Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC's - Transfiguration Sunday - 02/26/17 Sermon - “Where the Ten Commandments come from"

Sunday 02/26/17 Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC’s

Sermon Title: “Where the Ten Commandments come from”

Old Testament Scripture: Exodus 24:12-18

                                            

New Testament Scripture: 2 Peter 1:16-21

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 17:1-9

          Welcome again my friends, my brothers and sisters in Christ, on this our Transfiguration Sunday. This Sunday, Transfiguration Sunday, has a really fancy name, doesn’t it? Well what this Sunday, Transfiguration Sunday is all about, is celebrating the story of Jesus going up on a “high mountain” with Peter, James, and John (Mt. 17:1, NRSV). Once on that mountain, Jesus was changed, or beautified, or elevated, or Transfigured right in front of them. Suddenly Jesus was with Moses and Elijah, yet Jesus was at the center. Jesus was the focal point. The Transfiguration story is found in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and is alluded to in a verse in the gospel of John. Peter also discussed witnessing this event in his second epistle or letter in the New Testament, which we have as a reading for this morning, as well.

          So on this day, Jesus Christ went up a “high mountain,” as the gospel of Matthew tells us, and then suddenly “his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white (Mt. 17:1, NRSV). Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him” (Mt. 17:1-3, NRSV).

          The title of my sermon this morning is called “Where the Ten Commandments came from,” which might be seem like an odd title for a sermon, given that this is Transfiguration Sunday. You might also remember that last Sunday that I said that I am trying to preach out of the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible more, as to then connect it more to the New Testament, to Jesus.

          This morning in our lectionary readings, which are the pre-packed Old Testament and New Testament scriptures that the church gives us each week, we have a common theme of going up a mountain. While I didn’t pick the fourth scripture from this Sunday from Psalm 99, it talks about how Moses and Aaron spoke to God “in the pillar of cloud” (Ps. 99:6-7a, NRSV). Psalm 99 ends by saying, “Extol the LORD our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the LORD our God is holy” (Ps. 99:9, NRSV). So, on the mountain.

          Our weekly pre-packaged lectionary scriptures aren’t perfect, but what is great about them is that we get a theme or themes presented to us. Today this theme is going up a “high mountain” and talking with, and receiving instruction from God (Mt. 17:1, NRSV). For me, I really like our pre-packed lectionary scriptures as I believe they often tell us the full story of the Bible. The founder of Methodism, John Wesley, referred to this a “general tenor” of scripture, or a flow and an interconnectivity of scripture. In this way, we cannot discuss the New Testament without the Old Testament, and vice versa.

          Now before getting into the scripture from Exodus 24:12-18 that I want to focus on for a little while this morning, I want to briefly discuss the other scripture from this morning 2 Peter 1:16-21. If you remember I began this sermon just a couple minutes ago by discussing the Transfiguration story of Jesus Christ upon a “high mountain.” You also might remember that I said a couple of minutes ago that Jesus took the Apostle Peter, the Apostle John, and the Apostle James with him. In his second epistle or letter from this morning, Peter tells about the Transfiguration story, as he witnessed it.

          The Apostle Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:16-21, “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed by the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased” (2 Pet. 1:16-17, NRSV).

          The Apostle Peter then writes, “We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain. So we have the prophetic message more full confirmed” (2 Pet. 1:18, NRSV).

          Now I won’t get into the rest of the 2 Peter reading for this morning, but a general theme for this morning is that God reveals himself to us in many ways, a and one way is on mountains or high places.

In the Bible then we have continued themes and other indicators that speak all the time to John Wesley’s idea of a “general tenor” of scripture. One of these ideas is the idea of something lasting for “forty days and forty nights,” as it states this morning in the reading from the Book of Exodus. In the story of Noah’s Ark, the Ark was on the water for, you guessed it, “forty days and forty nights”. Jesus was tempted in the desert for, you guessed it, “forty days and forty nights”. Certain numbers, certain lengths of time, and certain concepts like going up a “high mountain” become fluid all throughout the Bible, if we read all of it (Mt. 17:1, NRSV).

This morning in the Book of Exodus, or in the Ancient Greek, it translates to “going out,” we have part of the story of the Jewish people leaving slavery Egypt, to eventually get to the “Promised Land”. In the scripture this morning, Moses, a great servant of God and a prophet receives on a Mount Sinai, the actual tablets of the famous Ten-Commandments. In Exodus 20 the Israelites receive the Ten-Commandments verbally, followed by more of the “Old Law,” but the tablets actually get presented to Moses in Exodus 24. Further, this story of Moses receiving the Ten-Commandments occurs after the parting of the Red Sea story.

Let’s see what the scripture from the Book of Exodus has to say to us this morning. Here is what it says, “The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction. So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God” (Ex. 24:12-13, NRSV).

Do you see more now this theme of going up to a mountain to see God, to meet God, and to receive from God?

In many Medieval Christian Cathedrals in Europe, the ceilings were intentionally built very high and were intentionally very ornately decorated. The idea in these churches was that when were in them, that our eyes would be drawn upwards to the high and beautiful ceilings and architecture. As our scriptures say this morning, God can be found on mountains, and in high places. For this reason, many churches have historically built high and ornate ceilings, so that we as the worshipers might be drawn heavenward, where God is.

Continuing in our scripture reading from Exodus this morning, it says, “Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud” (Ex. 24:15-16, NRSV). Does anyone here know of any Bible stories that involve something happening over seven-days? I ask this because Moses is on the top of Mount Sinai, in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt, for six days, then on the seventh-day, God calls Moses out of the cloud. Well the big one for me, is the creation story in the Book of Genesis. God created in six-days, then on the seventh day God rested. Do you see how the Bible has these themes with numbers, and mountains, and etc.?

This scripture also talks about the “glory of the LORD” settling on Mount Sinai for the first days that Moses was there, and in the Gospel of Matthew, which is the Transfiguration story, it says of Jesus on the mountain, “his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white” (Ex. 24:16a, NRSV and Mt. 17:2, NRSV).

So what I am hoping to establish then, is connecting the ideas or themes that exist in our lectionary scriptures for this morning, and that are throughout scripture in general.

The scripture reading from this morning from the Book of Exodus ends by saying, “Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain, Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights” (Ex. 24:18, NRSV).

This then ends chapter 24 of the Book of Exodus. In the next chapter of the Book of Exodus, Moses ordered that the Ark of the Covenant to house the tablets of the Ten-Commandments be built, that an altar be built, and a tabernacle, or tent to house the Ark of the Covenant be built.

This “Old Law,” or the Law of Moses is still followed strictly by some Jews even to this day. Now last Sunday I discussed that we should still follow the Ten-Commandments, but that we are no longer bound by all the “Old Law”. The “Old Law” says that we can’t eat shellfish, or bacon, and many other things. We are not obligated to this “Old Law”.

As I said last Sunday also, Jesus says in the Matthew, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Mt. 22:37-39, NRSV). What I didn’t tell you last Sunday though, is in the very next verse Jesus says in Matthew 22:40, “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Mt. 22:40, NRSV). So love God, love your neighbor, and this is so important that Jesus again says, “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Mt. 22:40, NRSV).

I think that for some Christians in the era we are living in then, the Old Testament or the Hebrew is used much less, as Jesus says we are no longer bound by the “Old Law”. The Old Testament is still important though.

To further connect all of this then, in our New Testament readings for this morning, we have the Transfigured or changed Christ upon a “high mountain,” like Moses who was atop Mount Sinai, as Psalm 99 discusses hearing God on a mountain (Mt. 17:1, NRSV). Then in our reading from 2 Peter from this morning, the Apostle Peter says that he was on that “high mountain” with Jesus, and he saw him Transfigured first hand (Mt. 17:1, NRSV). I don’t know about you, but I love how all the scriptures come together and make sense, like the ones we have for this morning.

The other big thing to point out is that Jesus is seen as greater that Adam who was is the Garden of Eden story, greater than the great King David, and yes even greater than the great prophet Moses. For in the Transfiguration story from the Gospel of Matthew for this morning, Jesus does not wait for God to reveal himself to him. Instead, Jesus himself is the one who is Transfigured, which reinforces the historical claim that Jesus Christ was God on earth. That Jesus Christ was and is the second person of the Holy Trinity, God in the flesh on earth. Further in the Transfiguration story for this morning, Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus, but as lesser figures than Jesus. What this means then, is that this story is presenting the idea that Jesus is greater than great Moses, and the greater prophet Elijah.

The “general tenor” of scripture, or flow of scripture as John Wesley would call it for this morning, walks us through Moses receiving the “Old Law” and the Ten Commandments from God, to the “Old Law” being fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Today when Jesus is Transfigured on the mountain, with Moses and Elijah as lesser figures, it is making the statement that Jesus is not only the savior, but the greatest of all the prophets, king, and leaders that preceded him. For Christ is God in the flesh, the savior of the world.

Now as I have said, as Christians we are not bound by the “Old Law” of Moses, but there is a lot or richness in the Torah and the whole Hebrew Bible for that matter. I also think that the Ten-Commandments are good, and that we should still follow them.

In closing, I will read the Ten-Commandments, given to Moses by God on the mountain top at Mount Sinai. These are listed in both the Book of Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21, but I am going to read them from the Book of Exodus. Here is what they say: “Then God spoke all these words: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments. You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it. Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery.  You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Ex. 20:1-17, NRSV).

While Jesus Christ is the only one who was able to live out a life free of sin, the only one who conquered death, and while we are called to be like him, the Ten-Commandments are still something that we should follow. This is why we should read the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible, and this is how we get from the Old Testament to Jesus Christ.

So this week, my friends, my brothers and sisters let us keep the Ten-Commandments, and let us live for Jesus, by doing our best every day to love and care for others. In doing this, we become more like Jesus Christ, and in doing this people see more of Jesus Christ in us. Praise be to God. Amen.

Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC's - Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany - 02/19/17 Sermon - “Won't you be my neighbor?"

Sunday 02/19/17 Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC’s

Sermon Title: “Won’t you be my neighbor?”

Old Testament Scripture: Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18

                                            

New Testament Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 5:38-48

          Friends, sisters and brothers, welcome again on this the Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany. Seven Sundays after the Wise Men or the Magi came to see the Christ-Child. Seven Sundays after they came to see God in the flesh, the Messiah, and they then left changed and empowered.

          Next Sunday on Transfiguration Sunday, we will begin to transition from “Common Time” or “Ordinary Time,” which we are in now, towards the season of Holy Lent. The season of Holy Lent will begin on Wednesday March 1^st, which is Ash Wednesday. My annual Ash Wednesday service, will be at the Homer Avenue UMC at 7:00 pm.

          With this said, one of things that I have been challenging myself to do in this New Year in the way of preaching, is to preach more from the Old Testament, or the Hebrew Bible. I have found that on many Sundays I have predominately just been preaching out of the New Testament, and the Gospels. While I will still do this often, I also want to preach more out of the Old Testament, or the Hebrew Bible.

The reason for this, is that the Old Testament, or the Hebrew Bible sets the stage for the New Testament. Specifically, the Old Testament sets the stage for the New Testament, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

          In fact, some of the statements that Jesus makes in the Gospels, are literal scriptural quotes from the Old Testament. For example, Psalm 22:1a says: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Ps. 22:1a, NRSV). In the Gospel of Matthew 27:46, as Jesus is on the cross, the gospel of Matthew says: “And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mt. 27:46, NRSV).

          In the gospels, Jesus went into the Temple and read the scroll or Book of Isaiah, from the Old Testament. In this scripture, Isaiah predicted the coming of the Messiah, and Jesus then said that the scripture was fulfilled in him.

          In the gospels, and all throughout the New Testament, there are verses from Old Testament prophets that are making predictions about the coming of the Messiah. Jesus discusses more than once the importance of the Ten Commandments for example, which will be discussing next Sunday. The New Testament and the Old Testament then, are very much interconnected, and because of this, I am going to try to preach more about the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible. Specifically this morning, I want to talk about our reading from Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18.

          Now to just quickly give you an overview of the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible, there are different types of books in the Old Testament. The first thing to point out, is our Christian Old Testament is taken largely from the Jewish Hebrew Bible, or the “Tanakh” in Hebrew. The first five Books of the Old Testament are often called the first five books of Moses, or the “Pentateuch”, or as our Jewish brothers and sisters call it the “Torah”.

          The rest of the Old Testament is divided into book of the history of the Jewish people, wisdom books, the Psalms, and the books of the prophets, like Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Micah. I find that often in discussing Jesus Christ that the New Testament quotes the Books of the Prophets the most. This is because the Jewish prophets were often the ones making predictions about the coming of Jesus Christ.

          So I have given you all of this quick background, to help us to better put into context our reading this morning from the Book of Leviticus. Once again, the Book of Leviticus is in the Old Testament, or the Jewish “Torah”, and it is the third book of our Christian Bible. The Book of Leviticus includes to a great extent, moral, ethical, and other teachings that Moses received from God. For example, the idea of forbidding the wearing fabric that has two colors woven together, comes from the Book of Leviticus. Devout and Orthodox Jews still to this day, follow all of the teaching of the Torah, or the first five books of the Old Testament.

          Jesus Christ however, said in Matthew 22:37-39, and other places when asked about which law was the greatest, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Mt. 22:37-39, NRSV). So don’t worry, you can still eat pork, you can still eat shellfish, and you can still weave different colors of fabric together, as we as Christians no longer live under the old Jewish Law of Moses. The Old Testament scriptures inform us though, and Christ referred to them often.

          This morning, I titled my sermon, “Won’t you be my neighbor?,” as I grew up watching the television show, “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood”. The show would always begin with the character Mr. Rogers singings the introduction song of “Won’t you be my neighbor?” In this song, I felt the character of Mr. Rogers was inviting me to be his neighbor, and that I could be a neighbor to others.

          Our scripture this morning from the Book of Leviticus, is about Holy living, and about loving our neighbor, and each other. Let’s look again at what it says.

          The scripture begins by saying: “The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the LORD your am holy…” (Lev. 19:1-2, NRSV). In this scripture God is talking to Moses, likely on Mount Sinai, where Moses received the 10-Commandments.

          The scripture then says this, “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the LORD your God” (Lev. 19:9-10, NRSV). Jesus is accused of breaking the Sabbath in the Gospels for gleaning or gathering left over food in a field on the Sabbath Day. Jesus also tells us to feed the hungry and clothe the naked. In this scripture form the Book of Leviticus, God is telling Moses to tell farmers to leave so food “for the poor and the alien” (Lev. 19:10b, NRSV). Many of us know what poor means, but “alien” too many means, travelers or sojourners, or it could be refugees (Lev. 19:10b, NRSV). Some other scriptures specifically say the word “refugee,” and for these reasons our present political and social fight about letting “refugees” into this country has biblical roots. There are folks on both sides of this debate, as some have concerns about national security, and etc., but there are scriptures that discuss it specifically.

          The scripture then says: “You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; and you shall not lie to one another. And you shall not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God” I am the LORD” (Lev. 19:11-12, NSRV).

          Continuing on, the scripture says, “You shall not defraud your neighbor; you shall not steal; and you shall not keep for yourself the wages of a laborer until morning” (Lev. 19:13, NRSV). God says then, that you need to pay your workers on time.

          The scripture then discusses how we are supposed to treat the deaf and blind. It says: “You shall not revile the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind; you shall fear your God: I am the LORD” (Lev. 19:14, NRSV).

          Continuing on, the scripture says: “You shall not render an unjust judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great; with justice you shall judge your neighbor. You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your Neighbor: I am the LORD” (Lev 19:15-16, NRSV). Strong words from the Lord, my brothers and sisters.

          This scripture reading ends with, “You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD” (Lev. 19:17-18, NRSV).  

          Once again, in indirectly quoting this and some other scriptures, Jesus says in Matthew 22:37-39, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Mt. 22:37-39, NRSV). In the Book of Leviticus reading for this morning, it says, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself,” as Jesus said in the gospel of Matthew (Lev. 19:18b, NRSV).  

          You see we often talk so much as Christians about loving our neighbor, and Jesus condenses all the Laws of Moses, or the Laws of the Torah, down to loving God, and loving our neighbor as ourselves. Yet, it is good sometimes to have some guidelines on how to do this, isn’t it?

          I think that the reading from the Book of Leviticus this morning gives us a variety ways to best treat and love our neighbors, and others. Further, we are not called to love our neighbors in just one or two ways, but to love them in every way we can. For example, if there were thirty ways, let’s say, to love your neighbor, do we all really do all thirty of them? Or do we pick and choose the ones that work best for us?

          One of the historic hallmarks of the Christian faith, has been our love, our hospitality, and our radical love of our neighbors and each other. When the church does this well, the church grows and flourishes. It isn’t always easy, but this morning God tells us after commanding us to do this, “I am the LORD”.

          So we are not bound under the laws in the first five books of the Old Testament or the Torah, say for the Ten Commandments, but there is much in there on how to love and care for your neighbor, and all persons.

          To then reference our reading quick from this morning, from the Book of Leviticus, let’s hear what Jesus has to says again in Matthew 5:38-48. See if you can make any connections to our reading from the Book of Leviticus, as I go through this.

Jesus says, “You have hear that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow you” (Mt. 5:38-42, NRSV).

          Jesus then goes even farther than our Book of Leviticus reading for this morning, and says: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous” (Mt. 5:43-45, NRSV).

          Jesus then says, “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt. 5:46-48, NRSV).

          Jesus therefore takes the idea of loving your neighbor, to the idea of loving all people, and loving all people radically. Loving them without an agenda, and doing it, because Jesus called us to do it.

          What can we all do this week then, to love our neighbors more, and to love each other more? I ask this because as the song goes, “Won’t you be my neighbor?” Praise and glory be to Jesus Christ. Amen.

         

         

Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC's - Boy Scout Sunday/Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany - 02/12/17 Sermon - “Growing in faith and in life"

Sunday 02/12/17 Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC’s

Sermon Title: “Growing in faith and in life”

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 119:1-8

                                            

New Testament Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 5:21-37

          Welcome again my friends, my sisters and brothers, on this the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany. Six Sundays after the Wise Men came to meet the Christ Child, and they left changed.

          We will remain in the season of “Common Time” or “Ordinary Time”, until Sunday February 26^th, when we have Transfiguration Sunday. Then on Wednesday March 1^st, we will begin the season of Holy Lent with Ash Wednesday.

          Today though, we celebrate our Cub Scouts, our Boy Scouts, and our Tiger Cubs. We might have many here today, or not many, yet we honor them. Of the three scriptures that we read today, I decided to preach on 1 Corinthians 3:1-9. I have chosen this scripture to preach on, as to me it discusses growing in faith and in life.

          I myself was a Tiger Cub, a Cub Scout, and then a Boy Scout. I even remember winning the Pine Wood Derby one year. While I never completed my Eagle Scout, I learned many lessons, value, morals, and other things that have made me a better man today. Since I was part of scouting, it has and continues to make me better. There are certainly many programs that exist today that work to make young men, into exceptional, hard-working, civic minded, and service oriented adult men, but certainly scouting has a large role to play in our society.

          Further, I know that I am just talking about the young men this morning, but worry not, Girl Scout Sunday is on Sunday March 12^th. So be ready young women!

          Melissa and I had the pleasure of being invited to the annual scouting “Blue and Gold” dinner at the Freeville Fire Hall this past Tuesday night, and it was great to be with some scouts and their parents. These young men are learning invaluable skills, morals, values, and are being prepared to be change makers in our communities, and in this world.

To any and all the scouts here, to the leaders, as a church we honor your work, your efforts, your commitment to this community, to our country, and to our world. We are honored and privileged as a Freeville UMC church to hold your scout charters, and we are honored to have you meet here in our church. We are very proud of you all, and you are always welcomed here.

          I am a preacher though, so I probably should start talking about the Bible right? This morning in our reading from the Apostle Paul’s First Epistle or letter to the church in Corinth, or the Corinthians, he talks to them about “Growing in faith and in life”.

          You see as Christians, we not only just have faith in Christ as our Lord and Savior, but daily we are striving to be more like Jesus. As scouts do a variety of things to make themselves better, we as Christians do the same. For this reason many churches have always worked closely with the scouts as we share so much in common.

          In looking at the scripture this morning from 1 Corinthians 3:1-9, it begins with the Apostle Paul addressing the church in Corinth. The Apostle Paul says, “And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, you were not ready for solid food” (1 Cor. 1-2a, NRSV). When we are babies, we begin by drinking only milk, then we finally work our way up to eating solid food. The Christian faith, like scouting is a not a one day effort to achieve success. Scouting, like the Christian faith is a lifelong process of becoming more Godly, more loving, more caring, and becoming all that God has called you to be.

          I hope that for many of us that our faith is deeper than it was a year ago, or five. I also hope that our scouts training and preparedness to enter and change the world, has also increased, as well.

          In the church in Corinth though, some were not growing and developing at the rate in which they should. The Apostle Paul then says of eating solid food, “Even now you are still not ready, for you are still in the flesh. For as long as there is jealously and quarreling among you, are you not in the flesh, and behaving according to human inclinations?” (1 Cor. 2b-3, NRSV). I am sure that there is never quarrelling among any scouts, or that there is never any issues, or jealousies. Well we know that this isn’t true, but remember it is a process. Sometimes our faith in God, in Christ takes years to really become clear to us. Perhaps scout training might take a long time to really sink in to.

          The Apostle continues saying, “For when one says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,” are you not merely human? What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each” (1 Cor. 3:4-5, NRSV). Then the Apostle Paul says, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will received wages according to the labor of each. For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Cor. 6-9, NRSV).

          Friends, brothers and sisters, it isn’t about who is the best, which Boy Scout troop is better than the other Boy Scout Troop, or which leader is better than the other. We draw our strength from God, through Jesus Christ. All of the gifts, abilities, and graces, that we have all been given, come from God, through Jesus Christ. This means we are not to be enemies, or work against each other, as the Apostle Paul said, “The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose” (1. Cor. 3:8a, NRSV). Jesus Christ believed in a better world, and I believe that organizations like Boy Scouts do to. This is why as a church we honored to honor our young men, who are training, learning, and growing, to one day become exceptional men. To become men that no longer drink milk, but eat solid food.

          For all of these reasons, the Apostle Paul once again ends the reading from 1 Corinthians from this morning say, “For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building” (1. Cor. 3:9, NRSV).

          According to www.scouting.org the twelve points of Boy Scout Law are, a scout is supposed to be: “1. Trustworthy, 2. Loyal, 3. Helpful, 4. Friendly, 5. Courteous, 6. Kind, 7. Obedient, 8. Cheerful, 9. Thrifty, 10. Brave, 11. Clean, and 12. Reverent”. To this I say to our scouts, and to all that have even been in scouts, amen.

          I want to close this message this morning, by reading some statistics about the success of young men who are involved in scouting. To be far, a lot of this was read by the Freeville UMC’s Cub Scout Pack Leader, Jesse Nygard, at the annual scouting “Blue and Gold” dinner that past Tuesday night, but let’s be honest I borrow most of my stories anyway. Here are the statistics.

“For every 100 boys that enter scouts: 30 will drop out the first year. Only rarely will one appear before a juvenile court judge. 12 will be from families that belong to no church, 6 of these will be brought into contact with a church and continue. 3 will become pastors, 4 scouts will reach the rank of Eagle Scout. 45 will serve in the Military. 1 person will use scout skills to save somebody else’s live. 2 will report that they used scout skills to save their own lives. 17 will later serve as adult volunteers 8 will find their future life vocations from scouting 5 will receive church emblems. ….Only 4 out of 100 boys in the USA will become scouts but of the leaders of this nation in business, religion and politics, 3 out of 4 were scouts”.

“Only 4 percent of our nation’s youth were scouts, yet 65% of all college and university graduates were scouts. 26 of 29 of the first Astronauts in NASA’s program were Eagle scouts, and 133 of the 233 Astronauts were scouts at one time. A Nationwide survey showed that: Of Senior Class Presidents 89% were scouts. Of Junior Class Presidents 80% were scouts. Student Council Presidents 85% were scouts. School newspaper editors 88% were scouts. Football Captains 71% were scouts. Basketball captains 64% were scouts. 64% of Air Force Academy graduates were scouts 58% West Point Graduates were scouts. 70% of Annapolis graduates were scouts. 72% Rhodes Scholars were scouts. 85% of FBI Agents were scouts at one time. So, 4 out of 100, make Eagle Scout”.

“So what about the other 94 or 92 scouts who didn’t make it to Eagle. Is it just wasted time? The scouts have “Aims and Methods”. Things found in the Scout Oath and Law, the Patrol Method, Outdoors training, Personal growth, Leadership and So on. Advancement is certainly one of these, but only one. Just being part of the program gives the opportunity to “better and belong”. Sure we know some famous Eagle Scouts like Sam Walton, James Lovell, Hank Aaron, Gerald Ford, John Glenn Ross Perot and Steven Speilberg. But how about some “Not-Quite-Eagles” like John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Stewart, Harrison Ford, Merlin Olson, Richard Gere, Nolan Ryan, Jim Morrison, Joe Theisman, Bill Gates and not-quite British Scout’s Queen’s Scout – Paul McCartney. The list goes on and on. Scouting makes a difference!

Friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, we are called by God to continue “growing in faith and in life”. We are called to grow closer to Christ every day, to bring others to Christ in our own called ways, and to grow and develop. As we support our scouts in “growing in faith and in life,” may we also grow closer to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on this day. May we also be kind to ourselves, realizing that in “Growing in faith and life,” it takes time. Let us continue to “Grow in faith and in life” In Christ’s name, amen.

Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC's - Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany - 02/05/17 Sermon - “We are called to be salt and light"

Sunday 02/05/17 Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC’s

Sermon Title: “We are called to be salt and light”

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 112:1-10

                                            

New Testament Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:1-16

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 5:13-20

          My friends, my brothers and sisters, welcome again on this the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany. We are once again, in this period of common or ordinary time, until the last Sunday of this month, February, 26th. On February 26^th we will celebrate Transfiguration Sunday, and then the season of Holy Lent will begin on Ash Wednesday, which is Wednesday March 1^st.

          Last week, if you remember, I preached on the “Sermon on the Mount,” or the “Beatitudes,” from the Gospel of Matthew 5:1-12. In this sermon, Jesus gave us nine “Beatitudes,” or nine statements of blessing.

Jesus said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Mt. 5:1-12, NRSV).

In this “Sermon on the Mount,” or the “Beatitudes,” Jesus is challenging us all to live into these nines “Beatitudes” or blessings. I will talk more about this in just a minute though.

Before diving into this, last week I also mentioned, as we all know from watching the news, or from our own lives, that we are presently living in an extremely divided country right now. Some people love and support the changes that have been taking place in our country, and some have been taking to the streets and or the airports in protest.

In watching everything that has been going on, I said last week that I wished that Jesus was here in the flesh, and that I could talk to him, sit at his feet, and get his council on what is going on in our world, and in our country. It is certainly true that the level of worry and anxiety that many people have in this country is very high right now.

With this said, in getting back to talking about the “Sermon on the Mount” or the “Beatitudes” from last Sunday, Jesus is telling us that “blessed are the poor in spirit,” or people with little power, prestige, or wealth. Jesus then tells us blessed are those who mourn, and blessed are the meek or the weak. Jesus then tell us blessed are those who hunger for righteousness, and blessed are the merciful. Jesus lastly says blessed are the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and the persecuted (Mt. 5:1-12, NRSV).

This Sunday in the gospel of Matthew reading, Jesus then calls us to be “salt and light” (Mt. 5:13-20, NRSV). Jesus is challenging us to live our lives as disciples, and disciples live out the “Sermon on the Mount,” or the “Beatitudes”. In being called to be “salt and light,” disciples of Jesus Christ are not people that seek wealth, fame, or prominence, as we should seek to be poor in spirit. Disciples of Jesus Christ sometimes mourn due to the pain in the world. I know that I have been mourning over the divisions in this country, and the suffering in this world.

Disciples of Christ further, are meek, and willing to be weak and vulnerable. Disciples of Christ thirst and hunger for righteousness, and desire to be pure and holy like Jesus Christ. Disciples of Christ are merciful, are pure in heart, and are peacemakers. Disciples of Christ will also periodically or constantly face persecution for all or for some of these things.

With all of this said, as Christians, as followers of Jesus Christ we should seek to live out our callings in life from God, from the Holy Spirit. We are called to be “salt and light” by Jesus Christ.

So just what did Jesus mean when he told us to be “the salt of the earth,” and the “light of the world?” (Mt. 5:13-14, NRSV). Well, we are called to be like salt, as salt is a substance that “purifies, preserves, and enhances” (Africa Bible Commentary). So if we are called to be like salt, we are called to be pure in heart and to love, to preserve life and to care for others. We are also called to enhance people lives and the world around us. How should we do this?

As far as us being called light, Jesus says to us this morning, “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before other, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” (Mt. 5:14-16, NRSV). How do best shine God’s love and mercy?

We are called to be “salt and light,” to be pure, to enhance, to preserve, and to shine the light of Christ everywhere.

Tim, being a recently retired Chemistry teacher told me that instead of having my sermon title for morning of “we are called to be salt and light,” that I should consider his suggested sermon title of, "Metallic halides and photons-used as exemplars by the Christ".

          I told Tim that I would “look into this” idea. What I didn’t tell Tim however, was that I first had to get a dictionary to look up what “Metallic halides and photons” were. What my friend Merriam-Webster taught me was that “Metallic halides and photons” were fancy scientific words that can fit into the definitions of “salt and light”.

          In considering all of the elements and “Beatitudes” or blessings of Jesus “Sermon on the Mount,” we are called to try to be all of these things, but God calls us all differently. As Christians we are all called to follow Christ, but God will call us to serve in our own unique and special ways. For example, I would probably never think to name a sermon "Metallic halides and photons-used as exemplars by the Christ". Yet Tim’s calling in life was to be a Christian cleverly disguised as a chemistry teacher.

          One of the things that I have been passionate about as part of my calling from God, is getting to know folks and seeing if they have the gifts and graces needed to potentially serve in pastoral ministry. This is a passion of mine, but it might not be a passion of yours.

          My point is this, we are called to be “salt and light,” but this will look different for everyone. We are not all called to be preachers of the gospel, like I am. We are not called to try bring the broad expanse of God’s people together in community, which I feel is part of my calling. We all however, are united in the mission of the church of “making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world”.

          We are all called to be concerned with the lives and wellbeing of all people, to be concerned about suffering, and to be “salt and light”. We are all called to love our neighbor, and yet our own unique callings might dictate how we live this out.

          Jesus continues in our gospel of Matthew reading for this morning saying, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come to not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all in accomplished” (Mt. 5:17-18, NRSV).

          Jesus then concludes our gospel reading this morning saying, “Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 5:19-20, NRSV).

          Jesus said, “whoever does them and teaches them,” as I remember one of my duties as a pastor is teach and preach God’s word (Mt. 5:19b, NRSV). One of my duties as a pastor is to preach the good and lifesaving message of Jesus Christ. To call people to turn from there darkness, to turn from there brokenness, and to turn from sin, and to repent to God for these things. We then are called to accept Jesus Christ as the Lord of our lives, as our savior, and call upon the Holy Spirit to fill us. In becoming a follower of Jesus Christ, this is when our own unique callings become clearer through the power of the Holy Spirit.

          My brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ, the savior of the world calls us to be “salt and light”. Jesus calls us to love God, love our neighbor, and to follow him. So the question I have for all of us to consider today, is how you are you, and how am I, being called to be “salt and light”? You see there are so many things we could all do. Yet we are not all called to be preachers, and some of us don’t even feel called to speak in front of the church.

Historically speaking for example, a Christian monk’s highest calling was that of praying.

~ Story about protestant seminarians at a Roman Catholic monastery ~

Part of our Wesleyan or Methodist tradition is that of action, but what actions are we called to. Some feel called to serve the people of a nursing home, or build community, or to become socially active, or to work on higher levels of leadership. How are you called, and how am I called by Jesus Christ to be “salt and light”?

          Friends, sisters and brothers in Christ, as we move forward day by day, it is my hope and my prayer, that we continue to grow closer to Jesus Christ, that we continue to grow in love, in grace, in mercy, and in justice. It is my hope that we continue to discover the unique callings that God has placed on our lives, so that we all might be “salt and light” to the world. That we might fulfill the church’s mission of “making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world”. Amen.