Great Cartoon

I love the site Reverend Fun. This was up a couple days ago. My question is what is the perfect sermon?

Playing in the Rain

Today was SMURF-TACULAR!!!! Yep, I am bringing smurf language back, just because. It was a rainy day in Austin, TX and I love rainy days! Playing in puddles is a favorite past-time. So after class, it was back to the room to change clothes and shoes and back out into the rain to play in the rain.

One of my good friends came out and played in the puddles too. We were soggy. Several of our classmates thought we were really crazy. Sherry snapped the picture from her dorm room. My advice to everyone is "don't get too old to play."
My other piece of advice is watch out who is around you when you splash in puddles, so you don't get someone wet who didn't want to play. Although one time I did get a couple people a little wet, but they were good sports and didn't get mad at me.

Senior thoughts

Okay, being a senior isn't all it is cracked up to be. Trying to get a PIF (like a resume) done and online, looking at churches, seeking a call, dealing with moving and graduation stuff, and trying to remember to be a student when senioritis has a firm grip on you. Crazy! Had a nice but very brief visit home last week during my spring break. 8 weeks left of school and a bunch of stuff to do. It is the downhill race! Peace.

A Sermon for Lent

A whole 5 days after preaching my senior sermon, I had the priviledge of preaching at Westminster Presbyterian where I am the seminary intern. Wednesday night service, totally different text. This one is on Luke 4:1-13, Jesus' temptation in the WIlderness.

Tests. We encounter them in all forms. As a student there are standardized tests and tests created over specific knowledge. Outside of school we test people’s patience, we are put to the test, and we test the waters. But there is something that happens with any test, trial, experiment or examination. We go into a test one way and we come out differently on the other side. Tests are a way of discovering what we are capable of, what is possible, of what is important.
In our text we find Jesus, having just been baptized, being led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness where he faces 3 tests at the hands of the devil. It is important to note the wilderness experience begins with the Holy Spirit’s leading. Jesus didn’t just go but was led. These were tests, a time that he was guided into. We too are sometimes led into the wilderness, into times of spiritual testing.
When we find ourselves in the wilderness, we usually think of it as a time when we are spiritually dry, hence the wilderness. In the wilderness we may feel abandoned, that we have been left to struggle on our own. We may feel that our prayers go unanswered. We may feel there is no hope. When I think about wilderness times I have encountered, they are times I have felt spiritually isolated, hungry and thirsty.
We read that at the end of 40 days in the wilderness, Jesus was hungry. This is when the devil jumps in with the temptations. The devil tells Jesus to turn a stone into bread, he almost dares him to do it. Can’t you just see it? The devil, not the half goat, half man with horns and a pitchfork, but the slick, well- polished, designer suit and silk tie variety.
“Hey Jesus. You look hungry. Why torture yourself. You’re the son of God, tell the stone to become bread.” Jesus doesn’t go for it, so the devil tries to deal a bit. So he takes him to a high place so they could look out over the land. This time the devil says he will cut a deal. “you can have power over all that you can see if you will do one thing. I am the one who can give you all of this. All you have to do is worship me.” Again, Jesus turns him down citing the Scriptures.
The devil is finding this to be a hard sell. So he tries one last time. But this time the devil uses Scripture to make his pitch. At the high point of the temple in Jerusalem he says, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down for it is written: ‘For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” Even though the devil quotes Psalm 91, Jesus again refutes him using Scripture. After having no luck, the devil departs, “until an opportune time,” doing his best Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonation “I’ll be back.”
The 3 temptations represent 3 areas where we are often challenged as well. The first is to provide for yourself. It is not wrong to want food, it is not evil to provide sustenance. But if Jesus provides for himself at this point, he does not rely on God. The 2nd temptation is about power, and to whom you are loyal. Again earthly power isn’t in and of itself wrong or evil, but to trust in human power, to be loyal to earthly things is to put something else before God. The 3rd temptation is about making demands of God. To go to God with prayer is what we are to do, but it is the motive behind the action that makes the difference. We are urged to pray without ceasing and to take everything to the Lord in prayer, but these are not to be petitions that put God to the test. As Jesus refutes the devil, he quotes another wilderness adventure found in Deuteronomy, the exodus of the Israelites.
The 3 quotes are significant because they not only link Jesus to the heritage of Israel , but they reference areas where the Israelites lacked faith. The first temptation, to provide bread, is refuted using Deuteronomy 8:3, “It has been written that man shall not live by bread alone.” Matthew’s account goes further, “but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” At this point in the exodus story, the Israelites have been reminded that being hungered humbled them, but the Lord did provide for them and gave them manna. God’s is faithful in all things and will provide for all our needs. In this day and age, who do we trust for our needs? Ourselves or God?
The second temptation brings a response from the 10 commandments as Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:13. “You will worship the LORD you God whom alone you will serve.” Jesus refuses to bow and serve the devil unlike the Israelites who fashioned a golden calf for themselves. It is easy to get pulled into the power of the world, but what or whom do we worship and serve? Another or God?
The devil quotes, or rather mis-quotes Scripture for the third temptation. In reading all of Psalm 91, it is about the protection of God for the righteous. It speaks of God as refuge and fortress, as the one who delivers and protects. But this protection is not meant for foolishness. God’s protection is for the faithful. “When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them (v 15).” Jesus refutes this trial with Deuteronomy 6:16 “Do not put the LORD your God to the test as you did as Massah.” This reference is to the story in Exodus 17 when the Israelites were complaining to Moses about not having water. They were thirsty. God responded by telling Moses to strike the rock with his staff and when Moses did as God commanded, water sprang forth. Once again, God provides, but God is not to be foolishly tested.
The temptations may link Jesus to the wilderness experience of the Israelites, but it also proves that he is the Son of God. as he remains faithful to God throughout these tests. For Christ to be fully human, to truly enter into our human condition, it was crucial that he suffer as the Israelites did, as we do. As we read in Hebrews 4
Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin.
We, like the Israelites sometimes struggle to remain faithful and obedient. We are more inclined to be more reliant on ourselves, to look at being successful rather than faithful, and to look to worldly rules and compromise on faith . However, we are given Christ as our model for faithfulness.
The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years. Jesus was tested in the wilderness for forty days. We too have entered the wilderness or at least a time to remember the wilderness. We started our 40 days a couple weeks ago at Ash Wednesday with the reminder that we are dust and to dust we shall return. Dust that was once lush green palm branches has become dry and ashen, disintegrated by heat. These forty days are a time to examine the dry areas of our lives, to struggle with areas where we need to be more faithful and obedient to God.
This self-examination is a chance to come out of Lent different than when we entered.
We journey through Lent with Jesus, following the narratives of the season. We have come from the waters of his Baptism and entered the wilderness, led by the Holy Spirit. As the forty days for Jesus ends, we find him beginning his ministry, once again, led by the Holy Spirit. But Jesus has changed. The wilderness has prepared him for what lies ahead. The devil has departed until an opportune time. We will see this character again in the story, we will see Jesus tested again and again through the Gospel narrative. But through it all we will continue to see that God is ever faithful and present. That is the promise that we have.
We have been baptized and we now walk with Jesus through the wilderness. We too have been led by the Holy Spirit. The forty days of Lent can change us, and we can leave this wilderness differently than when we came in. Through these days we will not be abandoned, forsaken, or thirsty. God will provide.

Sr. Sermon

My senior sermon went well on Friday. I preached a totally different sermon than what I presented in class. Wednesday in class we ran it through the ringer and it was well worth it. I walked out of class with the story of Eisleben, Germany and the text. 48 hours later I preached the most tightly focused sermon I have ever done. Now the bar of my expectations has been raised as well.

Bound by Circumstance, Free in Christ

Faintly, you could hear the rhythm of the pickaxe, mining copper and silver. As you moved closer to the village, you began to hear the voices of the crowd gathered in the market square. Then, over the din of the noise, from the tower, the church bells began to peal. This might have been the sounds of Eisleben when Martin Luther was born or even upon his death, but they are not the sounds today .

On a cold gray day in January, our seminary group toured the Luther death house museum and 2 churches in town where Luther was known to have preached. The churches felt like museums too. St. Andrews was housing the historical memorabilia from the Luther birth house, which made the church feel even more like a museum.

Besides a few people hurrying through the damp cold of the day, there was very little activity in the town. After spending the morning as tourists, we met with the local Lutheran co-pastors, Scott and Claudia at the house church they use during the winter. They use the house church to save on the cost of heating the cathedrals. We found out that this town, once in an area that was a hotbed of religious activity, was struggling in many ways. Where there had once been a thriving mining and smelting industry, there was now high unemployment. We learned that our tour guide had no other job than being the local guide. Where the church had once been vibrant, it now languishes. When Scott and Claudia arrived 3 years ago, there were 1000 people on the membership roles, but average worship attendance was 15.

If I were to see this church on a church information form I would look no further. I would look for another church. This church scares me. The church in Eisleben is oppressed by financial burdens; there are 3 cathedrals, but only enough money to maintain 2. It is subdued by societal norms; Scott told us of a Lutheran study found that it takes an average of 17 invitations to church before someone will attend in America, in Eastern Germany it is cultural taboo to do it once . It is shackled by an a-religious culture; a survey was taken at the train stations, one of the questions was “Are you a Christian or an atheist?” One of the responses was “I’m not Christian or atheist, I’m normal.” The church scares me because there are so many factors that bind it.

As Paul wrote to the Philippians he was bound too, in a literal sense. He was in prison. If we look at the book of Acts we find that Paul was arrested for preaching the gospel. His opponents thought imprisonment would hinder Paul and the gospel message. When it didn’t, there were people who preached to spite Paul, to upset him while he awaited the verdict of his trial. Paul could have been oppressed by his situation.

But for Paul, chains and preachers with false motives were not of concern. In fact life or death as he awaited the outcome of his trial was not an obstacle, for one reason. Christ. The situations did not determine Paul’s response, Christ and the power of the gospel did. While it didn’t change the situation, we know from the book of Acts, it changed Paul. As Fred Craddock puts it “Paul was in bonds, but the gospel was not.”

This imprisonment was not in a small cell with bars, nor was it chained to a stone pillar. Paul was shackled, 24-7, wrist to wrist with one of the elite Roman praetorium guards. These were the bodyguards of the emperor and high officials.
The guard on Paul rotated every 4 hours. This is how the whole palace guard knew about him and his imprisonment for the defense of the gospel . So Paul is shackled to a different guard every 4 hours, what do you think he was he going to do? He was in chains for preaching, so in chains, he continued to preach. What should have been a hindrance to proclaiming Christ, has “actually served to advance the gospel.”

Eisleben and its congregation with 15 in worship 3 years ago could have been a hindrance to Scott and Claudia proclaiming Christ, but has served to advance the gospel. Again, an obstacle seen in light of the gospel, became an opportunity. In 3 years the average attendance has changed from 15 to 60, but where the gospel is truly evidenced is not in the numbers, that is only a quantifiable measurement, but it is in the spirit of the members of the church. A church dedicated to continuing their witness in the life of the town. The people are working to advance the gospel. The people have been encouraged.

Paul has encouraged fellow believers as well. He tells the Philippians of those who have been encouraged to speak more boldly. And just as there are those who speak from good will and love, there are also those who preach out of rivalry and envy. But Paul is not concerned with them. No matter the motive of the preacher, if they are proclaiming Christ, nothing else matters. The gospel has its own authority and is not dependant on human motives. The message is more powerful than the messenger.

The message is more powerful than the messenger was a sentiment that Scott expressed to us as well. He told our group that he didn’t worry about numbers, money and the like because if “God wanted a church in Eisleben in 20 years, there would be a church in Eisleben in 20 years.” He and Claudia understand that they are witnesses to the gospel. They are the acting agents, but it is Christ working within them that makes the difference. They, like Paul, have discovered that they need nothing else, only Jesus Christ.

In their community the church, like the land, bears the scars of the mining industry, but there are signs of healing and hope. Scott and Claudia have been able to reach out to the youth in the town. They told us about the kids who aren’t members but who come with their friends. And even though the pastors know these kids are out of Eisleben as soon as they are able, they also know that they are opening them up to the good news of Jesus Christ. All that matters is that Christ is proclaimed. As they talked about their work in Eisleben, I got the sense that while they are deeply saddened by the state of the church in their town and in the area, they are not bound to the circumstances. They are free in Christ and they have a vision of what the power of the gospel can do. They encourage not only the people they pastor, but they encouraged me.

Before we left, we prayed together. Their only request of us was to continue to pray and to encourage others to as well. Christ is at work in this village in Germany, the gospel is being advanced. Christ was at work in Paul, in those who heard him, and in the church at Philippi, the gospel is being advanced. Christ is at work here and now at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, the gospel is being advanced.

As I sat in Stotts (our campus dining hall) yesterday at lunch, surrounded by the community. I looked around the room, and thought about how each of us is called to boldly proclaim the gospel message, even though we have no way of knowing where that call may lead us or the situation in which we will find ourselves. I have listened to many stories shared around those tables. People confronted with obstacles, yet they are able to press on, knowing that Christ would see them through and knowing that they had the support and encouragement of the community.

To hear those stories, to listen to Scott and Claudia who minister in spite of their circumstances, to read the letter to the Philippians as Paul continues to preach even in prison, is to be encouraged to speak more courageously; and it is to know that it is not just Paul or Scott and Claudia or us who are called to advance the gospel, but every believer from Eisleben, to Philippi, to Austin, and to where ever we are sent. May we all see with new eyes so that our obstacles become opportunities, that where we may be bound by circumstance we find freedom in Christ. May we be encouraged to go out into all the world and boldly proclaim Jesus Christ so we might serve to encourage others and to advance the gospel. Amen.