Amos 6:1a, 4-7; 1 Timothy 6:6-19; Luke 16:19-31

Who do you notice?

Once again, it’s pretty hard to miss the message in the Amos reading. Don’t go bragging about your wealth, if at the same time you are not reaching out to help the poor. This text matches well with the gospel reading about a certain rich man and a poor man named Lazarus.

It never ceases to amaze me. When I read the Bible, there is always something new to see in these familiar stories. This time, it jumped out at me in the Gospel reading that the rich man knew Lazarus’ name, and he still refused to see him, to notice him, to help him. Until it was too late for it to make a difference.

Let’s give Lazarus a back story. This is totally my imagination, but it will help us get the point Jesus is making. Let’s suppose that Lazarus had been doing well enough for himself and his family. He worked every day, he gave the right offerings at the right time, even gave some alms to the poor.

One day, his family grew ill from the flu and died. Then, distracted by his losses, he suffered a workplace injury,  maybe a building stone fell and broke his arm. The arm didn’t heal right, because he couldn’t afford a doctor, and he was unable to work. Which meant he was unable to feed himself, and with no family to care for him, he ended up living in the homeless camp outside of town. Every morning, he went to sit outside the gate to the rich man’s house, hoping for a coin or two, or a chunk of bread, to ease his hunger.

But he rarely received anything, and after a year or two, his body had no resistance, so any slight bump developed into a major wound. The dogs came to lick his wounded body, and he wasn’t strong enough to defend himself against them.

In the meantime, the rich man went in and out past Lazarus, 2 or 3 times a day. He knew him by name, because Lazarus had worked for him, and was injured at his worksite. But he chose to ignore him.

You see, the rich man believed that he was wealthy because he was so righteous. He followed the laws as closely as he could, and God blessed him, rewarded him with wealth. He deserved what he had because he was so faithful.

And, Lazarus, well, he had nothing because God saw how he didn’t obey all the laws. He must have been disobedient, that’s why his family got sick and died, that’s why he broke his arm that day. He was not blessed by God. So, he didn’t deserve to be noticed or cared for.

… This story has often been used to caution – or more, threaten – people to behave or they will be punished, sent to hell. The description of the rich man suffering in hades is a warning to keep many people behaving well, following the rules.  Behave or you’ll go to hell!

But Jesus didn’t tell this story as that kind of warning. He told the story to say that just because you have wealth doesn’t mean you are specially blessed. And, just because you are poor doesn’t mean God doesn’t bless you.

Jesus doesn’t want us to be distracted by the story about Hades and Heaven. Instead, the point of this story is to value everyone as God does, to treat everyone kindly, respectfully. The point of the story is to see that there are hurting people in our midst, and God wants all people to have enough. 

… Paul’s letter to Timothy echoes these thoughts. “Those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped … by their desires. … For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” And then Paul tells us what we should do instead of chasing wealth. “They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, ¹⁹ thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.”

If we spend less time thinking about money, accumulating it, managing it, spending it, we have time for other things. We have time for daily prayer. We have time for Bible study. We have time to make sure our Facebook posts are kind and respectful. We have time to make sure our generosity is truly generous, and supporting those causes that please God.

… At University Lutheran Church in Gainesville, there is a bench in the covered walkway between the sanctuary and the office/fellowship building. Frequently, people who were unhoused sat or slept there. Often, they were connecting to our internet / wi-fi on their phones.

As long as they were not using illegal substances or leaving inappropriate stuff there, I had no problem with them being there. I usually greeted them and asked if they needed anything. Usually, they ignored me, or simply nodded a greeting. But I still felt good because I had not ignored the Lazarus at my gate.

It doesn’t take much to be kind to someone. It doesn’t take much to pay attention to our surroundings and the folks who populate that space.

I hope that this week, you consider the ways in which you typically see or ignore the people around you. They are all children of God, your sisters and brothers in God’s family. Notice them. Be kind to them. Give them a gift if you have a dollar or more to spare. Amen 

A place of welcome

 Amos 8:4-7; Luke 16:1-13

The reading from Amos is easy to understand, if not implement. Stop cheating people to get richer than you already are!

In contrast, the parable and comments from Jesus after it are head-scratchingly hard to figure out. We do understand that the manager was cheating and he got caught, and got the pink slip from his boss. And then the manager cheated some more after getting caught, with the full cooperation of the customers who owed money to the boss. Yes, this part of the story is easy to understand, even if we want to scold the manager and the customers for their roles in cheating the boss.

What we don’t understand is why the boss praised the manager for his cleverness! Commentators and scholars have several suggestions. One I rather like is that the manager made the boss look generous, and the customers could assume the boss approved of settling the accounts by reducing the amounts owed.

The boss didn’t object when he found out about this further cooking of the books, because the appearance of generosity raised his honor level in the community. To object would have caused him to be shamed. In ancient times, in an honor and shame society, honor is worth more than money.

A further suggestion makes even more sense. The praise by the owner is a wry acknowledgement that the manager had made sure people would welcome him, also with honor. While people might not roll out the red carpet for him, he would be invited to dinner often, and given a place at the table.

This interpretation makes more sense when we fit this story into its context in Luke. Just prior is the story of the father with two sons. The younger son demands his inheritance and spends it on gambling and loose women. Eventually, broke and shame-faced, he returns home, hoping he will find even a little welcome. Of course, the father is ecstatic to have him home, even though the older brother is resentful of this warm welcome.

The story following this one of the crooked manager, similarly describes a place of welcome. A certain rich man has died and is suffering in the afterworld. And a man who suffered from poverty at the rich man’s gate has been welcomed to Father Abraham’s bosom, quite comfortable in his afterworld home.

So, it’s possible the parable about the cooked manager is about the manager’s cleverness of making sure he has homes where he will still be welcome.

… Jesus’ explanation complicates the interpretation of the parable for us. For me, the key word of Jesus comment is faithfulness. We can be faithful to money, or faithful to God. We have to choose how we use the resources we have.

It’s obvious to many that money, wealth, is just as important today as it was 2,000 years ago. And the ways in which wealth is obtained today can be just as corrupt as it was in ancient days.

…These three stories by Jesus, plus the words and warnings of the prophets, describe God’s economy, especially as it compares with our economy. For many people, life consists in accumulating as much wealth as possible, no matter who gets hurt, no matter how many people suffer from not having enough.

Other people manage to accumulate wealth, but have a different attitude about what they do with it. They see poverty, and needy, hurting people, and use their wealth to ease the suffering they see.

In God’s economy, everyone has enough. Everyone has gifts that are recognized and valued.

In God’s economy, everyone is welcome. Everyone is worthy of God’s love and people’s respect.

In God’s economy, nature is respected as well. Seasonal crops feed local people; the rivers and seas hold enough fish and seafood for people and critters.

In God’s economy, no one person or group has all the power. Power and wealth are shared so all have equal voice and vote and control over their land and budget.

…Scripture is filled with covenant promises and prophetic warnings for failure to remember the covenant. There may be dire consequences for those who fail as a group to remember God’s covenant.

The covenant describes God’s economy. It promises that those who keep the covenant will always have a place to call home, a place where they are welcome. Jesus calls that place the Kingdom/Reign of God, which is not a place but a way of life in relationship with God and each other. In God’s economy, we seek relationships with God and each other. When we know and trust each other, it is easier to see all people as children of God, who need us and our care as much as we need them.

… This week, I hope you will consider how you use the resources you have, and how relationships fit into your life. Do they match up with God’s economy?  Amen

Giving up everything

Philemon; Luke 14:25-33

Have you ever imagined owning little?  Having just enough to live but nothing extra, and being content with what you have? People who live in nursing homes are often like that.

Women and men who have taken religious vows live like that. In the early 1200s, one of the brothers asked Francis, “may I have a prayer book? I feel it would enhance my prayer life if I had one of my own.” Francis said “Absolutely not! When you own something, it prevents you from fully worshipping God. Instead you are focused on maintaining what you own. Where is it? Did I tear a page? Is that dirt on the cover?”

 And we can understand this today. But, Francis and the brothers lived in caves or monasteries. They worked for food and not much else. As an order, they owned a few prayer books that were stored in a public area of the monastery. No one person owned them, they belonged to them all, or to none of them.

In contrast, those who live in the world with families and businesses and responsibilities need to own some things. Even so, the question remains. “Do you own your stuff, or does it own you?”

… Jesus’ command to give up all our possessions is a challenge for us. How can we follow Jesus with our whole hearts when we have stuff in our homes, closets, garages, and storage buildings?

Is Jesus’ command what he really wants, or is this statement hyperbole, exaggeration? I prefer to see it as a challenge, a check and balance, to make sure I have my priorities right. One of those priorities is the use of time. Do I spend enough time with Jesus/God? Do I give enough time to caring for others?

… Paul’s understanding of Jesus’ command to give up all we own is applied differently in this letter to in this letter to Philemon. Onesimus is a slavewho apparently has not been worth what Philemon paid for him. In contrast, he has been very helpful to Paul. However, Paul knows he needs to send Onesimus back to his owner.

“I ask you,” Paul writes, “to grant Onesimus his freedom, since he is now as much a believer in Jesus as you and I are. As we are brothers in the faith, so, now, is he also a beloved sibling to me.”

This request is not just telling Onesimus that he is no longer a slave. It also reduces Philemon’s financial and social worth. Philemon can never get his money back, whatever he paid for Onesimus, so this is a costly decision.

I just have to add this … the name Onesimus means useful, or maybe handy. So the play on words here is fun. The man named Handy has not been very useful (or handy!) to his owner, but has proved himself to be very useful, or handy, to Paul.  

This is one of the stories in Scripture that has no ending. We have no way of knowing if Philemon gave Onesimus his freedom, or if he beat him for disobedience. We hope that he will be influenced by Jesus and welcome Onesimus as a free brother in Christ.

… These texts come to us on “God’s Work. Our Hands” Sunday. On this day, we remember that there are many people around and among us who are in need, in many ways.

Some are hungry. Council recently learned that 87% of the children at Leesburg Elementary School receive public assistance, free lunch etc. The congregational council approved supporting a program called Nourish to Flourish, to give these children extra food each day or week. In addition to supporting the Joining Hands food program, this program will take care of some very needy children.

Some are abused. Our financial gifts and donations of time as volunteers honors them with respect and protection.

Some are cold, or in need of basic hygiene supplies. The quilts we create, the kits we assemble provide needed care for people we will never know or see. Many of these things are headed for overseas, but they also end up here in Florida or other states.

Some are dying. … Some of you know this, and some won’t have heard. Our beloved Alberta went to be with God Friday evening. Several hours before she died, I received a phone call about her care from MaryBeth Pullum, Alberta’s attorney. She was hoping some of Alberta’s friends could assist in her care by administering medication that the hospice caregivers were not permitted to give her. It was a legal matter for that particular class of medication.  They would need to be there every 4 hours until Alberta’s son Samuel arrived late Saturday. 

So I called some folks, and within an hour or so, a care team was put together. Some of them would need to visit Alberta in the middle of the night, an extra gift. I give thanks to Pat, Rita, Andy, and Sharon. I know a couple others would have been involved but they are out of town. … This is one of the aspects of this congregation that impresses me. When someone is in need, you-all work together to take care of that need.

… All these ways of helping others are examples of God’s work through our hands. We don’t have to give up everything we own in order to put God first, but we do have to make a commitment to being Jesus’ hands in this world. I hope you consider these questions this week. Do you own your stuff, or does it own you? How do you put God first? How do your hands serve those God puts in your path? Amen

Humility

 Luke 14:1, 7-14

Humility. This is the theme that showed up in many of the commentaries I read this week about the Gospel story. It’s not something that’s at the top of our usual topics at the dinner table – unless we are complaining that someone doesn’t have it.

… Jesus is at a sabbath meal and notices how the men jostle for the best places in the house. They demonstrate their positions of power, and seek to talk to other powerful men to do business deals. As long as they are there together, they might as well take advantage of the situation. – even though it’s the sabbath!

Jesus calls them on this practice and challenges them to think differently. Instead of inviting the people you see all the time, why not invite the outsiders, the invisible folks – the poor, the disabled? Offer this wonderful food to those who are hungry. We remember that Luke’s version of the Beatitudes reads: blessed are the hungry, for they will be fed.  But, of course, the wealthy folks in this parable, and at this meal, don’t want to hear what Jesus has to say.

… It would be easy to make a long list of people who appear to lack humility. We remember reading about Uriah Heep, a law clerk in the novel David Copperfield, who was very proud of his humility ('umility).

In this week’s news there are a couple pastors who have turned a congregation into a cult, demanding that parishioners pay large donations. These donations supported a lavish lifestyle for the pastors, and fear in the hearts of the folks. While the pastors were anything but humble, the parishioners were forced to be so.

I think most of us are sure we are humble – that we have humility. We claim that we are all equal in God’s eyes. Reality demonstrates that women, people of color, and people who are different in any way, are required to be more humble than white men. In recent years this is changing for the better, but there is still a long way to go.

For example, I was a young woman, with a college education, and in my first job after having two children. I worked for Don, the owner of Don Shoes, a traditional shoe store where we used the Brannock device to measure feet, and went into the tunnels to get the shoes for the customer. Many women came to me because I worked hard to find the right shoe for them.

When Don hired me, he told me that I could only sell women’s shoes, not men’s. John was a coworker, hired after me, a young man, and a newlywed. John could sell men’s and women’s shoes, and was in charge of the window display as well. Don told me that John got more hours and more responsibility – and probably more pay – because he was married and had to support his wife.

… I also think most of us aren’t aware of our blind spots. I enjoy the radio show This American Life, which is also available as a podcast so I can listen to the ones I missed. A recent episode was called: “Suddenly: A Mirror!”

This radio show tells stories about regular people having encounters with other people or events that change their lives. Here’s a summary of one story.

Aviva tells the story about when she was 11, her sister was 14, and their cousin was 16. They decided to go swimming. In the community pool. At midnight. Of course, they had to climb the chain-link fence because the pool was closed. As soon as they were poolside, the alarms sounded, and the police cars were arriving.

Aviva describes what happened next: … So we panic. And my cousin, he is the oldest and tallest. And he just runs to the fence, hops over it, clears it no problem, takes off running. And then my sister is next. And she hops up on the fence, but then she kind of falls down. She doesn't quite make it over.

And then she hops up again, and she was just moving so slowly, in my mind. It was probably 15 seconds, actually. And what I did in my panic, is, she was up about 2 feet off the ground, holding on to the fence. And I grabbed her waist, and I ripped her off the fence. And I climbed over myself.

And then she describes what she saw in the mirror as she reflected on her actions that night. … But for me, this is the first moment that I remember thinking, I have been shown what kind of person I am, and I am a very bad person. Or there is a part of me that is deeply selfish or capable of deep selfishness.

… We all have those things we have done, or continue to do, that bring us shame when we see them in the mirror. These events, these attitudes, these behaviors describe or define ways in which we have not been, or are not today, humble.

We may not be pushing our way to the best seats in the house, or climbing the fence around the community pool at midnight, but there are always ways in which we seek to have our own way. Jesus cautions us against being so concerned about our own needs that we ignore the needs of others. We don’t always show others the respect they are due as siblings in Christ, children of a loving God, just like us.

When we are faced with the truth about ourselves, we can deny we are not perfect. Or we can admit it, confess it, and seek forgiveness. If we have harmed some person, we can apologize and, hopefully, receive forgiveness. If we have offended God, we can confess, and know that we are loved and forgiven, despite our offences.

… This week, I hope you will consider ways in which you may not see the whole truth about yourself. Where are your blind spots? When have others helped you see yourself in the mirror and shown you something you didn’t like about yourself? Don’t be afraid of what you see. Know that God loves you and forgives you, no matter what! Amen

 

Sabbath Rules

 Isaiah 58:9b-14; Luke 13:10-17

When we were children, we learned that there are rules. We begin with simple ones, like a sharp “NO” when we reached for something hot or sharp. As we grow, we learn more rules, how and when to sit still, take turns, clean up after ourselves, be kind to each other. We learn to hold hands with an adult and watch for traffic when we want to cross the street. We learn to use hot soapy water to wash hands and dishes.

As we grow, the rules become more complicated. We learn to listen or sing or speak as a group when we go to church. We learn about hierarchy, who is the boss of whom, and notice that even when we are old, we still have rules.

Approximately 3,500 years ago, God gave a list of 10 rules to Moses, who taught them to the Israelites as they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. The first few rules tell us how to have a relationship with God, and the rest tell us how to have a relationship with each other.

Over the centuries after the first giving of the commandments, more rules were developed, interpretations of the original ten. By Jesus’ time, the rules had multiplied, and a lot of them concerned how to observe the sabbath. Many of the rules defined what was considered work, and affected many aspects of life.

In addition, some rules that used to only apply to priests were beginning to be expected of regular folks as well. Jesus and the disciples often encounter this, and it’s the cause of several conflict conversations between Jesus and the Jewish leaders.

… Today’s Gospel reading is one such conversation. Jesus is in the synagogue and spots a woman who has been disabled for 18 years. He calls her over, initiating the contact with her. He heals her in that moment, and she immediately gives credit to God for the healing.  

But the leader of the synagogue doesn’t recognize God’s activity. While he doesn’t directly accuse Jesus of working on the sabbath, he tells the people gathered to come another day to be healed. Isn’t that interesting? The leader apparently makes the connection that God can heal, but can’t see the healing as a good enough thing, a God-thing, when it happens on the sabbath.

Jesus points out what is obvious to us, and should be to the synagogue leader. It’s an argument from lesser to greater. We take care that our animals have food and water. How much more we should be caring for the people around us who are in need.

As it turns out this time, the folks who objected to Jesus working/healing on the sabbath are booed and the others in the room praise God for the healing, and celebrate with the woman on her new-found freedom from pain and distress.

 Jesus heals this woman and calls her a daughter of Abraham. As a crippled person, she was required to be as invisible as possible, a non-person. People of her town thought there must have been something sinful about her or her ancestors to make her so disabled. We can imagine her hiding around corners, unseen but listening to hear what Jesus had to say.

Jesus calls to her and heals her, frees her from her infirmity, frees her from her disgraced position in town, frees her to participate in her community and family. Jesus frees her to be who she really is, a daughter of Abraham.

… Sabbath is about relationships. It’s about the relationship between us and God, individually and corporately. God commanded us to take time off, as God did after the initial work of creation. God knows how easy it is to get involved in other activities like work and home maintenance, and ignore the rest that is most important for our well-being.

When we intentionally take time to be with God, we know who God is, and who we are in relationship to God and each other. We have time to reflect on what it means to be children of Abraham, children of God. We know that we are worth something, no matter how much or how little we have in the bank.

Taking time for sabbath also helps us see each other as children of God. When we view our neighbors as children of God, it’s easier to be kind and respectful of them, even when they aren’t kind and respectful of others.

…These days, it isn’t always possible to take Sunday as sabbath. It’s certainly not sabbath for pastors! Or for church committee members who find Sunday the best day for meeting. And it’s not common to have a full day for sabbath. But I encourage you to find some time every week as sabbath, and a little time every day for silence with God.

Take time to listen to what God is saying to you. One meditation practice you might try is to sit or lie comfortably for a few minutes and allow God to look at you. Open your heart to Jesus, and let him see you as you really are.

Know, as God looks at you, … that you are a beloved, … forgiven, … whole child of God. Amen

 

Fire and witnesses

2025 08 17 Sermon

Jeremiah 23:23-29; Hebrews 11:29—12:2; Luke 12:49-56

Jeremiah talks about prophets. The author of Hebrews talks about witnesses. Jesus talks about households and hypocrites and fire. It sure seems like the world is on fire with anger for many reasons. I read a wide variety of material, and watch a variety of programs on TV. I realize the world has been on fire for at least 2,000 years.

My recent list of books includes The Mistress of Rome, by Kate Quinn, and the Secret Midwife, by Soraya Layne. The Mistress of Rome takes place during the reign of Domitian, Caesar of Rome, at the end of the first century. The lead character, Thea, is a beautiful woman who is enslaved, sold eventually to Domitian who is a great administrator, a lover of gladiator battles, and a violent abuser of women.

The Secret Midwife is a Jewish woman named Emilia living in Poland in during World War II. She delivers Jewish babies and then sends the infants to safety out of the country. Until she is arrested and sent to Auschwitz Concentration Camp where she delivers babies, prevents pregnancies, and keeps infants alive.

And this from last month’s Christian Century article on the conditions at the southern border. “Whether we acknowledge it or not, the American dream is built on the nightmares that workers in our fields, factories, and restaurants endure every day. The true purpose of Trump’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants is not to send workers away, cutting into the profits of business owners, but to keep them just where they are: underpaid, overworked, unrepresented by unions, and living in constant fear of immigration authorities and self-appointed vigilantes.”

The truth of these writings makes me angry, lights a fire inside me. Injustice like this shouldn’t still be happening, especially by people who at the same time profess to being Christian.

… Fortunately, I am also reading The Tears of Things, by Richard Rohr. I consider it a God-incidence that I picked up this book just when I needed it. Rohr writes about the ancient prophets’ lives and messages. The part that I needed to read talked about Jonah. In the few chapters we have, we encounter an angry man, sent by God to tell his neighboring king that God says he is doing it wrong. Jonah never outgrows his early anger.

Other prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah serve as prophets long enough to evolve. They go from yelling and acting out their anger (where Jonah is), to deep lamentation about the conditions and circumstances they live in. From lamentation, they move into the understanding that God is ultimately in charge, so they can let go of their anger and their sadness. From this new point of view, such prophets can seek to share God’s news calmly with those who need to hear it, and allow God to be in charge of the situation.

Also, fortunately, I have read other articles and seen TV shows that give me hope. In Atlanta this week, hundreds of Catholic women religious walked in a “pilgrimage of hope.” As they walked, they were guided by readings, music and periods of contemplative silence. They also stopped to pray for healing for three focus issues: forced migration, climate change, and racism.

And, yesterday morning, I watched an episode of The Harlem Globetrotters: Play It Forward. In this
program, members of the team go into communities around the country to focus on improving the lives of young people. In Chicago, they helped clean up an empty lot and make it a into park where residents could enjoy the outdoors. In New Orleans, they had some fun with a youth drum line.

… These stories help balance the anger at so much injustice with hope for the future. The women religious and the Harlem Globetrotters are witnesses to God’s goodness. They demonstrate that God is at work in the world, even when we are in despair of things ever calming down.

It is important to know in general terms what is happening in the world, but it is not necessary to watch the TV news or follow news feeds all day. And it’s important to balance the bad news with good news, with music and comedy and uplifting stories. It’s important to find witnesses to God’s work in the world, in our communities, and in our lives.

It takes prayer and practice to be aware of goodness when we feel surrounded by so much that is not good. I don’t mean prayer when we take our list of people and situations for God to fix. I mean prayer when we sit in silence and wait for God to speak to us. When we learn to let God speak first, we are more observant of the world and people around us.

When we listen for God, we notice the person with her bags in the park, and we offer her our sandwich. We talk with the school leaders and provide what teachers and students need through the year. We notice the person who seems to have no friends.

We are prophets when we campaign for safe highways and local crosswalks. We are prophets when we write letters and send emails to legislators about issues we are concerned about.

And we don’t do these things alone; we do them with others so we join the cloud of witnesses to the goodness of God shown to us by Jesus. I wonder how you will be a witness and a prophet this week. Amen  

Faithfulness

Genesis 15:1-6; Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16; Luke 12:32-40

One of my first, and favorite, professors at seminary was Ralph Klein. From him I learned the fun of using images to illustrate my point, and that there were many ways to interpret the ancient languages used in scripture. In the case of our first reading, from Genesis 15, Ralph pointed out that the original language, Hebrew, uses only pronouns. This leads us to wonder: who reckoned it to whom as righteousness.

English translations usually assign the reckoning to Abraham. God/the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness. But Ralph said it could just as easily be translated this way: Abraham reckoned it to God as righteousness.

This fits better with an understanding of God as gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. Or, as our psalm today states: God’s lovingkindness settles upon us. God’s love comes first, and we are nourished by it. God is faithful first, and we respond with imperfect attempts to be faithful in return.

… The author of Hebrews summarizes Abraham and Sarah’s story. For 25 years they remained faithful, trusting that God would eventually bless them with children. Their faith was imperfect, as we read the story of their lives. They tried to make things happen on their own, believing it was God’s plan, but it wasn’t. Even so, God remained faithful to them.

As Sarah and Abraham raised their son Isaac, and their grandchildren, they taught them to remain faithful to God, ensuring that the trusting relationship between Abraham and God would continue for generations.

… By Jesus’ time, the simple faith Abraham had in God, the trusts that God wanted a relationship with him and his family has evolved into rules and rituals designed to prove that humans are faithful. People have it wrong, Jesus teaches. It’s not up to us to prove our faithfulness to God; rather, it’s up to us to see God’s faithfulness to us.

Jesus challenges us to have no fear, to trust God as a sheep trusts its shepherd. However, we are not much like sheep, willing to be herded to greener pastures and to allow our fleece to be shaved off us yearly. We are more like …  

a flock of emus, who resist being controlled, who prefer to go our own way, who find it hard to believe that God is faithful to us.

Jesus insists that we need to be persistent, determined … to think, believe, behave differently than the way we have been taught. We must be willing to give up everything we have in order to learn that God wants to give us everything we need.

To discover that God is faithful to us, we need to be aware of what is happening around us. We need to be alert to God’s activity among us.

Of course, 2000 years ago, many people failed to see that God was walking among them, talking with them, teaching them about God’s faithfulness. I wonder how many people of that time realized too late that they had missed the very moment to meet God in person.

… It would seem that we who are gathered here this morning have a sense of who God is, have a reliance on God’s provision, trust God to be there/here! for us. But, when we are with people, do we look for Jesus to be among us?

Do we look for him to be at the bedside of those who are dying? In the grocery store with those who struggle to feed a family healthy meals? In worship with us?

Are we Jesus in those situations? For example … A parishioner from another congregation told me this story. Anna was a woman with an ample figure, standing in line at the grocery store on a Saturday afternoon. In front of her was a young mother with a crying baby. The more mom tried to quiet the baby, the harder the baby cried.

Anna reached out her arms and asked if she could hold the baby. Mom said yes. Anna said babies always loved nestling into her soft chest, and this baby was no different. It only took a moment for the baby to snuggle down into Anna’s arms and stop fussing. By the time the mom had paid for her groceries, the baby was happy and smiling.

… This week, I hope that you rediscover that God is faithful first, before you begin to trust God to give you everything you need.

And second, that you will help someone else see that God is faithful, giving them something that they need, maybe as simple as cuddling a crying baby.

 

Let Us Put on the Clothes of Christ

Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-23; Colossians 3:1-11; Luke 12:13-21

It was about 20 years ago that I learned a song that the texts today bring to mind. Since we already have a hymn of the day – that we’re going to sing all month – I decided to use it during the sermon. We’ll sing the refrain at several points in the sermon. 

 Let us put on the clothes of Christ / and live as equals with everyone. / Let us put on the clothes of Christ/ and reunite the family of God. [Credit: Brett Hesla]

The Teacher who wrote Ecclesiastes is thought to be Solomon, but scholars say there is no proof of that. In Hebrew, the book is called Qoheleth, the word for preacher or teacher, so let’s call him that.

Qoheleth is having a late-in-life crisis. Who is he now, has his life been worth anything? He has wealth and power, but what does that mean now? He is thought to be wise, but what does wisdom get him now? It’s all mist or vapor, here for a moment and gone forever.

Qoheleth has worked hard to lead the kingdom. Soon, someone else will follow him, and probably change everything. He has worked hard to obtain stuff. What is it worth now? He can’t take it with him. He is beginning to understand that human endeavors are not as fulfilling as he would have wished, and a different kind of life would have been preferable.

Maybe he didn’t need the royal palaces, the thousands of staff and laborers, the wars to gain land and power over his enemies, and the garments made of purple cloth and gold trim. Maybe all he needed was the relationship with God that King David had.

 Let us put on the clothes of Christ / and live as equals with everyone. / Let us put on the clothes of Christ/ and reunite the family of God.

In the Gospel reading, a rich man approaches Jesus. He tries to triangle him into a discussion with his brother about their shared inheritance. Jesus flatly refuses, then tells a story.

A rich man has benefitted from good harvests and accumulated more grain than he can possibly store in his present silos. So, he makes a plan to build another silo, but instead of reveling in the abundance, his life ends suddenly, today. Jesus then gives us the “Moral of the story.” Don’t be greedy, instead be rich toward God.

Let us put on the clothes of Christ / and live as equals with everyone. / Let us put on the clothes of Christ/ and reunite the family of God.

The author of Colossians, who may be Paul or someone writing in his name, makes plain what Jesus and Kohelet were saying. Following Jesus the Christ is the most important thing in your life. And here are some specifics about how to do that.

Essentially, Paul tells us to change how we live in the same way we change our clothes. Take off old habits and put on new habits that focus on living as a baptized child of God. Give up unhealthy sexual practices, give up greed, give up anger and slander and abusive language. Tell the truth, not lies.

Especially, recognize that Jesus welcomes all. The familiar ways of dividing people into groups is out. All are welcome in Jesus’ love.

 Let us put on the clothes of Christ / and live as equals with everyone. / Let us put on the clothes of Christ/ and reunite the family of God.

We could use the list of don’ts in Colossians to shape our lives. When we think of it, the list parallels the Ten Commandments, the portion that tells us how to respect and love each other.

You may have a story about yourself or someone else who’s life changed when they committed their life to Jesus. Sometimes, that commitment happens suddenly; sometimes, it’s a slow process. Either way, when we commit our lives to Jesus, it should be evident to others.

Next week, August 11 is the day we honor St Clare of Assisi, so it’s a good time to talk about how her life changed when she heard Francis preach about Jesus. Francis was the son of a cloth merchant, wealthy enough to be thought of today as upper middle class. He tried going to war, twice, and failed, twice. Finally, he heard God’s message: Francis, rebuild my church. Once he understood that the rebuilding was not about buildings but about people, he began preaching about depending 100% on God for whatever we need.

Clare was from an upper-class family, on the verge of marrying the son from another upper-class family. She heard Francis preach and her life changed. She determined to give up the fancy clothes, the multi-room mansion, the seven-course meals. She joined Francis and the several men who were already following him.

Her hair, considered a woman’s pride and beauty, was cut off, and Clare went to live in a Benedictine monastery until Francis could find a better place for her. Eventually, Clare and several other women lived in a small monastery, slept on the floor, and lived on the food they could grow in their garden and what the local people would donate to them.

Her commitment to following Jesus led her to use her skills as a writer to create some beautiful images of our relationship with God. My favorite is this one:  Place your mind before the mirror of eternity, and your soul in the brilliance of [God’s] glory.

If we remember that we are created in the image of God, children of God, heirs of God’s glory, it may help us put on the clothing of a renewed, changed life.  Amen

  Let us put on the clothes of Christ / and live as equals with everyone. / Let us put on the clothes of Christ/ and reunite the family of God.