It's All About Love

This message was first delivered at Monroe United Methodist Church in Monroe, Virginia on May 6, 2018. It is based on the lectionary texts of John 15:9-17, Acts 10:44-48 and

1 John 5:1-6.

It's All About Love

“As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.

Several years ago – one of the first sermons I ever wrote, in fact – I penned a message based on the choir's anthem for that day: They'll Know We Are Christians By Our Love. It was the first sermon I wrote on Love and quite frankly, I've become addicted to the theme. I've spoken in a couple dozen different churches on the district and am probably close to my 50th message delivered. And 9 times out of 10, love comes onto the scene. I'm in pretty good company in that regard...

Jerome, in his commentary on Galatians, tells that St. John continued preaching in Ephesus even when he was in his 90s. Even when he was so enfeebled that he had to be carried in on a stretcher, he would lean up on one elbow and deliver his message, “Little children, love one another.” Then he would lie back down and be carried out. One day, the story goes, someone asked him why he said the same thing week after week. John replied, “Because it is enough.” It is Christianity in a nutshell. Love is the key. And it can't help weaving its way into my messages.

When I'm asked to speak at a church my first action after putting it on my calendar is to pull up the discipleship ministries' lectionary website to see what the scriptures are for that Sunday. I don't know if you are familiar with the lectionary – I really only became aware myself about 15 years ago when we had a pastor who came to Centenary who regularly preached from the lectionary and always printed next week's scriptures in each week's bulletin. A little background for those who may not even know what I'm talking about!

The revised common lectionary is a series of prescribed readings used by protestant churches in worship. It generally includes a passage from the Old Testament, a Psalm, the New Testament and a Gospel reading. It is on a three year rotation, we are in Year B right now. It is the connected worship of many denominations. A great many pastors look to those four weekly scriptures to determine their message topic for the week. Of course, there are also a great many who choose other topics to "preach on."

If you think about it though...if even 1% of the Christian congregations in the world preach on the same set of scriptures...that is 37,000 congregations all focusing on a particular aspect of our relationship with God and with each other. That can be very powerful, especially if we are intentional in the way we communicate with God - and with each other.

So I get into the Word and start looking at the scriptures for that week and thinking about the hymns and seeking God's direction. I read them in different translations and compare thoughts from commentaries written by wise and studied theologians and from time to time I even break out my copy of John Wesley's 44 Sermons. And I sometimes get myself so confused and overwhelmed I wonder when it will all come into focus.

And that particular sermon that I was working on was for the hardest audience – I was preaching at my home church, Centenary! So I was in full-on preparation mode that week when I walked into choir practice that Thursday night. And we started working on the anthem for Sunday, an arrangement of They'll Know We Are Christians. And suddenly, it all came into focus. And I knew what my message was going to be on. That Sunday morning I went into the choir room to pray with them before taking my place behind the pulpit and I do NOT know what got into me. But I basically told them that I had written my sermon around the anthem and threw down the gauntlet. They were going to need to put every bit of power behind it that could muster. I told them to bring it. And they did NOT disappoint.

From the beginning of the first stanza, “We are ONE in the Spirit, We are One in the Lord...” to a resounding “YES, they'll know we are Christians by our Love!” with the sopranos reaching straight for heaven. And I had tears in my eyes as I looked at these beautiful Christians showing me their love with their voices in worship. And they sat down and dared me bring it.

Today's passage from John is Jesus talking with his disciples. I know this will seem strange since Easter was weeks ago – but this is actually from the period of time just after the Last Supper. I can imagine the mindset of Jesus during this time AND the time between the resurrection and the ascension: almost like a coach right before the big game starts. He's trying to get these last critical thoughts into the thick-headed disciples. And he is a lot more gentle than I would be! I'd have been yelling in my stage manager's voice, “Boneheads! My time here is nearly over and you still don't get it, do you? I've got to simplify this one more time. Just stick to the basics – how about you do one thing? Love each other. Do you think you can do the one thing?”

Because what I'm asking you to do is IMPORTANT! Pay attention kids. Just as the Father loved me. I've loved you. Now do that.

Because, like the anthem says. They'll Know.

First of all, they are going to know we are Christians by the love we show to THEM. Who them? Who are THEY? Who is my neighbor?

With the recent tornado, I've heard a lot (and read a lot on Facebook) about neighbors taking care of each other. People collecting clothes, food and money. People clearing debris and gathering the few possessions that some folks were left with after their homes were damaged or destroyed entirely. Watching out for each other. Providing shelter and a shoulder to lean on. These neighbors are important. But we know from scripture that our neighbor is more than the guy who lives next door with the chainsaw. The whole world is our neighborhood.

So, suddenly – They and them are more clearly defined. They are the people on the outside who are just waiting to be invited in. I know that the last time I was here at Monroe UMC that I shared a story from Tattoos on the Heart by Gregory Boyle, a Jesuit who began Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles. The book is a collection of stories from the gang-intervention program that was started in the poorest parish in LA, center of the gang capital of the world. You don't get much more “they” than that.

In this book, Pastor G (as the homies call him) tells about the instance in scripture where Jesus is in a house so packed that no one can come through the door anymore. So the people open the roof and lower this paralytic down through it so Jesus can heal him. Although the focus of the story is, understandably, the healing of the paralytic...there is something more significant happening. They're ripping the roof off the place, and those outside are being let in.

We need to rip some roofs off. We need to go outside and see the people who are hurting and need Jesus. We need to find every way possible to get them connected to the one who loves them – and let them know that he does.

I know that Monroe UMC has a rich history of reaching out. In fact when I was texting with Pastor Dalton he told me that the slogan on your T-shirts is “Love one another.” That is a great message. Jesus would wear that shirt.

There are people who are hurting out there. People who need to see the love of God. We have neighbors who don't have enough to eat, who need a listening ear, who need a helping hand to get back on their feet, neighbors who face barriers that we can dismantle. They are counting on us.

We have the power to show them God's love. But we have to understand something very important. They will experience God's love through the love we show. And they will be able to tell if it is genuine. They will know if we are helping them out of a sense of obligation or if our helping them is just an extension of the joy we have in being loved so much by God.

But who do we offer this love to?

Today's lectionary scriptures also include scriptures from Acts 10:44-48 and

1 John 5:1-6 – both of which touch on the topic of WHO should be included.

In Acts, Peter is speaking and the Holy Spirit falls on all who were listening. And the circumcised are astounded that the Gentiles are included! They know it happened, because they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God – but what the heck? And Peter baptizes them! Peterson's The Message phrases Peter's response in verses 46-48 this way, “Then Peter said, “Do I hear any objections to baptizing these friends with water? They’ve received the Holy Spirit exactly as we did.” Hearing no objections, he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay on for a few days.”

And 1 John 5 – the final chapter of that book begins with the awesome statement that “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child.” Everyone who believes belongs. And they'll know by the love we show for them.

Is it offered to all? Is it offered without strings and conditions? Does God's love have conditions? He doesn't even demand we love him back! It is love freely and unconditionally offered – this is the love we are instructed to show to others. What they choose to do with the love is all up to them. What we choose to do with God's love is all up to us.

I feel Jesus' urgency in explaining this to his disciples. He says it's simple, keep my commands and dwell in my love. He goes on to tell them that his purpose for telling them this is so that they'll feel the same joy that he does! “that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.”

And Jesus hits it from one more angle, just in case they don't get it (which is normally the case with us humans). Verses 12-15 in The Message, “This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father.”

We are in on the secret – we know what the master is doing and why. So we aren't just blindly following orders...We Know! We are to love others the way that God loves us because it is the best way to love. Put our lives on the line for our friends. And before you get too comfortable with the concept that you only lay down your life for the people you call friends...as my youth class would say, “check yourself before you wreck yourself.” I don't think we get to limit it to only people we like. As my buddy Father Greg wrote, “Jesus says if you love those who love you, big whoo...” oh. man. He's right. How hard is it to love those who already love us? Sure, they'll irritate us and frustrate us – but loving people we already love isn't much of a challenge.

Maybe...just maybe, we're going to have to expand our circle of friends.

I am the middle child of five. Four girls, One boy – you can all pray for my brother...he deserves your pity and respect.

My sister Karen is one of those people who has never met a stranger. She can sit down at any table, on an airplane, in a church, standing in line for a roller-coaster and make friends. She just says that strangers are friends you haven't met yet. She'll ask questions, get people smiling and laughing – finding common ground with everyone. I'd like to be more like her – but I'm the person who has a random conversation starter app on my phone to help me strike up a chat with a stranger. Yes, seriously, there is an app for that. With questions like What is your favorite pizza topping? Or Where is the best place you've ever visited? Or What was your worst job ever?

Seeking common ground with and showing genuine interest in our fellow human beings is the answer to the question – what would Jesus do? Love God and love who God loves. Which is everyone – Jew and Gentile, slave and free, man and woman, no exceptions. No exclusions. No conditions.

If we are going to do what he told us – in the best way possible. Love one another as I loved you. Because they'll know. They are going to know we are Christians by our Love.

One more thought before I wrap up – an obstacle that I need to warn you about before you run into it yourself. Here is the wall that I slam into headlong on a regular basis. It can be hard to show the love of God to others if we haven't accepted it for ourselves. I'm going to own this statement for me – I have to believe God loves me in order to show that love to others.

You get me? I'm saying that I don't always feel worthy of God's love – so I reject it. I was brought up and taught to accept certain things such as God is love. I concede “God loves us,” and yet there is this lurking sense that perhaps I'm not fully part of the “us.” The arms of God reach to embrace, and somehow I feel just outside God's fingertips. Thinking that God embraces me begrudgingly and reluctantly... But that is false thinking. That is putting God's ability to love down with my defective human ability to love. As St. Paul wrote – when you completely know the one in who you move and live and have your being...then you see that it has been God's JOY to love you all along. God's joy to love me...not just put up with me. God LOVES loving you! It is his joy.

We'll know we are Christians by our love. Everyone needs to hear about this incredible. Unfathomable. Unconditional. Love. We need to hear this too. We need to come to the place of accepting this for ourselves. We need to know – we are wholly acceptable to God. And he loves us. Right here. Right now.

In Tattoos on the Heart, Pastor G relates a story about Willy. Willy has hit up G for a ride and 20 bucks. When Pastor G stops at the ATM to coax the 20 from his thin bank account Willy asks him for the keys so he can listen to the radio but G tells him to pray instead. When he returns to the car he finds Willy changed. Quiet and reflective and he knows that Willy has made a connection to God. Pastor G asks Willy how he sees God. Willy replies that “God is my dog.” (meaning his homie, good thing) Then he asks Willy how he thinks God sees him. After some thought Willy says, “He thinks I'm firme (spanish word).” In gang terms, it means “it could not be one bit better.”)

God thinks that we are all Firme. He loves us completely. When we recognize how much God loves us.

Right now.

Not when we do better.

Not when we get our checklist done: read bible daily, fast weekly, tithe, stop speeding, never lose our temper...

No, we are wholly acceptable. No conditions. Firme. Could not be one bit better.

When we dive into the depths of that unfathomable love, then we start to see the people around us differently. And this love thing starts to spread. And this just might catch on.

Doubt and Faith - Where the Rubber Meets the Road

This message was first delivered at Providence United Methodist and White's United Methodist in Rustburg, Virginia on April 8, 2018. It is based on the lectionary text of John 20:19-31.

Doubt and Faith

“When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

There is a lot going on in this passage of scripture prescribed by the lectionary for the first Sunday after Easter! It is a continuation of the resurrection story of last week – this astounding turn of events in the lives of the disciples, Jesus is alive? Have you heard that Mary SAW him and spoke with him? Jesus is alive? The followers of Jesus were reeling. It has been an incredible week from the high of the parade in Jerusalem with Jesus riding on the back of a donkey and the people raising their voices and waving palm branches to the unbelievable betrayal of Judas and that mockery of a trial? And when Pilate gave the people an opportunity to set Jesus free as his token of respect for the Passover...the people picked Barabbas, a known murderer? It was only a few days ago that the disciples had suffered through the horror of Friday...watching their teacher, leader and friend nailed to a cross and hung between two common criminals to die. The disciples saw the sky grow dark and when Jesus breathed his last – the curtain in the temple tore in two! Incredible stories of tombs opening up and the dead being raised and walking around the holy city. Yes...this has been an incredible week for the followers of Jesus. And just when they are beginning to wrap their heads around the death of Jesus...now Mary says that she has seen Jesus and he is alive. I think we all would be feeling some doubt. That evening – answers arrive.

Jesus drops by. And he drops by with style...he appears among them in a locked room. Shazam. These are folks on edge. They are behind locked doors for a very good reason – the Jewish leaders are to be feared. There is no reason to believe that the disciples aren't going to be next – clearly the establishment is planning to eradicate this rebellion. Suddenly, Jesus is THERE. And he shows them his hands and side – they don't even have to ask! And they are exuberant. I can only imagine. This is amazing. And I'm sure they were freaked out! The first thing Jesus says is “peace be with you.”

Peace? Impossible! But Jesus isn't calling for quiet – he's calming and reassuring the followers that this is real. They aren't hallucinating, he is really there with them. And John tells us that Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit on them. And he gave them an instruction - If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained. And before they get to ask him “what do you mean when you say that?” - in John's gospel, he is gone.

And later, Thomas shows up and is treated to the most incredible news. The rumors are true, Jesus is alive – he was here! Thomas wants proof. This is too much...it isn't possible according to all of the human laws of physics and logic. Thomas has seen miracles performed by Jesus that defy those scientific realities. He was there at the feeding of the 5000. He's been part of Jesus' posse for a couple years – astounding is kind of what Jesus did. But Thomas and the other followers have had their world shattered.

In the space of a week things have turned upside down. And now folks are trying to tell Thomas that it really is ok...Jesus is risen from the dead. Thomas can't shift gears that fast. I totally relate. Even when there is good news at the end of a tough situation it is difficult for me to shake off the dark stuff and embrace the light. Lost my key last week and even after it turned up, the evening felt broken. I understand that it is human nature and that I'm apparently responding to years of evolution of the human experience. This tendency to focus on the negative is part of what kept our ancestors alive. Watching out for predators and dangers was once key to survival. Somebody needs to inform my reptilian brain that I'm not likely to be attacked in the wilds of Madison Heights.

I relate to Thomas more than just his inability to rapidly embrace new information. I completely relate to the doubt. And Thomas and I aren't alone. Thomas may be the most famous doubter – but he's just an example of all our humanity. We doubt. We ask for proof. Sometimes we demand it. We feel entitled to uncover “the truth” - we want the whole story. Show me.

Thomas says, “Unless I see the nail holes in his hands, put my finger in the nail holes, and stick my hand in his side, I won’t believe it.” And a week passes by and the disciples are again together locked away behind closed doors. Jesus appears. And again he calmly reassures the group by saying, “Peace be with you.” Then he focuses on Thomas. “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.”

Thomas didn't even have to ask. Jesus knew. Look carefully at how Jesus treats Thomas. John does not report that Jesus was angry. He encourages Thomas to seek the assurance that he seeks. And the dam in Thomas bursts and he declares immediately, “My Lord and my God.” The doubt is washed away. Can you feel the relief of knowing that Thomas experienced?

Then Jesus simply says, “Have you come to believe because you've seen me? It would have been even better if you had believed without proof.” Eugene Peterson's The Message phrases that part of verse 29 as “Even better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing.” Nowhere does it say there is punishment for doubt – it says “even better” if you believe without demanding proof. Jesus understood Thomas and he understands us.

I think that I am fortunate to teach the youth Sunday School class at Centenary. They are an energetic bunch of middle and high schoolers who are in the first Sunday school class where the teacher says on a regular basis “I don't have all the answers.” (Truth be told, I don't even have all the questions!) Encouraging them to explore what their faith means to them as individuals is a tricky transition from the “reading bible stories and coloring pictures of Jesus” Christian education to “what does this mean for ME today?” One of those youth asked me one day if I ever had any doubts about whether all this is real or something somebody made up.

Ever? Oh yes honey...yes...and I'm not alone.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta, now Saint Teresa, was known for dedicating her life to the poor, sick and dying in India. When people are asked about modern day saints – she is the example that more people point to than any other 20th century figure. Even though she has been dead for a little over 20 years, most of us can picture her stooped figure. Her faith is so celebrated that the Catholic church canonized her in 2016 (that is, declared her a saint). So there were some that were stunned when a book of her letters was published in 2007. Because those letters revealed a side of Mother Teresa that only her closest confidants knew...she felt doubt.

A few excerpts from those letters reveal a heart that I understand. In September 1979 she wrote to a friend, “Jesus has a very special love for you. As for me, the silence and the emptiness is so great that I look and do not see, listen and do not hear.” Even soon after she began the Missionaries of Charity in 1950 she wrote “Please pray specially for me that I may not spoil His work and that Our Lord may show Himself — for there is such terrible darkness within me, as if everything was dead,” “It has been like this more or less from the time I started ‘the work.’” At times she even found it hard to pray. “I utter words of community prayers — and try my utmost to get out of every word the sweetness it has to give — but my prayer of union is not there any longer — I no longer pray.”

There were some who found these dark letters disturbing and wished the publishers had not included them in the collection. I'm glad they are there.

They give ME immeasurable comfort. Finally a saint I can relate to! Because I relate to Thomas and Teresa – I have times of doubt. Because this isn't logical! I have one friend that I see when I visit the Outer Banks who is agnostic. We've spent SO many hours debating the existence of God that I have lost track. He has said many times, “you are one of the most intelligent people I know. How can you believe in something so unbelievable?” We've gone through the whole Bible as literary device supported by other writings of the early church and Eusebius and Pliny the Elder and Josephus... but it always comes back to the question of belief in absence of proof. “Why wouldn't a God make it more clear that he exists...write it in the sky?”

Well, Thomas...because that is the easy way. As Jesus said to him, “how much better it would be if you believed without seeing.” Jesus knew the early church was going to have to dig down and rely on their faith during the coming times – it was going to be tested and he needed it to be stronger than just believing what you can see, what you can prove. Because that is fleeting, depending on your level of trust in the proofs. How much better it is to be able to believe when you can't see. That takes trust. Jesus was encouraging his followers to hang tough in the face of a world that was already questioning if he was truly the Messiah or just another prophet. They were going to need faith.

But here's the thing – we've come to equate doubt with a lack of faith. And that's not accurate. Paul Tillich, German-American theologian and philosopher said, “Doubt is not the opposite of faith; it is one element of faith.” Doubt is an element of faith? The dictionary defines doubt as “to be uncertain about something” and it defines faith as “belief that is not based on proof.” How is doubt PART of faith? Well, ask yourself, “what do Doubting Thomas, Doubting Teresa and Doubting Chris all have in common?”

They kept showing up.

The scripture from John says that it is a week after Jesus first appeared to Mary, the followers on the road to Emmaus and the group in the locked room. Plenty of time for Thomas to get out of town before the Jewish leadership decide it is time for more of Jesus' crowd to die. After all, they are already having to deal with these rumors that he has returned from the dead – in Matthew's account the chief priests have paid off a contingent of the Roman guard. Matthew 28:11-15 from The Message, “Meanwhile, the guards had scattered, but a few of them went into the city and told the high priests everything that had happened. They called a meeting of the religious leaders and came up with a plan: They took a large sum of money and gave it to the soldiers, bribing them to say, “His disciples came in the night and stole the body while we were sleeping.” They assured them, “If the governor hears about your sleeping on duty, we will make sure you don’t get blamed.” The soldiers took the bribe and did as they were told. That story, cooked up in the Jewish High Council, is still going around.” But even a week after Thomas declares he doesn't believe it unless he sees it...he's there. Why?

Because Thomas was faithful. Despite the lack of tangible proof, he's there. Even though Mother Teresa couldn't always feel the presence of God...she showed up. And she continued to serve the God that she believed in – despite the doubt...because that is where faith kicks in.

It isn't hard to believe in the stuff that is right there in front of our eyes – belief in the face of doubt is where the rubber hits the road. Are we in this for the long haul or are we just going to fall away when confronted with the challenges of the world? Because the world is always going to challenge our belief – going to encourage our doubts...are we going to show up for God anyway?

There is a website that I discovered during my study and preparation for this message – roomfordoubt.com – which has a section called Stories of Doubt. I really resonated with a story from Bob about his journey. Bob grew up in an inner city neighborhood. In junior high he attended church with an uncle and soon accepted Christ. He was in a racially charged junior high and high school, with a riot closing his high school a month before graduation. During that time he relied on God and was in constant prayer. Then he went to a Bible college. And the environment changed and he said without the imminent dangers he found himself with the “luxury of doubt” and his mind was soon asking serious questions about Christianity. (1) Is God even there? (2) If there is a God, why should I believe the Bible? (3) If there is a God, why should I believe God really cares about me?

And it took time and effort but Bob continued to seek answers. He talked with professors and read a lot of books and came to these conclusions with that period of growth: “By then I had decided that God is real. I had decided that the Bible is reliable. I had discovered that great intellectuals believed, and I had decided that the evidence was strong enough that I must also believe. But I still wondered about my own place before God. Then I read Francis Schaeffer’s True Spirituality. There I decided that God cares personally about me because God says so. I remember crossing the threshold to decide to take God at God’s word. In the face of demanding evidence, I chose to believe and to reinforce the decision of surrender I had made years earlier. I believe that the Holy Spirit is always working with all of us, either from the outside or from within. I believe that even then God was leading me through times of question and encounter, always giving me opportunity to draw closer, but also leaving me the option to go the other direction. God’s grace protected me, led me, and stimulated me, allowing attacks and doubts to give me opportunity to choose to believe. To God be the glory!”

John completes Chapter 20 by revealing why he wrote the gospel - Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

Have you come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah? Are you willing to follow even when you don't have all the answers? There are a lot of people, including professing Christians, who do have doubts about God and the identity of Jesus. One option is just to tell them to stop doubting, because it’s totally incompatible with having “true faith” and therefore wrong.

Another option is to give them an opportunity to talk about their questions and doubts and help them work through it. I've decided to practice what Jude commands in Jude 1:22 “And have mercy on some, who are doubting.” Because this isn't a sprint – it is a marathon. We've got to keep showing up, making an impact on a hurting world and through the journey we find these kindred souls all struggling with something...also continuing to show up.

And in those periods of time when we feel like we have all the answers – let us be humbled to recognize that Jesus meets us where we are. On the journey, not just at the destination.

I'll close with a poem I discovered by Norman Shirk of the Dallas Theological Society - 

DOUBT

Let me meet you on the mountain, Lord,
Just once.
You wouldn't have to burn a whole bush.
Just a few smoking branches
And I would surely be ...your Moses.

Let me meet you on the water, Lord,

Just once.
It wouldn't have to be on White Rock Lake.
Just on a puddle after the annual Dallas rain
And I would surely be...your Peter.

Let me meet you on the road, Lord,
Just once.
You wouldn't have to blind me on North Central Expressway.
Just a few bright lights on the way to chapel
And I would surely be...your Paul.

Let me meet you, Lord,
Just once.
Anywhere. Anytime.
Just meeting you in the Word is so hard sometimes
Must I always be...your Thomas?

Yes, we all go through times of doubt and questioning just like Thomas. If we didn't have any doubts, we would have nothing but an empty hollow faith. Embrace these chances to grow in faith. It's when we overcome those doubts and see God's grace that we truly learn to believe.

Promise Keeping

This message was first delivered at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in Rustburg, Virginia on December 31, 2017. It is based on the lectionary text of Luke 2:22-40.

Promise Keeping

“Then when the days stipulated by Moses for purification were complete, they took him [Jesus] up to Jerusalem to offer him to God as commanded in God’s Law: “Every firstborn male shall be a holy offering to God,” and also to sacrifice the “pair of doves or two young pigeons” prescribed in God’s Law.

In Jerusalem at the time, there was a man, Simeon by name, a good man, a man who lived in the prayerful expectancy of help for Israel. And the Holy Spirit was on him. The Holy Spirit had shown him that he would see the Messiah of God before he died. Led by the Spirit, he entered the Temple. As the parents of the child Jesus brought him in to carry out the rituals of the Law, Simeon took him into his arms and blessed God:

God, you can now release your servant; release me in peace as you promised. With my own eyes I’ve seen your salvation; it’s now out in the open for everyone to see: A God-revealing light to the non-Jewish nations, and of glory for your people Israel.

Jesus’ father and mother were speechless with surprise at these words. Simeon went on to bless them, and said to Mary his mother,

This child marks both the failure and the recovery of many in Israel,
A figure misunderstood and contradicted— the pain of a sword-thrust through you— But the rejection will force honesty, as God reveals who they really are.

Anna the prophetess was also there, a daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher. She was by now a very old woman. She had been married seven years and a widow for eighty-four. She never left the Temple area, worshiping night and day with her fastings and prayers. At the very time Simeon was praying, she showed up, broke into an anthem of praise to God, and talked about the child to all who were waiting expectantly for the freeing of Jerusalem.

When they finished everything required by God in the Law, they returned to Galilee and their own town, Nazareth. There the child grew strong in body and wise in spirit. And the grace of God was on him."

Last year when my sister called my parents to wish them a happy New Year, my dad answered the phone. "Well, Dad, what’s your New Year’s resolution?" she asked. "To make your mother as happy as I can all year," he answered. In the background she heard mom yell, “and I'm going to make sure he keeps that resolution!”

It is the beginning of a New Year. Many people start the new year by making some New Year Resolutions. Usually it is a promise to do better next year than we did last year in some way. About 41% of Americans make resolutions but approximately 80% of them fail by the second week of February. The top ten resolutions for 2018 according to research by the research institute Statistic Brain are: Find a better job, Find the love of my life, Do more good deeds for others, Learn something new, Work out more often, Spend more time with family and friends, Do more exciting things, Quit smoking, Make better financial decisions, Eat healthier and lose weight.

No wonder the success rate is so low. These are some pretty ambitious goals!

But some people just don't take New Year's resolutions very seriously. After all, they are just promises to yourself. If you don't follow through, it's no big deal. Well, it is a big deal! A promise is a promise -- and it is important to keep your promises -- even if it is just a promise to yourself.

We see in today's gospel lesson that God is always faithful in keeping His promises. Simeon had lived in “prayerful expectancy” of the Messiah. And he witnessed the fulfillment of that promise. Anna was an elderly widow who had committed her left to constant worship, fasting and prayer in the temple. These two encounters with the infant Jesus (Leviticus 12 indicates this should take place 40 days after birth for a male child) are life-changing for each of them – although their reactions are different, it is clear that each of them immediately senses that there is something unique about Jesus. Something that connects with their very souls. Simeon gazes upon the Christ child and proclaims that he can now die in peace. Anna breaks into song!

Women are far less represented in the Bible than men, especially women with names. So whenever a woman with a name is part of the story, it is important to pay attention. Now, even though the Gospel of Luke has many women characters, as well as many passages that deal with women, in a lot of examples Luke presents women in parallel with a story about men. For example, in chapter one, there is an annunciation to Zechariah followed by an annunciation to Mary. In chapter seven, Jesus cures the dying son of the Centurion, and then raises the deceased son of the widow of Nain. In chapter eighteen there is a persistent widow paired with a humble tax collector. Often these women do not speak, and if they do, we are not privy to their actual words. Such is the case with Anna. But the scripture is quite clear about the her reaction to encountering Jesus. She responds by praising God. But she doesn’t just praise God. Luke says she also speaks about her experience to others, although he does not tell us what she said. He only describes her words as being offered to those who were looking for the redemption of Israel. In this way, Anna is the first evangelist in Luke. She is the first to go out and speak to others that the Messiah has been born!

Simeon's response is different but incredibly powerful in its own way: first he recognizes the fulfillment of God's promise. He had been led to the Temple and the Christ child by the Holy Spirit and he is awed. He speaks directly to God while gazing at the God Incarnate lying in his arms. “I can die happy now, because you have done what you promised. You have sent your salvation – for EVERYBODY!” And Joseph and Mary are stunned. Somehow their cover has been blown. You know they didn't check in at the temple front desk saying, “we're here with the Messiah for his 40 day purification.” But Simeon KNOWS. He doesn't have to be told who this is.

Simeon blesses the astonished couple and addresses Mary – his next sentences are pure prophesy. The New Revised Standard Version phrases his proclamation this way: “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.” Now replace the generic concept of the people of Israel with the rock solid concept of ALL PEOPLE. Jesus is going to cause some to fall and some to rise. He will be opposed and the inner thoughts of many will be revealed. Including your thoughts. Hear verses 34 and 35 again – this time from the King James Version: “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

For some, this is threatening. Imagine you are part of the religious elite of that day. Your very comfortable lifestyle of temple priest is built upon the structure of temple offerings, sacrifices, payment for access to forgiveness and ritual purification. WE know the rest of the story. We can see the foreshadowing of the next chapter...Jesus is about to turn this old system on its head. And we know that the religious establishment is not going to be happy with this new system. After all, if the people get to be in direct relationship with God...who is going to bring us lambs and calves and pigeons and gold and robes? If the people get to seek forgiveness from God, then I'm gonna be out of a job. AND, even more important...if we are ALL loved by God then how will I qualify for my super special snowflake bonus blessings? But on this 40^th day of Jesus' life, Simeon simply indicates that this baby is going to shake the world up. Does he know that this baby will grow up to heal the sick or feed over 5000 people with a few loaves and fishes? Does Simeon's crystal ball reveal the scenes of the future? Jesus calling fishermen and a tax collector and regular guys to be his closest followers, Jesus by the well talking with a WOMAN who was a known SINNER, Jesus flipping tables over in the temple, Jesus on trial...

Simeon may not have had the details, but he knew what was promised. He was a righteous man and would have heard the words of the prophets in the temple all his life. The words from Isaiah were familiar to him and he was prepared for “my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness.” He knew “The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory.” Simeon not only had HEARD the words of promise, he was prayerfully EXPECTANT. He believed this promise would come true.

Not that this was necessarily what the world expected. Nope. Many expected a powerful military leader to swoop in and reclaim lost lands and territories. They thought the Messiah would save Israel by might. Others might have expected some sort of high priest or prophet. A mighty king would have fit the bill. A baby born in a stable was not on anyone's radar. What kind of savior comes in such humility? Crusaders in cradles? Nonsense.

But we know...this truth is real. God came down to Earth to be WITH us. To be our advocate, to be our friend, our guide, example. And it was more radical than any warlord could ever hope to be.

Jesus came to get us back to the original program. To get things back on track, because humans had derailed this God-Man relationship train pretty seriously. The Old Testament is one long saga of God's people taking simple rules and complicating things. Garden of Eden? One simple rule, don't eat from THAT tree. Give humans a little time...FAIL. Ate from the tree, got kicked out of paradise. Later we see the people of Israel freed from captivity in Egypt – one simple rule, only gather enough manna for that day except when you get extra for Sabbath. People of Israel can't listen...they gather too much, and it gets worms! God gives Moses ten pretty simple rules...which he has to do TWICE because the first time Moses brings the tablets to the people he finds they've decided to worship a calf they made out of gold. What the heck people of Israel?

Ten commandments: Four are about our relationship to God. No other Gods before me. No idols. No misusing my name. Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. The other six are about our relationship to others. One thing to DO: Honor your parents. Five things NOT to do: murder, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness or covet other people's stuff. And what do the people of Israel do with that? Look for loopholes and exceptions – so now we've got to define how to act in every possible situation.

Many years ago I was part of the staff of Lynchburg Cablevision, employed at the public access station. Although there were just two of us running Channel 6, we were part of the cable company staff and were required to attend monthly meetings which included such thrilling topics as how many truck rolls the repair crews had done and what equipment was expected to be going out for the latest Pay Per View wrestling extravaganza. Usually there were donuts, so I generally sat quietly and behaved myself. One month we were given notice of a new company policy handed down from Time Warner. It was now against policy for there to be any alcohol on or in company buildings or vehicles. Not a big problem...I rarely day drink on the job! Seriously though, this just seemed like a quick FYI but the General Manager asked if there were any questions. For 20 minutes the most unusual and unlikely scenarios were tossed out. “What if I have beer in my personal car?” “What if I want to brink someone a bottle of wine as a birthday present?” “Since the GM drives a company vehicle, does that mean you can't pick up a bottle at the ABC store on your way home?” On and on – and if they had to write a policy to spell it all out, it would span six pages and take fifteen lawyers to review. Just don't drink alcohol when you're working and driving our equipment would be too accusatory, I guess. Act like a grownup who needs their job is clearly too unclear. Humans.

Jesus came on to the scene and things were all tangled up. The law of Moses had grown to include 613 commandments. 248 things TO do and a whopping 365 to NOT do. This has drifted a long way from the original program.

So Jesus starts his ministry and Simeon's prophesy is coming true...this sign is being opposed! He heals and the people in power want to know by WHOSE authority he does such a thing. He socializes with commoners and riff-raff, tax collectors, harlots, Samaritans... He talks of the destruction of the temple. He tells rich people they've got to give up their stuff. He suggests that a widows mite given with the right attitude is worth much more than a pile of gold given with the wrong attitude. Finally, somebody asks him what part of the law is the most important.

Matthew 22:36-40 - “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Ten commandments become 613 do's and don'ts and Jesus takes it back down to two. Love God. Love who and what God loves. Because if you love God, you won't misuse his name, you won't want other idols, you won't even be able to stop with Sabbath because your adoration of the One is complete. And if you love who and what God loves, you'll naturally honor your parents and those who are your earthly foundation. You won't want to murder or steal or commit adultery and why covet their stuff? If I love you – I want YOU to have your stuff!! And I can't imagine bearing false witness...lying about someone who I love! It just doesn't compute.

And if that didn't simplify this God-Human relationship enough – after the Last Supper, before Jesus offered himself up for us he gave his disciples one more instruction. In John's Gospel – Judas has just left the gathering and is headed to commit the ultimate betrayal, offering up his teacher and friend to the religious leaders of the day. Jesus addresses the rest of his inner circle, “Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” He says, okay boneheads...humans...just love each other, that will make this work.

And then the promise of salvation was fulfilled. Not in the way the world would have expected it – some sort of battle victory, or a great political coup or even a supernatural show of power like when Moses and crew encountered God at Mt. Sinai. No, this promise was fulfilled in the most humble way imaginable. Death. On a cross. Between two thieves. And still, in the midst of that incredible suffering he still showed the example of generosity and forgiveness... When everyone else would have counted him out, the thief who repented was assured that it was not too late. He would be with Jesus in paradise. With God, it is never too late. He is patiently waiting for us to turn back toward him.

You see? He PROMISED! He'd never leave us or forsake us.

I'm afraid that it is us who does the leaving. Thousands of years and we humans....ah, me...we still get all cocky and say, God...I got this, you can go worry about something else. Until we don't got it anymore and we cry out “Where'd you go God? Why did you leave?” If I were God, I'd smack us on the nose with a rolled up magazine. But God is greater than that. He wipes away our tears and welcomes us back into his presence.

What about us? How are we doing at keeping our promises? Today at Centenary six young men and ladies will be confirmed as members of the body of Christ. Today they will be asked to make some promises. They will have the opportunity to say that “Yes. I'm deciding this is for me. I'm choosing to be a follower of Jesus Christ.” And then, hopefully, they'll spend the rest of their lives figuring out what that looks like. They may think that they are finally finishing something – a confirmation class that began on Easter! - but in reality, their journey is just beginning.

On this dawn of a new year, this is a chance for us to renew our promise. Are we ready to say – maybe for the first time, maybe for the hundreth time – yes. I'm deciding this is for me. I'm choosing to be a follower of Jesus. I'm going to do that by showing love to everyone that I encounter. I accept the challenge of loving those who act unlovable, and who I disagree with, and who are different from me.

And the kingdom of God will come upon the earth.