Come in times of hardship and rest
yOur worries on Me
Forgive yourself, don't blame yourself
for things yOu couldn't foresee.
together we will get thRough this
no need to do iT alone
hOpe is a form of Healing
which uplifts the depth of your soul
Cry out to me for anything
my lOve for thee runs deep
i'll be at your side each Morning and night
to help you Face the day with Overwhelming success.
the road may be long and tiResome at best
but all that is within you will beaT
this gruesome pest.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Swine Break
I've been on "fall break" this week expecting to be relaxing, catching up on some homework, enjoying a break with some fun with friends. BUT, instead I have been nursing my sick H1N1 infested body back to health. It's a good thing that my school is being very nice to those of us who are sick and giving us extension on homework. I'm starting to get my energy back and my fever is gone, after having a 100-101 plus fever for 3 straight days. Whew. I felt horrible if you can image. On the bright side however, now I'm immune from it, I hope! Now it's time to get back to work slowly but surely on my theology midterm and New Testament assignments.
The other bright side of this week is that I have till Friday off because Fall break was Monday and Tuesday and I don't have classes on Wednesday and my Theo and NT sections were cancelled on Thursday! YAHOO. Longest fall break I've ever had.
On another note I can't wait to finish my Halloween costume! It will be the bomb! I'll post pictures as soon as I finish it. Until then you will have to wait to find out what it is!
Take care and stay swine flu free!
The other bright side of this week is that I have till Friday off because Fall break was Monday and Tuesday and I don't have classes on Wednesday and my Theo and NT sections were cancelled on Thursday! YAHOO. Longest fall break I've ever had.
On another note I can't wait to finish my Halloween costume! It will be the bomb! I'll post pictures as soon as I finish it. Until then you will have to wait to find out what it is!
Take care and stay swine flu free!
Friday, September 11, 2009
ABC is NOT as easy as 123
I've been reading the book The Freedom Writers. It's a collection of dairy entries from high school students in CA. It was made into a movie not to long ago. Their teacher Mrs. G., in an effort make her students learn about themselves, about lititature and about non-tolarence and violence, goes outside the bounds of ordinary teaching to grab the students attention. She gets them reading about Ann Frank and the Holocust. They also read about the civil rights and the freedom riders and the war in Bonisa. The students become engaged in the topics becuase they find themselves relating to the different situations. Each day the students in CA are faced with drugs, gangs, molesation, abuse, and death. Many have seen their friends die and their mothers beaten by their fathers. Each of these stories is heart wrentching to read, but also enlightening.
One the students writes about an experience that hits close to home for me, Dyslexia. A learning disablity that affects many individuals but in different ways metally and emotionally. Here is one of the passages that spoke to me in dairy #70: "I felt especially hopeless and depressed when I had to take an essay test where spelling counted toward my grade. I wanted to do well, but no matter how many great answers I had in my head, if I couldn't spell words right, I was going to fail."
I was not diagnosed until about 2 weeks before I graduated from High school. I remember very clearly to this day how the testing I went through made me feel: Stupid (yes with a captil S). It was not becuase I did not know the answers or could not read etc. Rather it was becuase I felt the tests were insualting my intelligence and the hard work I always did every day to pass tests, write good papers, not to mention having taken several honors courses and graduating with a 3.5 GPA in the top half of my class. After I was diagnosed with dyslexia I felt "labeled" and I thought people would see me as stupid or not capable of certian tasks. Starting college not ever having delt with this "label" or knowing what I would need to help improve my ablity to keep up with school work was hard. There was one point where I never wanted anyone to know expect those that had the need and right to know. Being dyslexic was one of the issues hindering me from entering graduate school to become a minister. However, the call from God was too strong to ingore.
As I got older and matured into my "new self" I started seeing dyslexia as more of the beautiful person God made me. This learning disability has actual kept me grounded instead of having my head in the clouds with big theological words and concepts. It helps me relate better to people on a human level. It has also made me vulurable to the human difficultities we face and made me be able to appericate and accpect people for who they are, knowing that God does not see their flaws as hinderances to doing God's work in the world. God calls ALL types of people.
So for me the ABC's are NOT as easy as 123 and if you read this blog closely you will notice numuerous spelling mistakes. They were not made on purpose. And I chose not spell check this blog becuase it would defeat the purpose of my message.
I want to end with this quote from Dairy #70 becuase I think it speaks to the power of being able to freely write without feeling limited:
"Thanks to spell check, now I feel like there are no limits or boundaries enclosing my ideas and feelings. Sitting in front of the monitor with my fingers on the keyboard makes me feel powerful in a way I never have before."
Keeping writing, share your stories, write down your experiences you may never know how they will help change the world.
Peace~ Jen
One the students writes about an experience that hits close to home for me, Dyslexia. A learning disablity that affects many individuals but in different ways metally and emotionally. Here is one of the passages that spoke to me in dairy #70: "I felt especially hopeless and depressed when I had to take an essay test where spelling counted toward my grade. I wanted to do well, but no matter how many great answers I had in my head, if I couldn't spell words right, I was going to fail."
I was not diagnosed until about 2 weeks before I graduated from High school. I remember very clearly to this day how the testing I went through made me feel: Stupid (yes with a captil S). It was not becuase I did not know the answers or could not read etc. Rather it was becuase I felt the tests were insualting my intelligence and the hard work I always did every day to pass tests, write good papers, not to mention having taken several honors courses and graduating with a 3.5 GPA in the top half of my class. After I was diagnosed with dyslexia I felt "labeled" and I thought people would see me as stupid or not capable of certian tasks. Starting college not ever having delt with this "label" or knowing what I would need to help improve my ablity to keep up with school work was hard. There was one point where I never wanted anyone to know expect those that had the need and right to know. Being dyslexic was one of the issues hindering me from entering graduate school to become a minister. However, the call from God was too strong to ingore.
As I got older and matured into my "new self" I started seeing dyslexia as more of the beautiful person God made me. This learning disability has actual kept me grounded instead of having my head in the clouds with big theological words and concepts. It helps me relate better to people on a human level. It has also made me vulurable to the human difficultities we face and made me be able to appericate and accpect people for who they are, knowing that God does not see their flaws as hinderances to doing God's work in the world. God calls ALL types of people.
So for me the ABC's are NOT as easy as 123 and if you read this blog closely you will notice numuerous spelling mistakes. They were not made on purpose. And I chose not spell check this blog becuase it would defeat the purpose of my message.
I want to end with this quote from Dairy #70 becuase I think it speaks to the power of being able to freely write without feeling limited:
"Thanks to spell check, now I feel like there are no limits or boundaries enclosing my ideas and feelings. Sitting in front of the monitor with my fingers on the keyboard makes me feel powerful in a way I never have before."
Keeping writing, share your stories, write down your experiences you may never know how they will help change the world.
Peace~ Jen
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
29,999
Cram packed like sardines in can, my dad, mom, grandma, me and all my stuff drove for 2 days and 23 hours across the e
astern states and through the blue ridge mountains, to arrive in Richmond, VA just as my car mileage counter reached 29,999 miles. It was a long trip, including numb bottoms and legs, but non the less fun and filled with stories and laughter. We stayed one night in Nashville, TN and when we reached FancyGap, VA we followed the Blue Ridge Mountain parkway to see the mountains and take pictures, since it would be the last time to do so. The mountain view was gorgeous and had hue of blue (hence the name).
astern states and through the blue ridge mountains, to arrive in Richmond, VA just as my car mileage counter reached 29,999 miles. It was a long trip, including numb bottoms and legs, but non the less fun and filled with stories and laughter. We stayed one night in Nashville, TN and when we reached FancyGap, VA we followed the Blue Ridge Mountain parkway to see the mountains and take pictures, since it would be the last time to do so. The mountain view was gorgeous and had hue of blue (hence the name).The first day in Richmond we all decided to not drive anywhere too far. So we slept in and then I took my family to Short Pump town center. My grandma was tickled at the sight of the train that carries the little kids around for a ride. She also enjoyed the outdoor aspect of the mall. We ate one of my favorite restaurants The Cheese Cake Factory and of course had a piece of cheese cake.
The next day we travelled to Charlottesville, VA to see Monticello, the house of Thomas and Martha Jefferson. We learned that Jefferson built his house by introducing many French styles like the alcove bed, which I really liked. Jefferson also had a vegetable garden with all types of veggies and fruits that the crew of Monticello continue to tend today. He also had an orchard and grew grapes. From those grapes he made wine. His servants also made beer. Apparently, Jefferson was against the idea of slaves, but only released five in his will. However, it was the times he grew up in and the society in which he lived in so it was hard free all them. We all saw Jefferson's grave. They told us that people are still buried at the Monticello burial site. Last year they buried five of Jefferson's descendants and this year they have buried one.
The last full day my family was here we enjoyed a time of shopping and touring the Richmond area, including going to Ten Thousand Villages and For The Love of Chocolate on Carry street. My grandma bought me a chocolate bar entitled: Emerengency Chocolate-For immediate relief of Chocolate cravings, love sickness, exam pressure, mild anxiety and extreme hunger. Directions for use: Tear open wrapper, break off desired dosage, and consume.
It will definitely be used as exams and ordination exams take place. Until then I'm saving it.
Well I'm now signing off to continue to get ready for the start of classes on Monday.
I leave you with over 30,000 miles of different life experiences.
Blessings~ Jen
Monday, August 17, 2009
"Leaving Well"
Sermon August 16th, 2009
Acts 20:17-24, 32-35
Paul has come to the end of his missionary journey in Asia. He has gathered up the elders of Ephesus to say good-bye. But he does more than just say good-bye. Paul leaves them in a manner that benefits both Paul and the elders. To use a coined phrase, Paul “leaves well.” He does not leave saying he was sorry he ever step foot in Asia. Paul does not leave mad, angry, or upset, but rather he leaves, having given himself and the group with whom he has lived and worked, closure.
Paul makes a lengthy farewell speech which can be divided into what I believe is three sections.
Scholar Robert Wall calls the first part of Paul’s farewell speech the apologia. An apologia is not an apology to say I’m sorry, rather it is a justification of a belief or mission that has taken place. Paul knows what his missionary experience in Asia was an event ordained by God, not just a mere coincidence. Paul was called by the Holy Spirit to minister to the people in Asia and to testify to the good news of God. When we hear the first part of his speech, Paul is leaving his legacy with the elders about the work he has done Asia. Paul recounts that he has lived in Asia as a witness to God, “serving the Lord with all humility and with tears, enduring the trails that came to him through the plots of the Jews.” He reminds the elders how did not back down from doing anything helpful, proclaiming God’s message to Asia and teaching the people in public areas and in their own homes. Paul’s work in Asia has been to testify to both the Jews and the Greeks about repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord. Paul is leaving a good legacy and one in which he urges the elders to carry on in the latter half of his farewell speech.
The switch to second part of Paul’s speech occurs as he is prophesying about his departure. Paul says: “And now, as a captive to the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.”
Paul knows that rough times and persecution are ahead of him, but he also knows that he must “finish his course and the ministry that he received from the Lord Jesus, which is to testify to the good news of God’s grace.”
There is something intriguing to me about this part of Paul’s address to the elders. The verse that captures my attention is Paul’s description of being captive to the Spirit. Being captive is a word that implies being held against one’s will like a prisoner or being restrained by circumstances that prevent free choice. In our vocabulary it has a negative connotation because we often link it with being held captive in war.
But for Paul being captive to the Spirit is a positive duty. Sure it may come with risks and challenges and disappointments, but it is a privilege to be captive by the Holy Spirit and Paul goes where God leads him. Paul does not run in the other direction like Jonah, rather he goes to Miletus and then follows the Spirit to Jerusalem. Paul has also been to Athens, Corinth, Antioch, Macedonia, Greece, and Ephesus. Paul does not set an agenda for himself and strictly follow it; in fact he does not set a personal agenda for himself at all. Rather Paul follows only one agenda that of God’s will. Paul may not always know what God’s agenda holds for him, but he is committed to being God’s disciple.
The third part of Paul’s speech comes toward the end and it takes the form of a charge and
benediction. Paul says: “I commend you to God and to the message of his grace, a message that is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all who are sanctified…In all this I have given you an example that by such work we must support the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, for he himself said, ‘it is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Paul is making the last of his speech at this point and his charge and benediction mark the finality of his departure along with the actions prayer and of the elders kissing him and walking with him to the boat.
Paul had a keen awareness about what it meant to be a disciple of God. He also knew how to provide closure for a group of elders whom he has been working and living with for some time. Paul knew how to say goodbye and he did quite well. He spoke about the work that had been accomplishment through God, he told them of his call to move forward and to follow not his own agenda but God’s agenda, and he affirmed the elders saying: “continue to be God’s people, caring for them, supporting them, and spreading the good news of God in my absence.”
Covenant Presbyterian Church, the time has come for me to say my goodbyes. Just like Paul, I to feel that are joining together this summer was not mere coincidence, but rather ordained by God. It has been a wonderful journey these past ten weeks. We have worked together in all ways. We have taught each other and learned from each other. I’m especially thankful that this church gave me the opportunity to learn and grow in my ministry, giving me the feedback, care, and support I needed to become a better pastor. Preaching and being involved in other areas of worship afford me the opportunity to experiment a little with the order of worship. I was able to enhance my gifts for preaching and voice projection when the sound system went out. Teaching The Greener Side of Faith and one of the series in You on a Journey gave me insight into finding your passions and thinking about how best to discuss them. Your overall warmth, support, encouragement and trust were and are deeply appreciated. Whether you realize it or not you have made a mark on the future of the church by being open to God’s guidance and will, and affording me the chance to further my calling. What great things God has done in our midst!
Using the same words that Paul said to the elders of Ephesus, I say to you: “And now, as a captive to the Spirit, I am on my way to Union Presbyterian Seminary, not knowing what will happen to me there.” I know I must return to Union and finish my education and to continue to discern my calling not knowing where or how God will us me. I must remain open to God’s agenda and not my own. I must “finish my course work and continue the calling that I received from God.” I will carry with the things I learned from Covenant and I will do my best.
As I leave this place to continue in my learning process, I want to challenge you all to continue being a church, made up of people both young and old. I encourage you to continue building up your community and I pray that you always follow God’s will not your own personal agendas. Continue to be a people of God who spread the good news of the Gospel. Be a people of God who will relay on God and who will be open to changes according to God’s will because God is making all things new.
Let us as a community of faith keep each other in our prayers, pass the peace of Christ to each other and walk each other toward the our departure points.
Remember these words from Dr. Seuss: “Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.”
Goodbye, farewell. Amen.
Acts 20:17-24, 32-35
Paul has come to the end of his missionary journey in Asia. He has gathered up the elders of Ephesus to say good-bye. But he does more than just say good-bye. Paul leaves them in a manner that benefits both Paul and the elders. To use a coined phrase, Paul “leaves well.” He does not leave saying he was sorry he ever step foot in Asia. Paul does not leave mad, angry, or upset, but rather he leaves, having given himself and the group with whom he has lived and worked, closure.
Paul makes a lengthy farewell speech which can be divided into what I believe is three sections.
Scholar Robert Wall calls the first part of Paul’s farewell speech the apologia. An apologia is not an apology to say I’m sorry, rather it is a justification of a belief or mission that has taken place. Paul knows what his missionary experience in Asia was an event ordained by God, not just a mere coincidence. Paul was called by the Holy Spirit to minister to the people in Asia and to testify to the good news of God. When we hear the first part of his speech, Paul is leaving his legacy with the elders about the work he has done Asia. Paul recounts that he has lived in Asia as a witness to God, “serving the Lord with all humility and with tears, enduring the trails that came to him through the plots of the Jews.” He reminds the elders how did not back down from doing anything helpful, proclaiming God’s message to Asia and teaching the people in public areas and in their own homes. Paul’s work in Asia has been to testify to both the Jews and the Greeks about repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord. Paul is leaving a good legacy and one in which he urges the elders to carry on in the latter half of his farewell speech.
The switch to second part of Paul’s speech occurs as he is prophesying about his departure. Paul says: “And now, as a captive to the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.”
Paul knows that rough times and persecution are ahead of him, but he also knows that he must “finish his course and the ministry that he received from the Lord Jesus, which is to testify to the good news of God’s grace.”
There is something intriguing to me about this part of Paul’s address to the elders. The verse that captures my attention is Paul’s description of being captive to the Spirit. Being captive is a word that implies being held against one’s will like a prisoner or being restrained by circumstances that prevent free choice. In our vocabulary it has a negative connotation because we often link it with being held captive in war.
But for Paul being captive to the Spirit is a positive duty. Sure it may come with risks and challenges and disappointments, but it is a privilege to be captive by the Holy Spirit and Paul goes where God leads him. Paul does not run in the other direction like Jonah, rather he goes to Miletus and then follows the Spirit to Jerusalem. Paul has also been to Athens, Corinth, Antioch, Macedonia, Greece, and Ephesus. Paul does not set an agenda for himself and strictly follow it; in fact he does not set a personal agenda for himself at all. Rather Paul follows only one agenda that of God’s will. Paul may not always know what God’s agenda holds for him, but he is committed to being God’s disciple.
The third part of Paul’s speech comes toward the end and it takes the form of a charge and
benediction. Paul says: “I commend you to God and to the message of his grace, a message that is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all who are sanctified…In all this I have given you an example that by such work we must support the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, for he himself said, ‘it is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Paul is making the last of his speech at this point and his charge and benediction mark the finality of his departure along with the actions prayer and of the elders kissing him and walking with him to the boat.
Paul had a keen awareness about what it meant to be a disciple of God. He also knew how to provide closure for a group of elders whom he has been working and living with for some time. Paul knew how to say goodbye and he did quite well. He spoke about the work that had been accomplishment through God, he told them of his call to move forward and to follow not his own agenda but God’s agenda, and he affirmed the elders saying: “continue to be God’s people, caring for them, supporting them, and spreading the good news of God in my absence.”
Covenant Presbyterian Church, the time has come for me to say my goodbyes. Just like Paul, I to feel that are joining together this summer was not mere coincidence, but rather ordained by God. It has been a wonderful journey these past ten weeks. We have worked together in all ways. We have taught each other and learned from each other. I’m especially thankful that this church gave me the opportunity to learn and grow in my ministry, giving me the feedback, care, and support I needed to become a better pastor. Preaching and being involved in other areas of worship afford me the opportunity to experiment a little with the order of worship. I was able to enhance my gifts for preaching and voice projection when the sound system went out. Teaching The Greener Side of Faith and one of the series in You on a Journey gave me insight into finding your passions and thinking about how best to discuss them. Your overall warmth, support, encouragement and trust were and are deeply appreciated. Whether you realize it or not you have made a mark on the future of the church by being open to God’s guidance and will, and affording me the chance to further my calling. What great things God has done in our midst!
Using the same words that Paul said to the elders of Ephesus, I say to you: “And now, as a captive to the Spirit, I am on my way to Union Presbyterian Seminary, not knowing what will happen to me there.” I know I must return to Union and finish my education and to continue to discern my calling not knowing where or how God will us me. I must remain open to God’s agenda and not my own. I must “finish my course work and continue the calling that I received from God.” I will carry with the things I learned from Covenant and I will do my best.
As I leave this place to continue in my learning process, I want to challenge you all to continue being a church, made up of people both young and old. I encourage you to continue building up your community and I pray that you always follow God’s will not your own personal agendas. Continue to be a people of God who spread the good news of the Gospel. Be a people of God who will relay on God and who will be open to changes according to God’s will because God is making all things new.
Let us as a community of faith keep each other in our prayers, pass the peace of Christ to each other and walk each other toward the our departure points.
Remember these words from Dr. Seuss: “Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.”
Goodbye, farewell. Amen.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Impossible Mission?
Sermon July 26, 2009
Text: John 6:1-21
What do Green eggs and Ham, Sleeping beauty, and The Three Little Pigs all have in common? They are all stories that have been around for ages. You, your children, your children’s children and maybe even your children’s children’s children will encounter these stories. No matter how many times these stories are told they never seem to become old. My mom has a stack of books from my childhood, including some of those I listed a few moments ago, that she is keeping to read to her grandchildren (when the time comes). There is something about the way they were written that grabs people’s attention and keeps them yearning to hear the story again or to retell the story to their children. Maybe the story is funny and makes you laugh each time. Maybe the story carries a good message that parents want to pass along. Or maybe the story helps parents and children get into touch with their imagination and creativity. Whatever the reason these books have become classics and I image they will be around for years to come.
Other stories that are told and retold are the two miracle stories in the Gospel of John: the feeding of the five thousand and Jesus walking on water. These are stories I’m sure most of us have heard many times before, either in Sunday school, in sermons, or in youth groups. Many of us have grown up with these two stories. Early Christians even told these two stories orally for many years. All four Gospel have an account of these two stories. Matthew and Mark even tell the feeding of the five thousand stories twice within a few chapters of each other. The stories change from feeding five thousand to feeding four thousand, but they have the same outcomes.
These stories are just as popular if not more popular than the current children’s books. These stories have existed for at least two thousand years. One scholar feels that the popularity of the stories of the feeding of the five thousand is that contains images and reminders of the Lord’s Supper. Jesus blesses, breaks and gives bread to the crowd. It is a story that has multiple meanings and messages. There is the message of eating together in fellowship, Jesus’ self-revelation to the crowd and to the disciples, and in John there is a message that God uses all people including a small boy in God’s ministry. One other message that was speaking to me this week was how Jesus can do what seems to us as an impossible mission.
Place yourselves in the disciple’s shoes for a moment and experience what they are experiencing. The disciples have been walking with Jesus from place to place; they have been followed by crowds of people wanting to be healed and to hear Jesus teach. The disciples are tired, want rest, they lack energy and passion to keep going, but their leader continues to place the needs of others above himself. Stunned by the size of the crowd, the disciples are uncertain and worried as how they might go about sustaining the crowd’s needs during the Passover Festival. Philip is asked by Jesus, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” Philip answers Jesus out of distress saying, “Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” Another one of Jesus disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, says to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” The disciples respond to Jesus out of facts and figures and fail to image the possibilities that can take place with God. They only see an impossible task set before them, feeding five thousand people with only five loaves and two fish.
Now this whole time Jesus knows what he is going to do, but he questions his disciples in order to stretch their faith. When Jesus sees their lack of belief in God’s power and their great anxiety and distress to make the impossible possible, he lights a fire under them and reveals to them who he is and the true power of what God can do. Jesus takes those five loaves of bread, blesses, breaks, and gives them to the five thousand individuals sitting on the ground. He also does the same with the two fish. After everyone in the crowd has eaten as much as they wanted until they were satisfied Jesus tells his disciples to collect everything that is leftover. What they collect equals twelve baskets full of bread and fish. Image five loaves of bread and two fish used to feed a family of five thousand and there was enough left over to fill twelve baskets. An amazing site indeed!
While many of us today are not generally faced with five thousand people to feed we are faced with our struggles, worries, and distress. Many people in God’s church are faced with what seems to be the impossible mission of gaining new and younger members, of growing and sustaining a lively ministry. Everything we try seems to fall just short of our goals. We try different programs hoping to bring in new members, we have special offerings to raise money to sustain the church and we try to faithfully bring our friends and neighbors to church hoping they will feel the Holy Spirit working within them and decide to join. We often grow tired of trying; we lose passion and fire to continue in God’s ministry. We run out of ideas that are new and different, we lose our vision for the future, and lose our focus on the power of God. We often become like Philip and Andrew and start thinking about facts and figures and how little money and energy we have as a church and how it won’t be enough to sustain God’s ministry. We become distress and anxious. Maybe we believe as though we are failing in our tasks to be Disciples of Christ who were given the great commission to “go out baptizing nations in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything the Lord has commanded?”
Where is our miracle that will renew our passion and vision and take away our distress? Where are the twelve leftover baskets that we can use to sustain our ministry?
I don’t have the answers to these questions and I don’t expect you do either. These questions and worries about the future ministry of the church are valid. However, I wonder if God is trying to stretch our faith a little, to get us out of our comfort zones, or to have a little more faith in God who can make an impossible mission possible. Just as Jesus initiated the miracle of feeding five thousand, maybe we need to initiate a new beginning with God’s help. As society changes around us, a new vision, new missions, and a different type of ministry is needed. A ministry where we think about God’s call for us to join with our partners in faith, one in which we see Christ outside the walls of this church building, one in which we rely on God to supply everything we need, knowing we will have more than enough to sustain us.
I recognize this leap of faith is never easy to do. Stepping out in faith into unfamiliar terrain is terrifying. We wonder how people will react, we wonder if it will be a positive outcome or will it end in disaster? It can be as terrifying as seeing a man walking on the rough waters of the seas, just as the disciple witnessed Jesus doing.
But Jesus says to his disciples and to us, “I am. It’s all alright. Do not be afraid.” God announces his name among us, tells us everything is alright, tell us not to be afraid and tells us that God is with us on this journey.
The work of ministry is hard. It requires that we drop our nets and follow Jesus taking nothing with us on the journey. It requires our walking shoes and our willingness to leave behind places of comfort. But, if we rely on God, if we are patient and seek God’s guidance, God will help us accomplish the impossible, because nothing is impossible for God. Ephesians 3: 20 reminds us that it is because of God’s power at work within us that we are able to accomplish abundantly far more than we can ever ask or imagine. For this we should give thanks and praise to God now and forever. Amen.
Text: John 6:1-21
What do Green eggs and Ham, Sleeping beauty, and The Three Little Pigs all have in common? They are all stories that have been around for ages. You, your children, your children’s children and maybe even your children’s children’s children will encounter these stories. No matter how many times these stories are told they never seem to become old. My mom has a stack of books from my childhood, including some of those I listed a few moments ago, that she is keeping to read to her grandchildren (when the time comes). There is something about the way they were written that grabs people’s attention and keeps them yearning to hear the story again or to retell the story to their children. Maybe the story is funny and makes you laugh each time. Maybe the story carries a good message that parents want to pass along. Or maybe the story helps parents and children get into touch with their imagination and creativity. Whatever the reason these books have become classics and I image they will be around for years to come.
Other stories that are told and retold are the two miracle stories in the Gospel of John: the feeding of the five thousand and Jesus walking on water. These are stories I’m sure most of us have heard many times before, either in Sunday school, in sermons, or in youth groups. Many of us have grown up with these two stories. Early Christians even told these two stories orally for many years. All four Gospel have an account of these two stories. Matthew and Mark even tell the feeding of the five thousand stories twice within a few chapters of each other. The stories change from feeding five thousand to feeding four thousand, but they have the same outcomes.
These stories are just as popular if not more popular than the current children’s books. These stories have existed for at least two thousand years. One scholar feels that the popularity of the stories of the feeding of the five thousand is that contains images and reminders of the Lord’s Supper. Jesus blesses, breaks and gives bread to the crowd. It is a story that has multiple meanings and messages. There is the message of eating together in fellowship, Jesus’ self-revelation to the crowd and to the disciples, and in John there is a message that God uses all people including a small boy in God’s ministry. One other message that was speaking to me this week was how Jesus can do what seems to us as an impossible mission.
Place yourselves in the disciple’s shoes for a moment and experience what they are experiencing. The disciples have been walking with Jesus from place to place; they have been followed by crowds of people wanting to be healed and to hear Jesus teach. The disciples are tired, want rest, they lack energy and passion to keep going, but their leader continues to place the needs of others above himself. Stunned by the size of the crowd, the disciples are uncertain and worried as how they might go about sustaining the crowd’s needs during the Passover Festival. Philip is asked by Jesus, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” Philip answers Jesus out of distress saying, “Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” Another one of Jesus disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, says to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” The disciples respond to Jesus out of facts and figures and fail to image the possibilities that can take place with God. They only see an impossible task set before them, feeding five thousand people with only five loaves and two fish.
Now this whole time Jesus knows what he is going to do, but he questions his disciples in order to stretch their faith. When Jesus sees their lack of belief in God’s power and their great anxiety and distress to make the impossible possible, he lights a fire under them and reveals to them who he is and the true power of what God can do. Jesus takes those five loaves of bread, blesses, breaks, and gives them to the five thousand individuals sitting on the ground. He also does the same with the two fish. After everyone in the crowd has eaten as much as they wanted until they were satisfied Jesus tells his disciples to collect everything that is leftover. What they collect equals twelve baskets full of bread and fish. Image five loaves of bread and two fish used to feed a family of five thousand and there was enough left over to fill twelve baskets. An amazing site indeed!
While many of us today are not generally faced with five thousand people to feed we are faced with our struggles, worries, and distress. Many people in God’s church are faced with what seems to be the impossible mission of gaining new and younger members, of growing and sustaining a lively ministry. Everything we try seems to fall just short of our goals. We try different programs hoping to bring in new members, we have special offerings to raise money to sustain the church and we try to faithfully bring our friends and neighbors to church hoping they will feel the Holy Spirit working within them and decide to join. We often grow tired of trying; we lose passion and fire to continue in God’s ministry. We run out of ideas that are new and different, we lose our vision for the future, and lose our focus on the power of God. We often become like Philip and Andrew and start thinking about facts and figures and how little money and energy we have as a church and how it won’t be enough to sustain God’s ministry. We become distress and anxious. Maybe we believe as though we are failing in our tasks to be Disciples of Christ who were given the great commission to “go out baptizing nations in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything the Lord has commanded?”
Where is our miracle that will renew our passion and vision and take away our distress? Where are the twelve leftover baskets that we can use to sustain our ministry?
I don’t have the answers to these questions and I don’t expect you do either. These questions and worries about the future ministry of the church are valid. However, I wonder if God is trying to stretch our faith a little, to get us out of our comfort zones, or to have a little more faith in God who can make an impossible mission possible. Just as Jesus initiated the miracle of feeding five thousand, maybe we need to initiate a new beginning with God’s help. As society changes around us, a new vision, new missions, and a different type of ministry is needed. A ministry where we think about God’s call for us to join with our partners in faith, one in which we see Christ outside the walls of this church building, one in which we rely on God to supply everything we need, knowing we will have more than enough to sustain us.
I recognize this leap of faith is never easy to do. Stepping out in faith into unfamiliar terrain is terrifying. We wonder how people will react, we wonder if it will be a positive outcome or will it end in disaster? It can be as terrifying as seeing a man walking on the rough waters of the seas, just as the disciple witnessed Jesus doing.
But Jesus says to his disciples and to us, “I am. It’s all alright. Do not be afraid.” God announces his name among us, tells us everything is alright, tell us not to be afraid and tells us that God is with us on this journey.
The work of ministry is hard. It requires that we drop our nets and follow Jesus taking nothing with us on the journey. It requires our walking shoes and our willingness to leave behind places of comfort. But, if we rely on God, if we are patient and seek God’s guidance, God will help us accomplish the impossible, because nothing is impossible for God. Ephesians 3: 20 reminds us that it is because of God’s power at work within us that we are able to accomplish abundantly far more than we can ever ask or imagine. For this we should give thanks and praise to God now and forever. Amen.
Rock Star Jesus
Sermon July 19, 2009
Text: Mark 6:30-34, 53-56
I’m willing to bet that if I were to say one phrase or show one famous move you could tell me who I am imitating. Let try this out: White gloves. Anybody? Michael Jackson made famous moves such as the moon walk and the music video thriller. Even at Presbyterian Church camps/retreats/conferences we incorporated Jackson’s moves into energizers. For those of you who may not know what energizers are allow me to explain. Energizers are random assortments of dance moves that are connected to different songs. Each song has different movements. They are fun, silly, and sometime exhausting workouts that loosen people up and get people moving and interacting. One of the energizers happens to have Michael Jackson’s thriller move. As you can see Jackson’s music has been a source of inspiration for people around the world since he started with the Jackson 5. Jackson brought a unique blend of beats, rhythm, and lyrics to create his own genre of music. The media has crowned Jackson as the King of Pop. Now if you have seen the news lately you will have undauntedly heard that the King of Pop is dead. It has been hard to miss this announcement, it has plagued the headlines of every news channel, People magazine, special news programs such as dateline and much more. Millions of people mourned the loss of Michael Jackson. Tears were shed by people whose only real connection to him was his music. Millions of people appeared at Never Land Ranch to pay their respect to the King of Pop. Michael Jackson became a famous idol in the people’s eyes.
There is, however, another king among us who is known to us as the King of Kings. Jesus Christ is the King of Kings. In Mark’s Gospel Jesus and his disciples are famous. The disciples have just returned to Jesus after having been sent as apostles to teach and heal. Jesus says to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” Jesus knew the importance of Sabbath rest for his apostles and for himself. They start heading out in a boat to this deserted place for rest and nourishment, but they were not able to capture the Sabbath they so desperately needed. Instead, the people on the land recognized Jesus and his apostles and saw them traveling. The crowds went ahead of them and were waiting for them at the once deserted place. When the apostles and Jesus arrived they were immediately bombarded with people for who were thirsty and hungry for God’s word and wanted to be healed. Despite their need for rest, Christ has compassion for the crowd because they are like sheep without a shepherd. He puts the crowd’s needs ahead of his own desires for rest and nourishments.
Yet again just a few verses later the King of Kings and his apostles were met with crowds of people as they crossed over to the land of Gennesaret. The crowds were awaiting the teachings or healings the Lord could provide. People were bringing their sick on mats and laying their sick on the ground in marketplaces. In every village, city, or farm Jesus traveled to he was recognized by the people. Mark even tells us how the people begged Jesus to let them touch just the fringe of his cloak because if they could just touch the fringe of his cloak they would be healed.
Many people reacted to Michael Jackson in just the same way. They desire to touch his clothing, to hear him sing, to watch his famous moves. They mourn his death, shed tears and say that they love and will miss Jackson, the King of Pop.
The reaction to Jackson’s music and his sudden death tells us how captivated crowds become with entertainment. People often make idols out of figures like Michael Jackson. People often become disciples of their idols, worshiping and following them like gods. Sometimes, people even make a living of out impersonating performers such as Jackson.
I do recognize that music is a method for many people to escape the mundane world. The words
in songs have a way of expressing people’s feelings and at times expressing empathy. We all latch onto certain songs that empathize with our current life situation. I use music to settle my nerves before I preach or teach or go before presbytery. Music allows me to enter into a different world. It allows me the opportunity to be moved and feel something radically different. Sometimes the words to songs move me to tears, other times the beat of the music makes me dance. The lyrics in music are a powerful tool to deliver a message and the performers who write the lyrics become looked upon as gods.
The crowds that gathered before Jesus also become enthralled by the rhythm of Christ words. The words Christ spoke made them feel something radically different. The parables, the healings, the feeding of five thousand people were all radically new avenues that moved people to tears, and made them dance. Christ was compassionate towards them, he empathized with the crowds and thus the crowds became captivated with Jesus’ acts of preaching and healing. Jesus was looked upon as a type of rock star in the eyes of the crowds.
The crowds followed Jesus, went ahead of Jesus, recognized Jesus wherever he went, desired to touch just the fringe of his clothes, hoped to hear the rhythm of his words and receive a healing touch.
But just a few chapters later in Mark, when Jesus is arrested and crucified, the crowds disperse and possibly some of the same people in the crowd of followers were now shouting “Crucify him!”
Jesus even foretold of Peter’s denial and how the disciples will disappear when Christ is arrested. There are few people mentioned in the Bible that are tearful about Jesus’ death. Why did the followers of Christ who looked up to him as though he was a famous Rock Star all of sudden stop following him? Why did his own disciples deny who Jesus was? Why is our society more adept at following famous performers, and neglect God’s call to follow Christ as loyal disciples?
I think that the crowds that followed Jesus were missing out on the deeper meaning of who Christ is and I think we do as well. The crowds were seeing only one element of the Lord, the Rock Star side. Some of them may be followers of Jesus because they felt Jesus put on a good show of miracles and stories. They wanted entertainment and they received what they were looking for, but they misunderstood what Jesus was all about.
Christ is more than a mere entertainer who performs healings, miracles and tells parables. Jesus Christ is the true shepherd, the promised Shepherd of the Hebrew Scriptures. What the crowds and the apostles misinterpret about Christ and what we often forget is that Christ offers us the deepest level of love that we could ever possess. Only God is able to give us ultimate protection. Only God is able to give us lasting peace. Only God is able to heal us in body, mind, and soul. God is the only one willing to go after the one lost sheep and bring it home. Only God can give us unending love and nourishment. It is because of our Lord and Savior that we have binding covenants that can never be broken.
As we leave this sanctuary, let us not be the crowds that scatter as if we have no true shepherd. Let us not be the Disciples of Christ who deny the existents of our Lord. Let us not be the ones who seek only entrainment and misunderstand the deeper meaning of who Jesus is. Rather, let us be loyal Disciples of Christ, going out into the world proclaiming God’s love and faithfulness that will never end. Let us be a faithful witness to the one true King of Kings.
To God be all glory and honor forever. Amen!
Text: Mark 6:30-34, 53-56
I’m willing to bet that if I were to say one phrase or show one famous move you could tell me who I am imitating. Let try this out: White gloves. Anybody? Michael Jackson made famous moves such as the moon walk and the music video thriller. Even at Presbyterian Church camps/retreats/conferences we incorporated Jackson’s moves into energizers. For those of you who may not know what energizers are allow me to explain. Energizers are random assortments of dance moves that are connected to different songs. Each song has different movements. They are fun, silly, and sometime exhausting workouts that loosen people up and get people moving and interacting. One of the energizers happens to have Michael Jackson’s thriller move. As you can see Jackson’s music has been a source of inspiration for people around the world since he started with the Jackson 5. Jackson brought a unique blend of beats, rhythm, and lyrics to create his own genre of music. The media has crowned Jackson as the King of Pop. Now if you have seen the news lately you will have undauntedly heard that the King of Pop is dead. It has been hard to miss this announcement, it has plagued the headlines of every news channel, People magazine, special news programs such as dateline and much more. Millions of people mourned the loss of Michael Jackson. Tears were shed by people whose only real connection to him was his music. Millions of people appeared at Never Land Ranch to pay their respect to the King of Pop. Michael Jackson became a famous idol in the people’s eyes.
There is, however, another king among us who is known to us as the King of Kings. Jesus Christ is the King of Kings. In Mark’s Gospel Jesus and his disciples are famous. The disciples have just returned to Jesus after having been sent as apostles to teach and heal. Jesus says to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” Jesus knew the importance of Sabbath rest for his apostles and for himself. They start heading out in a boat to this deserted place for rest and nourishment, but they were not able to capture the Sabbath they so desperately needed. Instead, the people on the land recognized Jesus and his apostles and saw them traveling. The crowds went ahead of them and were waiting for them at the once deserted place. When the apostles and Jesus arrived they were immediately bombarded with people for who were thirsty and hungry for God’s word and wanted to be healed. Despite their need for rest, Christ has compassion for the crowd because they are like sheep without a shepherd. He puts the crowd’s needs ahead of his own desires for rest and nourishments.
Yet again just a few verses later the King of Kings and his apostles were met with crowds of people as they crossed over to the land of Gennesaret. The crowds were awaiting the teachings or healings the Lord could provide. People were bringing their sick on mats and laying their sick on the ground in marketplaces. In every village, city, or farm Jesus traveled to he was recognized by the people. Mark even tells us how the people begged Jesus to let them touch just the fringe of his cloak because if they could just touch the fringe of his cloak they would be healed.
Many people reacted to Michael Jackson in just the same way. They desire to touch his clothing, to hear him sing, to watch his famous moves. They mourn his death, shed tears and say that they love and will miss Jackson, the King of Pop.
The reaction to Jackson’s music and his sudden death tells us how captivated crowds become with entertainment. People often make idols out of figures like Michael Jackson. People often become disciples of their idols, worshiping and following them like gods. Sometimes, people even make a living of out impersonating performers such as Jackson.
I do recognize that music is a method for many people to escape the mundane world. The words
in songs have a way of expressing people’s feelings and at times expressing empathy. We all latch onto certain songs that empathize with our current life situation. I use music to settle my nerves before I preach or teach or go before presbytery. Music allows me to enter into a different world. It allows me the opportunity to be moved and feel something radically different. Sometimes the words to songs move me to tears, other times the beat of the music makes me dance. The lyrics in music are a powerful tool to deliver a message and the performers who write the lyrics become looked upon as gods.
The crowds that gathered before Jesus also become enthralled by the rhythm of Christ words. The words Christ spoke made them feel something radically different. The parables, the healings, the feeding of five thousand people were all radically new avenues that moved people to tears, and made them dance. Christ was compassionate towards them, he empathized with the crowds and thus the crowds became captivated with Jesus’ acts of preaching and healing. Jesus was looked upon as a type of rock star in the eyes of the crowds.
The crowds followed Jesus, went ahead of Jesus, recognized Jesus wherever he went, desired to touch just the fringe of his clothes, hoped to hear the rhythm of his words and receive a healing touch.
But just a few chapters later in Mark, when Jesus is arrested and crucified, the crowds disperse and possibly some of the same people in the crowd of followers were now shouting “Crucify him!”
Jesus even foretold of Peter’s denial and how the disciples will disappear when Christ is arrested. There are few people mentioned in the Bible that are tearful about Jesus’ death. Why did the followers of Christ who looked up to him as though he was a famous Rock Star all of sudden stop following him? Why did his own disciples deny who Jesus was? Why is our society more adept at following famous performers, and neglect God’s call to follow Christ as loyal disciples?
I think that the crowds that followed Jesus were missing out on the deeper meaning of who Christ is and I think we do as well. The crowds were seeing only one element of the Lord, the Rock Star side. Some of them may be followers of Jesus because they felt Jesus put on a good show of miracles and stories. They wanted entertainment and they received what they were looking for, but they misunderstood what Jesus was all about.
Christ is more than a mere entertainer who performs healings, miracles and tells parables. Jesus Christ is the true shepherd, the promised Shepherd of the Hebrew Scriptures. What the crowds and the apostles misinterpret about Christ and what we often forget is that Christ offers us the deepest level of love that we could ever possess. Only God is able to give us ultimate protection. Only God is able to give us lasting peace. Only God is able to heal us in body, mind, and soul. God is the only one willing to go after the one lost sheep and bring it home. Only God can give us unending love and nourishment. It is because of our Lord and Savior that we have binding covenants that can never be broken.
As we leave this sanctuary, let us not be the crowds that scatter as if we have no true shepherd. Let us not be the Disciples of Christ who deny the existents of our Lord. Let us not be the ones who seek only entrainment and misunderstand the deeper meaning of who Jesus is. Rather, let us be loyal Disciples of Christ, going out into the world proclaiming God’s love and faithfulness that will never end. Let us be a faithful witness to the one true King of Kings.
To God be all glory and honor forever. Amen!
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