Come and See! Go and Tell!

...the angel said...."Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead...'" Matthew 28, parts of verses 6 and 7.

Matthew's version is, at least in my mind, the most terrifying description of the resurrection of Jesus. Is it any wonder that the first words the angel says to the two women who came to look at the tomb are: "Be not afraid"?
It is really a terrifying moment for those two women, the two Marys - Mary Magdalene and the other Mary who get up on that Sabbath day and go to see the tomb. Maybe they were trying to make sense out of what they had witnessed and experienced, namely the loss of Jesus. His brutal death, his sudden departure, the end of his earthly ministry....maybe they were trying to make sense of it all and to find some closure to these events; these powerful and profound events. And what happens to them at the tomb is terrifying.

First, the earthquake. Second, an angel rolls away the stone - an angel whose face is like lightning. Third, the guard faints from fear.

No wonder these women are afraid. Who wouldn't be? "Do not be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus. He is not here. He has been raised." There it is the Easter message. The one who was dead is now alive.

Do not be afraid. Words of comfort given to the terrified. Words of hope given to those who grieve and mourn.

But also, words of courage.

Do not be afraid. Come, see the place where he lay. Then Go, quickly and tell his disciples.

The message of the angel is one of courage in the face of death and uncertainty.

I'm captivated by the verbs in these message from the angel. Come and See. For many, we come to church on this Easter Sunday to see what God is up to, to see what God is doing, to see what our family of faith is all about. We come to see if the story is true. We come to be fed and to be filled. We come. We come because we have doubts and we come because we have faith. We come because we want to see the work of the risen Lord - some sure sign for our faith. But we cannot stay here. We must also Go! and Tell! all the world what Jesus has done for us. We must go and tell the story of the one who is not here - but is risen from the dead.

This is exactly what the two Mary's do. They come into the tomb and see that it is empty. And then they go to tell the disciples the news - the good news that Jesus has been raised. Their obedience to the angels message is described as a mixture of fear and joy.

Fear and Joy. This is also how we live out our discipleship, is it not? Fear and joy. We live in a world with a little bit of both, don't we? A little bit of fear - that this world is not always easy or right - and joy that this world is blessed beyond measure.

For example - fear for our children as they grow up in a world that is rapidly changing and whose values seem to be shifting and dangerous. And joy at what a blessing they are and what a blessing they might become.
Or...fear for our health as we struggle with the unknown, and joy in all that life has to offer us.
Fear for our jobs - are they secure? Will they be there? And joy at worthwhile work and colleagues along the way.
Fear of loved ones who struggle with illness - fear that we might lose them. That they might lose the fight. And joy in the gift that others bring us.
Fear about the future as the world changes. And joy about living in the present and enjoying each day; each time; each moment.
Or even - fear about Community Presbyterian Church and our outreach in the community and joy in our call to proclaim the gospel to our neighbors. Joy to come and see. Joy to go and tell others.
For the women at the tomb that day and for us - the announcement or resurrection doesn't take away their fear. Rather the announcement enables others to keep faith amid their fears.
My friends, we are called to share the good news about who we know and believe Jesus Christ to be in spite of our anxiety, in spite of knowing all the answers, in spite of our doubts and disbelief. This is the courage that our faith gives us - to see beyond sight.
The good news of our faith in Jesus Christ is this: Belief in Jesus Christ smooth out the rough places of your life - after all there was an earthquake that shook the very ground the women were standing on when they reached the tomb. Rather the good news is this - that faith in Jesus Christ gives us the courage to keep our feet firmly on the ground even as the tremors and turmoil of life threaten us. Our faith enables us to not just persevere - but also to thrive even when...especially when life is hard and challenging.
Today is a day of great joy. Look around you at this full church. The beauty of the sanctuary with the lilies up front. The smells of the pancake breakfast in the basement are still present. You all look good - in your Sunday best. It brings me joy to see this family of faith gathered here this day to hear the story again of Jesus being raised from the dead.
But I know that beneath the surface of the Easter dresses and new bow ties there are doubts and challenges for each of you. I know that just because it is Easter and you dressed up to celebrate today that the pain and suffering and doubt that you might harbor and hide doesn't go away. It is still there beneath the surface, beneath the Easter joy we project on a day like today. I know that life doesn't get any easier just because it's Easter Sunday.
But Jesus says to those who meet him today: "Be not afraid." And so I say to you, "Be not afraid."
For God's promise of life is stronger than death; God's promise of life is greater than hate; God's promise of mercy will overcome judgement. And all the sufferings of this world - as real and as painful as they are - do not have the final word this day.
Do not be afraid. Jesus is not here today. Come and See - the lilies, the church, the family of faith. Come and see signs of faith at work; signs of God's faithfulness to us in the past. But don't stay here, my friends. Go! Tell! Have courage to not be afraid in telling the world that Jesus lives. He has been raised. Go! Tell!

Amen? Amen.

Who Is This?

Dear Friends -

Yesterday's Gospel reading for Palm Sunday worship was Matthew 21:1-11. It tells the story of the festive parade that Jesus and his disciples experience as they enter into Jerusalem and officially kicks off holy week for the liturgical church.

In my sermon yesterday I focused on the crowd - especially those who are watching this palm-waving parade and see the country preacher on a donkey and ask, "Who Is This?" This is a question that all of us who claim to follow Jesus as Lord and Savior need to be able to answer. It is part of our story as a people of God.

Who Is This?

In the coming weeks I am going to be asking some of the members of Community Presbyterian Church to share their answers to this question during worship. But since I don't want to ask my people do to anything that I am not able to do myself, here is my answer.

Who Is This? This is Jesus, our Christ. He is my Lord and my Savior. He is my hope and my healer. Jesus is the one who has shown me - by his life and his death - about God and God's love. Because I know Jesus, I know how great and big and amazing is God's love. I know myself and I know just how short I fall from the glory that God intended for me. But I also know that in Jesus my past has been forgiven and redeemed. Because of Jesus my past does not shape my future - but my future belongs to God and I will follow (gladly and willingly!) into that future with God as my guide, leading me every step of the way. To know Jesus is to know how much God desires my life to be transformed into a life of love - where I am able to love, to forgive, and to share with others as Jesus has loved, forgiven, and shared with me.

Your turn. How would you answer the question - Who Is This?

Faithfully,
Pastor John

Transformative Community

Transformative Community. Is it possible?

It sounds pretty ambitious, but it's what I have been thinking about lately.
It started with a tweet I read (and I can't remember the source - but it stuck with me). I follow a lot of (surprising, I know!) clergy types and one of these folks tweeted something like: "Sermonizing at the local coffee shop and there are two church groups meeting. One doing a bible study, one doing a planning meeting. I know which church I'd rather be a part of!" The implication being that bible study is more appealing than planning/administration because it is intimate, more intentional, and discipleship making (and even transformative). Now don't get me wrong, I'm a Presbyterian Pastor so I love a good planning meeting...but, let's face it, those are seldom transformative and disciple-making, right?

I just concluded facilitating an adult bible study using a dvd called "Embracing an Adult Faith" that featured Marcus Borg reflecting and pontificating about his faith journey. I love Marcus Borg - but the adults attending the bible study were less than enamored with him! On the week we were talking about "Practices," Marcus Borg said something like - Christian practices at their best open us up to the deeper and broader reality of life in the spirit. And this opening leads to transformation. In other words, when we engage in the practice of prayer, we open ourselves to the realm of the Spirit, and this transforms us into something we weren't before. A new creation!"

Although I'm all for the practices of individual spirituality, I'm curious and excited to think about communal practices - practices done in a community of faith that open us up to the reality of God and the work of the Holy Spirit that transform us together - so that we are different - new creations - the church that God intends us to be.

And of course, Easter is fast approaching so I am thinking about that story again and trying to re-tell is in a way that makes us different. Jesus is alive - a new creation. How does this affect our communities? Our practices? How does this transform us?

To find out more, I guess you'll have to come to church on Easter.

An invitation to keep a holy lent.

An Ash Wednesday Meditation; preached to the congregation gathered at Community Presbyterian Church in Plainview, Minnesota on Wednesday, March 5, 2014. Blessings - John

Today we gather to worship and commence the season of Lent. The next 40 days are set aside in the life of the church as a time of reflection and a time of repentance. Much as Advent is a time to prepare for Christ to be born again, Lent is also a time of preparation. We are preparing internally – our hearts, our minds, and our souls for the season of Easter and of new life. The truth about the resurrection is this – that in order for something to be born again and to live again, something must first die. And so we gather to reflect on that part of our self that needs to die, namely the sin, the stumbling blocks, the things that keep us from living the life that God intends for us to be living.

For many the season of Lent involves giving something up. I’ve been known incorporate this practice into my own personal spirituality. There is a part of my that realizes that the season of Lent has deep meaning in the life of the church and little impact in the life of the world. And because Easter is such a big deal to the story of our faith – then I want Lent to be something that disrupts my routine so much that I am ready to pay attention to the signs of new life around me. And so I’ve been known to give up things like caffeine…or television…some give up Facebook for Lent. One year, I gave up driving for 40 days. Maybe you have tried something similar.

There has been a counter trend in some Christian circles of instead of giving up something for Lent, folks have chosen to add something that adds value to the spiritual life. A time of daily prayer or a memory verse each day.

There are many ways to engage in the life of the spirit during the Lenten season – but I encourage you to take advantage of the season of the church year to deepen you relationship with God. If it involves giving something up to make this relationship more meaningful, I encourage you to give it up – and I’d love to hear your story. If it involves adding something to make this relationship more meaningful, than I encourage you to add to your life – and then tell me those stories as well.

But what I want most for you this Lenten season is that you reflect on the things that matter most – namely your relationships – with God and with one another. There are many ways to be during Lent. Matthew’s gospel lifts up a few things that Jesus expects his followers to do and helps focus them by lifting up the motivations that people have.

There is a bit of irony in the passage today. I get that Jesus is telling us to avoid showing of our deep levels of piety….and then later on in the service we are going to mark ourselves with ashes and leave this sanctuary bearing the sign of the cross on our foreheads. Seems like a pretty public display of our faith to me, does it not?

However, I think the idea that Jesus is telling is that we should not practice our faith only so that others might notice them. In other words, we aren’t here tonight to worship so that we can be seen by others as deeply religious. Or at least we shouldn’t be. We are here tonight in worship to mark the beginning of the Lenten season, a time of reflection and repentance. I used to be really into giving things up for Lent because I wanted it to be such a big disruption that I would notince when Easter came…the great disruption of our faith. In a world of instant gratification it is important to be able to slow down and wait for something important. (The problem with instant gratification is that it takes to long).

The text from Matthew, chapter 6 offers to us three ways in which we the people of his time practiced their faith – and they are important enough that I offer them up to you as ways in which you might engage your faith at a deeper level. Jesus offers a framework for us…but it is up to us to put them into practice. Notice that Jesus doesn’t say, “If you….” Or “When you begin…” Jesus says – “Whenever you….” In other words, Jesus is assuming that these practices of the ancient Jewish tradition are our practices as well. There is the implication that we will be givers – prayers – fasters. Jesus is simply giving a better way to do these disciplines by correcting the motivation his followers have for doing them.

In part, what Jesus is doing is setting priorities straight and helping us make better choices in the way our faith is lived out.  The first practice Jesus deals with is giving. Being generous with what we have. Throughout the Old Testament there is an ethic and a concern for such social structures as debt forgiveness, fair treatment of works, just distribution of crops and of land, and of interest-free loans – all of which is designed to prevent poverty among God’s people. However, in Jesus’ day, the practices of the rich and the wealthy – the “haves” were often oppressive and left many “the have nots” struggling just to survive. Jesus expects those who listen to him and follow in his ways to show mercy to the poor by being generous in giving. In other words, God desires justice – the right treatment of all, but when the world is unjust, those who are able and who are merciful must protect those who are without.

The truly merciful, however, do not call public attention to their acts of mercy. Jesus refers to those who sound a trumpet before them when they make a generous donation. It’s a rather humorous hyperbole of the ways in which givers make sure that they are noticed. Don’t be like this, Jesus says. Give, but don’t draw attention to yourself. Not only because it draws attention to yourself, but it draws attention to those in need, who are unable to give.

Jesus then turns to prayer and looks at the motives of the people who are doing the praying. It’s not that he is against prayer – formal prayer, corporate prayer. Later on in Matthew’s gospel Jesus will teach the disciples the Lord’s prayer which we still use each week in worship. Jesus offers us the Lord’s Prayer as a model to memorize and to use. Jesus calls us to be critical of examining our motives for prayer – the why and the how we prayer.

Genuine prayer is not grand drama and theatre. It is simply a conversation. If I wanted to tell my mother, I love you, I wouldn’t necessarily shout it on Broadway over the lunch hour. I would most likely hug her and whisper in her ear these words. Such is prayer, says Jesus. Intimate conversations with our heavenly parent – not staged acts to dazzle with our big words. Real love – nurtured in prayer – focuses on the beloved, not the onlookers.

Then Jesus turns to commands about fasting. As before, Jesus warns against practicing this as a way to gain praise from other people. Fasting that wins God’s approval is inconspicuous. The person who fasts should look just like anyone else going about his or her normal business. Dressed and ready for the day.

 Jesus’ final words in today’s reading warn against “treasuring up treasures on earth.” In context “treasures” refers both to other peoples’ good opinions and to material goods. The Greek phrase used indicates that Jesus is telling his hearers to stop doing something they are already doing: Stop storing up treasures on earth, where they will be eaten away. Treasure up heavenly treasures instead. How can someone store up treasure in heaven? One way, according to Jesus, is by selling one’s goods and giving them to the poor (Matthew 19:21). If God’s approval is our greatest treasure, then we will direct our hearts and minds and wills to loving God and our neighbor. Then, indeed, we will have treasure in heaven.

The true treasure that we have in our life of faith is made most real in the relationships we have. In the cross there are two lines – one beam goes up and down – and can signify our relationship with God in heaven through Jesus Christ. This Lent practice something that deepens this relationship. There is another beam – a horizontal one – and this can signify our relationship with one another – especially with those who mean the most to us – our friends, our family, our community members. Make Lent be about nurturing this relationship as well.

What the Mouse Saw That Night - Christmas Eve 2013

Inspired by both Reverend Bill Nottage-Tacey (who writes an original story for the family worship service each Christmas Eve at First Presbyterian Church in Hastings) and by children's author Katherine Patterson (who writes a story for her husband, a Presbyterian pastor to read to his congregation on Christmas Eve), I have begun to tell a story to the children of my church on Christmas Eve. The grown-ups are encouraged to listen along and see if there is anything in the story for them.

Here is my original story for Christmas Eve, December 24, 2013 for the children of Community Presbyterian Church in Plainview, Minnesota. Thank you for reading.

What the Mouse Saw That Night

"Well hello there. I would like to tell you my story about what happened on that night, that glorious night. It was truly a magical night to be there in the stable to witness the miraculous events and to see what was to be seen. And to have my whole family there as part of it…especially my son, my beloved son.

You see I never thought he would come back. I thought I had lost him forever. But he came back on that wonderful, glorious night.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced. My name is Albert – all my friends call me Al. And I am the mouse that lives in the stable with my wife, the missus, and our little mouseling children…all 13 of them.

We didn’t always live in a stable. On no. But I don’t think we’ll ever leave. The story of how we came to live in the stable – and how we got our oldest son back is the one I want to tell you today.

It isn’t uncommon for a mouse and his family to have to move around a bit, let me tell you. The two-legged ones, especially the missus two-legged ones just don’t like us living between the walls and so every now and then we have to pack up – and sometime chased out – to a new place. But we were lucky mice. After a particularly long winter when food was scarce and hard to come by, we found the perfect place to settle in and raise a family. We wouldn’t normally choose a place so close to people – but the winter was long and we were hungry…and well, we were desparate…and it was our turn to have a little bit of luck come our way, you know?

So we found a quiet sleepy town, Bethlehem, and we found a quiet, sleepy inn. The inn was never full and we found a spot between two walls that were never used by the two-legged humans. We became quite comfortable and spend many, many seasons there. My little mouselings grew. Looking back, I should have realized, I should have seen it coming. I should have known that we had it too good for too long and that something was going to change. Good luck can only followed by bad luck, so they say. So they say indeed.

I might have been prepared for what we now refer to in the mouse colony as “the great invasion.” The week where the inn got busier than we have ever seen it – the week our home was discovered and cleaned and we were forced out on the street – oh the busy streets. I might if been better prepared for this so called great invasion if the day before it started I hadn’t had a bit of a row with my oldest son.

You see, sometimes I don’t always get along with my son. At least I didn’t in those days. The missus tells me that I was pretty hard headed and that I insisted on always being right. I used to get pretty hot under the old mouse color, so to speak, when she tried to help me out. I was the head mouse and I had expectations for how my children were supposed to be. And they were. Except for my son. Always having his own ideas. Always seeing things different. Always wanted to be his own mouse.

Well, things got bad…and I said some things I didn’t really mean…and he left. He packed his cheeks with next week’s meal and he hit the road. He said some things that I hope he didn’t mean as well…and was gone. I figured he’d come back…but he didn’t. And as the truth hit me that I had lost my own son because of my stubbornness and hardheadedness…well, you can’t blame me for missing the signs around me that things were changing in Bethlehem.

Oh, I should have seen it coming, but I was worried sick about my son. Looking back there were signs of change to come…but I missed them. And it cost me my home…my happy home…and it nearly cost me my family.

It was the mouse secret that saved us all. The mouse secret is this – when your home is discovered and you are forced to evacuate  - find shelter where the animal smell is the strongest.

And that is what we did.

It seemed to happen so quickly. Our quiet, sleepy town of Bethlehem wasn’t so quiet anymore. Our quiet, sleepy inn wasn’t so quiet anymore. People were travelling. Rich, poor, in between and they all needed a place to stay. The rooms in the inn that hadn’t seen a visitor, hadn’t been cleaned in many, many night, was suddenly needed. Every room was filled. We were discovered in a frenzy of cleaning. We didn’t have time to grab anything. We fled in different directions. We were nearly caught, we were separated – oh I shudder to think about the chaos that night…but we remembered the secret of the mice….when things are bad….follow your nose to the worse smell possible…and hope for the best.

And that is what we all did….after running and splitting up, we followed our nose to the stable, behind the inn. The worst possible smell….but it hid us well. We regrouped in a particually smelly patch of hay in the back corner and counted mouse noses. We were one nose short. My son. My oldest son…he would never find his way back to us, I realized.

The reality that we had lost not only our home but also our first-born mouse sank in. The mood was somber and quiet. We probably should have noticed that the other animals in the stable around us were quiet and seemed to have a sense of heightened anticipation…as if something important was happening that night. But it was another sign we missed, overcome with grief.

Who can blame us for drifting off to sleep? The adrelenine of our flight wore off and the sadness overtook us and we slept. So I don’t know when the human couple arrived. We didn’t hear them or see them….it was the cries of the baby that woke us up. I couldn’t believe it! I thought we were having a bad day…but this human couple had managed to have a baby in the stable with all the animals. They looked so young and so scared.

The babies cries woke me up. He was so tiny, and yet I could tell something was special about this boy. This baby being nursed back to sleep by his young mother.

I was about to wake up the rest of the family when there was a great commotion. A large group of shepherds had come – in the middle of the night no less – to see this baby, this ordinary, baby.

I was about to wake my family when I heard the voice of the one mouse that I never thought I’d hear from again.

I heard my son, my lost son, the one whom I believed to be lost forever. I heard my son say, “Dad, is that you?”

I turned to look. There was my son, my oldest son standing before me. “Dad, I can’t believe it’s you. I never you’d leave the inn. What happened? Oh it doesn’t matter. Let me tell you what just happened to me.

When I left you – so filled with anger – I went out to the country. We had been in the inn in Bethlehem for so long that I wanted my space. I found a group of shepherds, rough, smelly bunch, to live with these past weeks. I was about ready to move on, when something incredible happened.

Angels, Dad. They are real. They appeared before these shepherds and spoke of marvelous things. They said that a baby, a human baby was born tonight. And that they should go and see him – here in Bethlehem. I thought I’d come along to. I wanted to see what the fuss was all about. I’ve never travelled with a group of people so excited and in awe before. They said this baby was something special. Have you seen him yet?

Anyways, Dad it got me thinking. There are a couple of things I want to say to you. I’m sorry. I made a mistake. And I love you. Will you take me back?”

Better words a father mouse has never heard.

I tried to speak, but I couldn’t find the words – so I embraced my son. “Welcome to our new home.”

You know, we stayed in the stable for many, many years. The new baby – I heard they named him Jesus – moved on. The town quieted down again.

But we stayed in that manger – and always remembered that night, when angels spoke, when forgiveness won and when peace came to our little mouse family."

Amen? Amen.

Quotable Quotes, 2

Came across these notes from a book I read a couple of years ago. I find the idea of "needing a spiritual practice" something worth thinking about as the church prepares for the season of Lent (yes - Ash Wednesday is NEXT Wednesday).

I am also taken by the idea that we can find a song in our hearts and sing it with our lives. Sounds to me like the abundant life promised by Jesus in John's gospel (10:10) might be this song - when it's practiced intentionally.

I wonder if it would be helpful to think about the first fruits that we offer to God to go beyond the tithing of income - but to offer God the first fruits of our spiritual life, our work, our daily stuff?

Here's the quote:


"I think people in this society need a spiritual practice. In order to find your voice and find the song that's within your heart and sing it with your life, you need some daily thing that you do regularly, whether you feel like it or not, that's nurturing your soul, a time of prayer, a time of contemplation. Some people do yoga and meditate, other people go run out in the woods or dance or pray or keep a journal. There're so many ways. And it can be one thing for a few years and another thing for another few years; it can change form. The form isn't the point.
Individuals have to find what works for them, but some way where you're answerable, not to society and not to making a living and not to other people's needs, but just to what is alive in you. What are you really feeling? What are the choices that you're making and surrendering into your living spirit?
In many churches, there's a tradition of giving 10% tithing. I find some value in that, if, who you're giving to is something you truly support and it reflects what you want to see more of. But how about giving...10 percent of your day, some of your time, not just your money, but your time to the spirit as you understand that."
(John Robbins - as quoted in "The Leadership Challange" by Kouzes and Posner)

Quotable Quotes

Be kind, remember everyone you meet is fighting a battle. -Marion Parker

This above quote helps me keep perspective. Sometimes I get caught up in myself so much that I miss the battles that others are fighting. And sometimes I get so caught up in myself that I think it is all about me; I get offended or disappointed; I help grudges. And so this quote gives me perspective....that it isn't always about me.

What does membership mean to you?

Dear Friends –

The Book of Order (the Presbyterian Church’s constitution) has this to say about The Ministry of Members (G-1.0304).

            “Membership in the Church of Jesus Christ is a joy and a privilege. It is also a commitment to participate in Christ’s mission. A faithful member bears witness to God’s love and grace and promises to be involved responsibly in the ministry of Christ’s Church. Such involvements includes:

Ø  Proclaiming the good news in word and deed,

Ø  Taking part in the common life and worship of a congregation,

Ø  Lifting one another up in prayer, mutual concern, and active support,

Ø  Studying Scripture and the issues of Christian faith and life,

Ø  Supporting the ministry of the church through the giving on money, time, and talents,

Ø  Demonstrating a new quality of life within and through the service to others,

Ø  Living responsibly in the personal, family, vocational, political, cultural, and social relationships of life, working in the world for peace, justice, freedom, and human fulfillment,

Ø  Participating in the governing responsibilities of the church, and

Ø  Reviewing and evaluating regularly the integrity of one’s membership, and considering ways in which one’s participation in the worship and service of the church may be increased and made more meaningful.”

So….how are you doing? For me, it is important to remember the two sides of membership – it is both a joy and a privilege. It is a joy to serve God when we are able to use our gifts in service to others. It is a privilege to take seriously our commitment to working together to build up the church of Jesus Chirst.

What does membership mean to you? How might you better use your gifts in service to God? What can we do better to help one another become the church God wants us to be? I’d love to hear from you!

Be blessed-

Pastor John