Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC's - All Saint's Sunday/Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost - 11/01/15 Sermon - “He raised the dead!"

Sunday 11/01/15 Freeville/Homer Ave UMC’s

Sermon Title: “He raised the dead!”

                            

Old Testament Lesson: Psalm 24

                                            

New Testament Scripture: Revelation 21:1-6a

Gospel Lesson: John 11:32-44

          Friends, brothers and sisters, I want to welcome you once again, on this the Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost, and this All Saint’s Sunday.

          This morning we are Twenty-Three Sundays after the day of Pentecost. Pentecost, the day where the Holy Spirit moved like a mighty fire, like a mighty wind, and the Apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit. These Apostles, these saints then went forth preaching, teaching, healing, and changing the world in the name of Jesus Christ. This morning, we remember these first Apostles or saints. This morning, we remember all those saints from throughout the history of Christian Church. This morning, we remember those saints who passed on to glory this past year, or longer ago. This morning, we also we give thanks that God has called us all to be saints. While we are all a combination of saint and sinner, we are all called by God to be saints.

          Since we are honoring all saints, both past and present, on this All Saint’s Sunday, I think that it is good for me, to begin with a good definition of just what a saint is. In looking at www.dictionary.com, I found four definitions of what a saint is. Here are these definitions:                                                                                             1. any of certain persons of exceptional holiness of life, formally recognized as such by the Christian Church, especially by canonization; 2. a person of great holiness, virtue, or benevolence; 3. a founder, sponsor, or patron, as of a movement or organization; 4. (in certain religious groups) a designation applied by the members to themselves (www.dictionary.com).

          When looking at all of these definitions then, I really think that they can help us to put this All Saint’s Sunday into perspective. On one level on this All Saint’s Sunday, we acknowledge those people both past and present that have lived or are living with an “exceptional holiness of life” (www.dictionary.com). These people include the first Apostles of Jesus Christ, and many great saints throughout history, like Saint Francis of Assisi, and Saint Augustine. These people also includes saints that have been more recent, people like Ralph Maricle, and Dick Blackman. We also have such people in our churches today presently, which are nothing short of saints. Today then, is a day to honor those people who have aspired or aspire to have an “exceptional holiness of life,” whether they are with the Lord, or are still with us today (www.dictionary.com). The second definition of a saint, once again is “a person of great holiness, virtue, or benevolence” (www.dictionary.com). Examples of this, would be Mother Theresa, John Wesley, Kenneth Brong, Kenneth Smith, Shirley Haeussler, and Marian Davie, just to name a few. I would invite us all, to be thinking of saints both past and present today, that were or are people “of great holiness, virtue, or benevolence” (www.dictionary.com). The third definition of a saint speaks of once again, “a founder, sponsor, or patron, as of a movement or organization” (www.dictionary.com). When we think of Christian organizations, organizations that help the poor, and etc., many of their founders were or are nothing short of being saints. To me these include people like the founder of the Salvation Army, William Booth.

          The last definition of a saint, once again, says, “(in certain religious groups) a designation applied by the members to themselves” (www.dictionary.com). To me therefore, we are all called to be saints. Yet we still have sin and brokenness that is in all of us. As the great protestant reformer Martin Luther said, “The true Christian, the regenerate man, is at once a saint and a sinner” (ontra-gentes.blogspot.com/2007/03/saint-and-sinner-luthers-quote.html). This means that until the day we die and go to be with the Lord, we are as this morning’s Call to Worship said, “a strange mixture of saint and sinner” (Duck and Tirabassi, Touch Holiness).

          It is as if we have two dogs living inside of our souls. One dog is a sinner and the other dog is a saint. The dog that grows is the dog that we feed. Our goal on this All Saint’s Sunday then, is to become more saint-like, as we honor all saints, both past and present.

          With this said, I want to look at our Gospel of John reading for this morning. In this reading, we have the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:43-44). Now to be specific, this person, this saint, Lazarus, or “Saint Lazarus of Bethany,” had been dead for four entire days. As many of us know, when someone dies, there body begins to decay. I can imagine that four days after his death that Lazarus’s body would have had a lot of decay. It is also very hot in this area of the world, and that doesn’t help things when someone dies.

          To begin this story of raising Lazarus from the dead, I think that it is good to start in John 11:1 that says, “Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha” (John 11:1, NRSV). So in the beginning of the Gospel of John 11, Jesus is told that Lazarus is sick. In response it says in John 11:6 speaking of Jesus, “after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was” (John 11:6, NRSV).

          A very good question to ask here then, is why would Jesus, knowing that Lazarus, a saint, was ill, wait “two days longer in the place where he was,” instead of going to him (John 11:6b, NRSV). I mean, if one of your good friends of family members was very sick, and you were told about this, would you wait two additional days to go and see them? Why would Jesus do this?

          The answer brothers and sisters, I believe, is that Jesus was concerned more about people having faith than the actual miracle of raising Saint Lazarus of Bethany from the dead. For Lazarus had faith, and his salvation and eternity, I believe was already secured. In fact, when Christ raised him, I personally believe that Lazarus came back from heaven, after four days of being dead on earth. Given this, I believe that Christ wanted to know if Lazarus’ sisters Mary and Martha would trust him, and if we all would trust him. Would we all seek our own spiritual resurrections in Jesus Christ? For death is a hard thing, but do we trust Christ in the midst of it? Do we have faith no matter what?

          So when Jesus then arrives after waiting two more days, John 11:32 says, “When Mary arrived where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feel and said, “Lord, if you have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died” (John 11:32, NRSV). Well I don’t know about you, but it sounds like to me, that Mary has some trust issues with Jesus. Does she not believe in what Jesus can do, in telling the “Lord, if you have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died” (John 11:32, CEB). To me, Mary is saying, “Jesus, you are too late now.” Yet Jesus, had a plan. Jesus, brothers and sisters, is never too late, he is always just on time.

          In John 11:33 it says, “When Jesus saw her crying and the Jews who had come with her crying also, he was deeply disturbed and troubled” (John 11:33, CEB). One of the reasons that this verse is so powerful for me, is that when Jesus saw Mary and others grieving, the scripture says, “he was deeply disturbed and troubled” (John 11:33b, CEB). For Christ, for God, suffers when we suffer. The God of the Universe suffers with us, when we suffer.

In the next verse of John 11, Jesus says, “Where have you laid him?” They replied, “Lord, come and see.” (John 11:34, CEB). Then in what is an amazing verse of scripture, it says in John 11:35, “Jesus began to cry.” (John 11:35, CEB). Jesus the Lord, the Savior, the King of Kings, the Messiah, is crying. I wonder what it must have been like to watch Jesus Christ, the savior, crying?

The gospel reading then says, “The Jews said, “See how much he loved him! But some of them said, “He healed the eyes of the man born blind. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?” (John 11:36-37, CEB). They are challenging Jesus to raise Lazarus from the dead.

Next in this story from the Gospel of John, it says, “Jesus was deeply disturbed again when he came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone covered the entrance.” (John 11:38, CEB).

Jesus then ordered the stone to be removed, but the gospel then says, “Martha, the sister of the dead man, said, “Lord, the smell will be awful. He’s been dead four days.” (John 11:39, CEB). So Martha doesn’t trust Jesus in this moment, as she questions him. In fact, Jesus then says to Martha, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you see God’s glory?” (John 11:40, CEB).

The stone was then removed from the front of Lazarus’ tomb, and then the gospel says that, “Jesus looked up and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. I know you always hear me. I say this for the benefit of the crowd standing here so that they will believe you sent me.” (John 11:41-43a, CEB). So the primary reason that Jesus brings Lazarus back to life, I believe, is so that the people would have faith and believe. You see, I don’t think that Jesus was worried about where Lazarus went when we died. I believe that Jesus knew that Lazarus was in paradise, and bringing him back then, was so that others who did not believe like him, could then believe the way Lazarus believed. Do we as people called to be saints on this All Saint’s Sunday, love people and show them what it means to have spiritual resurrection in Jesus Christ?

           The climax of this story is in John 11:43b-44, where out gospel reading concludes with saying, “Having said this, Jesus shouted with a loud voice, “Lazarus come out!” The dead man came out, his feet bound and his hands tied, and his face covered with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Untie him and let him go.” (John 11:43b-44, CEB).

A claim then brothers and sisters, is that we serve a savior that “raised the dead.” We serve a savior that tells death, that life will prevail. A savior that says, life will defeat death. I don’t know about you, but that is something to celebrate I think. Something to celebrate so much on this All Saint’s Sunday, that we can allow the love of Christ to fill us all. To fill us, so that we can love and fill others. That on all this All Saint’s Sunday, that we as the followers of Jesus Christ, along with all of the saints of the past and present, believe in the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. That Jesus can change our hearts, our minds, and our souls. That for many of us, we cannot expect a literal resurrection of the dead until Christ returns, but today, in this moment, we can be spiritually resurrected.

I wonder how many sinners were turned into saints in this church, as the power of Jesus Christ spiritually resurrected them, the way Jesus physically resurrected Lazarus on this day? How many saints both past and present, loved others here, and lead these people to the resurrection power of Jesus Christ?

          Further, when people come into this church that desperately need to spiritually resurrected, do we continue to lead them to such a spiritual resurrection? Do we help them to take the stones away from the tombs of their own spiritual deadness? Or do we not do that?

          You see, I believe brothers and sisters that many of us are here today, because of the saints that went before us. These men and women who poured God’s abundant love into us, helping us to find Jesus Christ, to then have our own spiritual resurrections. Today though, there are still untold numbers of people who need spiritual resurrections. As the saints of the present then, Jesus Christ is counting on us to be his hands and feet. To help people to find a spiritual resurrection, and newness of life in him.

          I would like to share a story with you about what God calls saints to do. This story is called, “The Name of the Cleaner,” as reported in “Heart At Work” Editor: Jack Canfield and Jacqueline. I may have told this story before, but I felt that it fit really good today with All Saint’s Sunday and this morning’s gospel reading. Here is how it goes: “During her second month of nursing school, the professor gave the students a quiz. The last question stumped most people in the class. It read “What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?”

“All the students had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would any of them know her name? Before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward their grade.”

“Absolutely,” said the professor. “In your careers you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say hello”.”

“The students never forgotten that lesson. They also learned her name was Dorothy.”
          Saints, brothers and sisters often see the value of all persons. That no one is better or worse. Saints often seek to bring people to God, so that the spiritual resurrections that they experience, can be experienced by many. So that people may be made new in Jesus Christ.

On this All Saint’s Sunday then, let us remember the saints of the past, let us remember the saints of the present, as we all aspire to be saints. So that all can have a spiritual resurrection through Jesus Christ. Amen.

         

           

         

Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC's - Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost - 10/25/15 Sermon - “Teacher, I want to see"

Sunday 10/25/15 Freeville/Homer Ave UMC’s

Sermon Title: “Teacher, I want to see”

                            

Old Testament Lesson: Psalm 34:1-8, (19-22)

                                            

New Testament Scripture: Hebrews 7:23-28

Gospel Lesson: Mark 10:46-52

          Friends, brothers and sisters, I want to welcome you once again, on this the Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost. Twenty-Two Sundays after the Holy Spirit moved so long ago, and the Christian Church was born.

          Many of us know that the Christian Church has existed for nearly Two-Thousand years. During this time span the Christian Church has changed the world in many amazing ways. While this is true, there have also been times of corruption, and times where some Christian leaders were not being true to their calling from God.  

          For this reason, the United Methodist Church and many other Protestant Churches recognize Reformation Sunday this Sunday. The formal Protestant Reformation began with Martin Luther, the founder of the Lutheran Church. Martin Luther was originally a Roman Catholic Monk, who was devoted to God and to the Roman Catholic Church. Yet, Martin Luther observed some behaviors and some actions that were taken by some of the church leaders in the early 1500’s that were far from Godly. His efforts to change these wrong doings in the church, led to him and followers forming a new Christian Church. Out of this initial Reformation movement, we then had the Church of England, or the Episcopal Church, or the Anglican Church, which then spawned the Methodist Church. Today we have numerous Protestant Churches and other Christian Churches, including many Non-Denominational Churches.

          On this Reformation Sunday, I think that it is important that all Christian Churches seek to love and be in fellowship with one another. Reformation Sunday for many Protestant Churches then, is about shedding light on our history. While we in the United Methodist Church are one of many different Christian Churches, we are all united in Jesus Christ. While the Protestant Reformation led to the creation of many new Christian Denominations, I am hopeful that in this era of great ecumenical Church outreach that we will one day be able to reassemble some of our Christian Denominations. I am hopeful that one day, a greater consensus can be reached, and perhaps our many Christian Denominations can become re-united together. For we all one in Jesus Christ.

          This morning though, my message will be brief, as we have “Woven and Spun” with us. My message this morning is called “Teacher, I want to see.” With this said, I would invite you all, if you are willing to, to close your eyes for a few moments. As you close your eyes, I would invite you to think of time in your life that you felt completely broken inside. Perhaps you were experiencing financial hardship, the loss of a job, the loss of a loved one, or perhaps you were just struggling in some other way. For many of us, times like these, are ones where we feel blind, hopeless, and like we are in a cold and a dark place. I would ask that as you keep your eyes shut that you try to remember what it felt like to be in that place emotionally. What emotions did you feel when you were in that place? Further, when you were in that place emotionally, did you ever feel like that you would never come out of it?

          As we are keeping our eyes closed, I want to us to then think about the outstretched arm of Jesus Christ. Imagine that in that time that you were suffering so much, that Jesus, that God, reached out to you. How would it feel in that moment, that moment of pain and agony, to have Jesus Christ reach out to us?

* Please open your eyes *

          You know some people that come to Christian Churches on Sunday mornings, whatever the denomination is or isn’t, feel broken. Some of those people might present themselves as having it all together, but maybe inside they are screaming or crying. Are we aware of these possibilities to reach out to them? Are we aware that people might come into our churches on Sunday morning that might seem together, but need the healing outstretched arm of Jesus Christ?

          In the Gospel lesson from this morning, from the Gospel of Mark, Jesus and his followers entered into the City of Jericho (Mark 10:46a, CEB). Jericho is a city located near the Jordan River, in what is now called the West Bank of Israel/Palestine.

          Jesus and his disciples then proceed to walk through the city. The gospel then says in Mark 10:46b, “As Jesus was leaving Jericho, together with his disciples and a sizable crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, Timaeus’ son, was sitting beside the road” (Mark, 10:46b, CEB). Now remember a few moments ago, when I had you close your eyes. Imagine what it must be like to be a “blind beggar” (Mark, 10:46b, CEB)? Imagine how that must feel? The gospel reading then says speaking of Bartimaeus, “When he heard that Jesus of Nazareth was there, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, show me mercy!” (Mark 10:47, CEB). Now generally speaking, someone does not ask for “mercy,” if they are doing well (Mark 10:47, CEB). It would seem then, that Bartimaeus was truly suffering.

          Yet as Bartimaeus cried out to Jesus Christ, the gospel says, “Many scolded him, telling him to be quiet, but he shouted even louder, “Son of David, show me mercy!” (Mark 10:48, CEB). I wonder if we have ever had a visitor come to church, or if we have ever encountered someone in general, who was suffering greatly, and instead of helping them, we turned our faces away from their suffering. You see, part of what makes the Christian faith so great, and is that we are offered healing and transformation through Jesus Christ. This healing is not always physical, but often it is spiritual. Some of the people we encounter on Sunday morning, or in general, need God’s healing. Are we open to God’s grace working through us, as to offer healing in others though?

          I was at a great training in Syracuse on Thursday morning for Hospital and Institutional Chaplains. I heard a great quote at this training that I want to share with you. Here it is, “We cannot cure everyone, but we can heal everyone.” For God’s grace and love is available to all people. We must be open to it though. We must be open to the suffering and the concerns of others. For when we care about the church visitor, or a person in general, then they feel loved, heard, and validated. Don’t we all want to feel loved, heard, and validated? This then also makes them much more likely want to be part of a church like this, because they say, “those people really love and care about me.” This then brothers and sister, is how we at the core of it grow the church, and when we do this well, our churches grow and grow.

          In the gospel lesson for this morning, it says in Mark 10:49 in reference to Bartimaues, “Jesus stopped and said, Call him forward.” They called the blind man, “Be encouraged! Get up! He’s calling you” (Mark 10:49, CEB). The gospel then says of Bartimaeus, “Throwing his coat to the side, he jumped up and came to Jesus” (Mark 10:50, CEB). You see a minute ago, Bartimaeus was in agony, and he was feeling all alone. Yet Mark 10:50 says, “he jumped up and came to Jesus” (Mark 10:50b, CEB). You see Barimaeus in that instant had hope. What happens when the people that come to our churches, or that we encounter are given hope from us, through God? Imagine going to visit a church, and feeling loved and filled with hope.

          This gospel reading then ends with Mark 10:51-52 that says, “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” (Mark 10:51-52, MRSV).

          You see what Jesus Christ really wants from us is faith in him. Faith in him, and enough faith to reach out to others who are feeling broken, hopeless, and like there in a dark place. Jesus Christ offers us healing, and has taught us to heal each other. We either do this, or we don’t.

           So this week my sisters and brothers, if we see any “Bartimaeus’” let’s offer them a healing hand, and offer them the hope and the love of Jesus Christ. For if Jesus Christ is truly the way, is truly the savior of the world, we should be passionate about that. This is because with Jesus Christ, “We cannot cure everyone, but we can heal everyone.” Amen.

         

         

Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC's - Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost - 10/11/15 Sermon - “My God! My God, why have you left me all alone?"

Sunday 10/11/15 Freeville/Homer Ave UMC’s

Sermon Title: “My God! My God, why have you left me all

alone?”

                            

Old Testament Lesson: Psalm 22:1-15

                                            

New Testament Scripture: Hebrews 4:12-16

Gospel Lesson: Mark 10:17-31

          Friends, brothers and sisters, I want to welcome you once again, on this the Twentieth Sunday after the day of Pentecost. On the day Pentecost, the Apostles of Jesus Christ, and the other early Christians waited upon God’s light and love. For Jesus Christ had told them in Luke 24:49, “And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49, NRSV). This power that Christ spoke of was the Holy Spirit, the fire, the light of God. When the day of Pentecost came, the Holy Spirit did indeed show up, and the Apostles and the early Christians were finally empowered and emboldened to go forth preaching the gospel and bringing light where there was much darkness. The day of Pentecost then, is the day that Christian Church was officially born.

          Yet I have often wondered what the waiting for the Holy Spirit, the fire, the light of God, was like? I mean Jesus said in Luke 24:49b, “so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49, NRSV). I wonder what the waiting was like. I mean didn’t musician Tom Petty say, “Waiting is the hardest part?” What is like to wait for the fire and the light of God?

          Further, if we are waiting upon God, are we always expected to have rock solid faith, every minute of every day? Or is it normal to struggle with our faith? It is normal to ask questions, and have doubts? To sometimes lose the light of God?

          I mean for example, what do we say to a person in a hospital who is dying and struggling their faith? What do we say to a family that has just suddenly lost a loved one? Do we just say, “Believe and have faith?” For those of us who bear the name Christian, we believe in God, we believe in Jesus Christ, and we believe in the power of the Holy Spirit. Yet, aren’t we human? Don’t we in our weaknesses sometimes struggle to see where God is? It doesn’t mean that God has left us, but it means that sometimes that we are in such pain, that we are having trouble seeing the light of God.

          In the gospels, the Apostle Thomas doubted that Christ had risen, the Apostle Paul, who was formally Saul of Tarsus, persecuted the Christians, as he did not believe in Jesus Christ.

          If this is not enough, what if I told you that even Jesus Christ himself had a moment of weakness? You see in the gospel of Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34, Jesus is on that cross on Calvary. As Christ is near to breathing his last breath on the cross, he quotes Psalm 22:1a, from this morning, which says “My God! My God, why have you left me alone?” (Ps. 22:1a, CEB). Some biblical scholars have used this scripture to say that Jesus was just a man only. That he was not divine. For how could God in the flesh, they say, say “My God! My God, why have you left me alone?” (Ps. 22:1a, CEB).

          Well I believe that Jesus Christ on earth, was the fullness of almighty God, and the fullness of a human. For God is his abundant love, and after sending prophet after prophet, like Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah, came down to earth. God took on flesh in the form of Jesus Christ. Yet if I believe that this is true, which I do, then why would Jesus Christ in the gospel of Matthew and Mark quote Psalm 22:1a, by saying “My God! My God, why have you left me alone?” (Ps. 22:1a, CEB).    

          Well here is what I think, we are fallen humanity. We live a world with much sin and suffering. Now don’t get me wrong, we have a world that has much love, joy, and many good things happening to. Yet on the day that Christ was crucified, Judas Iscariot had betrayed him the night before. The Apostle Peter had denied him three times. In fact, of the eleven remaining Apostles, after Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, only one was at his cross when he was being crucified. On this day, Jesus was beaten, stripped, mocked, spat upon, cursed, and to boot, all but one of his friends had abandoned him. Jesus felt alone.

          So how can I claim that Jesus was God in the flesh then? I can, because there was still flesh, and flesh sisters and brothers is very weak. Our bodies, these capsules, are very weak indeed. Sure we puff ourselves up to convince ourselves that we can do anything, but we can be hurt, get sick, and people can turn on us in an instant.  

          When Jesus quoted Psalm 22:1a, I believe that Jesus, felt weak. While Jesus was God in the flesh, he allowed himself to feel what we feel. This is why I believe that when we are suffering, when we have doubts, when we are confused, that God is with us. For Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, has suffered with us, and for us. Our God understands our sufferings therefore, as in his humanness, Jesus Christ said, “My God! My God, why have you left me alone?” (Ps. 22:1a, CEB).

          How many of us ourselves, have ever honestly said, “My God! My God, why have you left me alone?” (Ps. 22:1a, CEB). Well Jesus Christ, the savior of the world, God in the flesh, did. I don’t about you, but if Jesus Christ himself had a moment like this, then I can to once in a while.

    Some still ask though, “well pastor, why do we suffer? Why does a loving God let us suffer?” Well sisters and brothers, I think that if we were to ask God that same question, he would respond by saying, “why do you allow people to suffer?” You see, God can intervene wherever he chooses, but God has empowered us to be his hands and his feet in a broken, hurting, and dying world. As one of my bible commentaries, the “Africa Bible Commentary” says, “Those who are suffering greatly need our love and care” (ABC, page 634).

          Christianity then, is much bigger than just an hour on Sunday morning. Christianity is who we are every day. Our faith in God, our walk with Jesus Christ, and us calling upon the Holy Spirit, to fill us with God’s light.

          To me then, this is why the church is so important. It isn’t that we just go to worship on Sunday morning, it’s that we are family of believers. Sometimes many of us have a fiery faith and God’s light, and sometimes we fall and struggle. Yet if we have no church family, then who is there to pick us up in the name of Jesus Christ? Sure anyone can help us, no matter who they are, but God’s people are supposed to be together, calling upon God.

          My brothers and sisters, we are God’s people, we are the followers of the risen Christ, and we are called to love all people, in a world that has so much hurt, suffering, and darkness.      

Now the reading from Psalm 22 from this morning is one of great distress and despair, but the second half of Psalm 22 is one of great deliverance. Let me share another excerpt from the same bible commentary for you. This is what is says, “We need to remember that faith is not a vaccine which prevents disease or suffering. But faith does mean when we go through suffering, the hand of the faithful God is there to rescue is. This is why Psalm 22 starts with a cry of despair but ends with praise for deliverance (ABC, page 634).

          I would tell you a story, that I created, called “Three candles of faith”. This is a story about having faith, struggling with faith, and recapturing faith. Here is how my story goes: * Light the first candle *

          There was once a missionary named John with incredible faith. Everywhere John went, people remarked that they saw the light of God in him. John went to places that were filled with darkness, and while he was there, the light of God spread. Whenever the light of God spread, John claimed that this light came from his savior Jesus Christ.

Well one day as it turns out, God led John to a town that seemed to have so much darkness in it. While in this town, John met another man named Arthur at the dinner in the middle of town. In talking with Arthur, John noticed that Arthur was filled with remorse, pain, and suffering. It seemed to John that Arthur had none of the light of God in him.

          John then decided to spend the day with Arthur. They ended up sitting and talking in the coffee shop across the street. They prayed together, laughed together, John heard Arthur’s story, and they even cried together. By the days’ end, something happened in John’s new friend Arthur. John began to see the light of God in Arthur. * Light second candle *

          Since it had gotten so late, and the coffee shop was closing soon, John told Arthur that he was going to check into a nearby hotel for the night. Yet Arthur wouldn’t hear of it. Arthur had a guest room in his house about a mile away, and he insisted that his new friend John spend the night.

          Well John was tired and feel asleep quickly in Arthur’s guest room, from a full day of ministering to Arthur. Yet Arthur again, had the light of God in him. Arthur stayed up most of that night, while John slept, and that night he rededicated his life to Jesus Christ.

          When John awoke the next morning, he smelled coffee and food. When he left the room he had slept in, and he noticed that Arthur had made coffee and breakfast. He also noticed that Arthur had packed a suitcase. Arthur then asked John, if could take the light of God, of Jesus Christ with him to other dark places, as a missionary like him? John very excitedly agreed.

          John and Arthur then got into John’s car, and headed to next place that needed God’s light and love. John and Arthur then arrived in a large city. As they did, they saw a man sleeping on a park bench. Due to this, John and Arthur, full of God’s light, decided to get some food for this man. When they approached the park bench, this man sat up. As he sat up, John and Arthur introduced themselves. The man on the bench said his name was Thomas. For most of the day, John and Arthur, who were filled with the light of God, the light of Christ, sat with Thomas, talked, listened, laughed, ate, and cried.

          Well, like the night before, it was getting to the point that the sun was almost going to down, and Thomas who had what seemed like none of God’s light in him earlier that day, now seemed to have God’s abundant light in him. * Light third candle *

          Just like Arthur did to John, Thomas then asked John and Arthur, if he could give up what little life he had, to come and take God’s light to dark places with them as a missionary. John and Arthur excitedly agreed to this, and then Thomas told John and Arthur that he would met them at the park bench, first thing the next morning.

          John and Arthur then got some hotel rooms for the night, and went to sleep. Thomas, now filled with God’s light, with the love of Jesus Christ, went back to the homeless shelter that he was staying in. This homeless shelter allowed Thomas to keep a few possessions there. When Thomas arrived all full of God’s love, he immediately packed up what little he had, in an old worn out bag. Thomas then met a man named Jesse at the homeless shelter. For part of the night, Thomas ministered to this man who seemed to very little of God’s light in him. For about five or six hours, Thomas and Jesse conversed, and Jesse told Thomas of his hurts and his sufferings. They laughed together, they cried together, they ate together, and prayed together. By this point, it was about two or three in the morning, when Thomas, and Jesse, who was now himself filled with God’s love, headed to their beds for the night. On their way though, Thomas stopped to tell a worker at the homeless shelter that he was leaving the next morning to become a missionary with his new friends John and Arthur. Thomas then told the worker that he was going to meet them on a nearby park bench, first thing in the morning. Before Thomas could head to his bed though, his new friend Jesse, asked if could become a missionary to. Thomas agreed, and he thought, “Then there will be four of us that will bring the light of God to dark places!”

          While Thomas and Jesse slept that night, another man, who was filled with darkness, and very little of God’s light came into the homeless shelter. This man was looking for a man who owed him money. This man was drunk and angry. He suddenly saw Thomas sleeping in bed, and thinking that Thomas was someone else, this man thought, “There is Phil, and I got him now!” This man then shot Thomas, thinking it was Phil, and ran out of the homeless shelter.

          Well as you can imagine, Thomas’s new friend Jesse was devastated. Yet when the morning came, Jesse remembered that Thomas’s friends John and Arthur would be waiting for him at a nearby park bench. Well this huge city had what seemed to be a million park benches!

John and Arthur, sure enough, got to the park bench early, and hour by hour began to pass. Arthur who had a small radio with him, took it out, and turned it on, to pass the time waiting for Thomas. As they were listening, they heard a news report that Thomas had been shot and killed the night before, at a nearby homeless shelter.

          At this point, the light of God that was in John and Arthur temporarily went out of them. * Put out two candles *

John and Arthur were crushed. For a long while, John and Arthur sat on that park bench, and were grieved that their new friend Thomas had died. As they were about to leave though, suddenly Jesse ran to the park bench. John and Arthur said, who are you? He said, I am Jesse! Were you waiting for Thomas, Jesse said? They said yes, we were.

Jesse then told them what Thomas had done for him the night before. You see, John and Arthur, when they heard about Thomas’ death, though in their heads, “My God! My God, why have you left me alone?” (Ps. 22:1a, CEB). Yet as John and Arthur heard Jesse talk about what Thomas had done for him, something happened inside of them. Suddenly all three men were filled with God’s light. * Light two candles *

          Jesse then said, until last night, I didn’t understand that God came to earth, and suffered and died for me. He then said, my friend Thomas changed my life last night, so now I want to join you two, and continue to change the lives of others. John and Arthur agreed, and three men went to the next city to bring the light of God to places where there was much darkness.

          My brothers and sisters, even Jesus Christ, in his humanness said, “My God! My God, why have you left me alone?” (Ps. 22:1a, CEB). It is very hard when we feel all alone. This is why we need each other. This is why we need the church. For if you cannot find God’s light by yourself this morning, then maybe you can find it in one of his people sitting amongst you. Amen.