The Power Within

Sermon:  July 26, 2015

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.  I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

--Ephesians 3:14-21

Today’s scripture reading is a prayer. This was Paul’s prison cell at the time that the letter to the people of Ephesus was written.

First, Paul tells us that he kneels before the Father. Imagine him kneeling in there. Kneeling is a posture of submission. We have special cushions for kneeling in submission to God in prayer, yet Paul kneeled there on that stone floor.

Paul’s word choices here are intentional…he refers to God as Father and to all of the families under heaven and earth. It is important that you see our church as family. We are a family. And just as Paul prayed for the church in Ephesus (and in many other surrounding areas), we should also pray for our church…our extended family.

And in every family, there must be a certain amount of patience and understanding. We are all different and yet we must love one another, be kind to one another, confront each other when it’s necessary, and forgive each other. No family is perfect, but we are all important.

And, as I mentioned early, God is described as our Father. When we describe the Trinity we say “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”. God the Father is spirit, the Holy Spirit is spirit, and Jesus (the Son) was fully human and fully God—he is a physical being. But we need to understand that Jesus is the only member of the Trinity who had a human body. God is spirit. He is not an old white man with a long white beard…or, as many younger people may think, he is not an old black man in a white suit with the voice of Morgan Freeman. He is spirit.

So…why do we call him Father? Well, there are many who have begun to refer to God as Mother…or they alternate between both. However, I struggle with this. The Bible tells us that Jesus is God’s son. Jesus had a mother—Mary. Jesus refers to him as Father. Many references in the New Testament refer to God as the Father. So, I believe that God intends for us to see him as a Father. Dad. Daddy. 

Now, for people who did not have a good father figure in their lives, sometimes this reference is difficult. But keep in mind that God is the perfect father. He has none of the faults that our human fathers have. And just as a perfect father would love his children unconditionally, God also loves us in this way.

The prayer that Paul prays focuses on strengthening the young church with the power of the Holy Spirit. He prays that God will strengthen them “with power through his Spirit in their inner being”. He prays that “Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith”. And he prays that they “may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

Next Paul describes the power of the Holy Spirit: He says that the Holy Spirit is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”

The Holy Spirit! The same Holy Spirit that lives within us today!

We talked last week about the splitting of the veil in the temple that symbolized God’s presence leaving the confinement of the Holy of Holies. God is with us…his church. But the Holy Spirit did not make himself known to the people until after Jesus ascension.

We celebrate this momentous occasion! It is called Pentecost.

(Famous painting by Jean Restout II in the Louvre.  15 ft by 26 ft.  The “Pentecost” was originally a much larger artwork. It was wider and had an arched top displaying a dove symbolizing the descent of the Holy Spirit. From this dove once radiated golden shafts of light that streamed down upon the apostles.)

Jesus told his followers when he was preparing to ascend into heaven that another was coming…a helper, the Holy Spirit. Here is what the book of Acts tells us about that day.

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.  They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” (Acts 2:1-4)

Yes, the gift of tongues is real. I don’t have it so don’t ask me to do it! Nor do I have the ability to translate tongues—but there are also those with that gift.

The point is…the Holy Spirit came to us and gives us special power. In Paul’s first letter to the people of Corinth, he tells them about these special gifts.

“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)

And Paul tells us in our scripture reading this morning that the Holy Spirit is able to do immeasurable more than all we can ask or imagine.

Yet…are we allowing the Holy Spirit to give us this power in our lives? How can we access this amazing power of the Holy Spirit…this power that is living within us.

I believe that there are four things that we can do. And I got these four things from the work of John Piper. He’s a theologian and pastor that I respect. I learn from him and many other theologians on a regular basis.

First, we need to immerse ourselves in God’s Word.

Do you realize that when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, he responded to each temptation with scripture? There is POWER is scripture, folks. Yet, how can we defend ourselves with scripture if we don’t know any?

The bible is, by far, the bestselling book of all time. If you think about Bibles in your home, how many can you count in your head? I don’t even know how many we have—multiple translations from multiple events and occasions. We probably have more than 20.

Yet, when was the last time you read this best seller? When was the last time that you sat down in a quiet place and immersed yourself in God’s Word? And, even if you wanted to, it is often difficult to know where to even start!

It is not a normal book. It’s a library! A book full of books. Some of them are historical records, some are poems, some are songs, and some of them are prophecy.

I recommend starting with James. There are lots of recommended lists for “how to” read the Bible. Pick one and jump in. God will guide you.

The Bible is the primary way that God talks to us. He provided us with His Word. Read the Bible with the expectation that God will talk to you personally through the words that you read.

Secondly, we need to trust God.

Believe that the Bible is the truth and that God still speaks to us today through its enduring words. Know that you can trust that the Bible was written through the authority of God and inspired by God through the Holy Spirit. The writers of the scriptures were instruments that God used to pen His words. They were tools.

The Bible was written by men but inspired by God. Read it. Meditate on it. Believe it. And trust in its truth.

Faith is critical to our lives as Christians. Just ask the many who were healed and told by Jesus, “Your faith has healed you.” “Your faith has made you well.” 

The third thing we need to do is pray.

Prayer is another primary way that God talks to us. Yes, I know that we think of this as our primary way to talk to God, but we also need to take time in our prayers to just be still and listen.

And sometimes we are also called to fast. Fasting was used throughout Biblical times to speak to and hear from God. It is still a powerful tool today. In fact, John Wesley fasted every Wednesday and Friday…and he required his Pastors to do the same. It is important to know your physical limitations, talk with your doctor, and drink plenty of water when you fast.

But regardless of HOW you pray, know that God hears and answers prayer. That’s whether you pray constantly throughout the day in your mind, whether you pray aloud with your family, or whether you kneel and pray quietly. The Holy Spirit living within you makes sure that God knows your prayers before you even ask. In fact, the book of Romans tells us that the Holy Spirit knows what to pray for us even when we ourselves don’t know what to pray for.

Pray. Be intentional about it. Talk to God, your Father who loves you, and know he will answer. He won’t always answer in the way we think is best. But what do we know? Trust in his answers.

And finally, we need to be responsive to the nudging of the Holy Spirit.

If we want to take advantage of the power that we are offered through the Holy Spirit, we must be willing to do what the Holy Spirit prompts us to do. And it’s not always easy.

Have you felt the Holy Spirit urging you to visit someone, urging you to make a call, urging you to get involved in…something? All too often we ignore that prompting of the Holy Spirit because we don’t understand, or we’re scared, or we’re too proud.

When we resist the Holy Spirit, we are giving up this amazing power that God promises us. 

Sometimes I think it is unintentional. I think we can get so caught up in this world that we don’t even understand when God is trying to get our attention. But I will promise you that if you read God’s Word, if you pray earnestly and often, and if you believe…God and the Holy Spirit will find how to talk to you in a way that you understand.

When I work with youth, I encourage them to look for God Sightings. They begin noticing how God works in the world around them and before long they see how He is working in their own life. I encourage you to do the same.

Let’s use some of this mighty power that is right here within us to do amazing things for God in our community and in the world.

One in Christ

Sermon:  July 19, 2015

Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)—remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.  He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.  And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

--Ephesians 2:11-22

Notice the first word of our passage today. What was it? Therefore.

“Therefore” indicates that what Paul is saying next all hinges on the truth the he expressed previously. With this in mind, before we can look at today’s passage, it is important that we understand verses 1-10.

Paul has said in this circulated letter to the people of the young church in the first century that they had been dead. When they followed the ways of the world, they were dead. Dead in their sin. Dead as followers of Satan, who was at work in the world back then and is still at work in the world today. And he admits that he was once dead in sin…just as you and I were once dead in sin.

Those who are dead, Paul says, “gratify the cravings of their bodies”. They, at once time even we, chased after our own desires and our own thoughts. And in this state, we deserved death. But even in this condition, maybe the condition that some of us are still in today, God loved us.

And through His son he showed His mercy by offering us grace…forgiveness. When God rose Jesus from the dead, He also raised us up.

Understand that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. It is not because of anything that we have done. It is a GIFT from God. We are NOT saved by our good deeds. The good deeds that we do accomplish are through God’s work in us! These are things that God prepared us for before we were even born. We were created to do them so WE can’t brag about them.

Saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Alive now rather than dead in our sin. And that’s where we pick up today. We are alive!

Therefore… Remember. Remember who you were!

As we talked about last week, Paul is talking here in his letter to an audience that is made up almost entirely of gentiles, non-Jews. He wants them to remember that not long ago they were without God. They were not included in God’s covenant with Israel—His chosen people. They were without hope. 

But Christ’s sacrifice changed it all. Through the spilling of his blood, the law with all of its commands and regulations was set aside. His purpose was to make all people, one people—Jews and gentiles. His preaching was based on the concept of peace…no matter the audience. He opened the doorway so that through him, we (the gentiles) could have access to the Father.

In fact, do you realize that in the temple there was a special place for the dwelling of the Holy Spirit? It was called the Holy of Holies. Separating the Most Holy Place from the nave (The Holy Place) was a curtain. And when Jesus died, this veil split from the top to the bottom…removing the separation between God and his people.

Through this the gentiles were no long strangers, foreigners. Instead, we became citizens of God’s household. We became one with the Israelites. No longer was the temple needed! We are the church! 

Jesus is the cornerstone of our foundation with the rest of this foundation being made up of the apostles and all of the prophets. We are the bricks! You and I and every other Christian out there make up the bricks in this church that is built on such a holy and reliable base. We are the temple of the Lord. We are the dwelling in which God lives through the Holy Spirit. All of us. All of us who put our faith in Jesus Christ.

You see, folks, there is just one way to salvation, and that is through the grace of God given to those who believe—the Jews who believe and the gentiles who believe. Everyone who believes. We are one!

But we often sure don’t act like it. It didn’t take long for the young church to begin having disagreements about scripture, theology, beliefs, etc. Every generation has faced cultural issues that divide us…with this generation being no different as we face the issue of homosexuality and struggle with God’s definition of sexual sin…porneou, as it is called in the New Testament. Just what does “Porneou” include?

Yet this is only the current issue. In the past we have differed to the point of “splitting” on many issues…from the selling of indulgences by some who were misguided in the Catholic Church hundreds of years ago to the practices of infant baptism, communion, the roles of the saints that died before us, the importance of speaking in tongues, the role of women in the church, etc. Take a look at the splits!

Even within Methodism itself, see how we’ve split.

Yet when we read the Bible and we read Paul’s words, we realize that he is talking to the early, young church.  The church led by Peter that spread. And his words are true for all of us. The Bible is true for all of us. We just keep finding issues on which to disagree.

But, maybe instead, we need to focus on the issues in which we agree. Are there any? There certainly are. Turn in your pew bibles to page 881. You can see many creeds in this section of the UMH…but today we will focus on the Apostles’ Creed.

The Apostle’s Creed was believed to be written in the first or second century and holds the essential truths that we, and all Christians, believe to this day. Let’s read it together from your hymnal page 881.

This is an ecumenical version and includes our belief in the catholic church with the word “catholic” (with a small c) meaning “universal”. So when we read that we believe in the holy catholic church we are saying that we believe in the holy universal church…the entire body of Christ.

There will always be those that take a stand on specific issues…that take stands that lead to splits in the body of Christ. But folks, we ARE one body. Even when we disagree, we can continue to love one another and work together to build the kingdom of God. And that means across denominations as well as right here within our own doors.

We want to build a kingdom, even a local congregation, where we look out among the people and we think…what in the world do these people have in common? Jesus. Jesus is our Cornerstone. Everything we say and everything we do is based on our foundation which has the cornerstone of Jesus Christ. He’s the reason we here today and the reason that we will continue to share His gospel with the world.

Are you willing? How can we within the Syracuse First United Methodist Church be one in Christ? What are we doing right? What do we need to do differently? What do we need to do better?

How can we, as part of the body of Christ in the city of Syracuse, be one in Christ with our neighbors who also strive to follow him albeit through different denominations? What are we doing right? What do we need to do differently? What do we need to do better?

Open doors. Open hearts. Open minds. Let’s live these things as one in Christ. Amen.

Quiet! Be still!

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 

A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” 

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.  He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 

They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” 

--Mark 4:35-41

I want to take you back to that day…on that boat…with Jesus.

Can you conjure up the image of a lake in your mind? Hear the sounds of the water lapping the shoreline. Smell the fishy, earthy scents in the air.
_______________

What a long day it has been.

We started the day on the other side of this lake. Jesus has been telling all kinds of parables to explain the Kingdom of God. He’s talked about seeds and lamps. He’s talked about sand, and rock, and even mustard! Some people seemed to understand exactly what he was talking about while for others, his words went right over their heads. Even we, the disciples, would need time alone with Jesus so he could explain everything to us. Every now and then we would pull him aside and bombard him with questions. He was so patient with us as he explained.

And we were tired at the end of the day. When Jesus finally said, “Let’s go over to the other side”, we were glad to leave the crowds for some relaxation. But that’s NOT what we got…at least that’s not what MOST OF US got.

Everyone loaded up. There were others boats that followed along with us, too. We knew Jesus was tired. He settled in the back of the boat on a cushion and was soon asleep. Some of the other guys rested, too, but I was one of the rowers as we made our way to the other side.

All of a sudden, the wind picked up! We were being thrown around on the water and the waves got large enough that they broke over the boat. We were nearly swamped! Now, everyone was wide awake…well, almost everyone.

There was Jesus, still sleeping like a baby. We couldn’t believe it! Didn’t the sound of the storm scare him like it scared us? Couldn’t he hear the thunder and the crashing of the waves? Didn’t he feel the cold water splashing on him?

Irritated, we finally jostled him awake. “Don’t you even care if we drown?!” we asked him. And then “that” looked passed over his face. The look that we saw every time we disappointed him…which was more often than I would like to admit.

He stood up. And he spoke to directly to the wind and waves. He shouted, simply, “Quiet! Be still! We just stared. What in the world was he doing? But the storm listened! The wind died down, the waves settled, and it was completely calm. Completely calm.

And next, he turned to us. We were surrounding him, quiet and terrified. He looked around at each of us and asked, “Why are you afraid?” And then, “Do you still have no faith?”

That question hit us hard. We have given up our careers and our lives as we knew them to follow Jesus. And yet, when times got tough, he was exactly right—we didn’t have the faith to know that he would get us through the storm.

And after he settled back down for some more rest, we realized that Jesus was much more than just a great teacher of the scriptures. “Who is he?” we asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”
_______________

And what about you? Are there times in your life when the wind is blowing and the waves are knocking you around…and yet, Jesus seems to just be sleeping.

Why is God ignoring me? Where is He? Can’t he see that I’m hurting? (Shout) “Don’t you even care if I drown?!”

You know, I think there are really three ways this can go.

I believe that through many of life’s storms Jesus is resting in the background. We must learn to deal with the storms that life throws at us. We must develop coping skills and a world view that uses those storms to make us stronger.

Let me ask you a question. In this story, had Jesus abandoned the disciples? Had he grabbed a life preserver and left them to fend for themselves? Had he? No. It was a storm. A normal storm…yes, storms are normal. So they got tossed around a little. So they got a little wet. Some of them were raised as fisherman. They had the skills to weather this storm. And Jesus was going to let them do just that.

Why? How can we know all of the reasons that Jesus, that God, allows storms to brew up in our lives? Yet, we know that He does…when all He would have to do is shout, “Quiet! Be still!” I can’t tell you that I always understand, but I can tell you that these storms where we feel alone and abandoned are not in vain.

In Paul’s letter to the people of Rome, we learn in Chapter 8 and verse 28 that all things work together for good for all of those who love God and are called according to His purposes. All things work together for good. Even the storms where we can see absolutely NO GOOD, God will use them for good in the long run. He promises!

So that’s the first way that Jesus may react to the storms in our life.

Through other life storms, I believe that Jesus is beside us fighting the wind and waves. He doesn’t shout, “Quiet! Be still!” But we feel his presence at these times. We take strength from him to battle these storms. Have you been through a storm such as this when you knew God was with you helping you through it? A classmate of mine has a young son who has battle cancer his whole life. She feels God’s presence and does not feel abandoned. She knows that Jesus’ arms are wrapped around her on most days holding her up. I can tell this from her blog that she uses to journalize their days and praise God for their blessings. Amazing.

And sometimes, I think that we’re asleep. That’s right. Sometimes I think Jesus fights battles for us that we are oblivious to. Spiritual battles… some with Satan himself…for our very souls. We don’t know what battles Jesus helps us avoid through his presence in our lives. Do you ever wonder?

Well, do you realize how many people were spared on 9/11? Have you read the stories of uncanny coincidence that saved lives? Maybe a vacation had to be cancelled so a man didn’t get to get on the plane. Maybe a woman took a cigarette break and the plane ran into her office while her elevator was making it’s way to the ground. Maybe a computer glitch made a stewardess have to fly to another city instead of riding with her normal flight crew to Los Angeles. These are not random “what if’s”, these things actually happened according to CNN in a 10-year Anniversary article that was run.

Although some people may say it was “luck” or just “coincidence”. I say no. Although timing may affect good or bad things that happen in our lives, I also believe that sometimes we are just spared…for whatever reason.

But believing this also means that sometimes I believe we are NOT spared…for whatever reason. God is sovereign. We won’t always understand, because you see…we are NOT God. We are not omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent. We are not love…full of grace and mercy, justice and holiness. We simply can’t always understand. But no matter what, Jesus is always there during our storms, whether he is resting in the back, active beside us, or dominating in front of us, he is always there…if we ask him to be.

Have you asked him to be there? Do you doubt his presence in your life? Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?

Friends, trust in him. Trusting in Him doesn’t mean that things will always work out the best for YOU. It means that things will work out for good in the long run.

Remember…even the winds and the waves obey him. He is Jesus Christ our Lord, Son of the Living God. Amen.

Seeds

Sermon:  Meade, June 14, 2015

He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”

Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”

With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.  --Mark 4:26-34

My dad is a retired farmer. For many years he scattered seeds.

Well, it wasn’t that easy. He tilled the ground, planted the seeds, fertilized them, watered them, and worried about them. I remember many early mornings going out with him to change water. That meant opening and closing the gates on the water pipe back before everyone had sprinklers. My dad used a golf club for this task.

So he tilled, and planted, and fertilized, and watered, and worried. And when those seeds had grown into plants that produced grain, he harvested them. And he celebrated those good harvests.

I understand that process and so do you. And so did those people who heard this story from Jesus’ back on that day.

But keep in mind that he precedes the story with the sentence, “This is what the Kingdom of God is like.” He makes it clear that he is about to illustrate the Kingdom of God, something very complex, through a simple story.

After all that’s all a parable is…an allegory. Parables are analogies that use simple, common, and understandable stories to explain something more complex. This is how Jesus taught…and it’s genius.

On this morning, Jesus was down by the lake. But as the crowd grew, Jesus got on a small boat out on the lake and taught from there with the crowd along the shore at the water’s edge.

Can you hear the sounds of the water lapping on the shore? Can you smell the smells of a lake as you sit near the water and listen closely to hear his words?

Jesus uses the concept of seeds several times in his parables on this day…this day that will end with Jesus calming a storm on this very lake.

You and I are scatterers of seeds. In talking about God’s kingdom, you and I as Christians are responsible for scattering those seeds.

Sometimes the process is very formal. Remember when I mentioned that my father tilled the ground. Well, sometimes we do that.

For example, a youth pastor may spend a lot of time with youth preparing their hearts for the Word of God. Maybe they do team building activities together, sing together, open up with each other about the challenges in their lives. Those young people are such fertile ground. Lots of time and effort is often put into preparing young people to hear and receive the Word of God.

But seeds may be planted intentionally or unintentionally.

Let me use the same example with the youth. That youth pastor will carefully plant seeds of God’s truth into the life of the student through his words and actions. That is intentional.

However, suppose that a youth director has spent lots of time “tilling the soil” then a student watches them cuss out a referee at a local high school basketball game or make an obscene hand gesture to someone who cut him off in traffic. These are also seeds…but seeds that we do not want to plant in such impressionable soil.

But the good seeds, well, we take care of them. Going back to my example, we nurture God’s truth in the hearts and minds of our young people. We reinforce them and work hard to make them grow. 

And just as my father worried about his crops, we worry about ours. What seeds are other people planting in the minds and hearts of my child? Am I fertilizing and watering all the right seeds? 

Because we know a harvest is coming.

Now, this doesn’t only apply to youth pastors and young people. As I mentioned before, you and I are scatters of seeds. What words or actions have you been scattering around? Will the seeds that you are throwing be helpful in furthering God’s kingdom? 

“Well, it was just a little seed,” you may argue.

Ahhh. The Kingdom of God is just like that. A little tiny seed, even the very tiniest of seeds, can grow into a plant that is huge.

Have you ever seen a mustard seed? My daughter has a necklace with one in a magnified locket to remind her of these very verses.

There are lots of different varieties of mustard plants. But the mustard plant that Jesus refers to in here is one that grows large enough for birds to roost in its branches.

For simplicity’s sake, I’ll pick a plant that we are more familiar with…cottonwood trees. Picture a cottonwood tree seed. I would estimate them at a millimeter in diameter and 2 millimeters long…connected to fluff that allows them to travel through the air long distances.

Now, trees take years to grow, unlike the mustard seed in the story. However, the analogy can still be made. A tiny seed makes a plant so large that we use its shade, birds and other creatures make their homes in them, and their branches extend out in all directions.

When I was growing up, my father planted a Cottonless Cottonwood tree in our front yard and one in our backyard. I remember the stakes in the ground to hold them in place as they fought the southwest Kansas wind to grow big and strong.

I was surprised when the trees grew taller than me and then grew taller than the house. And I’m still surprised when I drive by my childhood home and see how tall they are today… providing shade for the entire yard.

All of that, from just one tiny little seed.

Friends, the seeds we plant work the same way. Whether we tend them or not, the seeds have the ability to grow under the right conditions.

Sometimes we don’t provide the conditions. Sometimes we plant a seed and walk away not knowing it someone else will come along to nurture it. Sometimes we plant a seed and that tender heart where we planted it turns away from us.

Don’t give up hope! This parable tells us that sometimes we do not ever know what makes a seed grow. We may not be around, we may not understand.

But God is a grand gardener. He will tend His garden and plants will grow where we may have even forgot that we even planted a seed.

And those plants will produce more seeds.

Never stop planting.

And never stop tending the seeds and sprouting plants that our great gardener puts in your life.

Father in heaven, We are thankful for the teachings of your son, Jesus, and for the fact that they were taught in a way that we can still understand them so many years later.

Lord, guide us as we scatter seeds for your kingdom. Give us the wisdom to nurture planted seeds as often as we have the opportunity.

We know that you are the great gardener and that Your kingdom will grow. And we are grateful. Amen

Abide

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples." (John 15:1-8)

Jesus spoke these words on that special night in the upper room. Picture him there with the disciples seated around him on the floor as they talk about things to come. 

Jesus has washed their feet. They have enjoyed the Passover meal together. He has predicted his betrayal and Judas has already left to collect his silver and lead some soldiers and Jewish officials to his Rabbi. 

Jesus knows what’s coming. He knows he has a limited amount of time now to tell these men who love him dearly the things that they need to know. And so he speaks to them. And here we see John’s words (John—self-described as “the disciple that Jesus loved”) as he tells us what happened during that time. John 14, 15, 16, and 17 are almost all red in my bible. And these words of Jesus are important. I’m quite certain that he would’ve picked his topics and words very carefully on this special night. 

Jesus says, “I am the true vine.” 

The disciples would’ve been familiar with vines and the fruit they produce. With most meals they probably drank wine which would keep and even get better with age. 

The vine itself gives life to everything else on the plant—the branches, leaves, and fruit. Jesus is using the vine here as a metaphor for all life. 

I am the vine…the TRUE vine.  I provide everything that’s needed for your life. 

But wait… in the same sentence he adds, “and my Father is the Vinegrower.” My Father is the gardener. My father takes care of all of us! My Father provides everything I need so that I can provide everything you need. 

Have any of you tended to a fruit vine. I went with a friend of mine several years to North Carolina and we visted a vineyard. It was fascinating to see and hear about the care that was put into the vines. Take a look at different parts of the vine. A gardener sees the vine as a complex plant with many parts. 

Jesus says “He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit.” You see, the gardener cuts those unfruitful branches away. 

What is this fruit? It’s God’s love coming from us and it can be seen in many different ways. 

“Abide in me,” Jesus tells us. And the word abide comes from the greek word μένω (men’-o). It means remain, stay, live, endure…abide. Jesus says it 8 times. Abide in me. Live in me. Stay in me. Remain in me. 

But how do we “abide” in him? How do we live and remain in him. Well, first of all we need to understand that this is a gift. We GET to live connected to him. We GET to accept this gift from Jesus…even when it feels like he is far away. 

God’s love (from the gardner) goes into the vine where it is given to us—the branches. And we send God’s love back out into the world as fruit. Our fruit is the love of God that we send back out into the world! 

We can abide in Jesus and in God’s love by staying connected to him—praying, reading the Bible, being in fellowship with other believers, and seeking His will. 

But this is not work. Know that God does all the work. “Every branch that bears fruit He prunes to make it bear more fruit.” 

 Let’s look again at the grape vine. Here it is full of fruit. 

 Here it is in the fall after the harvest season. 

This passage tells us that God prunes away the branches that don’t produce fruit, but He also prunes down those that DO product fruit to make them produce MORE fruit. From this to this. 

Although this isn’t much work for us, the branches… that doesn’t mean that it’s easy. 

Being pruned is NOT easy and it’s not always pleasant. In fact, that “cutting away” can be downright painful. 

One of my good friends often twists the phrase, “No good deed goes unnoticed.” (Which is surely true when it comes to God!) Instead, she says, “No good deed goes unpunished.” Have you ever heard that? Sometimes it feels that way. Sometimes it feels like our efforts to help someone out lead us to complications that we didn’t predict, expect, or desire. But they do help us grow. 

God prunes those of us who are fruitful so that we will bear even more fruit. God prunes his branches that are giving His love to the world so that they will be effective in giving even more of His love. 

Maybe He shows us how our good intentions led us to actions that hurt the receiver in the long run…so that we will know better next time. Maybe He makes us see the pain and suffering of those we don’t know how to help…so that we will see effective ways to help. Maybe He makes us walk in the shoes of people we have served or will need to serve one day so that we will be empathetic to their struggle. He prunes us. Cuts us back. But it’s all to make us more fruitful. 

Abide in me. 

“A branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine…and neither can you unless you abide in me.” 

Without our vine, Jesus, we won’t bear any fruit. Without Jesus in our lives, we will simply be a dead branch. 

Abide in me. 

“Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit.” Do you hear that? “Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit.” Jesus also abides in us! We are connected to the vine but the vine is also connected to us. In fact, God LIVES in us through the Holy Spirit…as Jesus would try to explain to the confused disciples a little later. “Apart from me,” he said, “you can do nothing.” 

Not only can a person apart from Jesus bear no fruit, but they can do nothing. All of their efforts are for nothing. And it gets worse… 

Abide in me. 

“Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.” 

Abide in me. 

“If you abide in me, and MY WORDS abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” Jesus says, “If my words abide in you…” Jesus’ words stay alive through us! The disciples were some of the very few who got Jesus’ words directly from his mouth while we get Jesus words through the bible. Jesus’ teachings in the Bible should be alive through our words and actions. His words should abide in us. 

You see, when we ABIDE in Christ and we bear fruit for the Kingdom of God and we live as disciples for Christ, we glorify God. And that’s the whole reason we were created. In fact, there are 54 verses and passages in the Bible that indicate this is true. The Westminster Catechism (written in the 1700’s by our forefathers of the reformation) states it succinctly; “Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” Period. 

Abide in me. 

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a preacher who lived during World War II. He was a great theologian who sought to end the tyranny of Hitler’s regime and spoke out with the love of Christ in support of the Jewish people and against evil. He was imprisoned…and eventually he was martyred. But generations of people have grown from the fruit of his ability to abide in Christ through his suffering. Listen to his words from his posthumous book “Letters and Papers from Prison”. 

“In me there is darkness, 
but with You there is light; 
I am lonely, but You do not leave me; 
I am feeble in heart, but with You there is help; 
I am restless, but with You there is peace. 
In me there is bitterness, but with You there is patience; 
I do not understand Your ways, but You know the way for me.”




“Lord Jesus Christ, You were poor and in distress, 
a captive and forsaken as I am. 
You know all man’s troubles; 
You abide with me when all men fail me; 
You remember and seek me; 
It is Your will that I should know You And turn to You. 
Lord, I hear Your call and follow; 
Help me.” 
 ― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison 

It’s not always going to be easy. If it is, I think you have some questions to ask yourself. Because if you are bearing fruit, you will be pruned. 

Abide in him. 

Let’s pray. 

Father in Heaven, we thank You that You are always faithful to us…that you abide in us, even when we pull away from You. Lord, sometimes You seem so far away. Help us to remember that You are not. You are with us..abiding in us. You grafted us into the vine so that we, like your chosen people, could bear fruit. We are grateful. 

Father, help us also to rejoice in our suffering knowing that You will use all things for good. You are the vine grower. You are the gardener. You will prune as You see fit…even when we don’t understand. Give us the strength, courage, and faith to trust in You and to continue to abide in you during these challenging times in our lives. Amen.

My Call...Continued

It was a Tuesday night in March.  I was in my office working on a tax return when a Bruce Springsteen CD caught my eye.

"I haven't listened to Bruce lately," I thought.  Over the last two years I've mostly listened to KJIL and I couldn't remember the last time I pushed a disc in the slot.  

I made my Bruce selection, the 1975-85 live collection, and took it upstairs to sit with my purse until the next morning.

The following morning I was up early.  Our Satanta Indian boys basketball team was preparing for the State tourney.  The excitement was interrupting my sleep at the time!  After getting around, I sat down for some quiet time and a cup of coffee before work.  

A Facebook post from December entered my mind.  I had invited friends to the following: "The first five people who comment on this status with 'I'm in' will randomly receive a surprise from me at some point in 2015--anything from a book, a ticket, something homemade, a postcard, absolutely any surprise! There will be no warning and it will happen when the mood comes over me and I find something that I believe would suit you and make you happy."

One the friends who had "opted in" is also a Springsteen fan.  I did a little searching for some Bruce merchandise hoping for a good deal on something autographed.  Although I didn't find anything, I realized that this was the second time that this special performer had come up in my life in a short period of time.

For most people, this small coincidence wouldn't make them blink an eye.  But it's different for me.  Bruce, after all, has been used by God throughout my call to ministry to confirm important decisions or upcoming critical events.  I was put on alert.

I shut my computer and went on to work.

At lunch I ended up with some strange plans.  A couple of my youth group boys needed haircuts before the state tourney and I knew they wouldn't have time to get this done after school.  I got permission to sign them out and ran them to the barber.

When we got out of the vehicle on Main Street in Garden City, guess who was being piped through the speakers on main street.

Yep.  There was Bruce singing a song I have never heard on the radio before.  In fact, I had to look it up.  "Dust and Devils".  As with much of his music, this one includes a Biblical thread.  In fact, one line says, "Find the love that God wills and the faith that He commands."

I froze...pointing up.

The boys turned and looked at me.

"Bruce!" I said.

They looked at me with curiosity.  "What are you talking about?"

"It's Bruce!  Boys, I don't know what it is, but something important is happening today."  Laughing, we went inside.

And when I got back to work, I sat with Megan and told her the story.  As I told it, she had music playing on her computer quietly, as usual.  On this day, it was country music.  She had searched for a little known band that she enjoys on Pandora and the channel included lots of music from other little known country bands.

As we worked together, one of those bands started singing about Bruce.  We both look up at each other.  "What is that song?  Who is the band?" I asked.  Neither of us had heard of either before that moment.

Four times now.

After work I went home and completely changed my lesson for PS101 Youth Group that night.  I needed to tell the kids my call story.  When it was time to go, I grabbed the magazine and headed to the church.  (If you know the story of my call, this makes sense.  If not, that's a whole other blog.)

After sharing my story with the kids that night, I told them that I knew that day was a very important day in my life.  However, I also told them that I did not yet know why.  It was about 8:00 when we got back home that night.

The call came after 9:00 pm.  "Gina, the United Methodist Church has an appointment for you."  After talking to my UMC District Superintendent for a while, it was revealed that I was being called to the First United Methodist Church of Syracuse, Kansas.

There was no way I could say no.  God had been preparing me for this call all day long.

Several days later, I would find out that Don (my Superintendent) had resigned himself to waiting until the next day to call me.  It had been a long day...and it was late.  He NEVER called anyone after 9:00.  But he felt compelled to call that night only to hear me say on the other end, "I knew you were going to call!"

Just the weekend before, he thought he needed to call me and tell me that there would not be an appointment for me this year.  In fact, he considered calling several times.  When it was discerned by the Bishop and Cabinet that I should be appointed to Syracuse, he confessed to Todd and I that he was deeply humbled.

Todd, the kids, and I sat down and discussed the situation.  Each one of them looked at me and said, "This is what you need to do."  They are all excited...and yet scared.

How will we make this work?  Where will the kids go to school?  What about selling our house?

So many questions for those of us with little faith.

This past Friday, before our house ever went on the market, we agreed on a contract for its sale.

God is faithful!

We are excited for the adventure of serving Him in this way.  And...we have confidence that God has all the details well under control.

Something in the Water

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.” (Mark 1:4-11)

The book of Mark begins with this story…the story of John and of Jesus’ baptism.

John, like the prophets of the Old Testament, was preaching about repentance. Repentance. Not just asking for forgiveness, but having a change of heart so that one turns from, stops, doing something. It’s an internal change that results in a change of behavior…not the other way around.

Do you know people who have tried to make changes in their lives…only to fall back into old habits and fail miserably? Behavioral change is hard…maybe impossible…without a change of heart.

It’s New Year’s resolution time again. It’s a time when people reflect on their lives and determine that they will make changes for a fresh start in the new year. And we all have changes we want or need to make. However, most of us will not be very resolute.

Although we want different outcomes, we won’t have the deep change of heart that is needed to make lasting and meaningful change. We may chase an ideal by trying to eat less and exercise more, but unless there is an internal change to be a healthy person, we will not succeed. If we have internalized (whether consciously or not) that food makes us happy, secure, and whole (or alcohol, or gambling, or drugs, or sex, or fame, or spending), our battle against our vice cannot be won.

In fact, I would argue that only God can provide that change of heart. Only God can provide the happiness, security, and wholeness that we are seeking.

For many people, that change of heart comes through a crisis.

Although I do not believe that God causes bad things to happen, I do believe that God uses those things we see as bad or evil to help shape us when they do happen. After all, we are told in the book of Romans that “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Each of the vices I mentioned earlier can lead to such a crisis…not at God’s doing, but at our own. For example, overeating can lead to multiple life-threatening health problems. Drinking can lead to bad choices as well as internal physical damage. Gambling and spending can lead to deception, thievery, and bankruptcy. The list goes on and on.

Allow me to give you an example.

I have a dear friend who sought happiness through the party scene. Although he was married and had children, he was a drug user and alcohol abuser. These two vices often impaired his ability to make good decisions. And when he made a bad decision, he would turn back to drugs and alcohol for the comfort, happiness, and wholeness that he knew he needed.

He lost his wife and his children through divorce. It finally came to a head when he was in a nearly fatal accident while under the influence. But God met my friend in this crisis. God nurtured him through this crisis. And, ultimately, God changed his heart.

I’m not going to say it was easy. It wasn’t. But the change he experienced was so deep and so strong, that he was able to truly repent. And he has been blessed.

My friend remarried. His relationships with his ex-wife and his children have been repaired. Not only does he serve others through his church, but many lucky foster children also call him “Daddy”. And he praises God daily and publicly for all of these things. 

This man repented with true repentance. There was a change in his heart that led to a change in his life. Lasting change.

However, not all crises that we go through are our fault. Sometimes we must deal with a crisis brought on by someone else’s bad decisions. And, sometimes, in this fallen world, bad things just happen—illness, natural disasters, accidents, etc.

But when we find ourselves coping with the devastation of a crisis, self-inflicted or otherwise, God uses the situation to lead us to repentance. He uses it to change us internally, to change our hearts.

Let me give you another example.

Recently some friends of mine lost their daughter in a car accident. Don and Renee Beesley’s daughter, Montana, was ripped from their family. It was no one’s fault. There were no drugs or alcohol involved. Montana and her family loved God, served God, were involved in their church, and spoke openly about Jesus Christ.

And yet, here they were, the father, mother, and two younger sisters, facing a crisis…the worst nightmare of any parent.

But remember that verse from earlier: “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” How in the world could God use this for good?

I remember praying for Don and Renee. I remember praying that God would give them strength and help them respond in a way that would bring glory to Him. And this is exactly what they did.

They celebrated their daughter’s life and her deep faith. They praised God for the gift of her life. They thanked Him for the lessons that she taught them in 15 short years about being strong and persistent and faithful. She had introduced Christ to so many throughout her life.

I talked to Renee, Tana’s mom, last night. She shared this with me.

“She touched more lives than we ever knew, she once told us that she probably knew someone in every town from Hugoton to Wichita and we laughed at her; but after over 1,200 people came to remember her, we figured she might have been right.

"I have had young people message me that live in Wichita. One said she knew what kind of person Tana was and she wanted to get right with the Lord, so I set her up with my sister in Wichita and they went to church together. Another girl I don't know Facebook messaged me and said she went out to the cemetery and had a long talk with Tana and gave her life to the Lord.

"Just four nights ago at midnight I received a Facebook message from a high school boy who had overdosed and was so sad until he heard singing and followed and he saw Montana. He said she saved his life.

"One day we were shopping in brass buckle and Tana noticed the young man helping us was cutting himself so she talked with him about how much God loved him. He was an atheist, but she assured him God loved him and she cared about him. I went in there earlier this week and he remembered her and we visited about their conversation and I noticed his cutting scars were healed.”

Have you ever seen an alter call at a funeral? I haven’t. But these parents asked for one. The church was packed, as Renee indicated, and so many came up to give their lives to Christ during the service that those in attendance couldn’t keep count. This young lady brought more people to Christ in death than most of us will throughout our lives.

God used this crisis for repentance. He used this crisis to change hearts. I was brought to tears by the realization that even these Christ-loving, God-fearing parents were brought to repentance. Listen to Renee’s words:

“We miss Tana more than we can express, but for the first time I understand ‘God's peace that passes all understanding’ and I also understand this world is not my home.  I have loved this world a little too much, but now I feel unfastened and can't wait for my whole family to be together in heaven soon. We are assured every day that Tana’s life and death were not in vane as God continues to use her even through her passing.”

This is what John preached about…change, real change. Baptism was not something new. Baptism had been around for a while and was symbolic of cleansing and a clean, new beginning. But John preached of a baptism of repentance.

And Jesus came. Jesus came…and was baptized. Was he repentant? He was sinless! Wasn’t this unnecessary and irrelevant?

No. Nothing Jesus did was unnecessary or irrelevant. According to theologians, Jesus had four necessary and relevant reasons for being baptized by his cousin, John.

First, it was a moment of decision.

Jesus was somewhere around 30 years old. Although we don’t know much at all about those young years, we do know that he was trained as a carpenter and had stayed in Nazareth…working at a normal daily job but surely knowing that He was called to more. So he waited for that sign the he knew would come that would lead him out into the world.

That sign was John. When Jesus chose to go to John, the very man who was preaching of his imminent arrival, he made his decision.

Secondly, it was a moment of identification.

By coming forward in John’s movement, Jesus identified himself with the movement. He identified himself with the need for repentance and baptism. He identified himself with the Godward movement of the people.

And this was also a moment of approval.

Jesus had left his home…everything he knew and everyone he loved. Although we know that he was fully God on earth, we must remember that he was also fully human.

If you had left your family, your job, your hometown, and were out on your own trying to do what you felt you were called to do…wouldn’t you be terrified? Can you imagine the questions he must’ve had: How will I eat? Where will I sleep? Who will love me? Will I be safe? Will my mother and siblings be okay without me there?

Jesus did not take the decision lightly. He must have felt very strongly about his decision. But even when we feel compelled, even when we feel certain, there is always that little bit of doubt and fear that eat at us.

Well, if Jesus was fighting that last little bit of doubt and fear, God put that to rest when he told him, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

Listen to those words again. God spoke to Jesus…not to the crowd, not to John, not to the world. These words were spoken to Jesus…a reassurance to him. “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

And, finally, this was a moment of equipment.

It was at this time, this moment, that God equipped Jesus for his ministry—“the spirit descended on him like a dove.” Like a dove.

A dove is symbolic of gentleness throughout the Bible. This simile was intentional and specific. Although John’s ministry was a message of doom, wrath, vengeance, and a consuming fire, Jesus’ ministry would be marked by gentleness.

Yes, he would conquer, but it would be a conquest of love.

Have you missed an important moment of decision in your life? Is there a decision that you need to make that you’ve been putting off? Does God keep putting that decision in front of you?

How are you identified? What movements do you support? What causes do you fight for? What behaviors do you exhibit to show the world who you are?

Whose approval do you seek? Do you need to please your friends? Your family? Your own desires? The world? Or are you seeking approval from God?

Have you discovered how you are equipped by God? What gifts and abilities has He given you for His purposes in the world? How are you using those gifts and abilities? Have you allowed the Holy Spirit to descend on to you and guide you?

I want to revisit Montana’s life for just a moment. She had made a decision to live for Christ at a very young age. And, certainly, she identified herself as a Christ-follower. A very special sign of approval from God was seen on the day of her service. You see, just as God spoke directly to Jesus one day long ago, he also spoke directly to Tana’s family through two rainbows that were evident on the clear blue day that she was laid to rest. He had equipped her to sing, to love, to reach out to people, and to serve Him in her own unique way…and she used those gifts and abilities to do just that.

Jesus’ baptism was important. It was important for him then and it is important for us today. Baptism is a sacrament. It is a mystery. It is a miracle. If you haven’t yet been baptized, I pray that you will seek and accept this wonderful gift from a God who loves you and will continue to seek and accept you.

And for those of you who have received this gift, I pray that each of you will take time to remember your baptism today…and be thankful.


Amen.

Going Home

Sermon 8

July 14, 2013

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”  John 14:1-4

My grandmother met my grandfather while he was playing the accordion at dance. His blue eyes captured her…and that was that.

Eunice Mae was young and beautiful while Oscar Gustav was very talented. After hearing a song, he could play it…and play it well. They were married and soon found that they were expecting my father.

 And then World War II got in the way.

Grandpa left after devising a plan with my grandmother to let her know where he was through his letters. Of course, it was a no-no to disclose such information. But grandpa would put a subtle little dot above the letters that would spell out his location. In the screening process, nobody noticed a little dot here and there. She always knew how and where he was…and that gave her comfort.

And time went by.

When my grandfather came home to meet his son for the very first time, young Oscar Gary was 3 years old.

Can you imagine the excitement on that day? The fear, the joy, the “rightness” of that moment?  I look at these pictures and am so thankful that through them we are able to share in such a very special point in history.

Grandpa brought him candy. And he hugged and kissed this little boy, this stranger, his son.

Homecomings are sweet times. But they are not always easy and often, even a bit scary. Imagine my grandfather’s thoughts on that trek home:

• How do I relate to a wife who has grown up so much without me? 
• Will I even know her anymore? 
• Will she love me? 
• Will I love this son whom I’ve never met? 
• Will he learn to love me? 
• How do I even function in the world now? What will I do? 
• How can I get past all of the things I saw and did during the war? Can I live with it? 
• How will I support myself, a wife, and a child? 

I’m quite certain that mixed with the excitement of going home, Grandpa also was scared and nervous.

You know, the Israelites faced fears at the time of their homecoming. God used Moses to set them free to go to their home—a land of milk and honey—Canaan. The promised land. It sounded like a great idea…but in the middle of their journey they questioned their decision to leave slavery in Egypt. Not because it was a great life, but because it was familiar.

We are often afraid to leave what we know, aren’t we? To exchange the known for the unknown…even if it promises to be better.

The Bible gives us a great example of a homecoming in the story of the Prodigal Son. After demanding his inheritance, a young man squanders it all in a life of debauchery. At that point, he had to get a job. His job? Feeding pigs. And he longed to eat the food he fed them. I’m sure he had a lot of time to reflect on his choices. And he realized that his father’s servants were better off than he was. Yet, could he face his father after all of this and ask to be hired at servants’ wages? He decided to try.

And his father welcomed him home.

In fact, he sent for:

• nice, clean clothing, 
• a ring to symbolize that the young man was his son and not a servant, 
• and a fattened calf for a grand celebration. 

 He greeted his boy by running to him, by throwing his arms around him, and, yes, with a kiss.

The scripture reading for today came from Jeremiah and from Psalms. This scripture is about the time of exile for the Israelites. They were taken from their home in Judah and they longed to return. In fact, God promised them that they would return when He says in a verse that you may be familiar with, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Did you notice that earlier in that scripture, he also told them to carry on even if they were not “home”. Even when things were not ideal, He expected them (and he expects us) to persevere.

“Marry," he said. “Have children. Plant crops. Prosper. And Pray!”

God was telling them the same thing that Gig Jones told me through a facebook post the other day, “Bloom where you are planted.” Yes, I think that is just exactly what God expects. And God was faithful to His promise to bring them home.

As Todd and I look back, we see why we were brought here. We see how Todd’s experience prepared him for this opportunity. We see how my experience prepared me for this opportunity. We appreciate more so many of the gifts of Southwest Kansas that we simply took for granted…the dryer climate, the beauty of the huge dark sky twinkling at night, the sunrises and sunsets over the plains, the nearness of our family, and the dearness of the land.

But we, like those freed Israelites and that prodigal son and those exiled Jews and my grandfather returning home from the war, also have fears. Will “home” be the same as we remembered it from our childhoods? Will our children be happy there? Will we be welcomed back with open arms? And even… “Is this God’s will for us? What is God’s plan for my ministry out there?”

And sometimes… “Is this crazy?! What are we doing?!”

But thankfully God has reassured us over and over that it is time to go home. In fact, the latest affirmation was this song. I hadn’t heard it for years…but it came on the radio the other morning as I waited to pick up Andy at swim practice.

God sure knows how to talk to me!

Keep in mind, Todd's new employer is none other than "Southern Star".

You know, when my grandfather came back life was not always rosy. That’s a whole other sermon! And when Moses led those Israelites off to the Promised Land, he had no idea they would be lost in the wilderness for 40 years. We don’t even know what happened later to that prodigal son, but we know that the faithful brother who had stayed around to serve his father must have struggled a bit with the return of the one who had abandoned the family to serve himself. And those exiled Jews that were allowed to return to Judah…well, some of them never went back.

The fact of the matter is, we are not guaranteed a happy ending in this life. We aren’t. Nothing here, nothing, is secure.

Todd and I aren’t moving home with the expectation of a “happily ever after”…at least not in this life. We fully anticipate that there will be ups and downs. There may even be times when we question our decision to return. But that’s okay… Because we know that “home” for us here on earth is not really our “home” at all. 

Hebrews 13:14 says, “For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.” And we are still waiting for that enduring city today.

Remember the Gospel reading? Our home is being prepared for us in a place that we can’t imagine. In fact, our earthly home doesn’t even compare to the home that God has waiting for us. It’s exciting to think about, isn’t it?

But it is also scary.

We all have a lot of questions about that future home, don’t we? In fact, some will question their decision to go “home” and never ever make it.

Jesus said, “You know the way to the place where I am going.” And you DO know the way. The Bible is your roadmap…the Holy Spirit, well, he’s your Garmin! Thank goodness, because there are many times in our lives where we take a wrong turn. The Holy Spirit doesn’t just say…”You’re lost, you idiot! Figure it out yourself!” Instead, he says, “Recalculating.”

You see, even though you and I sometimes choose the long, hard road…as long as we believe, we will be led home. When God calls us home…to be home with Him...THAT, my friends, will be a homecoming.

And in the meantime, the Tyler family won’t be that far away. In fact, with the technology we have today many of you won’t feel like we’ve even left. So let’s enjoy this adventure that God has granted us by breathing us to life. Life goes on. We and our families should “Marry. Have children. Plant crops. Prosper. And Pray!”

And may we all “Bloom where we are planted.”

Father, I thank you for making this our home for the last 7 years. And I thank you for these people who have been our church family. I pray that you will guide them through this time of transition, and that it is a time of growth and excitement in the church as new ideas take form and new adventures begin. Be with them and strengthen them. And Father, also be with us as we start a new adventure. I pray for our future church in Satanta and all of the people in our new church family. We know you have plans for all of us, Lord. And we are grateful. Amen.