all of us just the same. We are all equal in His eyes. Black people, white people, men, women, old people, young people, Jewish people, Christian people, Buddhist, Muslim--He loves all of us. He gave His Son for every one. That's the way Christ wants us to look at people--all people--as people he loves.

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JAS392CS FREEDOM'S YEAR

Scripture: Galatians 3:26-4:7; 5:1, 13-26

bject: Big, cardboard box

Good morning, boys and girls:

Do any of you have boxes at home that you play in? Aren't they fun? You can make them into a house or a fort or a castle or a cave. But after a while you get tired of them, don't you? Then you just throw them away. But what if you couldn't throw them away? What if you had to stay in the box all the time? It would be hard to play in the box. You couldn't go outside very easily if you had to stay in the box. You couldn't visit your friends. Really, you can't do much of anything in that box. That box would become not a fort or a castle but a dungeon, a prison. You're like a slave in that box. You are not free to enjoy life.

The Bible says that when we don't know Jesus, we are like slaves. We are like prisoners, locked in, who can't do anything. But if we get to know Jesus and try to be the kind of person Jesus says we should be and give our hearts to Him, we can get out of the box. We are free to be the beautiful people God created us to be.

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JAS492CS INDEPENDENCE DAY

Object: Small flag or picture of American flag.

Good morning, boys and girls:

Do you know what holiday we've just celebrated? That's right, the Fourth of July. It's also known as Independence Day. Why do we celebrate it?

Way back in 1776, a group of men got together and signed the Declaration of Independence. It was an announcement of freedom. That's what "independence" means--freedom. This announcement was a piece of paper that said that the American people were free, they were not part of England any more, and that they had certain rights. This declaration gave us rights so that we could be treated fairly. We built our whole government and our country around the ideas in the Declaration of Independence.

The Bible also tells us about our rights as people. We build our lives around the ideas in the Bible. The Bible tells us that as children of God, we are free to live and love more fully than we can ever imagine.

We celebrate the Fourth of July and remember how lucky we are to live in a country where we have so many rights.

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JAS592CS TRAVELING LIGHT

Scripture: Luke 10:1-12

Object: Big piece of luggage with some stuff inside to weigh it down.

Good morning, boys and girls:

How many of you have ever gone on a trip? It's a lot of fun, isn't it? Usually when you take a trip, you have to take a lot of luggage with you. (Pick a child and ask him/her to try to pick up the piece of luggage). Pretty heavy, huh? Do you think you could go very far with that suitcase? Probably not.

In the Bible, Jesus told some of His followers to go into a far-away city to preach the Gospel, but he told them not to take any luggage. They weren't supposed to take money, or extra clothes, or books, or anything. He didn't want them to have a bunch of heavy baggage to slow them down. But also, Jesus knew that if the men didn't have a lot of baggage to take with them, then they would concentrate totally on the purpose of their trip. They didn't need money because they weren't supposed to buy souvenirs. They didn't need swimming trunks because that wasn't their purpose. They were going out in the country-side to tell people the Good News. That was all they were supposed to concentrate on.

We sometimes forget that He wants us to tell other people the Good News, too. He hasn't sent us out like He did them. We can still go on vacation and swim and do things like that. But still He wants us to spread His love just as they did. Whether we are carrying heavy suitcases or not, we can be doing what Jesus wants us to do.

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JAS692CS

WHY DO WE CALL HIM GOOD?

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

Object: Picture of a snake.

Good morning, boys and girls:

How many of you have ever seen a snake? Do you like them? They are kind of ugly and scary sometimes, aren't they? Snakes have some unusual habits. I don't know if it's true, but I read somewhere that if a rattlesnake gets hurt, another rattlesnake will sense it and will come and wrap itself around the hurt rattle-snake to try to keep it warm. No one knows why. Maybe that's the only way the rattlesnake knows how to help. Anyway, that's a very nice thing that the rattlesnake does for another rattlesnake.

Today, we are going to talk about compassion. Compassion is helping other people and being nice to other people. It's like what one rattlesnake does for a rattlesnake that is hurt. When we see someone who is hurting in some way, we want to help them. Maybe we just don't know how. But we try to help because we care about them.

We should try to help all people, because we are all God's children and they are God's children and He loves all of us. So every day we should try to have compassion for other people. We should care about and help people as much as possible.

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JAS792CS ONE THING IS NEEDFUL

Scripture: Luke 10:38-42

Object: A list of things to do. Put "THINGS TO DO" at the top in big letters.

Good morning, boys and girls:

What have I got here in my hands? That's right, it's a list of things to do. Has your mommy or daddy ever made a list like this for themselves or for you to help you remember all the stuff you have to get done today? We have some pretty busy days, don't we? We get up and get ready. Then we go to school or to day care. When we come home, we eat supper. Then we might have to clean our rooms or do our homework. Next, maybe we play for a while, or we go to a friend's house. We have a lot to do every day. When do we have time for God? Have you ever stopped to think about that? We spend our time doing so much stuff, but we don't spend much time thinking about God.

In the Bible, there were two sisters named Mary and Martha. Now Mary and Martha had a lot of important work to do around the house. They were really busy, cooking and cleaning, and stuff like that. When Jesus came to their house, Martha kept right on working, but Mary stopped to listen to Jesus. Martha got mad at Mary because Mary wasn't working. But Jesus told Martha not to be mad. He said that it was just as important to stop and thank God as it was to do your work. Let's hope that if Jesus came to our house we wouldn't be too busy to listen to Him.

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JAS892CS ON KNOWING WHAT'S BEST FOR YOUR KIDS

Scripture: Luke 11:1-13

Object: Medicine bottle

Good morning, boys and girls:

What does it look like I have here? It's a bottle of medicine. How many of you like taking medicine? What about that thick, ugly, stinky kind of medicine? Do you like that? No? But sometimes your mommy or daddy makes you take medicine, don't they? Why do you think they make you take it? Because it's good for you. Because they know it will make you feel better. They know that you don't like the medicine, and they don't want to upset you, but they know what's best for you. They make you take it because they love you so much.

You know, God is our Father in Heaven. The Bible says He loves us more than anybody else in the world does. Now, we all know how much our parents love us; so how much more do you think God loves us? One hundred times more? One million times more? That's a lot of love. Now, since God loves us so much, don't you think He knows what's best for us? Some-times we have to go through things we don't like, like taking yucky medicine, but in the end God knows what it is good for us. And because He loves us so much, He'll always do what's best for us.

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JAS992CS A NEW VANTAGE POINT

Scripture: Colossians 3:1-17

Object: A pair of sunglasses

Good morning, boys and girls:

Do you notice anything different about me? What am I wearing? That's right, sunglasses. Now, most people wear sunglasses when they are outside. They do a lot of good outside. But have you ever worn sunglasses while you are inside? You can't see as well if you wear them inside. Everything looks funny and dark. If I'm not careful, I might bump into something. Not a good idea to wear sunglasses while you're inside. (Now take off the sunglasses).

There, that's better. Now everything is so clear and bright. Now I can see just fine.

You know, before we give our heart to Jesus, we see the world kind of like we're wearing sunglasses inside the house. Things don't look right. That's because we are not looking at things with our heart.

But when we give ourselves to Him, it's like taking off our sunglasses. Everything becomes brighter and clearer. We see everything differently, because now we know that God loves us. We want to be good and to love other people. Now that we are seeing things with our heart, everything looks better.

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JAS1092CS WHY WE BELIEVE IN GOD

Scripture: Hebrews 11:1-16

Object: Small, hand-held fan (can use bulletin or piece of paper for same effect).

Good morning, boys and girls:

Today we are going to talk about faith. Does anybody know what faith is? Why do we believe in God? That's a tough question, isn't it? (Create a breeze over the children).

Can you feel that air? That feels nice, doesn't it? When you're outside, do you ever see the grass and the trees blowing back and forth in the wind? Can you see the wind? No, you can't see the wind at all. So how do you know it's there? You can see it moving things around you, so you know it's there.

Faith in God is like that. You can't see or hear or touch or taste God, but you know He's here. You can see the things He does, like making people happy. You can see what the wind does, but you can't see the wind. And you can see what God does, even though you can't see God.

That's why we have faith in God. We know God is there, so we can believe in Him without seeing Him.

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JAS1192CS LESSONS FROM THE LOCKER ROOM

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-2, 12-17

Object: Tennis shoes

Good morning, boys and girls:

Have any of you ever run in a race? Or maybe you raced your best friend from one end of the yard to the next? It's a lot of fun, but it's hard work, too. What do you need to race? You need some comfortable shoes, don't you? You need to warm up really thoroughly so you don't hurt yourself. You need to practice a lot to get in good shape. Running a race is not easy. You really have to push yourself. Some runners say that they get so tired during a race that they want to give up and stop. But a funny thing happens; just when they are feeling their very worst, they get a "second wind". They get this sudden burst of energy. They feel really good all of a sudden. This gives them the energy to finish the race.

Our faith is a lot like a race, too. It's not always easy to keep your faith. It's hard work. You need a good, positive attitude. You need to "warm up" by praying and staying in touch with God. You need to practice by reading your Bible. All these things help your faith to grow. It's not easy. And just like in a race where you get sore and tired, there will be times when you are sad and confused and you feel like giving up your faith. But you'll never win by giving up. If you just keep going, trusting in God, you'll get your "second wind" and your faith will get stronger. It will be just like winning a race. It will be the best feeling in the world.

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JAS1292CS RESPONDING INSTEAD OF REACTING

Scripture: Jeremiah 28:1-9

Object: Make a cone-shaped, "Dunce" hat for yourself

Good morning, boys and girls:

How many of you have heard of an animal called a lemming?
A lemming is a small, furry creature that's related to a mouse. Lemmings live pretty ordinary animal lives, except for one odd thing. Every four years almost all of the lemmings in a certain area will get together in a huge group and they will go out to the sea. Then the lemmings will jump into the sea and drown themselves. Thousands and thousands of lemmings will kill themselves this way. No kidding, this is true. Why do they do it? Nobody really knows. Lemmings don't have very good brains, like humans do, and so lemmings don't really think about this. They just do it. They just jump into the sea and die. They don't think about it at all.

You know, God gave us good brains so that we can think about things before we do them. I'm wearing this Dunce hat this morning because this signifies a person who doesn't think very much. I'm going to get rid of this hat. (Wad it up.) I want to be a thinker. Why? Well, think about it!

Sometimes you might get mad and you might want to throw your stuff all over the room. But you stop and think about it, and you realize that you shouldn't throw your stuff everywhere. If you do throw your stuff around, you'll get in trouble. So you think about it and you decide not to do it. In today's Bible message, we read about a man named Jeremiah who learned to think before he acted. That's a good rule for all of us to follow. Then none of us would have to wear the Dunce hat.

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JAS1392CS WANT TO SIT AT THE HEAD TABLE?

Scripture: Luke 14:1, 7-14

Object: A table

Good morning, boys and girls:

How many of you have ever been chosen to be first in line to do something? Maybe you were picked to be on a team at school. Maybe you got to be first in line when the class went to lunch. It feels really special to be first, doesn't it? But sometimes being first is not that great. Let me explain.

Once upon a time, hundreds of years ago, there was a king named King Arthur. Now, King Arthur had the best army in the country and he wanted to build a beautiful table for the people in his army. They would sit at the table for meals and to discuss their important plans. To sit at the table was a very big honor, and all the men in the army wanted to sit at it. Unfortunately, as soon as the men found out about the table, they started arguing and fighting about who would get to sit at the head of the table. This was the most important part of the table, and they all wanted to sit there. When King Arthur found out about their fighting, he told the table makers to make the table completely round. That way the table would not have a head. Now all the men at the table would be completely equal. This stopped the fighting.

In the Bible, Jesus told his disciples that when they went to someone's house they should not sit at the head table, which is the best table, because someone really important might need to sit there. He told his disciples to sit at the lowest seat, so that people would insist that they move up to a higher seat. In this way, Jesus told his disciples to be humble and not try to be first, but instead to serve others.

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JAS1492CS A FAITHFUL FOLLOWER I WOULD BE

Scripture: Luke 14:25-33; Philemon 1-20

Object: A yo-yo

Good morning, boys and girls:

I have this yo-yo with me this morning, but not to talk about yo-yos. I needed something to use to help you think about elevators. And I thought, well, elevators go up and down like a yo-yo.

I bet all of you have ridden on an elevator at some time, haven't you? It's fun, isn't it? Elevators were invented back in 1852, a long time ago. Did you know, when the early elevators were invented nobody would ride on them? They were too afraid that the elevator would fall. Well, the man who invented the elevator, Elisha Otis, believed in his new elevator so much that he got into it all by himself, then he got some workmen to cut the cable that held the elevator up in the air. Elisha Otis was risking his life, but the elevator didn't crash. He got out safely. Ever since then, people haven't been afraid of the elevator. They felt safe because they knew that the inventor, Elisha Otis, was willing to do anything--even risk his life--to prove that it was safe.

That's called commitment. Commitment is when somebody believes in something so much that they will do anything for it. Jesus wants us to be that way towards him. He wants us to be committed to him, so that we are willing to do our very best for him. If we truly love him, we will be committed to do everything we can to serve him.

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JAS1592CS WHEN HEAVEN REJOICES

Scripture: Luke 15:1-10

Object: Picture of a bee or a flower

Good morning, boys and girls:

Today we're going to talk about honey bees and flowers. Many flowers have inside of them some seeds and a sweet stuff called nectar. For flowers to keep growing they have to spread the seeds that are inside of them, but most flowers can't spread their seeds by themselves. That's where honey bees come in. Honey bees need the nectar inside the flowers to make honey. So the honey bee leaves its hive and finds a flower. The honey bee takes the nectar from the flower to make honey, then the bee takes the seeds inside the flower and spreads them all over the ground so that more flowers can grow. This is the way the honey bee helps the flower, by going out and spreading its seeds.

We can help people in the way that the honey bee helps the flower. We can go outside the church and look for people who need our help. One way to do this is to invite our friends to come to church with us. This is one way that God wants us to reach out and help other people outside the church.

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JAS1692CS WHAT IT TAKES

Scripture: Luke 16:1-13

Object: Pictures of bugs

Good morning, boys and girls:

I've been reading about insects lately. They're pretty interesting. I read about one insect called a Malayan mantis. Now, the Malayan mantis is very pretty, and there are lots of birds and lizards that like to eat it. To escape from the birds and lizards, the Malayan mantis uses a disguise. When it is frightened, it will unfold its body and stand very still. You know what it looks like when it does this? It looks exactly like a flower. It looks so much like a flower that birds and lizards pass right by it, and it stays safe. That's a pretty smart way of protecting itself.

In the Bible lesson today, we will hear the story of a man who thought he was going to get fired from his job. He was scared. He decided to make friends with his boss's business partners. Maybe they would help him. This impressed his boss so much that his boss decided not to fire him. Jesus liked what the man did because it was clever. The man used his brains and talent to figure out a way to keep his job. Jesus wants us to be like that man. He wants us to be clever, and to use all our brains and talents to solve our problems.

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JAS1792CS WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

Scripture: Luke 16:19-31

Object: A bird feather

Good morning, boys and girls.

You know what I've been studying about lately? I've been studying about birds and animals. I learned something interesting. I learned that birds communicate with each other just like we do. Birds have all different kinds of tweeting noises that they use, and each tweeting noise has a different meaning. One tweet might mean that there is food nearby. Another tweet might mean that it is going to rain soon. A really loud tweet might warn the other birds that there is danger nearby. Birds are constantly helping one another by tweeting important messages to each other.

It is amazing to me that human beings like you and me, who are supposedly much more advanced than birds, are not nearly as helpful to one another as birds are. In fact, sometimes we are downright selfish.

And that's sad. One thing Jesus wants everyone of us to do is to share--share with one another and most especially share with those who are poor. We have many poor people in our world. They don't have the nice things you and I have. Let's be at least as caring as the birds in the trees. Let's share with all people that we may be all God means for us to be.

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