Power to Do -- A Message for January 28, 2024

 

          Mark 1:21-28

 

21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 

22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 

23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, 

24 “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 

26 The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.

27 The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” 

28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

Here ends this reading of the Word of God for the People of God. Thanks be to God. Amen.

 

The Message                         Power to Do

 

This week, our reading from the Gospel of Mark picks up right where were we left off last Sunday. Last week, we focused on Jesus calling four former-fishermen to be his disciples and come work with him in his preaching, teaching, and healing ministry. After Jesus called his disciples from the shores of the Sea of Galilee, they all apparently went to the Galilean village of Capernaum. 

          In First Century Jewish synagogues, when people gathered to worship on the Sabbath, men were invited to come forward, read from the scriptures, and then interpret and teach based on their reading. The people gathered to worship at Capernaum’s synagogue on that long ago Sabbath were impressed with Jesus’ authority as he taught about the scriptures. He was different than the others they had heard preach – but, they didn’t yet realize Jesus was the Messiah.

          A man possessed by an impure spirit recognized Jesus, or at least the Spirit recognized Jesus. The Spirit knew Jesus was the Holy One of God. And, Jesus knew the Spirit and knew that the Spirit didn’t belong in the disturbed man. So, Jesus cast the Spirit out of the man.     

          The people who witnessed the miracle of Jesus casting out the impure Spirit were amazed. And, they quickly spread the story to everyone in the whole region – Jesus was able to preach and teach with authority, and he was able to heal a man who was believed to be possessed by an impure spirit.

          Fast-forward two-thousand years – we are not so sure about Spirits these days. Some people believe in ghosts and demons and many others do not. We may have trouble believing this man who encountered Jesus was demon possessed. But, whatever the cause of his problem – be it a demon, or a spirit, or a mental illness – we have all encountered people who are struggling with hallucinations or paranoia or a chemical imbalance in their brains and need help.

          Whatever the cause of the man’s problems, Jesus was the solution. He cast out the impure spirit. He healed the man’s body and brain. He restored the man to health. And that was a miracle. The people who witnessed this miracle were amazed and inspired by Jesus.

          We each struggle with things in our lives that are impure spirits for us – we all are all carrying baggage….we are all distracted by things that keep us from Jesus.  Perhaps we are obsessed with sports or are too focused on our tv shows. Perhaps we are caught up in our friendships or relationships and can’t set time aside to focus on our faith. Maybe we are so uncomfortable with our aches and pains that we can’t think about anything other than how we feel. Perhaps we struggle with addictions or dependencies on alcohol or drugs or unsavory activities.  We all have our own impure spirits to contend with.

          Like the man in the Synagogue of Capernaum, we can turn those things over to Jesus. We can pray and ask God to help us. We can pray and ask God to free us from the things that ail us, the things that distract us, and help us become closer to God.   

          We are all made by God with unique gifts and talents. We all have parts of ourselves we are called to share with others and are called to share to help make this world a better place. If we allow the burdens we carry, our impure spirits, to distract us from our callings, we will not whole-ly become the people God has created us to be. So, we must work to let go of those burdens, to release the things within us that keep us from God and keep us from living out our God-given talents.  We need to ask God’s help to free us from those things that are keeping us from fulfilling the calling God has placed upon us. 

          Jesus had the power to free the man of his unclean spirit. With Jesus’ help, we can also become free of the things that weigh us down and keep us from God and from utilizing the gifts given to us by God. Let us turn our lives towards Jesus and become free to live out our callings to be the people God calls us to be.

Amen.

Follow Me -- A Message for January 21, 2024

This morning, we turn to another story of Jesus calling his disciples to follow him. Today, we focus on a group of Jesus’ disciples who had previously been fishermen. They did not hesitate to follow Jesus when he called them. Listen to the story of their call as we read Mark, chapter 1, verses 14 through 20:

Scripture                             Mark 1: 14-20

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 

“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 

At once they left their nets and followed him.

When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 

Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

 

Message                     Follow Me

          This morning, the Old Testament reading for the day is the second part of the book of Jonah.  The book of Jonah is very short – only 4 chapters -- and it tells the story of the reluctant prophet Jonah who lived in Galilee in the 7^th century. God told Jonah to go and warn the people of Nineveh that their city was going to be destroyed because of their sinfulness.  Instead of listening to God, Jonah decided to run away --- to run away to the farthest place he could go – Tarshish in modern-day Spain.

          What happened to Jonah when he disobeyed God has been thrilling children’s imaginations for centuries. God became alarmed that Jonah disobeyed and ran away, so God stirred up a storm that scared the heck out of the sailors and other passengers on the ship Jonah was sailing away on.  Jonah confessed that he was running away from God and made the sailors throw him into the Mediterranean Sea.  A big fish swallowed Jonah….he prayed and asked God to forgive him.  God forgave Jonah, the fish spit him onto dry ground, and then Jonah went to Nineveh. There, the people repented and turned their lives to God.  

          This morning’s gospel passage about Jesus calling fishermen to become his disciples is quite a contrast to the Jonah story.  Jonah was a Galilean like the fishermen, but that is where the similarities end.

Jesus found the fishermen at the Sea of Galilee – Simon and Andrew were on the water casting their nets; James and John were in a boat and were preparing their nets for the day. Jesus invited the men to follow him, and they immediately dropped everything, left it all behind -- even left their dad behind -- and followed Jesus.

          There was no hesitation on their part.  They didn’t question Jesus.  They didn’t make any excuses. They didn’t look for an alternative place to go. They didn’t decide to run away and get as far away from Jesus as they possibly could like Jonah.  Instead, they met Jesus, dropped everything, and followed him.

          We hold up these fisher men disciples as the pinnacle of faithfulness. They followed Jesus the moment he invited them. But, when you talk to fellow Christians, most of us have stories that sound more like Jonah than the fishermen. We hear the call of God, we hesitate, we avoid, we perhaps run in the opposite direction, and, then, after we hit a few obstacles or get swallowed by a fish, we succumb and follow God’s calling on our life.

          Sometimes, we have to leave things behind when we choose to follow Jesus.  We may have behaviors, friends, and relationships that we need to give up in order to become more faithful. We may need to change professions or hobbies if they are keeping us from living according to the teachings of Jesus. When we commit to Jesus, we may need to detach from behaviors or relationships that are not helpful or wholesome.

          Sometimes, we hesitate to follow Jesus because we are not ready to give up those things. Sometimes, we hesitate to follow Jesus because we are not ready to commit all the way – we want to keep one foot in our old lives and one in our new lives. Sometimes, we are afraid – we are afraid to let go of our past selves and our past lives because we are not sure what faith-filled lives will be like.

          But, we can look to people like Jonah, and Simon, Andrew, James and John and see that they felt immense relief when they listened to God and Jesus and gave their lives to them. They were about to connect with God and know their past sins were forgiven. They received guidance and wisdom from Jesus and God. They felt the satisfaction of knowing their lives were being used for a purpose greater than their own needs – their impact on the world extended far into the future. And, for the disciples, they left their former friends and family but became part of a community where they were supported and loved by other believers.

          When we decide to follow Jesus and listen to God, we also feel relief – we can take comfort in knowing that God is watching over us, supporting us, and cares about us. We are assured that our past sins, present sins, and future sins will be forgiven.  We receive guidance from God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and God’s word, the Bible.  Through our work on behalf of God, we know our lives are being used for a purpose greater than our own needs. And, for us, we find community, support and love among other members of the church, other followers of Christ.

          Jesus is calling everyone on earth to follow him. For the people who have gathered in this room today, and our friends on facebook, we have decided to listen to Jesus and follow him. Part of our work is to guide and encourage others to listen to Jesus’ call, to hear Jesus and embrace his teaching and embrace the Christian faith. Sometimes, people will be like the fishermen disciples, ready to follow at the drop of a hat. Others will take a lot more time, like Jonah. But, our work is to invite others to follow and be assured that by our choice to follow Jesus, we have made the best decision of our lives.

Amen. 

 

Known and Loved -- A Message for January 14, 2024

 

          Last week, we listened to Mark’s description of Jesus’ baptism. Today, we are skipping ahead a little bit…after he was baptized, Jesus went into the wilderness. There, his faith was tested. After his 40 days in the wilderness, Jesus was ready for the work at hand – to fulfill his destiny to live as the Messiah. After Jesus left the wilderness, Jesus gathered a group of Disciples who would join him in his ministry. Today, we reflect on the calling of a few of those disciples. Listen to their call story as we read from John, chapter one, verses 43 through 51:

Scripture: John 1:43-51

43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”

44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 

45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.

“Come and see,” said Philip.

47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”

48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.

Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”

49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”

50 Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 

51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.”

Here ends this reading of the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God. Amen.

 

Message                       Known and Loved

          Many years ago, when I worked at a bookstore, I learned that “leadership” books are extremely popular sellers. If you scan the New York Times bestseller list, John C. Maxwell, Gary Chapman, and Brene Brown appear again and again with their books coaching us on how to become better leaders.  A whole industry has risen up to teach leadership principals… In addition to books promoting leadership, we can attend conferences and listen to endless podcasts teaching us to become better leaders in our professional lives, in our families, and in our churches.  We want to become leaders and do our best in our leadership roles. But, this begs the question, who are we leading…and who do we follow? Are we choosing to follow the right leaders?  Are we good followers?

          In our scripture this morning, the question of who to follow arose. John the Baptist had been calling the Jewish people to repent for their sins and become baptized as a sign of that repentance. He amassed a following. In Israel in the first century, spiritual leaders had disciples who lived alongside their leader and helped them in their work. John had several of his own disciples. But, then Jesus appeared.

          After John baptized Jesus, he began telling his followers about Jesus. They had to decide – should they stay with John? Or should they leave John and follow Jesus? They were curious about the man John identified as the Messiah – John said Jesus was the one they were waiting for.

          After his baptism, and his time in the wilderness, Jesus approached Philip, who was one of John’s disciples. Jesus told Philip to come and follow Jesus and Philip was ready to go. But, before he departed with Jesus, Philip found Nathaniel and told him about Jesus. Nathaniel was skeptical,…he doubted anything good could come from small-town Nazareth. Nathaniel went to check out Jesus and meet him.  He wanted to see him before he could decide to follow him. Was Jesus the kind of leader Nathaniel could dedicate his life to?

          When Nathaniel met Jesus, Jesus told Nathaniel that he knew him to be a man without deceit, and that Jesus had seen him sitting under the fig tree before Philip called him to come and follow Jesus. Somehow, Jesus words immediately convinced Nathaniel that he was the one to follow, Jesus was the messiah.

          In our lives, there are lots of people and positions vying for our attention. We seem to be in a constant election cycle, with politicians constantly running for office and seeking our votes and our financial pledges.  Every time we open up a social media account, we witness posts by “influencers” who want to tell us what products to use or recipes to cook or music to listen to. Celebrities are widely followed in the media – we can buy the exact same outfit Taylor Swift wore to the last football game or the handbag Kate Middleton used on her latest public outing. Between celebrities, and politicians, and influencers, and royalty, or athletes, we have a lot of voices vying for our attention. Who do we choose to follow?

          When Jesus invited Philip to leave John and follow him, Philip was immediately ready to go. He was so enthusiastic that he went and invited Nathaniel to come as well. But, Nathaniel was a tad more hesitant. He needed to meet Jesus for himself.

Consider when we first thought about following Jesus. We may have been little children who were brought to church and wondered what this was all about. Or we may have been busy adults who were searching for something more meaningful in our lives. Most of us were probably not immediately ready to follow Jesus when the opportunity presented itself. --  I remember telling my mother that I did not want to go to Confirmation classes and become confirmed. The pastor of our church had to bribe me with hot chocolate to get me to consider joining the class. Some of us took years before we decided to walk through the doors of a church or pick up a Bible.  Some of us took years before we decided to start praying. Most of us are not like Philip, ready to go immediately.  We are more skeptical, more like Nathaniel, and wait and see, and hesitate, before we are willing to follow Jesus.

Once we get there, once we are followers of Jesus, it is our work to be like Philip. When we are committed to following Jesus, we are called to spread the word.  This is the kind of leadership God is asking us to take on….to lead others to God. We are called to tell others about Jesus, to encourage others in their seeking God, and to live in a way that best represents the Christian faith to others. We wouldn’t be here if we came to check out Trinity and people were unwelcoming. We wouldn’t be here if the people we met who claimed to be Christians acted in ways that were un-Christ-like. So, our work as leaders is to be invitational. We follow a leader that everyone needs. We follow God, the way, the truth and the life. Let us help lead others to God. Amen.

Defining Moments -- January 7, 2024

 

          According to the church calendar, we have come to the end of the season of Christmas. Today is the first Sunday in the season of Epiphany. The Season of Epiphany follows the beginning of Jesus’ work of spreading the Good News. In today’s reading, we focus on Jesus’ baptism – for us, baptism is the beginning of acceptance of life as a Christian – for Jesus, baptism was the beginning of his work at the messiah – Jesus’ debut as the Messiah.

          Listen to how the Apostle Mark describes Jesus baptism as we read from Mark chapter 1:

 

Scripture: Mark 1: 4-11

 

And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 

The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 

John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 

And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 

I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 

Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 

And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

Here ends the reading of the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Let us pray: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, Our rock and our redeemer. Amen.

Message                       Defining Moments

 

          Monday was the first day of 2024. Many of us slept in after staying up until at least midnight the night before to welcome the New Year in and kiss 2023 good-bye.

          When we start a New Year, many of us make lists of our resolutions for the coming year. We list things we want to change – often we strive to adopt new habits and pledge to take better care of our bodies – we vow to drink less soda, go to the gym, purge our clutter, eat healthy. Most of the time, our resolutions are personal – they are about fixing things in our lives that only we have control over.

          In the New Year, we also have the opportunity to reflect about how things went for us in the past year and make plans for improvement. This is the season when people are brushing off their resumes, contacting travel agents, and starting their searches for new homes. We feel the impetus to get things better in the New Year – to have a fresh start.

          We know very little about Jesus’ younger years. He was born in Bethlehem, was a refugee in Egypt, and returned to the village of Nazareth after the death of King Herod when he was 5 or 6 years old. His family made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem when he was about 12. And, then, crickets…crickets….until Jesus was about thirty years old.

          John the Baptist is in the same boat. We hear about his parents and their miraculous pregnancy. While Elizabeth was still pregnant with John, Mary visited her. And then we don’t hear anything about John’s childhood or youth. Many years later, he appears in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins.

          Both John and Jesus was led by God. John was led to go out into the wilderness, wear simple and uncomfortable clothing, and eat the food that was available in the wild: Locusts and sweet wild honey.

God lead John to preach and to call people to repent of their sins and be baptized. The baptism symbolically washed away their sins so they could be released from their pasts and move into their futures as forgiven people.

          God led Jesus to be baptized. Jesus’ baptism was a restart—he was released from his past and able to move into his work to preach, teach, and heal. God determined the time was right for John to do his baptizing and for Jesus to begin his work. We don’t know about their lives as young adults, we don’t know if they ever behaved in ways that were not perfect….we can assume that even John, and possibly even Jesus, had things they needed to repent for and ask God to forgive. And, God led them to come to the wilderness, repent, and start over free to do the work God was calling them to do.

          As we make our plans for the New Year, and all of the positive changes we want to make, it is important that we also listen to how God is directing us. We also may have things from our pasts that we need to repent for -- things we wish we had done differently, mistakes we made. God may be leading us to ask God to forgive us so that in the midst of the changes and challenges of the new year, we can turn over a fresh leaf and start anew.

          John and Jesus didn’t wander out into the wilderness alone – they were led by God. God is also leading and directing us in our lives. We are not alone. God wants us to remember that there is nothing we can do that is so horrible that God will not love and forgive us. So, we can confess all of our sins, all of our blemishes, to God, and ask God to forgive us. As forgiven believers, the weight of our pasts is lifted from our shoulders. We can look towards the new year and know that we will do better, we will be better, as we are directed by God to face the challenges and opportunities ahead with clean slates.

          Every day, we have the opportunity to ask God to forgive our pasts failings and embrace new opportunities. God wants us to remember we are loved, freed, and encouraged to become the kind of people God wants us to be.

          Let us do so with love in our hearts today and all days. Amen.

 

Leaping for Joy -- A Message for December 24, 2023

 

I am sure everyone is super-aware that this is the morning of Christmas Eve. The way the stories fell in the worship calendar was a little odd this year. This morning, we focus on Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth. Tonight, we focus on the birth of her baby. So, over the course of this day, when we are out buying last minute gifts or gathering with friends and family, Mary will be figuratively speeding through her pregnancy….9 months condensed into one day.

          Let us revisit the story of Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth as we read from Luke 1:39-45…

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 

where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 

In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 

But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 

As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 

Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

This is the word of God for the People of God. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Let us pray: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.

Message                       “Leaping for Joy”

          When Mary arrived at Elizabeth’s home and greeted her, Elizabeth said that the baby in her womb leaped for joy. Scientists who study pregnancy know that the babies can hear much of what the parents are doing while still in their mother’s womb. We are told to read books to our babies, to play music for them, to talk to them. Andy and I went to a graduation party while I was pregnant with Aida that had a loud DJ and we were worried that it was too noisy for the baby – not for us, but the for baby’s little ears. So, John leaping for joy in his mother’s womb is quite likely – even a little baby knew he was in the presence of the Messiah.

          Both Mary and Elizabeth had a lot to worry about while they were pregnant. Mary was at risk from the people in her community – to be pregnant and unmarried was shameful for women in her culture. She was at risk of the townspeople turning against her and stoning her.

          Elizabeth was described in our scriptures as being elderly. When the angel Gabriel told her husband that they were expecting a baby, Zachariah said: “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”  Elizabeth was one of the women in our Biblical narrative who was barren and then had a miraculous pregnancy when she was older. So, she experienced all of the normal medical risks of pregnancy and then the added risks that befall older moms – sounds familiar!

          Mary went to be with Elizabeth in order to be nurtured by a trusted relative. In Zachariah and Elizabeth’s home, Mary found comfort, care and compassion. We don’t read anything in our scriptures about Mary’s parents….we don’t know who they were, what their status in the community was, or what kind of parents they were to Mary. But, we do know that Mary turned to Elizabeth and Zachariah after she learned she was pregnant.  She trusted them and she went to them for help. It says later in Luke that Mary stayed with them for three months, and returned to Nazareth just before the Baby John was born. She returned to Nazareth to join Joseph and prepare for marriage and the birth of her child…she probably returned to Nazareth expecting that she would have her baby there. The Roman census caused her plan to be altered.

          When we are young people, it is always good to have trusted adults we can turn to when we are in crisis….trusted adults in addition to our parents or, for some of us, trusted adults we can turn to instead of our parents. In my life, I have been blessed with aunts – 5 regular aunts, many great-aunts, even a beloved great-great aunt. When I was a younger person, a teenager and a young adult, at times I turned to my aunts to help me through tough situations It is always helpful for young people to have trusted adults to turn to when times are hard and possibly when you need to get away from home to recover – Elizabeth lived far enough away from Mary that Mary could relax while she was and her home – relax and prepare for Jesus’ birth.

          In our lives, part of our work as people of faith is to become for other people’s kids trusted, nurturing adults. We are called to work to pay attention to the young people in our neighborhoods, in our families and in our church. We are called to be loving, kind and generous to them….even when they wear unusual clothing and listen to music we don’t understand and watch tv shows that make no sense to us.

          The last time Jesus left the earth, he put into place the seeds that would become the Christian Church – we are the people of that Church.   We are called to create in this place and among these people a loving, supportive environment where we together live out Jesus’ teachings. Together, we are called to care for the youngest members of our congregation and communities and work to lovingly support them in their tumultuous lives. We are called to be like Zachariah and Elizabeth, to provide a place for young people to safely land, rest, and be restored so that they can face life’s challenges knowing they are loved by us and they are loved by our God.

          May we do so with love in our hearts today and all days. Amen.