Saturday, February 28, 2015

Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC's - Second Sunday of Lent - 03/01/15 Sermon - “Jesus predicts his own death and resurrection”

Sunday 03/01/15 Freeville/Homer Ave UMC’s

Sermon Title: “Jesus predicts his own death and resurrection”                    
Old Testament Lesson: Psalm 22:23-31
                                            
New Testament Scripture: Romans 4:13-25

Gospel Lesson: Mark 8:31-38                  

            Welcome again my brothers and sisters to this the Second Sunday of this season of Holy Lent. In this season of 40-days, we are called to repent of our sins, to pursue holiness, to root sin out of ourselves altogether, and to become more like Jesus. For at the end of these 40-days, Jesus will have been crucified and laid in the tomb.
          As we walk with Christ during these 40-days then, and as Christ gets ever closer to the cross on Calvary, let us remember that this season will end with an empty tomb on Easter morning. Let us remember that the living Christ has already overcome. Let us remember that while the spiritual battle rages on, that the war was won on Calvary almost 2,000-years ago.
          Many of us know then, that towards the very end of this season of Lent, that we will remember Jesus’ crucifixion for the sins of humanity, on Good Friday. This should not make us miserable in Lent. Rather maybe we should ask ourselves in the season of Lent, how we can become more like God, how we can become more loving, and generous, as Christ will die for us all soon, out of love.
          When thinking about Christ dying for us soon on the cross at Calvary, I remember an interesting question one of my fellow seminarians asked a professor when we were in a seminary class together. My friend asked the professor, “Did Jesus Christ know ahead of time, exactly when and how he would die?”
I found this question to be fascinating, as I wondered, did Jesus know ahead of time, when and how he would die? I mean do any of us here, know when and how we will die? The answer for us likely is “No,” but the answer for Jesus, as I learned, is “Yes.”
You see in the gospel of Mark reading for this morning, Jesus says to his disciples, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and the legal experts, and be killed, and then, after three days, rise from the dead” (Mark 8:31, CEB).
          It would seem clear from this gospel scripture and others then, that Jesus was clearly telling his disciples and others, “I will be killed and resurrected.”
          Imagine for a minute, if I told you all here, that I was going to live for another 50-years, 200-hunded days, 5-hours, and 4-minutes? What would be your reaction to that prophecy, to that claim on my own mortal life be? I mean how could I have come up with this number? Imagine if I told you further, that I would die 50-years from now from a flu-like disease? How could I know this number, and how could I accurately predict some super-bug or super flu virus that will exist in 50-years’ time? Certainly if I made such claims, there would immediately be many who would say, pastor has finally gone crazy.
          Perhaps some of you would believe me though, yet 50-years from now, the burden of proof would be on me. Given this example then, was Jesus wrong in his prediction? Did what he predict about his own death and resurrection in fact happen?
          Further, what did Jesus ever say that has ever been found to be false? The only thing that has yet to come true that Christ promised, is his return, the second coming.
          The ability to make such a prediction, the ability to say that soon you will die, and provide details, including your own resurrection, seems to me to not be something that a mere human could do. I mean after all, if all divine power comes from God, how could Jesus know when he would die? I thought only God knows such things? Further, when Jesus spoke, were the words he spoke true and of God in all things?
          The only reasonable solution then, is that Jesus was the fullness of God and the fullness of a human, when he walked on this Earth. That Christ was and is, one and the same with God, and with the Holy Spirit. Jesus was and is the second representation of God. The second person of the Holy Trinity.
          So not only is Christ going to give up his life for us all soon, he knows it. He knows exactly when and how it will happen. After all, why would Christ pray so intensely in the Garden of Gethsemane all night on Holy or Maundy Thursday, if he didn’t know he would be nailed to the cross the next day? I heard a good quote this week that “The devil overcame Adam in the Garden of Eden, but that Christ overcame the devil in the Garden of Gethsemane.” Why does Christ succeed where Adam fails? The answer is that only God can defeat the fullness of evil, which Jesus, the Son of God did.
          Now when I gave you my years, days, hours, and minutes until my own death, I was obviously just making these numbers up, as an example. Imagine knowing from a little child though, when and how you would die. Jesus knew all of this. During his entire three-year ministry on earth, he knew what was to come for him. So much so, that today he told his disciples and other followers, that he would soon suffer and die, so that we may live.
          You see after centuries of God sending prophets like Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Malachi in the Old Testament to call us repentance and holiness, God realized that we as a fallen humanity were just not getting it. One prophet after another in the Old Testament were called by God to tell us to repent, to pursue holiness, and to live lives worthy of God.
          Finally God decided to come to earth, to take on flesh, and be called by the name Jesus. He dwelt among us, and out of the greatest love ever known, he will die four our sins on a cross on Calvary. Christ will die for all the wrong we have done, and all the wrong we are yet to do, so that we may inherit the kingdom of God. If we but call upon the name of Jesus Christ, we will be forgiven, made whole, and we will be reconciled to almighty God.
          Since Jesus brought this “Good News” to the world, and since my own life has been changed and transformed by Jesus Christ, I now myself preach “The Good News.” I preach “The Good News” because I have seen lives changed, hearts healed, and as the reading from Psalm 22 says from this morning, “I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; I will praise you in the very center of the congregation! (Ps. 22:22, CEB).
          Psalm 22:23 then says, “All of you who revere the LORD—praise him! All of you who are Jacob’s descendants—honor him! All of you who are all Israel’s offspring—stand in awe of him!”
          In this season of Lent do we stand in awe of God? Do we realize who Jesus is, and how he can change us all, from the inside to the out? Do we have faith in Christ? Do we truly believe?
          In the reading from the Apostle Paul’s Epistle or Letter to the Romans from this morning, Paul talks about how the promise of salvation comes to us through faith. In fact, Paul says in Romans 4:16, “the inheritance comes through faith, so that it will be on the basis of God’s grace.” Do we have faith in the one who predicted his own death and resurrection? The Apostle Paul tells us, that our faith in God, that our faith in Christ, is how we are made whole. Is how we inherit eternal life.
          Our gospel of Mark lesson for this morning begins with Jesus teaching his disciples. Jesus once again tells his disciples and likely many other listeners, that he would be rejected and killed soon, and then raised from the dead.
          The Apostle Peter, being the “loose cannon” that he often was, immediately corrected and scolded Jesus for saying these things. Jesus then rebukes Peter and says, “Get behind me, Satan. You are not thinking God’s thoughts but human thoughts” (Mark 8:33, CEB).
          Then Jesus gets deeper with his disciples. For we know that Christ will soon die for us, to cover our sins, but what do we do now? Beyond this, Christ says this, “All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross, and follow me” (Mark 8:34, CEB). We must live daily for Christ, and for others. Jesus then says, “All who want to save their lives will lose them. But all who lose their lives because of me and because of the good news will save them” (Mark 8:35, CEB).
          Christ then says, “Why would people gain the whole world but lose their lives? What will people give in exchange for their lives?” (Mark 8:37, CEB).
          Having faith is Christ then is more than a onetime decision, it is daily path we walk to become more holy, more giving, less selfish, and more selfless. It is a daily path to pursue justice, to make sure that the hungry are fed, to make sure that the naked are clothed, and to make sure that all persons are treated with dignity and respect. So if we as Christians are going to make the claims about who Jesus was and is, we must also follow suit by being selfless and loving towards all people, every day.
          Christ then finally tells us “Whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this unfaithful and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he comes in the Father’s glory with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38, CEB).
          You see many Christian Churches make very high and powerful claims over who Jesus Christ was and is, but we must also on the same token live that faith out. We must build God’s kingdom here on earth, as we await the coming kingdom of eternal life.
          For example, some of my more liberal friends have said things to me like, “Boy Paul, you have quite a high view of Jesus.” I often respond to that by saying something like this, “To whom much is given, much is required.” In this way, the Christian faith is rich, we make large claims in our faith, but we are called to live it out in love to all people. We must believe and follow, not just do one or the other.
Since part of what I talked about this morning was Jesus predicting “his own death and resurrection,” I want to tell you a story about death. This story is called “When Do I Die?” This story was taken from a quote excerpted from Robert Coleman’s book, Written in Blood. Here is how it goes: “In his book Written in Blood, Robert Coleman tells the story of a little boy whose sister needed a blood transfusion. She had a rare blood type which she shared with her little brother. The fact that he had recovered from the same disease two years earlier made the chances of success even greater. The doctor carefully explained all this to the little boy, pointing out that without the transfusion his sister would die.”
“Would you be brave and give your blood to your sister?” the doctor asked. Johnny hesitated. His lower lip began to tremble. Then he smiled and said, “Sure, for my sister.” The two children were wheeled into the hospital room – Mary, pale and thin; Johnny, robust and healthy. He smiled at his sister, the watched as the blood travelled out of his body, down the clear plastic tube. Johnny’s smile faded, and as he lay there feeling weak he looked up at the doctor and said, “Doctor, when do I die?’
“Johnny thought that giving his blood to his sister meant giving up his life. Yet because of his great love for her he was prepared to pay the price.”
          The Christian faith does start with the cross and the empty tomb, but my guess is that since “Johnny” in this story saved his sister “Mary’s” life, that perhaps Mary had many more years to live. I wonder what good things Mary could have gone to do with this precious gift of life that her brother “Johnny” gave her?
          In the same way, in this season of Lent, what we will do with the free gift of life that our Lord and Savior, our brother, Jesus Christ, gives us? My hope and my prayer for us all in this season of Holy Lent, is that we may encounter Christ, that we may be filled with the Holy Spirit, and that we may be excited to listen to where almighty God is leading us? Will we work against human trafficking, to stop violence against women, to end hunger, to end homelessness, to help veterans who are struggling, and etc.? You see when Christ gives us the free gift of life, we are unleashed to transform the world in his image. For on this day, Christ, the living God, the second person of the Holy Trinity, “predicts his own death and resurrection.” Praise be God and Amen.

          

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC's - First Sunday of Lent - 02/22/15 Sermon - “In the wilderness for Forty-Days”

Sunday 02/22/15 Freeville/Homer Ave UMC’s

Sermon Title: “In the wilderness for forty-days”                     

Old Testament Lesson: Psalm 25:1-10
                                            
New Testament Scripture: 1 Peter 3:18-22

Gospel Lesson: Mark 1:9-15                  

          Welcome once again, my friends, my brothers and sisters, to this our First Sunday in this season of Lent. While this season started this past Wednesday, on Ash Wednesday, we will continue in this season until the day before Easter Sunday, which this year, is Saturday April 4th.
          From Ash Wednesday to the Saturday that is the day before Easter Sunday then, we have 46-days of Lent. Yet traditionally speaking, we don’t count Sundays as part of this number, as Christ rose from the dead on Sunday. This makes every Sunday then, a “mini-Easter,” as we celebrate the resurrection of Christ every Sunday when we gather for church.
          Since Sundays don’t traditionally count as part of the Lenten Season, this leaves us with 40-days of Lent. During these 40-days of Lent, some of us give up things like chocolate, coffee, or the internet, and some of us don’t give up anything.

          We have traditionally chosen 40-days to observe Lent, due to Christ being tempted in the wilderness for 40-days, and due to Moses leading the Israelites through the desert for 40-years. In this way, Lent becomes an opportunity for us repent, for us to pursue holiness, and for us to reconnect to Jesus Christ. As Christ suffered and was tempted, we are called to repent, to be generous, to be loving, and to be forgiving.
          This year, I myself, have decided to give up pride for Lent, although a few people that I know have told me that I am not a particularly prideful person. This Lent though, I want to continue to be more giving and loving to others, and a prideful person often does not do either of these things. To grow closer to Christ, to become holier and more repentant in this season of Lent, I want to root out of myself all pride. This might sound like a big task, yet this is child’s play compared to what Jesus will go through in our reading from the gospel of Mark from this morning.
           This morning in our reading from the gospel of Mark, Christ is going to go through something that none of us here have the power to go through on our own. For this morning, Christ will go into the wilderness for forty-days, during which, he will resist Satan. For 40-days he will pray and fast, meaning not eat anything really for 40-days. Or eating just enough to keep himself alive.
This temptation and resistance from Satan, could have been Jesus seeing a literal person or entity of the devil. It could have been Jesus seeing something evil or sinful, or perhaps Jesus heard a voice? Or perhaps it was something in his mind that nagged at him? You see the gospels that discuss the temptation of Christ in the wilderness, are Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and they all have different accounts of Christ being tempted by the devil. Yet, it is us, it is Hollywood that added a definitive figure of the devil that we see in many historical paintings and works of art. So, did Jesus see a real visible entity of Satan, or was it something that he heard or felt?
I know many people that have told me that they have had experiences in their lives, where they felt like that they were in the presence of evil. Has anyone here ever felt like they were in the presence of evil?
I remember the former President Bill Clinton talking about his struggles with sin and potential infidelity. I remember him saying on television that “he was wrestling with some of his old demons,” or something like that. We all get tempted by things then, we all “wrestle with our demons,” whether we claim to see them visibly or whether they tug at us in some other way.
The reality though, is that none of us, without God, has the power to resist an evil force as great as the devil. Yet God, Jesus Christ, is more powerful than any and all evils. You see, if God created everything, then God created the devil. As the devil is traditionally seen as a rebellious and fallen angel. Yet we as mere mortals cannot take on such a power as the devil on our own.
The devil to me then, is the one who is in the fullest state of rebellion from God. The one overcome with such anger and sin. This intensity of sin, of evil, is something that would knock most of us right off of our feet if we tried to oppose it. This evil is what the gospels say infiltrated the body of Judas Iscariot at the last supper, causing him to betray Jesus Christ for 30-pieces of silver.
We all as people then, within us have the ability to pursue love and goodness, or to pursue evil and darkness. I also realize that there are a variety of issues around these things, like economics, the environment of a person, mental health, warfare, and etc. Yet within all us, is the ability to do great things, and the ability to do awful things. The great Protestant Reformer Martin Luther said that as Christian, we are "simultaneously saint and sinner." That until we die on this earth, we will have the seeds of goodness and evil in our hearts.
For with God, with Jesus Christ though, nothing is impossible. As the founder of the Methodist movement John Wesley said, “Give me 100 preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God; such alone will shake the gates of hell.” Although Brother John Wesley would never have claimed to be able to stand up to all of the evils of this world on his own, except through Christ.
          This morning though, Jesus Christ goes toe to toe with the greatest force of evil this world has ever seen, and he will resist and defeat this evil foe, fully and completely. He will send Satan, the evil one away, as he with his own strength, will overcome evil and sin.
          In being a fan of the Star Wars movies, I have often joked that becoming a more devout Christian, is like the Jedi training that Luke Skywalker underwent in the Star Wars movies. That before he faced the evil Darth Vader, who was his father, he needed deep enough training, and he needed to be strongly connected to the light side of the force, not the dark side of the force.
          In this way, I often joke and call my current ministry mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, who was one the Jedi masters that trained Luke Skywalker. By the way, Luke Skywalker, brought his father Darth Vader over to the light side, over to the side of love and compassion, just before Darth Vader died. As even Darth Vader had the seeds of goodness deep within him.
How can we have faith as deep as that though? The best way to begin this process, is to be totally surrendered to God, to Jesus Christ. As it says in Psalm 25:1-2 from this morning, “I offer my life to you LORD. My God, I trust you. Please don’t let me be put to shame! Don’t let my enemies rejoice over me!”
          As I asked earlier, how many of us have been in the presence of evil? For those of us who have said that we have been in the presence of evil, it is a rather unnerving thing. Perhaps the hair on the back of necks stood up. Perhaps we get a cold chill. Perhaps it was a Green Bay Packers fan. Whatever it was, some of us have felt presences like this before. The times that I have been in these situations, I found myself saying the Lord’s Prayer, or praying for the protection of Jesus Christ.
          The crucifixion of Christ that we are going to remember in early April on God Friday then, is no small thing. For as it says in 1 Peter 3:18 from this morning, “Christ himself suffered on account of sins, once for all, the righteous one on behalf of the unrighteous. He did this in order to bring you into the presence of God. Christ was put to death as a human, but made alive by the Spirit.” In this reading it then sites Noah, who in the Bible story was on the ark for 40-days, by the way.
          Looking more closely at our gospel reading from the gospel of Mark for this morning, Jesus is first baptized by John the Baptist. This is certainly very important in the gospels, yet last month we had the holiday of Baptism of the Lord Sunday, so I chose then to focus on the temptation of Satan part of this scripture, not the Baptism of the Lord.
          In this gospel reading though, Jesus is now about 30-years old, and he has left the town he was raised in, Nazareth, to venture to Jerusalem. Since John the Baptist is baptizing in the Jordan River about 8-miles from Jerusalem, Jesus heads out there to meet John the Baptist.
          When he arrived, Jesus asked John, to baptize him. He asked John to do this, not because he had sin, but rather to show his humility and to become among the people. When this occurred, the gospel says that, “Jesus saw heaven splitting open and the Spirit, like a dove, coming down on him.” Then God’s voice from heaven said, “You are my Son, whom I dearly love; in you I find happiness.”
          After this, Jesus is driven to wilderness and tempted by Satan for 40-days. When this 40-day period has concluded, Jesus finds out that John the Baptist has been arrested, as Jesus begins his three years of public ministry on earth. Jesus comes to Galilee after his 40-days in the wilderness, proclaiming the “Good News,” of God’s Kingdom.
In focusing more specifically on the temptation of Christ for 40-days in the wilderness though, Mark’s gospel tells us nothing really about how Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for 40-days, other than he was among wild animals, and that angels took care of him. In Matthew and Luke’s gospel though, we get the three great temptations.  These three great temptations are first, as Jesus was fasting and was hungry, the devil tempted him to make stones into bread. Jesus then said in Matthew 4:4, “But he answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
The second great temptation, was when the devil then took Jesus to the top of the great temple in Jerusalem and quoting Psalm 91:11-12, the devil commanded Jesus to jump, saying God’s Angels would catch him, and protect him. Jesus then quoted the book of Deuteronomy 6:16 and says, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.
Lastly, the devil takes Jesus up a mountain or a high place, and tells Christ that he will give him all of the kingdoms of the world to rule, if he would just bow to him. Jesus then replies to Satan in Luke 4:8 Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’”
Then after this intense 40-days of temptation, Jesus returns from the desert ready to preach, teach, and heal for the next three years, as his friend and relative John the Baptist has now been arrested.
I wonder, how long would we make it in the wilderness like this? A day? Five days? 10-days? And etc.
Yet in own ways, some of us have been in or are in wildernesses in our lives right now. Some of us right now are spiritually hungry, some of us feel like God is a far away presence, and some of us feel great temptation. Perhaps we feel like the forces of evil are trying to destroy us right now.
Brothers and sisters, I want us all to realize though, that no one stays in the wilderness forever, and that God will never abandon us. Through God, and through God’s people, we can overcome all things. I don’t know about you then, but if I were in a wilderness in my life, I wouldn’t want to go it alone, the way Christ did, because I can never be as strong as Christ. Due to this, together, as God’s people, through the power of Jesus Christ, we are strong. This is why we must be a family, this is why must welcome all people, as the next visitor who comes through our doors might be in a wilderness in their life, that we can never imagine. Yet as God’s people, we can walk with that person while they are in the wilderness, and Lord willing, we can walk with that person out of that wilderness together. This is power of God, and the power of God working through his people.
I would like to tell you a story called “Hitler the Artist,” reported in The Sydney Morning Herald’s Good Weekend magazine June 1, 2002. Here is how it goes: “Held in the United States Army of Military History are four watercolors by a soldier-artist of the early twentieth century. In the opinion of most art critics these wartime scenes are unexceptional. Historian William Shirer described them as “crude, stilted and lifeless”. Their value lies in the name of the artist in the bottom left hand corner: “A Hitler.”
“Adolf Hitler’s name is synonymous with evil and brutality. Yet most people are unaware that before he became a dictator who menaced the world, Adolf Hitler made his living selling his own paintings. When he was 18 years old Hitler even applied for admission to the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts. He dreamed of becoming a great painter, but despite a flair for drawing, failed the entry tests.”
“Marylou Gjernes is the former curator of the US Army Art Collection. Reflecting on Hitler’s artworks she says, “It’s a side of him that no-one expects. You don’t expect to see an artist. It’s very incongruous and, in a way, it’s frightening. If someone who can perpetrate such evil can also have this softer side, then who’s to say that possibly isn’t in all of us?”
So brothers and sisters, we all have been in the wildernesses in our lives. Some of us are still in wildernesses still, yet how do we respond to the temptations of the devil? How do we get through out wilderness? How do we stand up to the forces of evil and darkness?

Through God’s love and power we can make it through all of the wildernesses of our lives, through God’s people we can grow stronger, and together we can transform the world in Jesus’ image. Amen.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC's - Ash Wednesday - 02/18/15 Sermon - “A Call to Repentance and Holiness”

Wednesday 02/18/15 Freeville/Homer Ave UMC’s

Sermon Title: “A Call to Repentance and Holiness”

Old Testament Lesson: Joel 2:1-2, 12-17
                                            
New Testament Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:1-10

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21                   

          My friends, my brothers and sisters, on this day, our Ash Wednesday, we are in the first day of the season of Holy Lent. On this day, we begin our trek to the cross with Jesus Christ. As we begin this season, we are called by God to prepare our hearts and our minds for Christ’s suffering and death.
          The term Lent in the Latin language is Quadragesima,” which in English translates to “Fortieth.” The meaning behind this word, is that the Season of Holy Lent goes from today, Ash Wednesday, through Holy Saturday, which is the day before Easter. Yet today, until that Holy Saturday, is 46-days, not 40-days. The reason that most churches celebrate Holy Lent as a 40-day observance and not 46-day observance though, is that Sundays don’t traditionally count as part of this observance.
          In this way, if we were to give up something for Lent, like chocolate, or coffee, Sunday would not have to count as part of our Lenten observance, as every Sunday is a “mini-Easter.” Every Sunday is a mini-Easter, as we traditionally worship on Sunday, as that was day that Christ rose from the dead. This is why Easter is on a Sunday.
          So on this Ash Wednesday, we are then 46-days away from Easter morning. Since we can exclude Sundays from our formal observance of Lent, we get 40-days of Lent.
          Yet, even though Lent begins on this day, why Ash Wednesday? Why Ashes on the forehead? Why do we do this?
          Well, as we see in our gospel reading from the gospel of Mark for this coming Sunday, after Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist, he then goes into the wilderness or the dessert for 40-days, and is tempted by Satan. The Jewish people were also led by Moses for 40-years in the dessert, as well. This concept of the number 40 is a significant number in the Bible. Further, the blessing and the imposition of the Ashes, comes from when Christ entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, on a Donkey, to shouts of Hosanna. As a result, it has been the tradition of many Christian Churches for centuries, to burn the palms that we use from Palm Sunday, and then impose or sprinkle those palm ashes on us, to mark us and prepare us, for the season of Holy Lent.
          The ashes then, are not a sign of how holy and great we are, but rather, the ashes are “A Call to Repentance and Holiness.” The ashes, while just a symbol, should help us to embrace humility, should help us to repent of our sins, should help us to renounce our pride, and should help us to strive toward holy living. The ashes then, are but a reminder for us. When the world looks at our ashes when we leave here tonight, they should not think that we are holier than them, but rather that as Christians, that we take this season of Lent very seriously. That as Christians, we are very serious about growing closer to God, and growing closer to Jesus Christ, in this season, and all seasons.
          For all of these reasons then, historically when ashes have been imposed or sprinkled on people, the pastor or the priest would say, “Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” Or they would say, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” In fact, in the gospel of Mark 1:15 it says, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news (Mark 1:15, NRSV).”
When looking at other scriptures in the Bible, Tamar had unfortunately just been sexually assaulted by her half-brother in 2 Samuel 13. The scripture says that Tamar’s response to this in 2 Samuel 13:19 was, “But Tamar put ashes on her head, and tore the long robe that she was wearing; she put her hand on her head, and went away, crying aloud as she went (2 Sam. 13:19, NRSV).
When looking at Job 42:3-6, it says, “Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. ‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you declare to me.’ I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes (Job 42:3-6, NRSV).”
A final example of ashes comes from the gospel of Matthew 11:21, where it says, “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes (Matt. 11:21, NRSV).
There are other scriptures, as well, that talk about ashes. The idea is, generally speaking though, that when we are wearing sackcloth and ashes that we are in a low and humble state before God.
It is also interesting to know that in many countries and cultures around the world, ashes are not imposed in the shape of a cross on a person’s forehead, the way some western countries do it. In fact, in many countries the ashes are sprinkled on the heads of the people, instead of putting them on foreheads.
So with all of this said, what is this Ash Wednesday to us? What does this day mean to us? Is it simply a solemn day that we celebrate as Christians, to begin the Lenten Season? Is it a day where we should feel guilt and shame? Or is it something else?
For me, I don’t believe that Ash Wednesday is about guilt and shame. I also don’t believe that Lent is about guilt and shame. You see Christ isn’t going to die for us soon, so that we can feel guilt and shame, rather, Christ is coming to die for us soon, so that we might be forgiven. Christ is coming to die for us soon, so that we might be spiritually set free. So that we might live life abundantly, and share the “Good News” of the gospel abundantly.
To me then, Ash Wednesday, and Lent, do not have to be gloomy times, where we just give up sweets, or coffee, or something else, merely in an effort to punish ourselves. Ash Wednesday and Lent to me are not times to beat ourselves up, but rather with the help of the Holy Spirit, are times to build ourselves up.
You see when Christ takes on the cross, he takes the sin of human kind with him. In this season then, we are not called to be crucified, we are called instead to know the one who was crucified. In this season then, we are not called to be whipped, but rather are call to know the one who was whipped.
In all of these ways therefore, Ash Wednesday and Lent are “A Call to Repentance and Holiness.” Instead of abusing ourselves and hating ourselves this Ash Wednesday and this Lent, let us repent of all of our wrong doing, and let us pursue the Holy living that Christ teaches us. Let us make Ash Wednesday and Lent a time of living, giving, loving, praying, and growing closer to Jesus Christ. For this is why he came, so that we may know him, and that through him, that we may live abundantly.
This is why we should take very seriously the words from the gospel of Matthew from tonight, about using our religion for attention or power. This is why we shouldn’t as Christians be generous to the poor, just to look good to others. This is why we shouldn’t pray in front of many people, just to look holy. When we do any of these things that the gospel of Matthew reading from tonight says, we fail to claim “A Call to Repentance and Holiness.”
I would like to share a brief story with you this evening, called “Robert Robinson.” This story is taken from R Kilpatrick in “Assurance and Sin” in RC Sproul (editor), Doubt and Assurance (Baker, 1993). Here is how it goes:
“Robert Robinson was an English clergyman who lived in the 18th century. Not only was he a gifted pastor and preacher he was also a highly gifted poet and hymn writer. However, after many years in the pastorate his faith began to drift. He left the ministry and finished up in France, indulging himself in sin.”
“One night he was riding in a carriage with a Parisian socialite who had recently been converted to Christ. She was interested in his opinion on some poetry she was reading: Come thou Fount of every blessing, Tune my heart to sing thy grace, Streams of mercy never failing, Call for hymns of loudest praise.”
“When she looked up from her reading the socialite noticed Robinson was crying.” “What do I think of it?” he asked in a broken voice. “I wrote it. But now I’ve drifted away from him and can’t find my way back.” “But don’t you see” the woman said gently, “The way back is written right here in the third line of your poem: Streams of mercy never ceasing. Those streams are flowing even here in Paris tonight.” “That night Robinson recommitted his life to Christ.”

You see my brothers and sisters, Ash Wednesday and Lent are “A Call to Repentance and Holiness.” They are a call to recommit our hearts, our minds, and our souls to Jesus Christ. Let us on this Ash Wednesday and in this Lenten Season, pursue “A Call to Repentance and Holiness.” Amen.

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC's - Transfiguration Sunday/Last Sunday after the Epiphany - 02/15/15 Sermon - “Jesus the Transfigured One” [The "Natures of Christ" series: Part 3 of 3]

Sunday 02/15/15 Freeville/Homer Ave UMC’s

Sermon Title: “Jesus the Transfigured One”
                        [The “Natures of Christ” series: Part 3 of 3]           

Old Testament Lesson: Psalm 50:1-6
                                            
New Testament Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:3-6

Gospel Lesson: Mark 9:2-9                   

          My friends, my brothers and sisters, welcome again on this “Transfiguration Sunday.” This Sunday that we celebrate the story of when Jesus Christ took Peter, James, and John and went up a very high mountain. When they all arrived on top of this mountain, the gospel says, that Jesus was changed or “Transfigured” right in front of these three disciples.
          We are also this Sunday, still in the season after the Epiphany, of when the wise men or magi saw that Bethlehem star in the sky, and went to adore and pay homage to the Christ Child, with gifts of Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh.
          In three days, this Wednesday February 18th, we will end the season after the Epiphany, and move into the season of Lent. Lent beings on Ash Wednesday every year, and we will begin our Ash Wednesday this year, with a pot-luck dinner this Wednesday at 6:00 pm, followed by an Ash Wednesday Service at 7:00 pm. Today though, as I said, is “Transfiguration Sunday.”
          Now I remember as a young child a few “Transfiguration Sundays,” but all I remembered was that Jesus took three of his disciples up a high mountain, that he was suddenly adorned in shining white, and that he was with the prophet Elijah and Moses. Yet, I still didn’t know what the word “Transfiguration” meant. I mean, when I was a child I understood this story well enough, but why call it the “Transfiguration,” or “Transfiguration Sunday,” I thought? As a result, I looked up a definition of “Transfiguration” for us all this morning.
          In looking at the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, I found these three definitions for “Transfiguration.” Here is what I found, 1. “Transfiguration” is “A change in form or appearance:  metamorphosis,” 2. “Transfiguration” is an “An exalting, glorifying, or spiritual change,” 3. “Transfiguration” is “A Christian feast that commemorates the transfiguration of Christ on a mountaintop in the presence of three disciples and that is observed on August 6 in the Roman Catholic and some Eastern churches and on the Sunday before Lent in most Protestant churches.” So this is a few of the definitions of the word “Transfiguration.”
          In continuing and in concluding my sermon series on the natures of Christ this morning then, I want to talk about the nature of “Jesus the Transfigured One.”
          You might remember that in the first week of this sermon series, I talked about “Jesus the Teacher,” as Jesus taught us so much about how to live and love one another. During Jesus’s three years of his public ministry on earth, he was often referred to as teacher, or “Rabbi,” which means teacher in Hebrew. While Jesus was and is the Messiah, the savior, he was also a great teacher. A teacher who taught us a radical new way to live and love each other.
          Last week, we heard just some of the great and miraculous healings that “Jesus the Healer” performed, as he cured Simon-Peter’s sick mother in law, as he gave sight to blind, as he healed lepers, as he made the lame walk, as he brought the dead back to life, as he drove out demons, and etc. and etc. While Jesus was and is the Messiah, the savior, he was also a great healer. Jesus healed many, with all sorts of problems, diseases, and afflictions, and he calls us all in own ways to be healers to.
          Yet today, the nature, or characteristic, or quality of Jesus that I am talking about, is “Jesus the Transfigured One.” It is important to realize that a pastor could do a Nature’s of Christ sermon series for an entire year or more, and still not cover all of the natures of Christ. The fact that Christ is “the Lamb of God,” “Mighty Counselor,” “Prince of Peace,” “Emmanuel,” “Son of God,” “Hope of the nations,” and etc. and etc., means that while Christ’s primary role was “Jesus the Messiah,” that Christ wore and wears still, many hats, as it were. While Jesus was and is the Messiah, he is also countless other things as well.
          Jesus for example, was also a son, the son of Mary and Joseph in fact, and he was also a decedent of the great King David. You might remember that God promised King David that his family line would rule forever, and that one day a Messiah of his lineage would come forth, and would save his people.
          So clearly then, there are endless natures, characteristics, or qualities of Jesus Christ, as we all ourselves, also have many different sides or parts of who we are. What is unique about this morning though, is that we have a story in the gospel narrative that in many ways stands on its own. A story that is set apart in many ways, from all other miracles recorded in the gospels. Now I don’t mean set apart as in better than, but that this is the only story where Jesus is physically changed and altered, in this case, in front of Peter, James, and John. There are no other stories where Jesus is changed or “Transfigured” like this, unless we count his appearances of Jesus at the empty tomb, and the other appearances after his resurrection.
          You see in the “Transfiguration” story from this morning, Jesus didn’t heal a sick person or persons, he didn’t calm a storm, and he didn’t feed the 5,000, as most of what Jesus did was for others. In this case, Jesus himself was altered and changed.
          The story of the “Transfiguration” itself is found in all three of the synoptic gospels, in Matthew 17:1–9, Mark 9:2-8, Luke 9:28-36, and it is mentioned 2 Peter 1:16–18. These are the places then, where you can read the story of the “Transfiguration,” or the mentioning of the “Transfiguration.”
          The actual location of this miraculous story has been speculated to be Mount Tabor, Mount Hermon, or it is sometimes just called “the Mount of Transfiguration.”
          It is interesting to know that in both the Old and the New Testaments of the Bible, that sometimes miraculous things occurred on mountains. For example, Moses went up Mount Sinai to receive the 10-commandments, and some of the Old law from God. Mountains being high in elevation, were often seen in the times of the Old and New Testaments, as places close to the heavens, close to God.
          The Psalm reading from this morning says is 50:1, “From the rising of the sun to where it sets, God, the Lord God, speaks, calling out to the earth.” Sometimes in the scriptures of the Bible, these times of hearing and speaking to God occurred on mountains. The Psalm reading from this morning ends with Psalm 50:6 that says, “The skies proclaim his righteousness because God himself is the judge. [Selah]” Sometimes people speak to and pray to God on mountains, up in the skies.
           In the reading from the Apostle Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth, or the Corinthians from this morning, he tells us that if the gospel of Jesus Christ is “veiled,” that “it is veiled to those who are on the road to destruction.” The Apostle Paul, then tells us that, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of those who don’t have faith so they couldn’t see the light of the gospel that reveals Christ’s glory. Christ is the image of God.”
          So to see Christ then, to see him fully, is to see God, as the Apostle Paul says, that “Christ is the image of God.” In fact, the Apostle Paul ended this reading from this morning by saying, “He is the same one who shone in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ.”
          This morning, Jesus Christ is “transfigured” up on the mountain, and as the Apostle Paul said, “the light of the knowledge of God’s glory,” shown, “in the face of Jesus Christ.”
          In the gospel reading from this morning, we have as I said, the story of Jesus bringing Peter, James, and John, “to the top of a very high mountain, where they were alone.” The gospel then says, “He was transformed in front of them, and his clothes were amazingly bright, brighter than if they have been bleached white.”
          In addition to this, the gospel says, that suddenly the prophet Elijah and Moses appeared by Jesus, and Jesus was talking with them. Peter then reacted to all of this by saying, “Rabbi,” or “teacher,” “it’s good we’re here. Let’s make three shrines—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” Peter said this, because the gospel says, that he didn’t know what else to say, as he, James, and John were terrified.
          At this point, a great cloud overshadowed the three disciples present, and God spoke, saying, “This is my Son, whom I dearly love. Listen to him!” Then suddenly, the cloud was gone, the prophet Elijah was gone, Moses was gone, and the three disciples and Jesus remained.
          As Jesus and Peter, James, and John were coming down from the mountain, Jesus told the three disciples to not speak of what had just happened on the mountain, until after he “had risen from the dead.”
          Quite a powerful story from Mark’s gospel this morning, but what might the story mean for us today? I mean someone might say, “well, Jesus took a few of his disciples up a mountain, and was amazingly transformed in front of them, but so, what?” Well, if Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophets of Old, and if Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law of Moses, then Jesus talking with Elijah and Moses, in a position of power and splendor, places him in the position of Messiah. In the position of fulfilling all of the promises of all of the prophets like Elijah, and fulfilling the Old Law of Moses.
          Also, this story gives us a glimpse of heaven. Many of us might have experienced own glimpse of the hereafter, in our own ways. Whether for us it was through prayer, through a miraculous event in our lives, and etc. and etc., maybe we have had some experiences that seemed like glimpses of heaven. The experience that Peter, James, and John had in the gospel reading from this morning was truly then a glimpse of heaven, that was so powerful, Jesus told them not to tell anyone until he was resurrected from the dead. I mean after all, if some leaders already wanted to kill Jesus, certainly the story of the “transfiguration” would propel this to happen even sooner.
I would like to tell story about beauty and “Transfiguration,” called “Scarab Beetles.” The source of this story is taken from “Scientific information from the National Geographic, Feb 2001.” Here is how it goes:
“Many people find beetles and bugs somewhat creepy, but if there’s one beetle in the world that could turn you into a beetle lover – it would be the jewel scarab. Jewel scarab’s live in the jungles of Honduras and have the shape of your regular Christmas beetle. But their colours are so dazzling and beautiful that they can sell for up to $500 a beetle. Beautiful flaming reds, bright golds, silvers that resemble bright, shiny chrome. Even the beetle hater finds jewel scarabs dazzling and beautiful!”
“But the jewel scarab’s beauty doesn’t come automatically. Every scarab has modest, even ugly beginnings. The scarab starts life as a soft, mushy, grey-white grub growing inside a rotting tree stump. They spend their life like this for around a year, until finally, when the rainy season arrives, the adult scarabs emerge soft bodied and pale. Then within hours, their bodies harden and their splendid colours show. They only live for another three months, but what a glorious existence it is.”
“People are just like scarabs. We may not feel terribly beautiful and attractive. In fact there may be parts of you that feel distinctly ugly – and I’m not talking just about your body, but about your spirit, your mind, your thought life, your character. But it’s the work of the Spirit of God to make us beautiful. It may seem to take a lifetime, but as the Spirit works on us, we will emerge as beautiful, dazzling, shining creatures gloriously bearing the image of our Creator.”
Brothers and sisters, this morning “Jesus the Transfigured One” comes to us. He shows Peter, James, and John a glimpse of the fullness of his heavenly glory. He shows these three disciples a glimpse of God, a glimpse of heaven.
In our own way then, God’s wants us to be transfigured. God wants us to be spiritually transformed by him, through Jesus Christ, so that we can be made into something glorious. You see, “Jesus the Transfigured One,” wishes all of us to become spiritually transfigured, so that we may all see a glimpse of heaven, so that we all may show a hurting and a broken world the power, the hope, and the transformation found in Jesus Christ.
This week and always then, through prayer, through the reading of scripture, through seeking Jesus Christ in a variety of ways, may you all be transformed, and may you all through God, work to transform many others. In this way, the world will be transformed or “transfigured,” and many will come to know “Jesus Christ the Transfigured One.” Amen.


Saturday, February 7, 2015

Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC's - Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany of the Lord/Boy Scout Sunday - 02/08/15 Sermon - “Jesus the Healer” [The "Natures of Christ" series: Part 2 of 3]


Sunday 02/08/15 Freeville/Homer Ave UMC’s

Sermon Title: “Jesus the Healer”
                        [The “Natures of Christ” series: Part 2 of 3]           

Old Testament Lesson: Psalm 147:1-11, 20c
                                            
New Testament Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:16-23

Gospel Lesson: Mark 1:29-39                   

          Welcome again my friends, my brothers and sisters, on this the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, of when the Wise Men followed that Bethlehem Star in the sky, to the Christ Child. This Sunday is also Boy Scout Sunday in the United Methodist Church, and on this Sunday, the church honors and upholds the work done by our Cub Scouts, and by our Boy Scouts, both past and present.
          Next Sunday we will have Transfiguration Sunday, which is the Sunday that Christ went up a very high mountain and was changed, or transfigured in front of three of his disciples.
          Three days after next Sunday, we will begin the season of Lent on Wednesday February 18th. On this Wednesday, which is Ash Wednesday, we will have a dish to pass dinner at 6:00 pm that night, followed by an Ash Wednesday worship serving at 7:00 pm.
          This morning though, I am continuing my sermon series on the natures, or the characteristics, or the qualities of Jesus Christ. When looking at Jesus Christ, we could find countless natures, or characteristics, or qualities. These could include things such as Jesus as a leader, Jesus as the Messiah, Jesus as an agent of justice, Jesus as a prophet, Jesus as a revolutionary, Jesus as a teacher, Jesus as a healer, and etc., and etc.
          Last week, I talked about Jesus as a teacher, as a “Rabbi.” For while Christ came to earth to be wiped, and to be nailed to a cross, so that we would know what true love is, so that we may be forgiven, the same Jesus, also laid out a road map or a blue print in the gospels about how we are supposed to live and treat one another. Jesus taught us to love God, and to love our neighbor, regardless of who or what our neighbor is. Jesus taught us to feed the poor, to clothe the naked, to regard the aged, to visit those who are imprisoned, and etc., and etc. The gospel of the Risen Christ then at its core, is his death and resurrection of for the redemption of humanity, but our day to day lives here on earth, should resemble what Jesus taught and said in the gospels. For if we truly do our best to live the gospel of Jesus Christ every day, our communities, and the world will be better.
          This morning however, in the second part of this three part series, I want to talk about “Jesus the healer.” You see, while Jesus came to earth to die for us all, while he came to teach us a new way of living and being, he was also, among so many other things, a great healer. You see there are countless stories in the gospels, of Jesus’ miraculous healings.
          To begin this idea of “Jesus the healer,” let me give you just a couple examples of the miraculous healings that I am talking about. In Luke 5:12-13 it says:
Once, when he was in one of the cities, there was a man covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.” Then Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I do choose. Be made clean.” Immediately the leprosy left him.”

          A second example of Jesus performing a miraculous healing is found in Mark 10:46-52, which says:
They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.  Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.”


So, once again, these are just two examples out of many, of Jesus’s miraculous healings. I am sure that we can all think of many more examples in our heads, such as when Jesus healed the 10-lepers, or when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, or when Jesus healed the man with the withered hand, or when Jesus drove demons out of people, and etc., and etc.
Clearly then, in the gospels, among many other things, Jesus was a great healer. For he healed many, with all sorts of afflictions, illnesses, and diseases. For some there healing was physical, for some is was emotional, and for some it was spiritual. Yet through Jesus, many were and are still healed.
This morning in our gospel of Mark reading, Jesus heals Simon Peter’s mother-in-law, who is in bed sick, and then after this he heals many others. So, yes Peter was married as the gospel says, and Jesus saves his mother-in-law, who is in bed sick with what seemed to be a terrible flu, fever, or illness.
While I don’t normally plan such things, I want to show a video clip as part of this message. This movie clip is from the movie “The Apostle Peter and the Last Supper.” Here it is:
In our reading from Psalm 147 from this morning, it tells us to “Praise the Lord! Because it is good to sing praise to our God!”
In the reading from this morning, from the Apostle Paul’s first epistle or letter to the Corinthians, Paul tells us to preach the gospel, and to preach the “Good News” of Jesus Christ abundantly.
In our gospel reading from this morning, Jesus and his disciples have just left the Synagogue in Capernaum, and upon doing so, “Jesus, James, and John went home with Simon and Andrew.” The gospel then says, “Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed, sick with a fever, and they told Jesus about her at once.”
At this point, “Jesus the healer,” “went to her, took her by the hand, and raised her up. The fever left her, and she served them.” After this, when the evening came that night, “people brought to Jesus those who were sick or demon-possessed. The whole town gathered near the door. He healed many who were sick with all kinds of diseases, and he threw out many demons.”
The next morning, before the Sun even rose, the gospel says, “Jesus rose and went to a deserted place where he could be alone in prayer.” Then Simon Peter and the rest of disciples “tracked” Jesus down. “When they found him, they told him, “Everyone’s looking for you!”
Jesus replied to Simon Peter and his other followers, “Let’s head in the other direction, to the nearby villages, so that I can preach there too. That’s why I’ve come.”
The gospel reading for this morning then ends speaking of Jesus, and says, “He traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and throwing out demons.” “Jesus the healer,” the one who makes all things new.
Instead of bringing this message to a close this morning with a story that I gleaned from some other source, I want to share part of my own personal story, about my some of my own healing. I don’t know if any of you have ever heard this story or not, but here is part of my story of healing:
I have had nine surgeries in my life. In fact, I was born with something called “Nail–patella syndrome.” According to one source I found, it defines “Nail-patella syndrome” as “a genetic disorder that results in small, poorly developed nails and kneecaps, but can also affect many other areas of the body, such as the elbows, chest, and hips. The name "nail–patella" can be very misleading because the syndrome often affects many other areas of the body, including even the production of certain proteins.”
This syndrome I was told, comes from a specific part of what is today Germany, as part of my ethnic heritage is German. This syndrome as I just stated, can also manifest differently in each person.
For me, I had to get three surgeries as a little baby, on both of my largest toes, in an effort to save my biggest toe nails. You see I had pieces of toe nails growing under my toe nails on my big toes, causing my biggest toes on each foot to start to lose their toe nails. After three surgeries, the toe nails on my biggest toes were just removed by the surgeon. They in effect, killed the root of the toe nail. While that might sound gross, to me, my big toes look fairly normal, but I still do have pieces of toe nail that grow up where the big toe nails should be.
I was also born with what was called an inverted or a concave chest. As such, I will always walk with a little bit of a hunch, unless I try really hard to stand up straight. Since my chest was inverted or concave when I was born, my doctors determined when I was a little boy at the age of 5-years old that if I didn’t get surgery, that one day one of ribs would likely puncture my heart and kill me.
So at 5-years old, my surgeon took one of my spare ribs from rib cage, and made that rib into a new sternum in my chest. For one year, I then had a metal bar in my chest, holding my newly reconstructed rib cage together.
A year later, I got surgery again, to remove this metal bar from my reconstructed rib-cage.
My other surgeries were getting my tonsils and adenoids out, and three oral surgeries, as my “Nail–patella syndrome” caused teeth to grow under the teeth in my mouth, where there were not supposed to grow. Oh, and like many of you, I got my wisdom teeth out to. Which was awful, but I got to eat a lot of ice cream, so that was good. Other than this, I haven’t had and other issues with the “Nail–patella syndrome,” but it is possible that our future children could have it.
My mother Susan always told me that ever since I was little boy, that I wanted to help and serve others. That my surgeon who was worried about the potential fatal risks of my chest surgery, told my mom after the surgery was over, “Susan, your boy is a fighter.” My mom also remembered being in tears as the nurses present when I got my chest surgeries, said, “It is so nice to have a healthy child on this floor,” as the floor had many terminal children.
I was also told that 100-years ago, or even 50-60 years ago, I might have died one day, as this procedure couldn’t have been done yet. So, I speak of healing this morning. So, I speak of the power of the power of the living God this morning. So, I speak of the power of Jesus Christ this morning. Brothers and sisters, my doctors told me I was a walking miracle. So I have decided to live for Christ, so he may use me to change hearts and minds, and through him maybe even perform some miracles in others. Since I have life, and since I have been forgiven by the lord of life, I now serve him, I now serve others, for I have been healed.
I am now in my third year of pastoral ministry, and I know this where God has called me, and I know the healing power of the Risen Christ. For I have been healed, as I likely wouldn’t be here years ago. I am alive, I have breath, God loves me, and God loves you. Jesus came to teach, to heal, and to save us all. Brothers and sisters let the Risen Christ come into your heart today.
Oh and by the way, other than church, a place that I learned great values, discipline, and focus, was in the Boy Scouts of America. Whose Scout Law is written as” “A Scout is ... trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.” So for those scouts, both past and present, hold your heads high, as you are the future of this nation and of this world. God has called you all greatness, and who knows, perhaps the living God has called some of you to be great like healers, following after the Risen One, “Jesus the healer.” Praise be to God, and Amen.