Wednesday, June 30, 2021

Sidney UMC - July 4th Sunday/Sixth Sunday after Pentecost - 07/04/21 - Sermon - “Freedom, Truth, and Liberty"

                             Sunday 07/04/21 - Sidney UMC

Sermon Title:          “Freedom, Truth, and Liberty”

Old Testament Scripture: 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10                                      

New Testament Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:2-10

Gospel Lesson: Mark 6:1-13

          On July 4, 1776, in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the founders of what would become the republic we now know as the United States of America wrote the Declaration of Independence. The news of this Declaration of Independence did not reach London, England until August 10, 1776.

          As many of us remember from school, the Declaration of Independence, where we get our July 4th holiday, listed grievances against our British overseers, as we were there colonies or subjects of the British. We had had enough, and we decided to create a new country. The Declaration of Independence also listed this:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence).

          From this portion of the Declaration of Independence ratified this day 245-years ago, I created my sermon title for this morning called, “Freedom, Truth, and Liberty”.

          When I was in elementary school, I learned that the Founding Fathers were the closest thing to Jesus Christ that we have. As I got older though, and as I originally studied history and social studies at SUNY Potsdam, and then became a High School Social Studies Teacher, there was much more to this story. I did not know that Thomas Jefferson and George Washington owned slaves. I did not consider that when our US Constitution was ratified in 1789 that our new nation would have the institution of slavery for another 76-years. I also did not consider that woman did not get the right to vote until 1920. I did not consider that woman up until recent years could not have some jobs that they now have, and etc., and etc.

          Some have said therefore, that the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution should simply be torn up, and we should start over. Some have suggested that we should destroy the history of our country and tear down all of our statues, due to the clear mistakes from the past. Clearly, when we founded our republic in 1796, and General George Washington was elected as our first United States President, our country didn’t have total freedom. In fact, initially, only land-owning white men could vote.

          What I learned in my studies at SUNY Potsdam though, is that Declaration of Independence and the Unites States Constitution are living documents. This means that we continue to live into the reality of what it means to the United States of America, and what it means to be an American.

          I love my country, I value our history, as painful and as wrong as some parts of it is. The principals that this country was founded on are timeless and have helped create a strong and a free nation. We are still living into this. So, when the Declaration of Independence says:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”, 

I still believe in these principals.

I remember learning about Salem, Massachusetts in college, were the famed “Salem Witch Trials” were held. People were literally found guilty of witchcraft and burned by Christians at the stake. With this said, every Christian I know agrees today that doing such a thing is wrong and terrible, but at the same time we have not done away with our faith and our churches. We no longer have the Inquisition, which was wrong and terrible, but still have our faith and our churches.

I say all of this on this July 4th to say that I love my country, I love Christ and his church, but I can love my country and Christ and his church, while not loving every part of the history of my country and the church. I love living in a country where I can speak freely and open at this pulpit, and where I can declare boldly that Jesus Christ died for our sins. I can boldly and freely declare that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Do you know that in Fifty-Two countries in this world the Bible is either illegal or highly restricted? Did you know that there are some countries where you cannot preach the gospel like I am doing now? Did you know there are some countries that Christians are jailed of even killed for there faith in Christ (https://lovepackages.org/bibles-dangerous-illegal-covert/)?

We have the freedom in these United States to be Christians, Jew, Buddhists, etc. Is every element of our history perfect? No? Is every element of the history of the church perfect? No. This does not mean though that “Freedom, Truth, and Liberty” are not good things though. I love our country because we have “Freedom, Truth, and Liberty”. We are continuing to live into this, as the Declaration of Independence as the US Constitution are living documents. The church continues to boldly proclaim the love of Christ, even though some Christians centuries ago, or in recent years did some awful things. Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness is not the problem. Jesus is not the problem. Human sin and brokenness are the problem. Christ is the answer. Christ is “Freedom, Truth, and Liberty”. New country and new constitution would never fix himan sin and human brokenness.

Christ is perfect, even when some or parts of his church are not. The principals of “Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness” are solid, even when some have failed to live up to them. For these reasons, I love Christ, I love my country, and I love this holiday of our independence. For those attending fireworks later, what a blessing it is to celebrate “Freedom, Truth, and Liberty”.

In our scripture reading from 2 Samuel 5 for this morning, it says again that the great King David that God made him king over all of Israel. In doing so, God’s word was preached, and the love of God spread.

In our scripture reading from 2 Corinthians 12:2-10 for this morning the Apostle Paul says once again:

So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me (2 Cor. 12:9b, NRSV).

I am blessed that I live in a country and serve in a church where it is perfectly acceptable to preach the word of God.

In looking at our gospel of Mark reading for this morning once again, as many of us know, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the city of David. Yet, Jesus grew up in Nazareth. This is why some called Jesus, Jesus the Nazarene.

In Jesus returning to Nazareth where he was raised, he began to teach in the synagogue. Some mocked him and were offended by him. Since he is the son of Mary and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, they saw Jesus as not someone qualified to preach what he is preaching. They did not see him as the Messiah, and the gospel then says once again, beginning with Jesus saying:

“Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.” And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. And he was amazed at their unbelief (Mk. 6:4-6, NRSV).

Jesus own community where he was raised rejected him and did not believe in who he was. Sometimes Jesus received hostility, anger, and even threats. Certainly not a place where you could practice your faith. I am proud to live in a country that values “Freedom, Truth, and Liberty”.

The gospel of Mark reading for this morning then continues, saying once again that Jesus went about the villages teaching. The scripture then continues and ends once again with:

He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. 10 He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. 11 If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. 13 They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them (Mk. 7-13, NRSV).

When I hear the rest of this gospel lesson of Mark for this morning, I hear “Freedom, Truth, and Liberty” in Christ. Go out bringing nothing, rely on others hospitality, and if you are rejected, move on. The disciples proclaimed that all should repent of their sins, they cast our demons, and they anointed the sick with oil.

What we do not hear as explicitly in this gospel reading, is the heavy persecution of Christ and his church. The persecution that led Jesus to the cross and that led all but the Apostle John to die for Christ and gospel.

There are still things in this country, and in some churches that need to be improved and changed, but yet, I love my country and I love Christ and his church. This is why on this July 4, 2021, 245-years after our Declaration of Independence was ratified, I am grateful for “Freedom, Truth, and Liberty”. Happy Independence Day! Amen.

Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Sidney UMC - Fifth Sunday after Pentecost - 06/27/21 - Sermon - “Who Touched My Clothes!"

                                Sunday 06/27/21 - Sidney UMC

Sermon Title:          “Who Touched My Clothes!”

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 130                                    

New Testament Scripture: 2 Corinthians 8:7-15

Gospel Lesson: Mark 5:21-43

          One of the hardest, and dare I say loudest couple of weeks that some of the church staff at this church experience, is the first couple of weeks of the Tri-Town Nursery School reopening each September. Do not get me wrong, there will always be noise with children, parents, and the great TTNS teachers. Some of this noise is missed over the summer, and it is nice to have the clamor and the joy back in the church building each fall.

          What I struggle with though, and what the church staff struggles with though, is that some of the kids in the TTNS program get very emotional when their parent or parents drop them off for school at the beginning of each school year. In my limited experience, this happens for about a week or two. Some of the kids, as soon as their parent or parents are out of sight just loose it. They cry and cry, and sometimes shout for mom or for dad. Sarah, Ron, and I always feel bad about this, as the TTNS teachers are trying to calm the kids and settle them. This does not last forever, but every fall without fail, we will have TTNS kids that are emotionally upset that their parent has left them at school. By the end of the school year however, most of these kids are not too concerned about this!

          The power of presence and touch is amazing. I watched once as a mother walked out of her house to get the mail. Her husband was there, as was I visiting, and as soon as she walked out, her toddler looked at her out of the sliding glass door that she had just shut. The baby began to cry and say “mama”. There were tears that came down the baby’s face. Then the woman walked back in a couple of minutes later, and that baby jumped on her like an NFL linebacker. At once that baby calmed, the tears subsided, and the baby was back to normal functioning.

          I also remember one time that I was at a church function, and a woman had just given her baby a bottle. After the baby ate, the baby got fussy and cried some. The mother was trying to comfort the baby and she seemed baffled at what was wrong with her baby. She held the baby close and began to pat the baby’s back that had just eaten. The baby continued to be upset, until one of those light back taps produced a burp that sounds like a lion roaring. So loud and unexpected was this baby burp, a few people turned around shocked. That one subtle tap of the mother on her baby’s back, released the gas in the baby, and his fussing and crying stopped.

          During these many months of pandemic, it has been so hard for many of us to not be able to shake hands, hug, or in some cases even physically be in someone else’s presence. The power of presence and touch is powerful indeed.

          I remember different times as a pastor that I prayed with someone who was suffering, or who was trembling. As I grabbed their hand and prayed, I asked God to fill them and to calm them. Sometimes after that prayer, the person was no longer shaking, and their fear seemed to have subsided. The power of presence and touch is a powerful indeed.

          In our gospel of Mark reading for this morning once again, a woman who has suffered hemorrhages for twelve-years sought healing from Jesus. She had spent all of her money on doctors trying to heal her, and not only did she not get any better, but she actually grew worse (Mk. 5:24b-26, NRSV).

          This woman had heard about this Jesus, his power, his authority, and his ability to heal. In fact, the gospel of Mark says once again in 5:27-28:

27 She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well”                                             (Mk. 5:27-28, NRSV).

          Some of the children who start a new school year in the Tri-Town Nursery School, can be calmed and restored with but a touch from there parents. The baby who cried “mama” when she went to the mailbox, was restored with one touch from his mother. The baby who had gas after being feed, who burped like a lion, was restored with one touch, or tap from his mother. Do we have faith and hope like this?

          The woman this morning who was sick and suffering believed that if she just touched Jesus’ cloak she would be healed. Not Jesus himself, but just his cloak. For so holy was Jesus to this suffering woman that even if she was not able to place a hand on Jesus’ body, she would be healed just by touching his clothes. This woman believed this, and in our sermon picture and in many other depictions we see this clear faith and desperation. Do we have faith and hope like this?

          The scripture tells us to have faith like a child. Given the examples that I provided about children, and our gospel reading for this morning about this sick woman, faith like a child is powerful indeed.

          In our reading for this morning from Psalm 130, it says once again in 130:6:

my soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning, more than those who watch for the morning (Ps. 130:6, NRSV).

          As we wait for the touch of God, the timing of God, do we still believe in the power of what God can do in us and through us? Further if God gives us so much through Jesus Christ, what are we willing to give to God?

          In our reading for this morning from 2 Corinthians 8:7-15 once again, the Apostle Paul encourages the Corinthians to be generous and to show their love through their generosity (2 Cor. 8:7-15, NRSV). As God touches our hearts, we can change people with our touch of God’s love in us.

          In getting into our gospel lesson from the gospel of Mark more for this morning, let us here once again what the word has to say:

21 When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea. 22 Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet 23 and begged him repeatedly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.” 24 So he went with him (Mk. 5:21-24a, NRSV).

          Jesus again, has been asked by one of the leaders of the synagogue Jairus to heal his dying daughter. Jesus goes with Jairus to his daughter. As Jesus does the gospel says this happened:

And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. 25 Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. 26 She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.” 29 Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease             (Mk. 5:24b-29, NRSV).

          So, one the Synagogue leaders named Jairus asks Jesus to heal his dying daughter, and on the way a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. As this was happening the woman who had been sick and suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind Jesus to try to touch his cloak. She then did just that, and maybe the reason she did not try to touch Jesus’ body, is because since she had hemorrhages and blood, she was ruled ritually unclean by the religious leaders. This woman may have been worried therefore, that if she touched Jesus’ body that she would intern make him unclean. This certainly would not happen to Jesus, but this was and is the religious laws of devout Jews.

          When the woman touched Jesus’ cloak, not his body, immediately her hemorrhage stopped, and she felt healed. Again, this woman had spent all of her money on doctors and healers that took her money but did not heal her.

          So once again, Jesus was asked by a leader in the synagogue named Jairus to heal his dying daughter, and Jesus goes with Jairus. As they head to Jairus’ sick daughter, the crowd presses in and the sick woman with hemorrhages touches Jesus’ cloak.

          Now if you were in a crowd full of people and you had a baggy shirt on, do you think you would be less likely to notice that someone grabbed your baggy shirt, versus someone touching your body? Further, if you are in a loud and pressing crowd, how would notice such a light touch?

          Well, as the gospel reading continues once again, it says:

30 Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 He looked all around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

          So, this woman, in perfect childlike faith, reaches out, believing that she can be healed by touching Jesus’ clothes, and her faith made her well. This was Jesus’ plan for this woman. Sometimes we pray for healing, and we do not get the healing we want or the healing that we think we need, but God is always with us.

          Just to review once again, a leader in the Synagogue named Jairus asks Jesus to heal his sick daughter. On the way to do so, a large crowd pushes in on Jesus. The sick woman with hemorrhages touches Jesus’ cloak, and her faith has healed her. Jesus then blesses her, and she goes on her. The gospel reading then pick up once again saying:

35 While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?” 36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” 37 He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. 38 When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 When he had entered, he said to them, “Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40 And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha cum,” which means, “Little girl, get up!” 42 And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. 43 He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat (Mk. 5:35-43, NRSV).

          As the crowd presses in on Jesus, and as the woman with the hemorrhages who touches Jesus’ cloak is healed, Jairus’ daughter dies. Jesus said though, that girl is just sleeping, and people mockingly laughed at Jesus. Jesus then goes into the house where the child is laying, tells her to get up, and she does. Jesus told the few disciples with him to not tell anyone what happened yet, and then Jesus told them to give the girl something to eat.

          It is amazing what presence and touch can do. So often in the gospels people are healed or Jesus pronounces them healed because of there faith. Jesus did not heal everyone and bring everyone back from the dead, however. Yet he performed miracles to show his disciples, the world, and us that he was and is the Son of God. Sometimes when we call upon God for healing, God heals us and restores in the exact way we are asking for healing and restoration. Sometimes this does not happen though, as God’s plan is not always to give us exactly what we want, and when we want it. Jesus is teaching us that he is always with us, that God’s love is carried in us, and that is eternal.

          All we need in this world and in the next is faith. We will struggle, we will suffer, but we also have God with us, if we but call upon him. Sometimes God heals the way we want, sometimes God does not, but if we call upon God through Jesus Christ, he is always with us. Jesus has promised us that through faith in him that we will be with him forever, even though this world that we live in is so fallen and broken. Make we all keep the faith, faith like a scared or uncomfortable child. Faith that reaches out to touch Jesus’s clothes. Faith that gives us the peace that passes all understanding. Amen.

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

Sidney UMC - Father's Day/Scout Sunday/Fourth Sunday after Pentecost - 06/20/21 - Sermon - “Why Fathers and Scouts Matter!"

Sunday 06/20/21 - Sidney UMC 

Sermon Title:          “Why Fathers and Scouts Matter!”

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 9:9-20                                       

New Testament Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:1-13

Gospel Lesson: Mark 4:35-41

          Friends, brothers, and sisters, welcome once again on this our 4th Sunday after Pentecost, Father’s Day, and this is our Scout Sunday. Originally our United Methodist Church Scouting Sunday was scheduled for Sunday February 14th. The Global COVID-19 Pandemic put that to a stop, however. In rescheduling Scouting Sunday, it seemed to be a perfect fit for Father’s Day. To be fair, Scouting Sunday could have also been a perfect fit for Mother’s Day too, as many women are heavily involved in Scouting.

On this Sunday I would like honor Scouts both past and present. This includes Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, and Boy Scouts. The values of scouting are very synonymous or similar with the values of the Christian Church. Being a Father, being a good man, as this is Father’s Day, are values that are synonymous with Scouting and the Christian Church. In fact, according to www.scouting.org, the Scout Oath, as many of you know all too well is:

“On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight” (https://www.scouting.org/about/faq/question10/). 

          The Scout Oath in some ways sounds like something we would say in church, doesn’t it? As I said, many of the teaching and values of Scouting are synonymous or very similar with many of the teachings and values of the Christian Church.

          Further, as many of you know, the Boy Scout Law is:

A Scout is:

TRUSTWORTHY. Tell the truth and keep promises. People can depend on you.

LOYAL. Show that you care about your family, friends, Scout leaders, school, and country.

HELPFUL. Volunteer to help others without expecting a reward.

FRIENDLY. Be a friend to everyone, even people who are very different from you.

COURTEOUS. Be polite to everyone and always use good manners.

KIND. Treat others as you want to be treated. Never harm or kill any living thing without good reason.

OBEDIENT. Follow the rules of your family, school, and pack. Obey the laws of your community and country.

CHEERFUL. Look for the bright side of life. Cheerfully do tasks that come your way. Try to help others be happy.

THRIFTY. Work to pay your own way. Try not to be wasteful. Use time, food, supplies, and natural resources wisely.

BRAVE. Face difficult situations even when you feel afraid. Do what you think is right despite what others might be doing or saying.

CLEAN. Keep your body and mind fit. Help keep your home and community clean.

REVERENT. Be reverent toward God. Be faithful in your religious duties. Respect the beliefs of others (https://www.scouting.org/about/faq/question10/).

          When I read this, I hear the words and the teachings of Jesus Christ, and much of the Christian Bible. So much of the values of Scouting comes from the Judeo-Christian beliefs and teachings. It is not a shock then that so many churches partner with so many Scouting organizations. I have said many times, strong churches mean strong Scouting, and strong Scouting means strong churches.

          While many mothers, women, and girls are involved in Scouting, today is Father’s Day. Today is the day in the calendar of our country that celebrates dads and all of the great men in our lives. Some of us have or had great dads. I have a great dad, and a great stepdad. Some of you might not have or had a good dad, but hopefully you have or had men in your life that loved you, taught you, mentored you, and showed you how to live the values of our faith. These values once again are very synonymous to Scouting.

          I am sure that some of the men here were in Scouting at some point or were or are a leader in Scouting. When I arrived at this church about three years ago now, Boy Scout Pack 34 had folded and not renewed its charter. We are now back and strong than ever, in part due to the great leadership that we have. To the leaders of Pack 34, and to the leaders of Boy Scout Troop 99, our church is grateful and thankful for the sacrifice you are making for your kids and the kids of this community. To the youth in Pack 34 and Troop 99, this church and myself supports you in Scouting, and you will always be welcome here at the Sidney UMC.

          In our scripture reading for this morning from Psalm 9 once again, it says in 9:9:

The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble”  (Ps. 9:9, NRSV).   

          We can turn to God when we struggle, but we can also turn to each other, and hopefully to churches like this one. I also sleep better at night knowing that we have more Scouts not less Scouts.

          I do not know about you, but our scripture from 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 for this morning, struck a chord with me around Father’s Day. In this reading, the Apostle Paul in part, talks about struggling, and especially struggling when the world attacks us and our faith. Once again, the Apostle Paul says in 6:4-8:

but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute”                                    (2 Cor. 6:4-8, NRSV).

          The Apostle Paul is of course in this scripture once again talking about Christians being persecuted and suffering for their faith, and this suffering has been and is real in different parts of the world, even today. Where this took me though, is the sacrifices born by many Fathers and the many men that are or have been in our lives. The sacrifice born by those who do or who have served in the military and have been through all sorts of hardships. We also have Scout leaders that give of there time, there talent, and their energy, so that our kids will grow up into faithful and productive citizens. Many of us can say our Fathers, our Scout leaders, and other men in our lives sacrificed for us. They did and do work hard and endure, for us.

          A movie that used to be very popular in family is the 1989 Kevin Costner movie “Field of Dreams”. In this movie, Kevin Costner is a farmer in Iowa, and he keeps hearing and seeing that he is supposed to build professional level regulation baseball field on his farm. Well, as you can imagine most people, including his family, initially, think he has lost his mind.

          Kevin Costner then plows under a fair amount of his corn, and sure enough builds that large and expensive baseball field. Suddenly out of the farms remaining corn rows, deceased professional baseball players from decades ago, including Kevin Costner’s father emerge from the remaining corn rows. All of these men are dead and from heaven, once again, but they return to play on Kevin Costner’s baseball field on his farm in Iowa.

          It turns out that these baseball players are the 1919 Chicago Black Socks team, with the famous “Shoeless Joe Jackson”. What is interesting is that Kevin Costner gets to see his father, as a very young man as he appears back on his farm and on his baseball field. In one scene in fact, Kevin Costner points out that the young baseball player that he is pointing to is his father. Kevin Costner then says, “That was my dad, before the world beat him down”.

          Now I know that some of you might not have had a great dad, but many of us do or did. Dads that worked for years at Bendix or Amphenol, or ACCO, or coached your teams, came to your games, and cheered you on. Father’s Day is about honoring these great men in our lives for all they have and continue too due for us. This is my sermon for this morning is called “Why Fathers and Scouts Matter”!

          In our gospel of Mark reading for this morning once again, Jesus and his disciples get into the boat to go across the Sea of Galilee. Interestingly enough, Jesus is asleep in the stern of the boat on a cushion, and as Jesus is sleeping a great windstorm arose. The boat is rocking back and forth, and it might even capsize, and yet Jesus is sound asleep on a cushion in the stern of the boat.

          Maybe some of you can remember your dad asleep, snoring, in his recliner, or that bad thunderstorm, and your dad slept right through it. In this gospel lesson once again though, the disciples did not have faith that God would see them through this storm on the water. They awoke Jesus all worried and worked up. Jesus immediately calms the storm and asks them why they were afraid. “Have you still no faith?” Jesus asks them. They at once we calmed and were filled with great awe (Mk. 4:35-41, NRSV).

          Jesus can transform our hearts and our lives if come to him, repent of our sins, turn to him, and live for him. Many fathers, grandfathers, uncles, friends, and other men in our lives have also made such a big difference. They were and are teaching us to no be afraid, and to have faith. To know Jesus, is to know peace. To know God is to have hope, and this why we on this Father’s Day and Scout Sunday, and always should all:

“do my best to do my duty to God and my country”

          On this Father’s Day and this Scout Sunday, I want to close with something I have read for many years on Scout Sunday, which while very dated, but is still timeless. Here are some great Scouting statistics on this Father’s Day:

  • “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, Outdoor 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 Spielberg. But how about some “Not-Quite-Eagles” like John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Stewart, Harrison Ford, Merlin Olson, Richard Gere, Nolan Ryan, Jim Morrison, Joe Thiemann, Bill Gates and not-quite British Scout’s Queen’s Scout – Paul McCartney. The list goes on and on. Scouting makes a difference!” (http://therealtroop555.com/ScoutmasterMinutes/Scouting%20Statistics.pdf)

Friends, brothers, and sisters, this is why “Fathers and Scouts Matter!” Amen.

         

Thursday, June 10, 2021

Sidney UMC - Third Sunday after Pentecost - 06/13/21 - Sermon - “We Walk By Faith, Not By Sight"

Sunday 06/13/21 - Sidney UMC

Sermon Title:          “We Walk By Faith, Not By Sight”

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 20                                     

New Testament Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:6-17

Gospel Lesson: Mark 4:26-34

          In our scripture reading for this morning, the Apostle Paul tells us once again in 2 Corinthians 5:7:

for we walk by faith, not by sight(2 Cor. 5:7, NRSV).

          For as long as I can remember, I have heard many different people say about many different things, “I have done this for so long that I could do it with my eyes closed”. Have you ever said or ever heard anyone say this before? I think that some people are so good at certain things that they can indeed do those things with their eyes closed. Or maybe we did try to do something with our eyes closed at some point, just to prove this point.

          I think that part of the idea of being able to do something so well that we can do it with our eyes closed, is matter of confidence, a matter of trust, and a matter of faith. In fact, in some jobs and roles that I have been in, in my life, we have done “team building exercises”. You know when the people you work with take a day off from regular work to come together and trust each other more. I have done the exercise where everyone has to work together to get across a wire attached from tree to another tree. We had to work together, and everyone had to help each other to get to the other side. If anyone fell, we all had to start over, until we all got to the other side together.

I have also done those all so famous “trust falls”. In “trust falls,” you stand above and ahead of your co-workers or friends, and with you back to them, you fall backwards on them. You cannot see them, but you are trusting that they are there behind you, and that they will catch you when you fall on them. If they do not catch you than you could be really hurt. It forces you to “walk by faith, not by sight(2 Cor. 5:7, NRSV).

          I do not know about you, but sometimes this is harder for me than others. When the pandemic started, everything just shut down, and we did not know what was coming next. We had to “walk by faith, not by sight(2 Cor. 5:7, NRSV). It is really easy to say, but much harder to do. Our daily walk with Christ, is about continued surrender to him, through the power of the Holy Spirit. As we draw closer to Jesus, and as become more like him, God will grow in us a faith that can move mountains. Our reading for this morning from Psalm 20, ends once again with 20:9 saying:

“Give victory to the king, O Lord; answer us when we call” (Ps. 20:9, NRSV).

          We are to trust in God. Following Christ means that as we draw closer to him, we are to “walk by faith, not by sight(2 Cor. 5:7, NRSV). I am getting better at this than I used to be, but much like us all, for while I have salvation and eternity with Christ, each day I am striving to be more and more like him.

          In our gospel of Mark reading for this morning, Jesus gives us parables or stories, once again. These parable or stories are designed to help us to understand faith, the gospel, and living for Jesus. Once again, our gospel of Mark reading for this morning says:

26 He also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, 27 and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. 28 The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come”      (Mk. 4:26-29, NRSV).

 

          Jesus is telling us, that through him God is planning an abundant spiritual crop and amazing harvest of souls. When Christ returns, he will harvest righteousness and holiness, and we get to scatter the seeds of faith here on earth. What if we feel that we do not have that much faith though?

          Well Jesus continues on discussing this with the Parable of the Mustard Seed. In this Parable, Jesus says:

30 He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”                       (Mk. 4:30-32, NRSV).

 

          Faith in Christ, mature faith, is to “walk by faith, not by sight(2 Cor. 5:7, NRSV). This could start from faith the size of a mustard seed. As I said, I am growing in my faith every day, how are you all doing with this?

The gospel of Mark reading for this morning ends once again with Jesus saying many parables, but Jesus told his disciple in private exactly what he meant in his parables.

          Once again, this morning the Apostle Paul tells us in our reading from 2 Corinthians 5:6-17 that we are to “walk by faith, not by sight(2 Cor. 5:7, NRSV). Another great example that I thought of around the idea of walking “by faith, not by sight,” is from a movie. (2 Cor. 5:7, NRSV). This movie stars actor Denzel Washington and is called “The Book of Eli”. Eli or “Elijah” is certainly a biblical name. Anyone here ever see the Denzel Washington movie, “The Book of Eli”?

          Well, this movie came out in 2010, and here is the movie plot:

The Book of Eli is a 2010 American post-apocalyptic neo-western action film directed by the Hughes Brothers, written by Gary Whitta, and starring Denzel WashingtonGary OldmanMila KunisRay Stevenson, and Jennifer Beals. The story revolves around Eli, a nomad in a post-apocalyptic world, who is told by a voice to deliver his copy of a mysterious book to a safe location on the West Coast of the United States. The history of the post-war world is explained along the way, as is the importance of Eli's task” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_Eli#Plot).

 

          If you have not seen the movie “The Book of Eli” I am going to ruin some of the ending for you, sorry. In this movie, the mysterious book that the character “Eli,” played by Denzel Washington is asked by a voice, to bring to the West Coast of the United States, is the Bible. In fact, in this movie, it is the last know Bible in all of the United States. “Eli” or Denzel Washington is asked by God to take this book, the Bible to a safe location on the West Coast. I will not ruin the whole movie, but what is fascinating about this movie, is that “Eli” played by Denzel Washington, is blind. He cannot see literally with his eyes like most of us do. Yet, he has learned to “walk by faith, not by sight(2 Cor. 5:7, NRSV).

          I believe that the Apostle Paul is telling us in our 2 Corinthians reading for this morning to not just trust what we can see with our eyes, but also to let our faith lead us. We should not follow our own desires, but the desires of God. In some ways I can imagine that this would be amplified by not being able to see with our actual eyes.

          In looking at this scripture from 2 Corinthians once again, we read:

So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord— for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10 For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Cor. 5:6-10, NRSV).

 

          So, when it is all said and done, and when we leave this earth, what matters, what really matters, is that we have faith in Christ. It is not a competition about who did the most, but whether we live by faith, not by sight. Do we live that faith, do we sow seeds, do we love and serve others, or do we only walk by sight alone, and not by faith”?

          The Apostle Paul continues in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15:

14 For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. 15 And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them” (2 Cor. 5:14-15, NRSV).

          Christ died for us, we die to our sins in him, and we are raised to new spiritual life through him. Or as the scripture says at ends for this morning once again:

17 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!(Mk. 4:17, NRSV).

          Living for God, walking with Christ, and living that out in the world is to “walk by faith, not by sight(2 Cor. 5:7, NRSV). My hope and my prayer, for you, for myself, and for everyone, is that on this day we may be led by the eyes of our hearts and our souls, not only the eyes in our heads.

          Imagine for a minute if the whole world, every person, lived like this for one full 24-hour period of time. What would that world look like for 24-hours, if for those 24-hours we were living for God alone, following God, serving, and loving others, and not just pursuing what we want or what we desire? Maybe, just maybe, it would be a small glimpse of heaven. May we all this day and always “walk by faith, not by sight(2 Cor. 5:7, NRSV). Amen.