Readings; Zephaniah 3:14-20, Isaiah 12:2-6, Philippians 4:4-7, Luke 3:7-18
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, December 16th, 2012
A printable PDF file can be found here
According to the Mayan calendar the world will end in a few days time. For the people of Newtown, Connecticut, it already feels like it has. The actions of a disturbed, gun toting, young adult has taken the innocent lives of a community now deep in grief. Words like 'horrific', 'unthinkable' and 'heartbreaking' don't really capture how we feel about these events. That it's all taking place so near to Christmas and, for us, in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, seems to increase the feelings of despair and sadness.
We may be tempted to try and make sense of such tragic events, but really, we just tie ourselves in knots if we start playing the blame game or come up with over simplistic solutions. So what do we do? We pray. We contemplate. We take what actions we feel are necessary.
When Jesus was arrested in the garden, a group of armed soldiers came to take Him. At that moment, one of the disciples, traditionally Peter, took a sword and tried to protect Him. But Jesus tells Peter to put the sword away, because, He says... 'Those who live by the sword will die by the sword'. The story pictures a culture of violence and fear in opposition to the kingdom which Jesus proclaimed, one characterized by peace and hope. If the story had played out in our current day, the soldiers would have come armed not with swords but guns. It may have ended up as a shoot out, with Jesus declaring, “Those who live by the gun, shall die by the gun”.
If you grew up, as I did, in a culture where gun ownership was seen as something rather strange and disturbing, you have a different perspective than somebody who has grown up in the United States. I never saw anybody carrying a gun in public, until we moved to the USA. In Great Britain it used to be that even law enforcement were not armed. I honestly knew of only a few people, and they were farmers, who even owned a firearm.
It was a shock to myself to move to West Virginia where people with political intentions would often declare their position as being 'Pro-Life and Pro-Gun' (without recognizing any contradiction in those terms). It was a jolt when I realized that there were people in church, albeit those in law enforcement, who came to worship carrying a weapon. In Middle School my son was in a class who were asked 'How many of you have guns in your homes?” He was the only one who didn't raise his hand.
So when it comes to guns, and the freedom to carry weapons, and the 'second amendment' (an article of freedom which I don't think is recognized by any other nation on the planet) … when it comes to that whole debate... you should know my head is coming from a different place than most of you who were born and raised in this culture.
That being said, and realizing that I am speaking from within my own cultural framework, I still recall those words spoken by Jesus, 'That those who live by the sword will die by the sword” and feel that somehow we need to move from believing that only violence can defeat violence and that the only way to prevent ourselves from harm is having the ability and fire power to cause greater harm.
None of the above takes away the numbing pain of the current events. So many innocent lives, it's just so mind numbingly sad. Something has got to change. In our bible reading this morning John the baptist comes to challenge the people to change their way of thinking. To step down into the waters, wash away the past, and start over again. He chastises the religious leaders (who were also the political leaders) for going though the motions, yet not really being ready to make a radical change.
He lifts up values of generosity; those who had more than they needed should share with those who just didn't have enough, of integrity; tax collectors didn't need to change their jobs, they just needed to do their jobs honestly, soldiers … are urged not to abuse their positions of power, or to use their status for personal promotion, but to uphold the peace.
Then he says 'This is only the start'. Something greater then him, somebody who had a more pressing message and a more dynamic agenda, was about to step onto the stage. 'Get Ready' he declares, to take on board the message Jesus has to offer.
As you hear news from the region where John preached; as we hear of the violence and warfare and struggle over land, ideology and belief, we see that even John's message has yet to be truly heard, let alone his message about welcoming the way of Jesus Christ!
But... the way of Jesus is still there... it hasn't gone away. Christmas is all about the light shining in the darkness. The tiniest candle has a flame that dispels the deepest darkness. The true Christmas story is surrounded by deep darkness. Refugees, unplanned pregnancies, homelessness, even (in the account of the Wise Men) the slaughter of innocent children by Herod, who fears the arrival of a new order.
These are parts of the story we usually bury and put aside. We need to hear them this year. We need to know that in Jesus, God really does know what we are going through and walks with us through these difficult days.
The Presbyterian Church (USA), on their website have resources related to the issue of gun violence. The Presbytery of Long Island has recommended resources to help us talk about the issues with our children. Links can be found below.
Gun violence
Talking with Children about Tragedy
Talking with Children - Resource List
For now though, I'd encourage you to keep the community of Newtown, Connecticut in your prayers and reflect on the message of Jesus; that there is a better way to live than relying on fear and violence and our own ability to arm ourselves. Ponder exactly what Jesus meant when He said 'Those who live by the sword will die by the sword'. Remember that trust in God and pursuing peace are also options to be explored and embraced.
I also pray that you will not allow 24 hour media coverage to sap away your Christmas joy. For goodness sake, turn the TV off! Once we read newspapers. We looked at a story. We felt it's horror. Then walked away and did something. We didn't sit glued to the newsprint for hours on end till it was all we could think about!
Go and buy a grocery bag of goodies for the homeless or the hurricane victims and bring it to church next week. Spend some time to play a game with your kids. Spoil the grand-kids. Kids, hug your parents and remind them you are still here. Better still...come caroling with us this afternoon to the Nursing Home and to some of our shut-ins.
Do what John said! Give out of your blessings. Don't quit your job, do it with integrity. Be humble if you have power and use your position of privilege for peaceful ends, not self promotion. Yes, something terrible has happened. But Christmas reminds us that the darkness does not have the last word.
The actions of a lone gunman cannot destroy the Good news that God walks with us, is with us and shall be with us. It is for us to 'Seek first the kingdom of God' and to put flesh on the words we pray every Sunday, 'Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven' .
May God help us to do the right thing. Amen.
Rev. Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Monday, December 10, 2012
Living in the Light
Readings; Malachi 3:1-4, Luke 1:68-79, Luke 3:1-6, Philippians 1:3-11
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, December 9th, 2012
A printable PDF file can be found here
John the Baptist went into all the country around the Jordan inviting the people to get their lives straightened out for the light of the Lord was coming. 'The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth and all the people will see God's salvation”.
We are in the season of Advent. Advent is the season when we declare “People get ready, the Savior is coming!” How do we prepare ourselves to truly celebrate the coming of Jesus into our world? How do we set about living in the light of His love?
We can find some pointers in Paul's letter to the Philippians. In the section we read this morning, Chapter 1, verses 3-11, we are invited to;
Let us consider the advice Paul gives us.
Energize our Minds
Verse 10 invites us 'to discern what is best' that we may be found 'pure and blameless for the Day of Christ'. John the Baptist offered the people a baptism of repentance. He offered them an opportunity to turn their lives around and symbolically wash away the past by going through the waters of baptism. He holds up the idea of starting over again, with the slate washed clean.
Seasons in the Christian year, such as Advent and Lent, offer us the chance to re-evaluate our spiritual lives. We have the opportunity to reclaim our own baptisms, to remind ourselves that we are baptized children of the One True God, brothers and sisters in Christ's service, empowered by the same Holy Spirit that descended as a dove upon Jesus when He was baptized by John.
As we travel through this season we see the best and worse of what we are capable of. Christmas can be marked by both excess and by generosity. We are encouraged to spend, spend, spend, yet also to give, give, give. If we become consumed by consumerism we lose our souls. But if we become consumed by endless giving we end up tired, cynical and bitter.
Hurricane Sandy brought out the best and worst in people. There have been reports of looting and of scams and price gouging, people taking advantage of others in their time of deepest need. We saw tempers flare when gas was rationed and as folk felt LIPA was not living up to their expectations. That's been the negative side.
On the positive side there have been many angels headed in our direction. The will to rebuild, the sense of community, people who have gone beyond what is expected of them to help others through, many heroic acts and untold stories of generosity.
Paul invites us to 'discern what is best'. To energize our minds so that we make the right decisions. He also invites us to...
Express what's in our hearts
In verse 9 he writes “This is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight.” We sometimes think of love as something fluffy and evasive, as something people fall into, uncontrollably and seal with a ring from the jewelry store. But love isn't something that just happens. It's hard work. True love requires depth and insight.
A Sunday School teacher in Oregon asked the class, “Does going to church make it easier for you to love all people?” One of them answered, “Not particularly. You want us to love everybody in the world. There are only five in our family and I have a real hard time even loving that many!” You have to admire that answer. Telling it like it is! Loving everybody in some vague 'Peace on earth and goodwill to all humankind' is not what Paul is praying will happen in our church communities. He wants us to work at love.
I sense in our post Sandy state of mind many are finding it hard to think about celebrating Christmas. Their hearts not in it. They've had the stuffing knocked out of them. Before the hurricane we took it for granted that when we turned on the light switch the light came on. We didn't really think much about the wiring, or the poles or the sub-stations or the infrastructure, or the work crews. Now we know better. We understand that we are vulnerable.
That sense of vulnerability lies at the heart of the true message of Christmas. Jesus does not arrive as a warrior King, riding on a great white horse, blasting His enemies into oblivion but comes to the womb of a young, yet to be married girl. He is born in poverty, displaced from home, in the most desperate of circumstances. His family become refugees in Egypt, fleeing from the acts of a murderous tyrant, before they ever establish themselves in a place they can call home again.
At His birth there is a tremendous amount of uncertainty and vulnerability, part of the Christmas story that we bury under layers of sentimentality and commercialism. If we are finding it hard to get in the spirit of things, maybe we can focus on the parts of the story we often pass by and discover that, even when everything is bleak, and the road ahead is uncertain, the light still shines. It's not easy. True love never is. It has to be a heart thing. We need God's help. So Paul also invites us to...
Empower our souls.
In verse 11 he writes 'Be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ'. Being together in worship can really make a difference when we go through difficult days. It takes us out of ourselves for a while and points us to a larger framework surrounding our lives. I know we are busy. I know there's a thousand things to do. But that's exactly why we need to recharge our spiritual batteries.
Through our music and hymns and readings and prayers we can reconnect with God. Through seeking to do that as a community we reconnect with each other. Through seeking to serve those around us, we find ourselves lifted up. So pay attention to the words of scripture and the songs that we sing and hear. There's a lot of hope in them! People have traveled down dark roads before us. That's part of the Christmas story. Jesus is born and they give Him the name “Emmanuel” meaning “God is with us”.
When Paul wrote these words to the church in Phillipi he was in prison. He'd been arrested for preaching the gospel. Such was his faith that he could interpret his circumstances as being an opportunity rather than a setback. A few verses after our reading finished he writes; “As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.” (verse 13).
As people of faith we are invited to interpret our lives in the light of the God who is always with us, revealed in Christ, and present through the work of His Holy Spirit, within us and around us. John the Baptist challenged the people of his day to repent and get ready for the Savior to come. During Advent we have a fresh opportunity to reflect on the implications of Christ's birth all those years ago and consider how we can live in the light of His love today.
Paul, in his letter to Phillipi, gives us his perspective on living in the light.
Looking at the decorations in our sanctuary, hearing the Christmas music around us, seeing the children's smiling faces, anticipating the events of fellowship we will enjoy with family and friends... these are tangible ways that we can enter into the celebrations.
These are difficult days for many around us. But there are aspects of the Christmas message that remind us... love never guarantees an easy ride. The good news of Christmas is not that 'Everything's going to be all-right'. The good and great news of Christmas is that, no matter what, God is with us!
And that, I believe, is something worth celebrating. Amen.
Rev. Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, December 9th, 2012
A printable PDF file can be found here
John the Baptist went into all the country around the Jordan inviting the people to get their lives straightened out for the light of the Lord was coming. 'The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth and all the people will see God's salvation”.
We are in the season of Advent. Advent is the season when we declare “People get ready, the Savior is coming!” How do we prepare ourselves to truly celebrate the coming of Jesus into our world? How do we set about living in the light of His love?
We can find some pointers in Paul's letter to the Philippians. In the section we read this morning, Chapter 1, verses 3-11, we are invited to;
- Energize our minds. In verse 10 Paul suggests we discern what is pure and blameless.
- Express what's in our hearts. In verse 9 we are told to commit to loving more and more,with knowledge and deep insight.
- Empower our souls. In verse 11 Paul implores us to be filled with the Spirit of Jesus.
Let us consider the advice Paul gives us.
Energize our Minds
Verse 10 invites us 'to discern what is best' that we may be found 'pure and blameless for the Day of Christ'. John the Baptist offered the people a baptism of repentance. He offered them an opportunity to turn their lives around and symbolically wash away the past by going through the waters of baptism. He holds up the idea of starting over again, with the slate washed clean.
Seasons in the Christian year, such as Advent and Lent, offer us the chance to re-evaluate our spiritual lives. We have the opportunity to reclaim our own baptisms, to remind ourselves that we are baptized children of the One True God, brothers and sisters in Christ's service, empowered by the same Holy Spirit that descended as a dove upon Jesus when He was baptized by John.
As we travel through this season we see the best and worse of what we are capable of. Christmas can be marked by both excess and by generosity. We are encouraged to spend, spend, spend, yet also to give, give, give. If we become consumed by consumerism we lose our souls. But if we become consumed by endless giving we end up tired, cynical and bitter.
Hurricane Sandy brought out the best and worst in people. There have been reports of looting and of scams and price gouging, people taking advantage of others in their time of deepest need. We saw tempers flare when gas was rationed and as folk felt LIPA was not living up to their expectations. That's been the negative side.
On the positive side there have been many angels headed in our direction. The will to rebuild, the sense of community, people who have gone beyond what is expected of them to help others through, many heroic acts and untold stories of generosity.
Paul invites us to 'discern what is best'. To energize our minds so that we make the right decisions. He also invites us to...
Express what's in our hearts
In verse 9 he writes “This is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight.” We sometimes think of love as something fluffy and evasive, as something people fall into, uncontrollably and seal with a ring from the jewelry store. But love isn't something that just happens. It's hard work. True love requires depth and insight.
A Sunday School teacher in Oregon asked the class, “Does going to church make it easier for you to love all people?” One of them answered, “Not particularly. You want us to love everybody in the world. There are only five in our family and I have a real hard time even loving that many!” You have to admire that answer. Telling it like it is! Loving everybody in some vague 'Peace on earth and goodwill to all humankind' is not what Paul is praying will happen in our church communities. He wants us to work at love.
I sense in our post Sandy state of mind many are finding it hard to think about celebrating Christmas. Their hearts not in it. They've had the stuffing knocked out of them. Before the hurricane we took it for granted that when we turned on the light switch the light came on. We didn't really think much about the wiring, or the poles or the sub-stations or the infrastructure, or the work crews. Now we know better. We understand that we are vulnerable.
That sense of vulnerability lies at the heart of the true message of Christmas. Jesus does not arrive as a warrior King, riding on a great white horse, blasting His enemies into oblivion but comes to the womb of a young, yet to be married girl. He is born in poverty, displaced from home, in the most desperate of circumstances. His family become refugees in Egypt, fleeing from the acts of a murderous tyrant, before they ever establish themselves in a place they can call home again.
At His birth there is a tremendous amount of uncertainty and vulnerability, part of the Christmas story that we bury under layers of sentimentality and commercialism. If we are finding it hard to get in the spirit of things, maybe we can focus on the parts of the story we often pass by and discover that, even when everything is bleak, and the road ahead is uncertain, the light still shines. It's not easy. True love never is. It has to be a heart thing. We need God's help. So Paul also invites us to...
Empower our souls.
In verse 11 he writes 'Be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ'. Being together in worship can really make a difference when we go through difficult days. It takes us out of ourselves for a while and points us to a larger framework surrounding our lives. I know we are busy. I know there's a thousand things to do. But that's exactly why we need to recharge our spiritual batteries.
Through our music and hymns and readings and prayers we can reconnect with God. Through seeking to do that as a community we reconnect with each other. Through seeking to serve those around us, we find ourselves lifted up. So pay attention to the words of scripture and the songs that we sing and hear. There's a lot of hope in them! People have traveled down dark roads before us. That's part of the Christmas story. Jesus is born and they give Him the name “Emmanuel” meaning “God is with us”.
When Paul wrote these words to the church in Phillipi he was in prison. He'd been arrested for preaching the gospel. Such was his faith that he could interpret his circumstances as being an opportunity rather than a setback. A few verses after our reading finished he writes; “As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.” (verse 13).
As people of faith we are invited to interpret our lives in the light of the God who is always with us, revealed in Christ, and present through the work of His Holy Spirit, within us and around us. John the Baptist challenged the people of his day to repent and get ready for the Savior to come. During Advent we have a fresh opportunity to reflect on the implications of Christ's birth all those years ago and consider how we can live in the light of His love today.
Paul, in his letter to Phillipi, gives us his perspective on living in the light.
- We energize our minds. We seek to discern the good and bad in the world around us. We make informed decisions as to how we are going to live.
- We express what's in our hearts. Paul tells us it's OK to say how we really feel. If we are going through a hard time, be it in our practical circumstances or our faith journey, then acknowledging that's how it is, can be the way forward. True love has room for vulnerability and hurt. It's a process, not a destination.
- We empower our souls. We seek Christ in all things and all places. In worship. In service. In community. It is as we listen for the still small voice and as we open ourselves to God's influence, that we discover ourselves empowered by God's Spirit for whatever lies ahead of us.
Looking at the decorations in our sanctuary, hearing the Christmas music around us, seeing the children's smiling faces, anticipating the events of fellowship we will enjoy with family and friends... these are tangible ways that we can enter into the celebrations.
These are difficult days for many around us. But there are aspects of the Christmas message that remind us... love never guarantees an easy ride. The good news of Christmas is not that 'Everything's going to be all-right'. The good and great news of Christmas is that, no matter what, God is with us!
And that, I believe, is something worth celebrating. Amen.
Rev. Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
Monday, November 19, 2012
HANNAH'S HYMN
HANNAH'S HYMN
Readings:1 Samuel 1:4-20, Mark 13:1-8, Acts 3:19-26, 1 Samuel 2:1-10
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, November 18th 2012
A printable PDF file can be found here
The Hymn of Hannah is one of the lesser known passages of the Old Testament. Who is Hannah? Why is she writing a hymn?
Hannah lived at a time in history before Israel had a King and was ruled by Judges and Priests. The priest at the time was a man called Eli, who was having problems controlling his sons, who were not the godly sort and embraced the spirit of the age. In Scriptures words it was a time when 'everybody did what was right in their own eyes' without considering what God may require of them.
Hannah and Peninnah are the two wives of a man called Elkanah. Peninnah has given Elkanah children, but Hannah has not. Penninah takes every opportunity she can to torment Hannah and remind her that it is she, and her children, who were the blessed ones of God. Hannah's heart is often broken.
Every year the family makes a pilgrimage to Eli's place of worship called Shiloh. It's always tough for Hannah as Peninnah continues to treat her unkindly and remind her of her barren state. One particular year is exceptionally hard and the priest Eli finds Hannah crying in the temple. She comes to God with a heart rending prayer. That if God will grant her a son, she will dedicate the life of that child to God. Eli assures her that God has heard her prayer and she will have a child.
Hannah does indeed have a child. She calls him Samuel. True to her word Hannah brings Samuel to Eli and Eli takes Samuel under his wing, bringing him up in the temple as a priest. Hannah's hymn, our scripture reading, was her thanksgiving to God for answering her prayer and giving her a son.
Although she doesn't know it when she sings her hymn, when he grows up, Samuel becomes one of Israel's most celebrated priests under whose ministry the time of Judges comes to an end and the time of Kings begins. There are two books in the Old Testament named 'Samuel' such is his influence.
As we enter a time of Thanksgiving it seems timely to take a look at one of Scriptures great thanksgiving prayers. As we continue to be a community that rebuilds from the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, it is good to remind ourselves that God is not against us, but In Christ, seeks to renew our lives.
Hannah's prayer offers thanksgiving for the past, the present and the future.
1. Thanksgiving for the things God has done.
The Message Bible begins the hymn with Hannnah praying; “I'm bursting with God-news! I'm walking on air. I'm laughing at my rivals. I'm dancing my salvation.” She is in a better place than she had been for a long long time. There had been times when she despaired of ever getting through. She had for years had to put up with the bullying and taunting of Elkinah's other wife, Peninnah, but with the benefit of hindsight, could see that even those difficult days had not been without purpose.
If she had not struggled for so long then she may never have considered dedicating the life of her first born to the Lord. She had discovered, that despite the taunting of Penninah, their husband Elkinah had never disparaged her or rejected her, but even in her barrenness loved her and supported her. She had discovered a sense of 'karma' … 'what goes around, comes around'. Her opponents taunts turned out to be hollow and empty. Their foolishness was exposed. She had discovered that faith in God truly was a rock on which to build, and that those who mocked her faith would be found wanting. As verse 3 tells us; "Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by Him deeds are weighed.”
When we travel through hard times, times of great loss and tragedy, we are forced to re-evaluate what really matters in life. Some of those who have seen their homes destroyed have spoken of how it's not the 'stuff' that they are missing, it's the lost photographs and pictures, things often with little financial value, that they most regret losing. It's hard.
Many are not yet in a position to really evaluate the lessons these days are teaching us. It's still to close and the wounds are to deep. Yet even if our only prayer of thanksgiving today is 'Thank You Lord that I'm still here to tell my story” then we are allowing God to teach us and transform us.
There is a gritty reality to Hannah's hymn when in verses 6 and 7 she declares "The LORD brings death and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and raises up. The LORD sends poverty and wealth; He humbles and He exalts.” Hannah acknowledges that there are times when our worst nightmares become our reality. But she won't leave it there. She insists that even as we travel through those times, God is at work in ways that call us to faith. She never tries to justify or explain the dark times. She thanks God for getting through them. She offers thanksgiving for the things God has done.
2. Thanksgiving for the things God was doing.
She sees around her things happening that cause her to be thankful. She rejoices in the blessings of the present. She senses a change, not only in her personal fortunes, but in the community around her. Verses 4-5. "The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength. Those who were full hire themselves out for food, but those who were hungry are hungry no more. She who was barren has borne seven children, but she who has had many sons pines away.”
Bear in mind that she is singing this hymn after she has just left her promised son in the hands of the priest Eli. There is no definite hope for the future. She is trusting in the promises of God. Eli, has thanked her for the 'loan' of the child and prays God will bless her. Turns out that's what happens. She conceives three further sons and two daughters. Samuel grows up to be a prophet and anoints Saul as first King of Israel. But she doesn't know that right then. She's simply trusting that God is up to something and senses it is something worth celebrating.
It is hard to read the signs of the times. There's been an election. We have weathered a storm. I personally don't sense a huge movement of change in the nation or even in the church. What I do sense is that we here, are more aware of our own fragility and vulnerability than we have ever been. That is not a bad thing.
If it causes us to examine what we are building our lives upon and to appreciate in a deeper way our need to be a community that cares then that's a positive. If the lines and waits for Gas have revealed that we are far to dependent on fossil fuels, then maybe change will come and we will take with greater seriousness the quest for alternative energy. If the predictions of 100 year storms being every two or three year storms in the future, then I hope we are exploring ways of how we modify our infrastructure so as to live within that new reality.
I sense people are asking questions. Maybe that's what was happening with Hannah. She knew things couldn't carry on as they were but had the faith that God would guide them to better days. This wasn't an easy day for her. She was kissing her son farewell for the foreseeable future. Yet in that moment she felt the embrace of God. In verse 9 she sings “He will guard the feet of his faithful servants, but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.” Which leads us to a third thing.
3. Thanksgiving for the things God will do.
Hannah's prayer has been compared to that of the prayer of Mary, the mother of Jesus, that we know as the Magnificat. Like Mary, Hannah heralds a new age and the coming of a new Kingdom. Like Mary she pictures the nature of this kingdom as one of divine reversals. Verse 8 “He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; He seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. "For the foundations of the earth are the LORD's; on them he has set the world.”. Like Mary, Hannah's son is destined to be a prophet, set aside by God for a great work.
Over and above everything else, Hannah's hymn is hymn of hope. She speaks of her 'horn being lifted high' (verse 1) and how God will 'exalt the Horn of his anointed” (verse 10). The 'horn' was a representation of salvation. In early Israel if a person felt wrongly accused for a crime they could go to the tabernacle where the altar was kept and take hold of one of the four horns that were at the corners and it would be a place of refuge where they could find a fair trial. The horn was seen as a sign of blessing and strength.
In Luke's gospel, the father of John the Baptist, Zacharias, speaks of how God “Has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David”, seen by most commentators as a reference to the coming of Jesus into our world. It was Samuel, Hannah's firstborn son, who anointed King David, the great ancestor of the first born of Mary, Jesus, the one we call our Lord and Savior. There are some fascinating connections between this ancient song of Hannah and the gospel accounts of the New Testament.
As we approach a time of National Thanksgiving, after passing through a time of local emergency and distress, we would do well to take a lead from Hannah and thank God for what is yet to be. None of us knows what the future may hold, but that does not prevent us from committing our way to the God who holds the future in His hands.
Verse 9 in the Message Bible pictures Hannah declaring 'God protectively cares for God's faithful friends, step by step, but leaves the wicked to stumble in the dark. No one makes it in this life by sheer muscle!' As we discovered when the power went out, none of us enjoys stumbling around in the dark. We have all been humbled by the power of the storm. All our muscle, all our defenses and all our well-wishes could not turn back a Hurricane.
Like Hannah though, we can face the future knowing that God is faithful and simply take things step by step. It's an uncertain world. Through faith in Jesus Christ, and empowered by the love of the Holy Spirit, we can live faithfully as those who know God as a friend, experience God's Holy Spirit as a helper in time of trouble, and know Jesus Christ as a Guide and a Savior.
Hannah’s Hymn. Thanksgiving for the things God has done. Thanksgiving for the things God is doing. Thanksgiving for the things God will do. May we find room in our hearts for giving thanks to our God who is the same yesterday, today and forever. Amen.
Rev. Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
Readings:1 Samuel 1:4-20, Mark 13:1-8, Acts 3:19-26, 1 Samuel 2:1-10
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, November 18th 2012
A printable PDF file can be found here
The Hymn of Hannah is one of the lesser known passages of the Old Testament. Who is Hannah? Why is she writing a hymn?
Hannah lived at a time in history before Israel had a King and was ruled by Judges and Priests. The priest at the time was a man called Eli, who was having problems controlling his sons, who were not the godly sort and embraced the spirit of the age. In Scriptures words it was a time when 'everybody did what was right in their own eyes' without considering what God may require of them.
Hannah and Peninnah are the two wives of a man called Elkanah. Peninnah has given Elkanah children, but Hannah has not. Penninah takes every opportunity she can to torment Hannah and remind her that it is she, and her children, who were the blessed ones of God. Hannah's heart is often broken.
Every year the family makes a pilgrimage to Eli's place of worship called Shiloh. It's always tough for Hannah as Peninnah continues to treat her unkindly and remind her of her barren state. One particular year is exceptionally hard and the priest Eli finds Hannah crying in the temple. She comes to God with a heart rending prayer. That if God will grant her a son, she will dedicate the life of that child to God. Eli assures her that God has heard her prayer and she will have a child.
Hannah does indeed have a child. She calls him Samuel. True to her word Hannah brings Samuel to Eli and Eli takes Samuel under his wing, bringing him up in the temple as a priest. Hannah's hymn, our scripture reading, was her thanksgiving to God for answering her prayer and giving her a son.
Although she doesn't know it when she sings her hymn, when he grows up, Samuel becomes one of Israel's most celebrated priests under whose ministry the time of Judges comes to an end and the time of Kings begins. There are two books in the Old Testament named 'Samuel' such is his influence.
As we enter a time of Thanksgiving it seems timely to take a look at one of Scriptures great thanksgiving prayers. As we continue to be a community that rebuilds from the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, it is good to remind ourselves that God is not against us, but In Christ, seeks to renew our lives.
Hannah's prayer offers thanksgiving for the past, the present and the future.
1. Thanksgiving for the things God has done.
The Message Bible begins the hymn with Hannnah praying; “I'm bursting with God-news! I'm walking on air. I'm laughing at my rivals. I'm dancing my salvation.” She is in a better place than she had been for a long long time. There had been times when she despaired of ever getting through. She had for years had to put up with the bullying and taunting of Elkinah's other wife, Peninnah, but with the benefit of hindsight, could see that even those difficult days had not been without purpose.
If she had not struggled for so long then she may never have considered dedicating the life of her first born to the Lord. She had discovered, that despite the taunting of Penninah, their husband Elkinah had never disparaged her or rejected her, but even in her barrenness loved her and supported her. She had discovered a sense of 'karma' … 'what goes around, comes around'. Her opponents taunts turned out to be hollow and empty. Their foolishness was exposed. She had discovered that faith in God truly was a rock on which to build, and that those who mocked her faith would be found wanting. As verse 3 tells us; "Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by Him deeds are weighed.”
When we travel through hard times, times of great loss and tragedy, we are forced to re-evaluate what really matters in life. Some of those who have seen their homes destroyed have spoken of how it's not the 'stuff' that they are missing, it's the lost photographs and pictures, things often with little financial value, that they most regret losing. It's hard.
Many are not yet in a position to really evaluate the lessons these days are teaching us. It's still to close and the wounds are to deep. Yet even if our only prayer of thanksgiving today is 'Thank You Lord that I'm still here to tell my story” then we are allowing God to teach us and transform us.
There is a gritty reality to Hannah's hymn when in verses 6 and 7 she declares "The LORD brings death and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and raises up. The LORD sends poverty and wealth; He humbles and He exalts.” Hannah acknowledges that there are times when our worst nightmares become our reality. But she won't leave it there. She insists that even as we travel through those times, God is at work in ways that call us to faith. She never tries to justify or explain the dark times. She thanks God for getting through them. She offers thanksgiving for the things God has done.
2. Thanksgiving for the things God was doing.
She sees around her things happening that cause her to be thankful. She rejoices in the blessings of the present. She senses a change, not only in her personal fortunes, but in the community around her. Verses 4-5. "The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength. Those who were full hire themselves out for food, but those who were hungry are hungry no more. She who was barren has borne seven children, but she who has had many sons pines away.”
Bear in mind that she is singing this hymn after she has just left her promised son in the hands of the priest Eli. There is no definite hope for the future. She is trusting in the promises of God. Eli, has thanked her for the 'loan' of the child and prays God will bless her. Turns out that's what happens. She conceives three further sons and two daughters. Samuel grows up to be a prophet and anoints Saul as first King of Israel. But she doesn't know that right then. She's simply trusting that God is up to something and senses it is something worth celebrating.
It is hard to read the signs of the times. There's been an election. We have weathered a storm. I personally don't sense a huge movement of change in the nation or even in the church. What I do sense is that we here, are more aware of our own fragility and vulnerability than we have ever been. That is not a bad thing.
If it causes us to examine what we are building our lives upon and to appreciate in a deeper way our need to be a community that cares then that's a positive. If the lines and waits for Gas have revealed that we are far to dependent on fossil fuels, then maybe change will come and we will take with greater seriousness the quest for alternative energy. If the predictions of 100 year storms being every two or three year storms in the future, then I hope we are exploring ways of how we modify our infrastructure so as to live within that new reality.
I sense people are asking questions. Maybe that's what was happening with Hannah. She knew things couldn't carry on as they were but had the faith that God would guide them to better days. This wasn't an easy day for her. She was kissing her son farewell for the foreseeable future. Yet in that moment she felt the embrace of God. In verse 9 she sings “He will guard the feet of his faithful servants, but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.” Which leads us to a third thing.
3. Thanksgiving for the things God will do.
Hannah's prayer has been compared to that of the prayer of Mary, the mother of Jesus, that we know as the Magnificat. Like Mary, Hannah heralds a new age and the coming of a new Kingdom. Like Mary she pictures the nature of this kingdom as one of divine reversals. Verse 8 “He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; He seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. "For the foundations of the earth are the LORD's; on them he has set the world.”. Like Mary, Hannah's son is destined to be a prophet, set aside by God for a great work.
Over and above everything else, Hannah's hymn is hymn of hope. She speaks of her 'horn being lifted high' (verse 1) and how God will 'exalt the Horn of his anointed” (verse 10). The 'horn' was a representation of salvation. In early Israel if a person felt wrongly accused for a crime they could go to the tabernacle where the altar was kept and take hold of one of the four horns that were at the corners and it would be a place of refuge where they could find a fair trial. The horn was seen as a sign of blessing and strength.
In Luke's gospel, the father of John the Baptist, Zacharias, speaks of how God “Has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David”, seen by most commentators as a reference to the coming of Jesus into our world. It was Samuel, Hannah's firstborn son, who anointed King David, the great ancestor of the first born of Mary, Jesus, the one we call our Lord and Savior. There are some fascinating connections between this ancient song of Hannah and the gospel accounts of the New Testament.
As we approach a time of National Thanksgiving, after passing through a time of local emergency and distress, we would do well to take a lead from Hannah and thank God for what is yet to be. None of us knows what the future may hold, but that does not prevent us from committing our way to the God who holds the future in His hands.
Verse 9 in the Message Bible pictures Hannah declaring 'God protectively cares for God's faithful friends, step by step, but leaves the wicked to stumble in the dark. No one makes it in this life by sheer muscle!' As we discovered when the power went out, none of us enjoys stumbling around in the dark. We have all been humbled by the power of the storm. All our muscle, all our defenses and all our well-wishes could not turn back a Hurricane.
Like Hannah though, we can face the future knowing that God is faithful and simply take things step by step. It's an uncertain world. Through faith in Jesus Christ, and empowered by the love of the Holy Spirit, we can live faithfully as those who know God as a friend, experience God's Holy Spirit as a helper in time of trouble, and know Jesus Christ as a Guide and a Savior.
Hannah’s Hymn. Thanksgiving for the things God has done. Thanksgiving for the things God is doing. Thanksgiving for the things God will do. May we find room in our hearts for giving thanks to our God who is the same yesterday, today and forever. Amen.
Rev. Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Building A Life
Readings; Ruth 3:1-5, Hebrews 9:24-28, Mark 12:38-44, Psalm 127
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, November 11th 2012
A printable PDF file can be found here
When a church constructs a new building there will usually be a dedication service. An often used text at such services is the first verse of Psalm 127 “Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” Such a text is a reminder that our church buildings should never become monuments to human achievement nor should they prove to be a temptation for ourselves to take credit for what God is doing in our midst.
Psalm 127 is about a lot more than building construction. It challenges us to consider the way we construct our whole life. It questions our personal security systems. It outlines the benefits of trusting in God. When we have faith in the grace and love of Jesus Christ we become inheritors of the promises of God. Psalm 127 reminds us of what some of those healing promises are.
Within these wonderful few verses of Psalm 127 we find;
1. An antidote to futility
In the Book of Ecclesiastes the author declares 'emptiness, emptiness, all of life is emptiness'. What we do we gain from all our toil under the sun? What's the point of it? Why do we even bother? The second verse of our Psalm captures this sense of futility, “In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat”.
We are encouraged from an early age to build a life for ourselves. We are told the world is full of opportunity, that there's nothing we can't do and if that we just work hard enough then the rewards will surely follow. And for some fortunate folks, maybe it turns out that way. But for many it just isn't true. Oh, yes, they are working their fingers to the bone, but the dreams fade as the years go by and oftentimes there is that sad moment of realization and disillusionment that maybe 'this is all there is' and 'this is all I will ever be.'
When a hurricane called Sandy comes calling the futility level notches up a whole lot higher. All that we have built seems frighteningly fragile. Jesus told a number of stories about foolish builders. Those who said to themselves “I will store up for myself great treasures on earth, only to be told “You fool, this very night your life will be taken from you. Now what will you do with all that you have so greedily accumulated?”
The antidote the Psalmist offers us is in this first verse. “Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” This Psalm reminds that we can construct our lives in one of two ways. We can seek to please ourselves or we can seek to please God. Either we invite God to be in on every aspect of our lives or we face life alone. It cautions us that if we leave God out of the picture, then it will lead us, ultimately, to a place of despair. Unless the Lord builds the house of our lives, then we are building in vain. Psalm 127 offers an antidote to futility. Faith in God. Secondly it offers ...
2. An antidote to anxiety
The first verse continues. “Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.” The job of the watchman was to be on the lookout for danger and take measures to prevent any threat coming upon the city. The psalmist suggests to us that taking human precautions is not enough. That unless we also seek the protection of God over our lives, then no matter how wonderful the barriers we build around our lives may be, they will always prove to be in vain.
We are an anxious society. People worry about everything that it is possible to be worried about and even a lot of things that we really shouldn't be worried about. Why, here I am now sharing my worries about the amount of worrying there is in our worry soaked world! If we could only turn anxiety into a power source then we would never have to worry about losing power ever again!
It's a matter of security. Where do we find our personal security? Again the psalmist offers us the options. We either 1) trust in our personal abilities to supply everything we need to protect us from every danger and disaster that may befall us or b) we trust in God. “Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.”... unless God watches over us then no matter what precautions we surround our lives with, they are all a matter of vanity... and vanity is not security... and where there is no security all we are building is anxiety. Hurricane Sandy has taught us lot about our vulnerability.
Let's remind ourselves of some of the things Jesus has to tell us about worry. “I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.” (Luke 12:22-23)
He challenges us “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? (Luke 12:25-26)
He directs us to the better way, the less anxious way, the secure way “Seek God's kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Do not be afraid... for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. He encourages us: Give to the poor ... Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Luke 12:29-34).
It's all about security, about trusting in God ...deep questions about what we are building our lives upon. Yet this psalm isn't just about questions, it also offers us a promise. The promise that through faith in God our life will find a center that is powerful and creative and life giving. We see also in this Psalm ...
3. A promise of vitality.
The Psalmist promises us vitality in two specific ways. The first is found in verse 2 'He grants sleep to those He loves.' This promise is in the context of finding an antidote to futility and anxiety. What do we gain from our faith and trust in God to be both our builder and our security? Well, putting it simply, we rest easier! But it's a lot more than that.
The Psalmist is implying that if we have faith that God can both guide us and protect us, if we find our security in the love of Jesus Christ, then we discover a sense of perspective to our lives that nothing else in this world can give us. Again Hurricane Sandy has taught us this lesson, whether we wanted to hear it or not. When everything is stripped away, we understand that our 'stuff' isn't the bottom line. It's having communities that care and people we can trust and taking the next breath that matters most.
The Christian message about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is no little thing. It is not, “Oh. God sent Jesus to die for us so that when we die we can all go to heaven. How nice!”The Christian message is that we are on this earth for a purpose, that death cannot destroy and despair cannot obliterate. That there is a pulse that reverberates throughout all creation, a pulse of resurrection energy that can be a restoring force in our own lives through the action of God's Holy Spirit.
In the culture at the time this Psalm was written, vitality is compared to having a huge family. Fertility is seen as the sign of blessing. Verses 3 through 5 : “Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.”
Now we are in the 21st century, the population explosion is straining our planets resources to breaking point. The option to 'Go forth and Multiply' is morally unjustifiable. We have the responsibility to reinterpret this verse and apply it to our current situation.
We can do so by realizing this promise speaks about community. The primary support community in Old Testament times was your own family. That no longer applies. In the New Covenant community initiated by Jesus, we are encouraged to see all people as sisters and brothers, children of the One Father God. As the old disco hit proclaims “We are family!”
Psalm 127 encourages us to be a church community that is living and active and vibrant with fellowship and love. To put our trust in God to bind us together and grow us in our faith together. It is in and through this community of faith we are called to care for another and bear each others burdens, to pray for one another, to be a witness to the world that declares as a song we sometimes sing says; “They will know we are Christians by our love!'
Which brings us around full circle... “Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” Such applies to our individual lives and to our community. Psalm 127 offers us;
Rev. Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, November 11th 2012
A printable PDF file can be found here
When a church constructs a new building there will usually be a dedication service. An often used text at such services is the first verse of Psalm 127 “Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” Such a text is a reminder that our church buildings should never become monuments to human achievement nor should they prove to be a temptation for ourselves to take credit for what God is doing in our midst.
Psalm 127 is about a lot more than building construction. It challenges us to consider the way we construct our whole life. It questions our personal security systems. It outlines the benefits of trusting in God. When we have faith in the grace and love of Jesus Christ we become inheritors of the promises of God. Psalm 127 reminds us of what some of those healing promises are.
Within these wonderful few verses of Psalm 127 we find;
- An antidote to futility
- An antidote to anxiety
- A promise of vitality.
1. An antidote to futility
In the Book of Ecclesiastes the author declares 'emptiness, emptiness, all of life is emptiness'. What we do we gain from all our toil under the sun? What's the point of it? Why do we even bother? The second verse of our Psalm captures this sense of futility, “In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat”.
We are encouraged from an early age to build a life for ourselves. We are told the world is full of opportunity, that there's nothing we can't do and if that we just work hard enough then the rewards will surely follow. And for some fortunate folks, maybe it turns out that way. But for many it just isn't true. Oh, yes, they are working their fingers to the bone, but the dreams fade as the years go by and oftentimes there is that sad moment of realization and disillusionment that maybe 'this is all there is' and 'this is all I will ever be.'
When a hurricane called Sandy comes calling the futility level notches up a whole lot higher. All that we have built seems frighteningly fragile. Jesus told a number of stories about foolish builders. Those who said to themselves “I will store up for myself great treasures on earth, only to be told “You fool, this very night your life will be taken from you. Now what will you do with all that you have so greedily accumulated?”
The antidote the Psalmist offers us is in this first verse. “Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” This Psalm reminds that we can construct our lives in one of two ways. We can seek to please ourselves or we can seek to please God. Either we invite God to be in on every aspect of our lives or we face life alone. It cautions us that if we leave God out of the picture, then it will lead us, ultimately, to a place of despair. Unless the Lord builds the house of our lives, then we are building in vain. Psalm 127 offers an antidote to futility. Faith in God. Secondly it offers ...
2. An antidote to anxiety
The first verse continues. “Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.” The job of the watchman was to be on the lookout for danger and take measures to prevent any threat coming upon the city. The psalmist suggests to us that taking human precautions is not enough. That unless we also seek the protection of God over our lives, then no matter how wonderful the barriers we build around our lives may be, they will always prove to be in vain.
We are an anxious society. People worry about everything that it is possible to be worried about and even a lot of things that we really shouldn't be worried about. Why, here I am now sharing my worries about the amount of worrying there is in our worry soaked world! If we could only turn anxiety into a power source then we would never have to worry about losing power ever again!
It's a matter of security. Where do we find our personal security? Again the psalmist offers us the options. We either 1) trust in our personal abilities to supply everything we need to protect us from every danger and disaster that may befall us or b) we trust in God. “Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.”... unless God watches over us then no matter what precautions we surround our lives with, they are all a matter of vanity... and vanity is not security... and where there is no security all we are building is anxiety. Hurricane Sandy has taught us lot about our vulnerability.
Let's remind ourselves of some of the things Jesus has to tell us about worry. “I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.” (Luke 12:22-23)
He challenges us “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? (Luke 12:25-26)
He directs us to the better way, the less anxious way, the secure way “Seek God's kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Do not be afraid... for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. He encourages us: Give to the poor ... Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Luke 12:29-34).
It's all about security, about trusting in God ...deep questions about what we are building our lives upon. Yet this psalm isn't just about questions, it also offers us a promise. The promise that through faith in God our life will find a center that is powerful and creative and life giving. We see also in this Psalm ...
3. A promise of vitality.
The Psalmist promises us vitality in two specific ways. The first is found in verse 2 'He grants sleep to those He loves.' This promise is in the context of finding an antidote to futility and anxiety. What do we gain from our faith and trust in God to be both our builder and our security? Well, putting it simply, we rest easier! But it's a lot more than that.
The Psalmist is implying that if we have faith that God can both guide us and protect us, if we find our security in the love of Jesus Christ, then we discover a sense of perspective to our lives that nothing else in this world can give us. Again Hurricane Sandy has taught us this lesson, whether we wanted to hear it or not. When everything is stripped away, we understand that our 'stuff' isn't the bottom line. It's having communities that care and people we can trust and taking the next breath that matters most.
The Christian message about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is no little thing. It is not, “Oh. God sent Jesus to die for us so that when we die we can all go to heaven. How nice!”The Christian message is that we are on this earth for a purpose, that death cannot destroy and despair cannot obliterate. That there is a pulse that reverberates throughout all creation, a pulse of resurrection energy that can be a restoring force in our own lives through the action of God's Holy Spirit.
In the culture at the time this Psalm was written, vitality is compared to having a huge family. Fertility is seen as the sign of blessing. Verses 3 through 5 : “Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.”
Now we are in the 21st century, the population explosion is straining our planets resources to breaking point. The option to 'Go forth and Multiply' is morally unjustifiable. We have the responsibility to reinterpret this verse and apply it to our current situation.
We can do so by realizing this promise speaks about community. The primary support community in Old Testament times was your own family. That no longer applies. In the New Covenant community initiated by Jesus, we are encouraged to see all people as sisters and brothers, children of the One Father God. As the old disco hit proclaims “We are family!”
Psalm 127 encourages us to be a church community that is living and active and vibrant with fellowship and love. To put our trust in God to bind us together and grow us in our faith together. It is in and through this community of faith we are called to care for another and bear each others burdens, to pray for one another, to be a witness to the world that declares as a song we sometimes sing says; “They will know we are Christians by our love!'
Which brings us around full circle... “Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” Such applies to our individual lives and to our community. Psalm 127 offers us;
- An antidote to futility. Allow God to build our lives and life will not be in vain.
- An antidote to anxiety. Find our security in the love of Jesus Christ and we will have a true center.
- A promise of vitality. Trust in God to discover a renewed perspective on life.
Rev. Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
Monday, November 5, 2012
“THE MOST IMPORTANT THING”
Readings; Psalm 146, Deuteronomy 6:1-9, Hebrews 9:11-14, Mark 12: 28-34
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, November 4th 2012
A printable PDF file can be found here.
Last week, Carol Howard Merritt preached about Job and the problem of suffering. Job suffered at the hand of forces that were beyond his control. So this week we have been visited by Hurricane Sandy, and she didn't play nice! She proved well beyond anything we could handle. It's been a tough week for most everybody over a large area of the East coast. Some have lost a great deal. Some didn't make it.
Whilst we are still a little shell shocked by the events we are at the same time very thankful for all those who have come to our aid. People have dug deep into their resources to try and rebuild what has been taken away. The emergency services have been heroic in their efforts. People have pulled together and by and large done what they can they do.
Our reading from the gospel this week had somebody asking Jesus what was the most important thing?
I'm sure if they, like Job, and like many in our area, had just been through a traumatic experience, they may answer differently than they would at a time when all was going well.
In the light of all we are going through right now, what would you say was the most important thing to remember? (Ask congregation for their responses)
After the congregation had responded, expressing thankfulness just to still be alive and sharing storm stories... there wasn't really much less to say and we went to prayer. But if I had preached the rest of the sermon …
When Jesus is asked by a very religious Jewish gentleman, “Which is the most important commandment?” Jesus firstly answers him with something known as the 'shema'. 'Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.'
We know the account of Moses leading the people out of slavery in Egypt to a new land. In the Old Testament the Book of Deuteronomy tells us how, before they reached the promised land, Moses gave the people the laws.
On the doorposts of traditional Jewish homes (and many not-so-traditional homes!) you will often find a small case known as a 'Mezuzah' attached to the doorpost. Sometimes those entering the house will pause to touch it and offer a prayer. Inside the 'Mezuzah' is scroll with the words of the 'Shema' written upon it.
In you attended one of our local synagogues you may notice that when some of the men come to worship they have a leather pouch, known as a 'tefillin' or 'phylactery' strapped to their head or on their arm. In the pouch are the words of the 'shema'. They take quite literally the command of Moses that these laws were to be written on the door frames of their houses and tied on their hands and bound on their foreheads.
This morning is a communion service. Something we do to remind us that loving God is important. We will take bread and wine and invite God to renew our lives so we can be faithful disciples. It is not our practice to write the law on our gateposts or wear pouches with the law on our heads or arms. Yet many of us may have pictures or plaques with bible verses on them. Many of us may wear a cross somewhere near our heart as a reminder of what we believe.
Jesus adds something else. A second command that was equally as important as the first one. 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Jesus saw how even the most religious people could do one and sometimes forget about the other! They were so busy thinking about God that they forgot to think about other people!
It has been said, “The church is the only institution in the world whose main reason for existing is the benefit of those who are not it's members!” We worship our God in order that we may go out and serve our neighbor. I've been in churches where they say or have printed in their bulletins at the end of the Sunday service something like “The worship is over, now the service begins.” or even, “The service is over, now the worship begins”... because worship is all about doing, not just about saying prayers or singing hymns!
Maybe, right now, we are more in touch with the loving neighbor part than we are the loving God part. We have been reminded this week of the importance of loving our neighbor. We have been grateful for good neighbors who have checked on us,and told us what they knew. We have had a chance to reach to others and help where we can.
Getting back to Job, who we were thinking of last week. At the end of the Book of Job everything is restored to him. Some commentators feel that the ending we have was not the original ending of the book. That the first draft of Job ended with Job, having lost everything but having gained something that meant a lot more to him. The knowledge that God was with him in the midst of his unprecedented trials and suffering. That though there were things he would never understand, God would still be there.
When you do read the happy ending in Job it does all seem a little fantastical. He inherits so much and lives so long! Another commentator suggests that we should remember that in some Old Testament stories numbers are used symbolically. That maybe all the things Job had restored to him were not in this life at all, but in eternity.
Well... I'll leave the commentators to sort that out. For today, I think it is safe to say that when a hurricane hits your life, you aren't too worried about what the future may hold, or about a happy ending, you just want to get through each day. Job discovered that by trusting in God he could mange to do just that.... and even more than that his relationship with God was strengthened and deepened.
Here's our chance around the table to ask the Lord of the Storm to help us clear up after the storm. Here's an opportunity to be thankful that we're still here to tell the tale of Hurricane Sandy. Here's an opportunity to recharge our spiritual batteries. Here's a chance to remember that Jesus went through the storm of a crucifixion to let us know that whatever happens, we are loved, that whatever depths of suffering we travel through,God knows how it feels and promises to help us through.
Like Job, we may never understand why bad stuff happens. Like Job, may we also discover the most important thing. God is with us and can help us in the task of rebuilding what has been destroyed. Let us recommit our lives to loving God by loving our neighbors! Amen.
Rev. Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, November 4th 2012
A printable PDF file can be found here.
Last week, Carol Howard Merritt preached about Job and the problem of suffering. Job suffered at the hand of forces that were beyond his control. So this week we have been visited by Hurricane Sandy, and she didn't play nice! She proved well beyond anything we could handle. It's been a tough week for most everybody over a large area of the East coast. Some have lost a great deal. Some didn't make it.
Whilst we are still a little shell shocked by the events we are at the same time very thankful for all those who have come to our aid. People have dug deep into their resources to try and rebuild what has been taken away. The emergency services have been heroic in their efforts. People have pulled together and by and large done what they can they do.
Our reading from the gospel this week had somebody asking Jesus what was the most important thing?
I'm sure if they, like Job, and like many in our area, had just been through a traumatic experience, they may answer differently than they would at a time when all was going well.
In the light of all we are going through right now, what would you say was the most important thing to remember? (Ask congregation for their responses)
After the congregation had responded, expressing thankfulness just to still be alive and sharing storm stories... there wasn't really much less to say and we went to prayer. But if I had preached the rest of the sermon …
When Jesus is asked by a very religious Jewish gentleman, “Which is the most important commandment?” Jesus firstly answers him with something known as the 'shema'. 'Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.'
We know the account of Moses leading the people out of slavery in Egypt to a new land. In the Old Testament the Book of Deuteronomy tells us how, before they reached the promised land, Moses gave the people the laws.
On the doorposts of traditional Jewish homes (and many not-so-traditional homes!) you will often find a small case known as a 'Mezuzah' attached to the doorpost. Sometimes those entering the house will pause to touch it and offer a prayer. Inside the 'Mezuzah' is scroll with the words of the 'Shema' written upon it.
In you attended one of our local synagogues you may notice that when some of the men come to worship they have a leather pouch, known as a 'tefillin' or 'phylactery' strapped to their head or on their arm. In the pouch are the words of the 'shema'. They take quite literally the command of Moses that these laws were to be written on the door frames of their houses and tied on their hands and bound on their foreheads.
This morning is a communion service. Something we do to remind us that loving God is important. We will take bread and wine and invite God to renew our lives so we can be faithful disciples. It is not our practice to write the law on our gateposts or wear pouches with the law on our heads or arms. Yet many of us may have pictures or plaques with bible verses on them. Many of us may wear a cross somewhere near our heart as a reminder of what we believe.
Jesus adds something else. A second command that was equally as important as the first one. 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Jesus saw how even the most religious people could do one and sometimes forget about the other! They were so busy thinking about God that they forgot to think about other people!
It has been said, “The church is the only institution in the world whose main reason for existing is the benefit of those who are not it's members!” We worship our God in order that we may go out and serve our neighbor. I've been in churches where they say or have printed in their bulletins at the end of the Sunday service something like “The worship is over, now the service begins.” or even, “The service is over, now the worship begins”... because worship is all about doing, not just about saying prayers or singing hymns!
Maybe, right now, we are more in touch with the loving neighbor part than we are the loving God part. We have been reminded this week of the importance of loving our neighbor. We have been grateful for good neighbors who have checked on us,and told us what they knew. We have had a chance to reach to others and help where we can.
Getting back to Job, who we were thinking of last week. At the end of the Book of Job everything is restored to him. Some commentators feel that the ending we have was not the original ending of the book. That the first draft of Job ended with Job, having lost everything but having gained something that meant a lot more to him. The knowledge that God was with him in the midst of his unprecedented trials and suffering. That though there were things he would never understand, God would still be there.
When you do read the happy ending in Job it does all seem a little fantastical. He inherits so much and lives so long! Another commentator suggests that we should remember that in some Old Testament stories numbers are used symbolically. That maybe all the things Job had restored to him were not in this life at all, but in eternity.
Well... I'll leave the commentators to sort that out. For today, I think it is safe to say that when a hurricane hits your life, you aren't too worried about what the future may hold, or about a happy ending, you just want to get through each day. Job discovered that by trusting in God he could mange to do just that.... and even more than that his relationship with God was strengthened and deepened.
Here's our chance around the table to ask the Lord of the Storm to help us clear up after the storm. Here's an opportunity to be thankful that we're still here to tell the tale of Hurricane Sandy. Here's an opportunity to recharge our spiritual batteries. Here's a chance to remember that Jesus went through the storm of a crucifixion to let us know that whatever happens, we are loved, that whatever depths of suffering we travel through,God knows how it feels and promises to help us through.
Like Job, we may never understand why bad stuff happens. Like Job, may we also discover the most important thing. God is with us and can help us in the task of rebuilding what has been destroyed. Let us recommit our lives to loving God by loving our neighbors! Amen.
Rev. Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
GIMME FIVE
Readings: Psalm 76, Numbers 12:1-7, Matthew 25:14-30, 1 Corinthians 4: 1-5
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, October 21st 2012
A printable PDF file can be found here
My dog Harpo can not do many tricks. But if you say “Gimme 5!” he’ll lift up his paw and give you 5. As we head through Stewardship season, I am not going to be doing any tricks, but I do want to “Give you 5”- Five pointers as to how to be faithful in the matter of stewardship before God.
As I do so I want to hang my thoughts on a text that appears in 1 Corinthians 4:2; "It is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy"
The position of steward in biblical days was an honored position. It was a term used for the house manager, a position of trust and responsibility. Stewardship is a lot more than bringing offerings on a Sunday. It's about putting God first in every area of our lives.
God entrusts us with a great deal. We have to be careful how we handle it. As Christian people, we don’t have a choice as whether or not we are stewards. The choice we have is whether we will be good stewards. Good stewardship is an expression of true thankfulness to God. How best do we faithfully respond to the blessings God has surrounded our lives with?
1. We can be faithful with our time
To begin the day with an attitude of trust and faith is to give God the first hour. By saying the "First Hour', I don't mean the first actual hour we are awake or even a literal hour. I mean that every day we live we should make a conscious choice to spend some of that time exclusively with our God. To make number one in our priorities, number one amongst the things we have to do in a day, time for God.
We do that for each other. If we don't make time for each other, communication breaks down and relationships become strained. Why should our relationship with God function differently? Some people find a first thing in the morning quiet time is the way to give God the best of the day. Others prefer talking things over with God at the end of the day. Some find time on their drive to work or commuting on the train. We can be flexible because no two days ever turn out to be the same. But our faith needs nurturing daily if it is going to be of any use. Otherwise we lose our way.
2. We can be faithful in our worship
To properly worship God on a Sunday people need each other. What's the point of maintaining a church and a minister and a staff and all the rest, if on the one hour in the week we can be together, we decide to be somewhere else? We need to be worshiping and praying and sharing fellowship together.
The fourth Commandment is plain enough. "Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it Holy". I know that sometimes life's commitments, work and family and all of that make it impossible for every member to be in church every Sunday. The best advice I heard was "Be there when you can, be elsewhere when you must". To be a faithful and grateful steward means taking God up on God's invitation and, whenever we can, give God the first day of the week for worship and for re-creation.
3. We can be faithful in our giving.
God doesn't need our money. All our tithes and offerings can not enrich one iota the God who is King and Lord and Creator of all things. God has all the wealth of all Creation at God's disposal. What can our two penny worth add to that? So why do we have a time in our service of worship to bring to God our tithes and offerings?
Because our gifts are an expression of our thankfulness. The gifts we bring do not add to the glory of God. The service of giving helps us to be more complete as people. "To give" is to remind ourselves that life is not just about us. It reminds us that we can only fully be ourselves when we are in community with others.
We give because Christ gave His life for us. He is the example. He is the pattern. His love is the motivation for giving God the first portion of our paycheck. "Let giving be cheerful" instructs the scriptures. Give graciously. Give generously. Give thankfully. Give because there is a need to be met and you can meet it. Give because that is the pattern of life Christ lays before you and calls you to follow. Give, simply because you are glad to be alive!
When the offering plate comes round, or as you consider making a pledge, do it in such a way as to demonstrate that your relationship with God really means something and truly matters. That you are grateful for your God, your church and your life. If you give your loved one a gift you don't hold back. A willingness to dip into your wallet is an indication of your love for God.
4. We can be faithful in our service.
I was once sitting playing guitar at a youth retreat when one of the participants, a gifted auto mechanic, came up to me and said, “I wish I could play guitar, I envy you". I said, "Boy, if you've ever seen me struggling on a cold morning when my car won't start, looking under the hood and pretending like I knew something about all the stuff in there, I'd tell you which one of us should be envied. "But it's just an engine" he said. "Right," I said, "And this is just a guitar."
Some of us have talents in one sphere. To others our gifting is in a different area. We all have things we can do that we can offer to God. Simple things and not so simple things. What's most needed is a willing spirit. The ability to never say, "Someone should do something about that" and the spirit that says, "How can I help do something about this".
Use the gifts you've been given, or you lose them. It's how you use your gifting that matters.
The fifth finger of this ‘Gimme 5” of stewardship is the most important. It is the one on which our time and tithes and talents must be focused and from where they should flow.
5. We can be faithful in our loving
The first great commandment is to love God with all our hearts, all our soul and all our mind. The second is to love our neighbor as much as we love ourselves. The way we are called to face challenges, whether they be stewardship challenges in the life of our church, or personal things that affect our lives, is much the same.
We've got to have an active faith. To love God implies that we trust God. Faith and love go together. We should throw hope in there to, as Paul says in that great passage about love in 1 Corinthians 13, "And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love."
The greatest incentive behind any stewardship campaign has to be the same thing. Love. Love for the things of God. Love for the people of God, particularly those who make up this little piece of God's Kingdom we call First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin.
Love for this building and what it stands for within this community. Love for the many programs that take place here amongst the people, young and old, and beyond these walls in the larger community. Love for the gospel and the one who gave us the Good News, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Love for the action of the Holy Spirit who renews and changes and saves.
So here’s my big 5 of thankful, faithful stewardship!
1. We can be faithful with our time.
2. We can be faithful in our worship.
3. We can be faithful in our giving.
4. We can be faithful in our serving.
5. We can be faithful in our loving.
Be a people who pray.
Exercise faith in your giving and serving.
Decide in what tangible ways you are going to face up to the challenge of being faithful stewards. And do it all with, through and from thanksgiving!
Stewardship, it's not just about money. It's about everything that God has given us and how we relate to God in all areas of our lives. "Seek ye first" said Jesus "The Kingdom of God". Do that and Jesus promises everything else in our lives will fall into place!
Rev Adrian Pratt
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, October 21st 2012
A printable PDF file can be found here
My dog Harpo can not do many tricks. But if you say “Gimme 5!” he’ll lift up his paw and give you 5. As we head through Stewardship season, I am not going to be doing any tricks, but I do want to “Give you 5”- Five pointers as to how to be faithful in the matter of stewardship before God.
As I do so I want to hang my thoughts on a text that appears in 1 Corinthians 4:2; "It is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy"
The position of steward in biblical days was an honored position. It was a term used for the house manager, a position of trust and responsibility. Stewardship is a lot more than bringing offerings on a Sunday. It's about putting God first in every area of our lives.
God entrusts us with a great deal. We have to be careful how we handle it. As Christian people, we don’t have a choice as whether or not we are stewards. The choice we have is whether we will be good stewards. Good stewardship is an expression of true thankfulness to God. How best do we faithfully respond to the blessings God has surrounded our lives with?
1. We can be faithful with our time
To begin the day with an attitude of trust and faith is to give God the first hour. By saying the "First Hour', I don't mean the first actual hour we are awake or even a literal hour. I mean that every day we live we should make a conscious choice to spend some of that time exclusively with our God. To make number one in our priorities, number one amongst the things we have to do in a day, time for God.
We do that for each other. If we don't make time for each other, communication breaks down and relationships become strained. Why should our relationship with God function differently? Some people find a first thing in the morning quiet time is the way to give God the best of the day. Others prefer talking things over with God at the end of the day. Some find time on their drive to work or commuting on the train. We can be flexible because no two days ever turn out to be the same. But our faith needs nurturing daily if it is going to be of any use. Otherwise we lose our way.
2. We can be faithful in our worship
To properly worship God on a Sunday people need each other. What's the point of maintaining a church and a minister and a staff and all the rest, if on the one hour in the week we can be together, we decide to be somewhere else? We need to be worshiping and praying and sharing fellowship together.
The fourth Commandment is plain enough. "Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it Holy". I know that sometimes life's commitments, work and family and all of that make it impossible for every member to be in church every Sunday. The best advice I heard was "Be there when you can, be elsewhere when you must". To be a faithful and grateful steward means taking God up on God's invitation and, whenever we can, give God the first day of the week for worship and for re-creation.
3. We can be faithful in our giving.
God doesn't need our money. All our tithes and offerings can not enrich one iota the God who is King and Lord and Creator of all things. God has all the wealth of all Creation at God's disposal. What can our two penny worth add to that? So why do we have a time in our service of worship to bring to God our tithes and offerings?
Because our gifts are an expression of our thankfulness. The gifts we bring do not add to the glory of God. The service of giving helps us to be more complete as people. "To give" is to remind ourselves that life is not just about us. It reminds us that we can only fully be ourselves when we are in community with others.
We give because Christ gave His life for us. He is the example. He is the pattern. His love is the motivation for giving God the first portion of our paycheck. "Let giving be cheerful" instructs the scriptures. Give graciously. Give generously. Give thankfully. Give because there is a need to be met and you can meet it. Give because that is the pattern of life Christ lays before you and calls you to follow. Give, simply because you are glad to be alive!
When the offering plate comes round, or as you consider making a pledge, do it in such a way as to demonstrate that your relationship with God really means something and truly matters. That you are grateful for your God, your church and your life. If you give your loved one a gift you don't hold back. A willingness to dip into your wallet is an indication of your love for God.
4. We can be faithful in our service.
I was once sitting playing guitar at a youth retreat when one of the participants, a gifted auto mechanic, came up to me and said, “I wish I could play guitar, I envy you". I said, "Boy, if you've ever seen me struggling on a cold morning when my car won't start, looking under the hood and pretending like I knew something about all the stuff in there, I'd tell you which one of us should be envied. "But it's just an engine" he said. "Right," I said, "And this is just a guitar."
Some of us have talents in one sphere. To others our gifting is in a different area. We all have things we can do that we can offer to God. Simple things and not so simple things. What's most needed is a willing spirit. The ability to never say, "Someone should do something about that" and the spirit that says, "How can I help do something about this".
Use the gifts you've been given, or you lose them. It's how you use your gifting that matters.
The fifth finger of this ‘Gimme 5” of stewardship is the most important. It is the one on which our time and tithes and talents must be focused and from where they should flow.
5. We can be faithful in our loving
The first great commandment is to love God with all our hearts, all our soul and all our mind. The second is to love our neighbor as much as we love ourselves. The way we are called to face challenges, whether they be stewardship challenges in the life of our church, or personal things that affect our lives, is much the same.
We've got to have an active faith. To love God implies that we trust God. Faith and love go together. We should throw hope in there to, as Paul says in that great passage about love in 1 Corinthians 13, "And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love."
The greatest incentive behind any stewardship campaign has to be the same thing. Love. Love for the things of God. Love for the people of God, particularly those who make up this little piece of God's Kingdom we call First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin.
Love for this building and what it stands for within this community. Love for the many programs that take place here amongst the people, young and old, and beyond these walls in the larger community. Love for the gospel and the one who gave us the Good News, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Love for the action of the Holy Spirit who renews and changes and saves.
So here’s my big 5 of thankful, faithful stewardship!
1. We can be faithful with our time.
2. We can be faithful in our worship.
3. We can be faithful in our giving.
4. We can be faithful in our serving.
5. We can be faithful in our loving.
Be a people who pray.
Exercise faith in your giving and serving.
Decide in what tangible ways you are going to face up to the challenge of being faithful stewards. And do it all with, through and from thanksgiving!
Stewardship, it's not just about money. It's about everything that God has given us and how we relate to God in all areas of our lives. "Seek ye first" said Jesus "The Kingdom of God". Do that and Jesus promises everything else in our lives will fall into place!
Rev Adrian Pratt
Sunday, October 7, 2012
WORLD COMMUNION SUNDAY “Scratching with Job”
Readings; Psalm 26, Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12, Mark 10:2-16, Job 1:1, 2:1-10.
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, October 7th 2012
A downloadable PDF file can be found here
Today is both World Communion Sunday and the Sunday we receive our Peacemaking offering. Our reading this morning was from the Book of Job. As we come to the table I'd like to invite you to do a bit of scratching with Job and share some thoughts around verses 7 and 8 of Job chapter 2; “So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and inflicted loathsome sores on Job from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. Job took a potsherd with which to scrape himself, and sat among the ashes.” (Job 2:7-8).
The Book of Job is arguably the greatest of all the dramatic writings of the Old Testament. It places this one good man, Job, at the center of a cosmic conflict between the forces of evil and the forces of good, and leaves us guessing how things are going to turn out. It wrestles with the question of undeserved suffering and demolishes the traditional arguments as to why and how things happen, till at the end of it all, Job's only comfort is in the fact that although he is none the wiser, at least he has encountered God.
The dilemma of Job is the dilemma of the Cross. As all around the world people receive bread and wine and focus upon the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, we, like Job, are surrounded by differing views and arguments and dilemmas. Ultimately we may also come to the position that, when all is said and done, when it comes to these huge questions of good and evil and fate and chance and why good sometimes seems to lose out to evil, all we can do is sit in the shadow of the Cross and accept that in the midst of many unanswered questions, at least, here is a meeting place with God.
Job was hurting. He was sore. He needed to scratch for a while. Maybe this morning some of us are feeling that way. Too much going on that we can't make sense of. Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do some people get away with the most atrocious acts whilst others suffer unjustly? Why can't we all just get along? Job was never given an explanation. Neither would I be so presumptuous as to suggest I can explain such dilemmas. But I can invite you to scratch for a while. I can point you to the mystery of our worldwide faith that is represented in bread and wine and symbolized by the Cross that overhangs our communion table.
The Presbyterian Peacemaking Offering this year draws our attention to a number of differing facets of life that truly need the healing touch of God. Bulletin inserts have highlighted a number of concerns. One insert spoke about human trafficking. It would be wonderful to think that slavery ended with the civil war, but according to the US department of State some 12.3 million people, including children, are involved in some form of forced labor. Thankfully there are congregations that campaign and offer support through rescuing people from such desperate circumstances.
Another focus of this years offering has been to highlight bullying, particularly amongst young people. Bullying is not confined to school, but spreads throughout everything from social media to the workplace. Sadly we have witnessed how the trauma of being a victim can lead to lifelong problems and even suicide. Thankfully there are congregations that are working to establish mentoring programs within schools and establish youth activities that can be safe places for youth to meet together.
Our denomination has worked for many years producing resources to educate people about gun violence and the need for laws to combat the rising tide of senseless acts by people who seek to do nothing but harm. The tide of violence in our society surely causes us to scratch for a while and ponder that there has to a better way. One of the questions being explored in this years peacemaking theme is “How we discern a nonviolent path in the midst of a violent world?” We can add in there such questions as 'How, in a world where we are so deeply divided, can we engage in respectful dialogue?”, “How, can we not only refrain from doing violence to each other, but also respect the good earth God has entrusted to our care?”
Such are some of the dilemmas that our peacemaking offering invites us to wrestle with. Maybe we are struggling with more personal dilemmas. The loss of loved ones. Times of illness and recovery. Concern for family. Financial concerns. Wondering how we are going to get around a certain situation or deal with a particularly vexing problem or person. All of these rob our personal peace and leave us scratching. We 'sort of know' that we are never going to get an answer as to 'why'... and to be honest that's not our burning concern... right now... we just need the strength to get through!
This is where communion can help us. The word 'communion' is closely related to the word 'community'. Being part of a community of faith can really make a difference to our lives. It's good to not only offer support to others, but to know support when we are going through hard times. It makes a difference.
When we realize that the community of faith isn't just about our community, but, as we express this morning, we are part of a worldwide community, then our horizons are expanded and we catch some little glimmers of hope. There are things, like the Peacemaking Offering, that we can do together, that we could never do all by ourselves.
Communion is designed to draw us in. We do this because Jesus invites us to remember Him in this way. As we remember Him this way we cannot help from considering the life He lived, the things He embodied, and the lessons He taught us. When we take bread and wine in the shadow of His Cross we are drawn to consider how He died and what His death may mean for our lives. We are drawn also to consider that our Cross is an empty Cross. That His death was not an end in itself but a new beginning. The mystery of His Resurrection and Ascension confront us here.
If God was in Christ redeeming the world, then how do we become part of the solution rather than part of the problem? Jesus promised that He would send His Holy Spirit to be the great counselor, enabler and comforter. It is around this table, laid with bread and wine, that we are encouraged to come and nurture our lives on God's living love.
It is around this table that we invited to stop scratching and reflect on the promises of God. 'I will never leave you or forsake you' promised Jesus to His disciples. God is not giving up on us, God is not giving up on our world, God is not through with the business of redemption or the work of healing or the task of peacemaking.
Job was man of integrity. He was nearly overwhelmed by the circumstances that befell his life. Somehow God got him through. And somehow God will get us though just as long as we can keep our focus on what God can do.
Communion. Not just with each other, but with God. Lives nurtured by God. Lives that find their sustenance in doing God's will and their refreshment in soaking up and sharing God's love. That's what we are invited to around this table. And it is an invitation that goes out to all the world.
We began our service today in different languages declaring, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whomsoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life”
Here is hope. Here is an opportunity to renew our lives before God as we remember that God wants to be involved in our struggles, in our heartaches, in our dilemmas. Here is God saying, “I've been there before and I will be there for you. No matter what life does to you, remember I transform places of desolation into times of celebration, places of crucifixion into moments of resurrection.”
This is a time for gratitude. This world may well be a place of dilemmas and contradictions, but we are not powerless. Thank God. We have life. We have a voice. We have each other. God has placed at our disposal many wonderful resources and opportunities to change things for the better. The little things we can do are actually the big things in the Kingdom. Mustard seed faith moves mountains.
Let us join with others around the world to recommit our lives to the Prince of peace, our Lord Jesus Christ. As we share these elements of bread and wine, may they nurture us for the journey that lies ahead of us. And to God's name be all glory, honor and praise. Amen.
Rev. Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, October 7th 2012
A downloadable PDF file can be found here
Today is both World Communion Sunday and the Sunday we receive our Peacemaking offering. Our reading this morning was from the Book of Job. As we come to the table I'd like to invite you to do a bit of scratching with Job and share some thoughts around verses 7 and 8 of Job chapter 2; “So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and inflicted loathsome sores on Job from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. Job took a potsherd with which to scrape himself, and sat among the ashes.” (Job 2:7-8).
The Book of Job is arguably the greatest of all the dramatic writings of the Old Testament. It places this one good man, Job, at the center of a cosmic conflict between the forces of evil and the forces of good, and leaves us guessing how things are going to turn out. It wrestles with the question of undeserved suffering and demolishes the traditional arguments as to why and how things happen, till at the end of it all, Job's only comfort is in the fact that although he is none the wiser, at least he has encountered God.
The dilemma of Job is the dilemma of the Cross. As all around the world people receive bread and wine and focus upon the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, we, like Job, are surrounded by differing views and arguments and dilemmas. Ultimately we may also come to the position that, when all is said and done, when it comes to these huge questions of good and evil and fate and chance and why good sometimes seems to lose out to evil, all we can do is sit in the shadow of the Cross and accept that in the midst of many unanswered questions, at least, here is a meeting place with God.
Job was hurting. He was sore. He needed to scratch for a while. Maybe this morning some of us are feeling that way. Too much going on that we can't make sense of. Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do some people get away with the most atrocious acts whilst others suffer unjustly? Why can't we all just get along? Job was never given an explanation. Neither would I be so presumptuous as to suggest I can explain such dilemmas. But I can invite you to scratch for a while. I can point you to the mystery of our worldwide faith that is represented in bread and wine and symbolized by the Cross that overhangs our communion table.
The Presbyterian Peacemaking Offering this year draws our attention to a number of differing facets of life that truly need the healing touch of God. Bulletin inserts have highlighted a number of concerns. One insert spoke about human trafficking. It would be wonderful to think that slavery ended with the civil war, but according to the US department of State some 12.3 million people, including children, are involved in some form of forced labor. Thankfully there are congregations that campaign and offer support through rescuing people from such desperate circumstances.
Another focus of this years offering has been to highlight bullying, particularly amongst young people. Bullying is not confined to school, but spreads throughout everything from social media to the workplace. Sadly we have witnessed how the trauma of being a victim can lead to lifelong problems and even suicide. Thankfully there are congregations that are working to establish mentoring programs within schools and establish youth activities that can be safe places for youth to meet together.
Our denomination has worked for many years producing resources to educate people about gun violence and the need for laws to combat the rising tide of senseless acts by people who seek to do nothing but harm. The tide of violence in our society surely causes us to scratch for a while and ponder that there has to a better way. One of the questions being explored in this years peacemaking theme is “How we discern a nonviolent path in the midst of a violent world?” We can add in there such questions as 'How, in a world where we are so deeply divided, can we engage in respectful dialogue?”, “How, can we not only refrain from doing violence to each other, but also respect the good earth God has entrusted to our care?”
Such are some of the dilemmas that our peacemaking offering invites us to wrestle with. Maybe we are struggling with more personal dilemmas. The loss of loved ones. Times of illness and recovery. Concern for family. Financial concerns. Wondering how we are going to get around a certain situation or deal with a particularly vexing problem or person. All of these rob our personal peace and leave us scratching. We 'sort of know' that we are never going to get an answer as to 'why'... and to be honest that's not our burning concern... right now... we just need the strength to get through!
This is where communion can help us. The word 'communion' is closely related to the word 'community'. Being part of a community of faith can really make a difference to our lives. It's good to not only offer support to others, but to know support when we are going through hard times. It makes a difference.
When we realize that the community of faith isn't just about our community, but, as we express this morning, we are part of a worldwide community, then our horizons are expanded and we catch some little glimmers of hope. There are things, like the Peacemaking Offering, that we can do together, that we could never do all by ourselves.
Communion is designed to draw us in. We do this because Jesus invites us to remember Him in this way. As we remember Him this way we cannot help from considering the life He lived, the things He embodied, and the lessons He taught us. When we take bread and wine in the shadow of His Cross we are drawn to consider how He died and what His death may mean for our lives. We are drawn also to consider that our Cross is an empty Cross. That His death was not an end in itself but a new beginning. The mystery of His Resurrection and Ascension confront us here.
If God was in Christ redeeming the world, then how do we become part of the solution rather than part of the problem? Jesus promised that He would send His Holy Spirit to be the great counselor, enabler and comforter. It is around this table, laid with bread and wine, that we are encouraged to come and nurture our lives on God's living love.
It is around this table that we invited to stop scratching and reflect on the promises of God. 'I will never leave you or forsake you' promised Jesus to His disciples. God is not giving up on us, God is not giving up on our world, God is not through with the business of redemption or the work of healing or the task of peacemaking.
Job was man of integrity. He was nearly overwhelmed by the circumstances that befell his life. Somehow God got him through. And somehow God will get us though just as long as we can keep our focus on what God can do.
Communion. Not just with each other, but with God. Lives nurtured by God. Lives that find their sustenance in doing God's will and their refreshment in soaking up and sharing God's love. That's what we are invited to around this table. And it is an invitation that goes out to all the world.
We began our service today in different languages declaring, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whomsoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life”
Here is hope. Here is an opportunity to renew our lives before God as we remember that God wants to be involved in our struggles, in our heartaches, in our dilemmas. Here is God saying, “I've been there before and I will be there for you. No matter what life does to you, remember I transform places of desolation into times of celebration, places of crucifixion into moments of resurrection.”
This is a time for gratitude. This world may well be a place of dilemmas and contradictions, but we are not powerless. Thank God. We have life. We have a voice. We have each other. God has placed at our disposal many wonderful resources and opportunities to change things for the better. The little things we can do are actually the big things in the Kingdom. Mustard seed faith moves mountains.
Let us join with others around the world to recommit our lives to the Prince of peace, our Lord Jesus Christ. As we share these elements of bread and wine, may they nurture us for the journey that lies ahead of us. And to God's name be all glory, honor and praise. Amen.
Rev. Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
Monday, October 1, 2012
THE DEPTH OF GOD
Reading: Psalm 124, Esther 7:1-22, Romans 11:33-12:8, Mark 9:38-50
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY on September 30th 2012
A printable PDF file can be found here
In 1975 a French scholar of oriental and Christian traditions, Yves Raguin, published a book called ‘The Depth of God’. In the introduction he complains that Western Christianity has made God ‘Too obvious’. That theologians and church leaders have thought that by providing people with increasingly simplified definitions of what God is like they would bring God closer.
But the result had been, not to bring God closer, but make God seem smaller. The book suggests that the awesome, mystery, otherness and holiness of God, often spoken of in other religious traditions, is in danger of being lost.
It is about the depth of God that I wish to speak today and take for a text Romans 11:33 “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are His judgments and how unsearchable His ways! (NAB).
To me these words of Paul speak about three things;
The Majesty of God
The Mastery of God’s Knowledge
The Mystery of God’s Ways.
The Depth of God…Majesty, Mastery and Mystery! Let’s look at the first of those.
The Majesty of God “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!”
Twenty First Century humanity is held captive by the belief that everything we need can be provided by our own efforts. We put our faith in the miracles of science and technology and human progress for our salvation. Many believe that one day we are going to work it all out and that when we do we won’t need God to fill in the gaps.
Such a world view elevates the place of humankind to that of being a deity. We are Lords of our own destiny, Kings of our own domains, Master’s of our own Universe. The problem is that we cannot enthrone humanity without dethroning God. The price of inflating ourselves is that we make faith in God seem shallow.
Back when Paul wrote to the Roman Christians he didn’t have that problem. As he thought about the majesty of God, his soul seemed to burst. The words flow out from him, “Oh… the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! Oh…The Depth.. the depth of God!
When I lived in Wales over in Great Britain I used to regularly travel a road that went from the place where I lived in Wales to my hometown of Moreton in England. It was called the A55 and it wasn’t the sort of road that you took your time on. It was the main four lane road that the big trucks took as they were headed to and from Ireland. It was the only road that led along the coast of North Wales. And it was usually extremely busy.
Summer travelers shared tales of lengthy traffic jams that had occurred when the annual road works created ten mile long hold ups. Accidents were regular. If you have ever driven in the British Isles you’ll be aware that some folk, as in some places in the States, interpret speed limits as being minimums rather than maximums.
Once upon a time it was a wee winding road that wove its way through seaside towns, past castles, and churches. But as it had been straightened and widened and a bypass added here and there, it had become much like any other busy highway. You got on it, set your controls for the heart of the sun… and zoom… away you went.
But one time, I can’t recall quite why, I pulled off onto one of the roadside lay-bys, and was astonished to see the panoramic view that I had so often sped by. It was a clear day and spread out before me was the River Dee, the gentle rolling land of the Wirral peninsular where I grew up and a glimpse of Liverpool with it’s two grand cathedrals beyond.
As I looked at the view I was suddenly awestruck at how much of my life had been shaped in that particular geographic area. That’s where I had found faith. That’s where on numerous occasions God had broken through to my life with His love. That’s where I had felt a call to minister. That’s where I had served in the city of Liverpool.
As I stood in that lay-by with the traffic rushing by, for a while I was in another place, I was oblivious to the noise and busyness. All I could think of was how great were the riches of God, that He, the Great Creator King, should send His Son to die upon a cross for a person like me, that He, the Lord of all, should desire somebody like me to share in the work of His Kingdom.
I was completely overwhelmed, almost numb. If an angel had descended into view and said, “Hey, how’s it going” I wouldn’t have been the least bit surprised. As one of our hymns declares; ‘The things of earth grow strangely dim in the light of God’s glory and grace.’ Or as Paul says...“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!” When we take time out to consider how awesome God is, it can profoundly affect our lives. How little room we allow ourselves for focusing on the majesty of God. Then there is;
The Mastery of God’s Knowledge. “How inscrutable are His judgments”.
Isn’t that a great word? ‘Inscrutable’. When I was a kid my dad used to talk about the ‘inscrutable Chinese’. (But I never could figure out why the Chinese should be more inscrutable than anybody else.)
However, the dictionary tells me it means “Difficult to fathom or understand, impenetrable, mysterious”. This verse tells us ‘How impossible to fathom, how mysterious, how inscrutable are the judgments of God, How deep are His wisdom and knowledge.”
To me God’s inscrutableness is like this. Nobody knows us as well as God does. God knows us better than we know ourselves. God knows exactly what is best for our life. God knows everything we are going through. God knows our temptations, our failures, our disappointments, our trials, our victories, our joys, our laughter, our thankfulness.
Sometimes when people are going through a hard time, you’ll hear them say, “God knows what I’m going to do now!” What they are actually saying is that they haven’t got a clue what they are going to do now because something bad has happened. That’s desperately sad. That the phrase ‘God knows’ has become equated with the fear that nobody can help! Say the phrase ‘God knows’ without faith in your heart and it is a cry of futility.
But proclaim 'God knows!’ with faith in your heart and it becomes a song of hope! God alone can truly judge the pros and cons of any situation. What looks to us to be a place of desperation, can be, through the eyes of faith, a great opportunity to encounter the grace of God.
In His life Christ demonstrated that 'God knows'. He was the healer. His touch bought peace. He was the One who forgave, even those who struggled to forgive themselves. He was the One who said to people, ‘Look for you this is right and for you this is wrong”.
He could do that because He knew peoples hearts and would sometimes speak a rebuke for their shallowness, at other times a great word of encouragement. The gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, all point us to the God who knows.
The Acts of the Apostles, point us to the God who knows how to build His Church. The letters of Paul and Peter and John and all the others point us to how faith works out in given situations. The book of Revelation goes further and points us to the God who knows how it all turns out in the end!
The New Testament witness to an egocentric world which seeks to dethrone God is that we are fools to think that our understanding of God is anything compared to the depth of God’s knowledge of us. “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are His judgments”… The Majesty of God, the Mastery of God’s inscrutable knowledge… and finally mystery…
The Mystery of God’s Ways “How unsearchable” proclaims Paul “are His ways!”
Sometimes theologians give Paul a hard time. Accuse him of being dogmatic or judgmental. But that’s not the Paul who comes across in this verse. In the book of Romans Paul writes on the great themes of the law of God and of the grace revealed to us in Jesus Christ.
Then he reaches the eleventh chapter and it’s as though he has to pause and take a breath, as though he is totally aware of the enormity of his task, as though he knows that his words are an imperfect vehicle to truly convey the depth of God’s love towards us.
I saw a picture in a National Geographic magazine of people walking around the rim of a large still active volcano. They looked small, like little ants on the edge, gazing down into this pool of molten rock and heat, shielding their eyes as they looked over. They had climbed so far, but now all they could do was gaze in wonder at an environment they could never penetrate.
So Paul, having used all his impressive skills to penetrate the mystery of God and explain the glorious gospel of salvation, in chapter eleven pauses at the rim; “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are His judgments and how unsearchable His ways “
The depth of God! If this be the God we are encountering during worship, if this be the God who claims the love of our lives, then how foolish we are to think that we can solve our problems without reference to God's presence. How foolish we are when we refuse to abandon ourselves to God's love. Such an awesome God can handle whatever we throw at Him. Such an awesome God is one we can trust to hold us.
God has revealed God’s love through Jesus Christ. God sends love to be received in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. I invite us today to trust in the depth of God’s love to meet the deepest needs of our lives. Amen!
Adrian Pratt
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY on September 30th 2012
A printable PDF file can be found here
In 1975 a French scholar of oriental and Christian traditions, Yves Raguin, published a book called ‘The Depth of God’. In the introduction he complains that Western Christianity has made God ‘Too obvious’. That theologians and church leaders have thought that by providing people with increasingly simplified definitions of what God is like they would bring God closer.
But the result had been, not to bring God closer, but make God seem smaller. The book suggests that the awesome, mystery, otherness and holiness of God, often spoken of in other religious traditions, is in danger of being lost.
It is about the depth of God that I wish to speak today and take for a text Romans 11:33 “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are His judgments and how unsearchable His ways! (NAB).
To me these words of Paul speak about three things;
The Majesty of God
The Mastery of God’s Knowledge
The Mystery of God’s Ways.
The Depth of God…Majesty, Mastery and Mystery! Let’s look at the first of those.
The Majesty of God “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!”
Twenty First Century humanity is held captive by the belief that everything we need can be provided by our own efforts. We put our faith in the miracles of science and technology and human progress for our salvation. Many believe that one day we are going to work it all out and that when we do we won’t need God to fill in the gaps.
Such a world view elevates the place of humankind to that of being a deity. We are Lords of our own destiny, Kings of our own domains, Master’s of our own Universe. The problem is that we cannot enthrone humanity without dethroning God. The price of inflating ourselves is that we make faith in God seem shallow.
Back when Paul wrote to the Roman Christians he didn’t have that problem. As he thought about the majesty of God, his soul seemed to burst. The words flow out from him, “Oh… the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! Oh…The Depth.. the depth of God!
When I lived in Wales over in Great Britain I used to regularly travel a road that went from the place where I lived in Wales to my hometown of Moreton in England. It was called the A55 and it wasn’t the sort of road that you took your time on. It was the main four lane road that the big trucks took as they were headed to and from Ireland. It was the only road that led along the coast of North Wales. And it was usually extremely busy.
Summer travelers shared tales of lengthy traffic jams that had occurred when the annual road works created ten mile long hold ups. Accidents were regular. If you have ever driven in the British Isles you’ll be aware that some folk, as in some places in the States, interpret speed limits as being minimums rather than maximums.
Once upon a time it was a wee winding road that wove its way through seaside towns, past castles, and churches. But as it had been straightened and widened and a bypass added here and there, it had become much like any other busy highway. You got on it, set your controls for the heart of the sun… and zoom… away you went.
But one time, I can’t recall quite why, I pulled off onto one of the roadside lay-bys, and was astonished to see the panoramic view that I had so often sped by. It was a clear day and spread out before me was the River Dee, the gentle rolling land of the Wirral peninsular where I grew up and a glimpse of Liverpool with it’s two grand cathedrals beyond.
As I looked at the view I was suddenly awestruck at how much of my life had been shaped in that particular geographic area. That’s where I had found faith. That’s where on numerous occasions God had broken through to my life with His love. That’s where I had felt a call to minister. That’s where I had served in the city of Liverpool.
As I stood in that lay-by with the traffic rushing by, for a while I was in another place, I was oblivious to the noise and busyness. All I could think of was how great were the riches of God, that He, the Great Creator King, should send His Son to die upon a cross for a person like me, that He, the Lord of all, should desire somebody like me to share in the work of His Kingdom.
I was completely overwhelmed, almost numb. If an angel had descended into view and said, “Hey, how’s it going” I wouldn’t have been the least bit surprised. As one of our hymns declares; ‘The things of earth grow strangely dim in the light of God’s glory and grace.’ Or as Paul says...“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!” When we take time out to consider how awesome God is, it can profoundly affect our lives. How little room we allow ourselves for focusing on the majesty of God. Then there is;
The Mastery of God’s Knowledge. “How inscrutable are His judgments”.
Isn’t that a great word? ‘Inscrutable’. When I was a kid my dad used to talk about the ‘inscrutable Chinese’. (But I never could figure out why the Chinese should be more inscrutable than anybody else.)
However, the dictionary tells me it means “Difficult to fathom or understand, impenetrable, mysterious”. This verse tells us ‘How impossible to fathom, how mysterious, how inscrutable are the judgments of God, How deep are His wisdom and knowledge.”
To me God’s inscrutableness is like this. Nobody knows us as well as God does. God knows us better than we know ourselves. God knows exactly what is best for our life. God knows everything we are going through. God knows our temptations, our failures, our disappointments, our trials, our victories, our joys, our laughter, our thankfulness.
Sometimes when people are going through a hard time, you’ll hear them say, “God knows what I’m going to do now!” What they are actually saying is that they haven’t got a clue what they are going to do now because something bad has happened. That’s desperately sad. That the phrase ‘God knows’ has become equated with the fear that nobody can help! Say the phrase ‘God knows’ without faith in your heart and it is a cry of futility.
But proclaim 'God knows!’ with faith in your heart and it becomes a song of hope! God alone can truly judge the pros and cons of any situation. What looks to us to be a place of desperation, can be, through the eyes of faith, a great opportunity to encounter the grace of God.
In His life Christ demonstrated that 'God knows'. He was the healer. His touch bought peace. He was the One who forgave, even those who struggled to forgive themselves. He was the One who said to people, ‘Look for you this is right and for you this is wrong”.
He could do that because He knew peoples hearts and would sometimes speak a rebuke for their shallowness, at other times a great word of encouragement. The gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, all point us to the God who knows.
The Acts of the Apostles, point us to the God who knows how to build His Church. The letters of Paul and Peter and John and all the others point us to how faith works out in given situations. The book of Revelation goes further and points us to the God who knows how it all turns out in the end!
The New Testament witness to an egocentric world which seeks to dethrone God is that we are fools to think that our understanding of God is anything compared to the depth of God’s knowledge of us. “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are His judgments”… The Majesty of God, the Mastery of God’s inscrutable knowledge… and finally mystery…
The Mystery of God’s Ways “How unsearchable” proclaims Paul “are His ways!”
Sometimes theologians give Paul a hard time. Accuse him of being dogmatic or judgmental. But that’s not the Paul who comes across in this verse. In the book of Romans Paul writes on the great themes of the law of God and of the grace revealed to us in Jesus Christ.
Then he reaches the eleventh chapter and it’s as though he has to pause and take a breath, as though he is totally aware of the enormity of his task, as though he knows that his words are an imperfect vehicle to truly convey the depth of God’s love towards us.
I saw a picture in a National Geographic magazine of people walking around the rim of a large still active volcano. They looked small, like little ants on the edge, gazing down into this pool of molten rock and heat, shielding their eyes as they looked over. They had climbed so far, but now all they could do was gaze in wonder at an environment they could never penetrate.
So Paul, having used all his impressive skills to penetrate the mystery of God and explain the glorious gospel of salvation, in chapter eleven pauses at the rim; “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are His judgments and how unsearchable His ways “
The depth of God! If this be the God we are encountering during worship, if this be the God who claims the love of our lives, then how foolish we are to think that we can solve our problems without reference to God's presence. How foolish we are when we refuse to abandon ourselves to God's love. Such an awesome God can handle whatever we throw at Him. Such an awesome God is one we can trust to hold us.
God has revealed God’s love through Jesus Christ. God sends love to be received in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. I invite us today to trust in the depth of God’s love to meet the deepest needs of our lives. Amen!
Adrian Pratt
Monday, September 24, 2012
KNOWING GOD
Reading: Hosea 6:1-11, Psalm 133, I John 1:1-2:2, Mark 9:30-37
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY on September 23rd 2012
A printable PDF file can be found here
I was reading the passage from Hosea. When I came to verse 6 “I want your constant love, not your animal sacrifices, I would rather have my people know me than burn offerings to me” I was reminded of a book by J.I. Packer titled ‘Knowing God' which had a great influence on my early Christian years.
Packer begins his book by asking us to imagine a house with a large balcony on its front, situated near a road. Along the road walk one group of people, whilst on the balcony sit another watching them go by. The two groups are described as ‘Balconeers’ and ‘Travelers’.
The Balconeers hear what the Travelers are saying and can even shout from the balcony and ask them questions. They sit together on the balcony and pass comments upon the way the travelers behave. They observe them from a distance. They remain on the balcony as onlookers and their problems are theoretical rather than practical.
The Travelers have to ask ‘Which way should we go?” and “How do we get there?” They face problems which call not just for understanding but for decision and action. The Balconeers and the Travelers may think over the same area, but their problems are different.
Along the road comes some person with evil on their mind. The Balconeers look on and wonder how such a person could be allowed on the road and how they should react. The Travelers have to encounter the evil face to face, master it and overcome it. Packer suggests that true Christian faith is the faith of the ‘Travelers’. As an example he considers the doctrine of the Trinity – the statement that we believe in ‘One God, Three persons.’
The Balconeer ponders; “Hmmm. How can one conceivably be three, and exactly what sorts of unity can three have and what precisely is the definition of personhood here being expressed?” The Traveler is asking, “Well if that’s the way God has revealed Godself, then how can I best live my life in a way that honors God?”
For one the problem is theoretical, for the other it is practical. One says “How can God be like that?’ the other asks, “If that is what God is like, how should I live?” As Christians we are called to be a pilgrim people, called to be Travelers not Balconeers. We need to not only know about God, but actually know God.
Which brings us again to Hosea’s words; “I want your constant love, not your animal sacrifices, I would rather have my people know me than burn offerings to me”.
It is possible to know a lot about a person without ever knowing them. Pick a name out of the telephone directory and you can find their address. If you know somebody who lives near them, they may know where they work or who their family is or what they do with their time.
You could go on the Internet and put their name into a search engine and maybe find out more than you need to know ‘about’ them. But to get to ‘know them’ you would have to encounter them, get to be friends, spend time with them and talk with them and so discover what they were really like.
It is no different with our relationship to God. It is a relationship which has to grow, it takes communication. It takes time to familiarize ourselves with the Word of God in Scripture. It takes commitment to communication through prayer and worship and service. There are no shortcuts. There is no quick fix. There exists no ‘Dummies Guide to God’, nor is ‘Everything You needed to know about God but were afraid to Ask’ available at Amazon.Com. Hosea declares:-
“I want your constant love, not your animal sacrifices, I would rather have my people know me than burn offerings to me”
Two things I’d like to draw out of Hosea’s words at the start of chapter 6.
1. The danger of presumption
2. The need to put our relationship with God, before all other things.
The danger of presumption
Hosea Chapter 6 begins with the people coming before God with what seems like a sincere confession of faith. The words are all there… “Let us return to the LORD... He will heal us… He will raise us up on the third day…He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth."
Though it sounds good, the words are the confession of people who knew about God, but didn’t actually know God. Their prayer is uttered in a spirit of complete presumption. “Well, we’ve let God down before, but God has always come through for us, so let’s just go through the motions again, and God will come around to seeing things our way.”
These people had a form of faith but it had no reality to it. There is no real desire for God in their hearts. They are just looking out for number One. Things weren’t going well… so “Hey, let’s ask God for help”. There is with them no real commitment, no real experience of grace. They are ‘Balconeers’, looking on and offering a theory as to how things could be fixed, not ‘Travelers’ wrestling with their situation and seeking to have their relationship with God restored.
The response of God comes in verse 4. "What can I do with you? Your love is like morning mist, like a morning cloud that disappears.” Because their heart isn’t in it they do not experience the blessing of God, they receive the rebuke of God. “I want your constant love, not your animal sacrifices”.
Our opening hymn this morning contained the lines “As first light brings the sun's warm rays, Accept our sacrifice of praise”. Everything about our worship services is a sacrifice of praise, an offering to God...The Call to Worship, the Children’s Time, the Confession, the Hymns, the Anthem, the Offering, the Bible Readings, the Creeds, the Sermon… it’s all a part of a sacrifice of praise.
According to this bible verse, if we are offering up worship, and we are in any way being presumptuous regarding the love of God… if our hearts not in it… it’s not going to bring us God’s blessing. That if we presume we can just turn up on a Sunday and that somehow God is going to be impressed we better think again. If we think that it’s enough to know about God, without whole-heartedly seeking to truly know God, we better look again at what Scripture teaches.
If I think I can stand up here and preach a well-crafted grammatically correct sermon; but I haven’t sought for God’s anointing or blessing then God’s judgment is going to be “What do you expect me to do with that?”
If the choir is up here singing an anthem, and every note is in tune, and the organ part raises the rafters and the solo satisfies the senses, but they are just giving a nice performance then they would be better keeping quiet. If their offering is not an expression of genuine worship, it may impress people, but it is an offence to God. “I want your constant love, not your animal sacrifices.”
Same with our testimony and prayers and times of dedication. I can think back in my own experience of people who have stood up in church and given a marvelous account of how God has saved them, and how much they are going to do for God and so and so on. About some of them, I just have to ask (and I do so with real regret) “Where are they now? What happened to that faith they were bragging about?”
Let us not give voice to the greatness of our commitment if when the going gets get tough, we give up. Don’t say you are following Jesus Christ if when things don’t turn out as you had planned them in your play book, you throw in the towel. Because if we know God, we will know that’s not the way faith works.
This leads to the second thing I wanted to draw out of this passage from Hosea.
The need to put our relationship with God, before all other things.
But how do we do that… how do we move from knowing about God to knowing God?
We come to know God through Scripture Reading and Prayer. Rather than considering reading the bible for the knowledge that it may give or of prayer as a practice that benefits your personal health; think of them both as building a relationship. As Dr. Phil will tell you the important thing in a relationship is ‘Communication’. Reading the scriptures and times of prayer need to become a dialogue, not a monologue. “What is God saying to me? How am I going to act upon it?”
We come to know God through whole hearted worship offered in the presence of others. Worship throughout Scripture is a communal act. People tell me they can worship God just as easily on the golf course or taking a walk in the beauty of nature as they can by attending a service of worship. We forget so easily that worship isn’t about us… it’s about God and the Bible’s teaching is crystal clear that one of the key components of a healthy relationship with God is worshiping God in the presence of others.
We come to know God through service. We need to do something, to be involved with something that is nurturing the life of somebody else. We encounter the presence of God in the lives of others. ‘In as much as you did it for the least of one of my little ones,’ says Jesus, ‘you did it unto me’.
It’s about communication. Through prayer and Bible Reading we involve ourselves in a conversation. That conversation is enriched as we worship God in the presence of others. It is further enriched as we seek to reach out to others with the love of God.
It is not those who sit on the balcony and watch the world go by who find the way, the truth and the life that Jesus spoke of. It is those who are travelers, those who are committed to a journey that they will see through to the end, no matter what obstacles are in the way, or how much it costs.
Balconeers don’t follow, they watch. Only pilgrim people discover the joy, the peace, the hope, the healing, the resurrection and the light which Jesus promised to His followers. Such is a journey we are called to make together with His songs on our lips, His gospel in our hearts and His Holy Spirit as our strength.
So today I invite you not to become ‘Balconeers’, but ‘Travelers’, to be those who don’t just know about God, but know God. To put Christ first… and then let everything else follow on.
The path to knowing God? Hosea 6:6 “I want your constant love, not your animal sacrifices, I would rather have my people know me than burn offerings to me”.
Adrian Pratt
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY on September 23rd 2012
A printable PDF file can be found here
I was reading the passage from Hosea. When I came to verse 6 “I want your constant love, not your animal sacrifices, I would rather have my people know me than burn offerings to me” I was reminded of a book by J.I. Packer titled ‘Knowing God' which had a great influence on my early Christian years.
Packer begins his book by asking us to imagine a house with a large balcony on its front, situated near a road. Along the road walk one group of people, whilst on the balcony sit another watching them go by. The two groups are described as ‘Balconeers’ and ‘Travelers’.
The Balconeers hear what the Travelers are saying and can even shout from the balcony and ask them questions. They sit together on the balcony and pass comments upon the way the travelers behave. They observe them from a distance. They remain on the balcony as onlookers and their problems are theoretical rather than practical.
The Travelers have to ask ‘Which way should we go?” and “How do we get there?” They face problems which call not just for understanding but for decision and action. The Balconeers and the Travelers may think over the same area, but their problems are different.
Along the road comes some person with evil on their mind. The Balconeers look on and wonder how such a person could be allowed on the road and how they should react. The Travelers have to encounter the evil face to face, master it and overcome it. Packer suggests that true Christian faith is the faith of the ‘Travelers’. As an example he considers the doctrine of the Trinity – the statement that we believe in ‘One God, Three persons.’
The Balconeer ponders; “Hmmm. How can one conceivably be three, and exactly what sorts of unity can three have and what precisely is the definition of personhood here being expressed?” The Traveler is asking, “Well if that’s the way God has revealed Godself, then how can I best live my life in a way that honors God?”
For one the problem is theoretical, for the other it is practical. One says “How can God be like that?’ the other asks, “If that is what God is like, how should I live?” As Christians we are called to be a pilgrim people, called to be Travelers not Balconeers. We need to not only know about God, but actually know God.
Which brings us again to Hosea’s words; “I want your constant love, not your animal sacrifices, I would rather have my people know me than burn offerings to me”.
It is possible to know a lot about a person without ever knowing them. Pick a name out of the telephone directory and you can find their address. If you know somebody who lives near them, they may know where they work or who their family is or what they do with their time.
You could go on the Internet and put their name into a search engine and maybe find out more than you need to know ‘about’ them. But to get to ‘know them’ you would have to encounter them, get to be friends, spend time with them and talk with them and so discover what they were really like.
It is no different with our relationship to God. It is a relationship which has to grow, it takes communication. It takes time to familiarize ourselves with the Word of God in Scripture. It takes commitment to communication through prayer and worship and service. There are no shortcuts. There is no quick fix. There exists no ‘Dummies Guide to God’, nor is ‘Everything You needed to know about God but were afraid to Ask’ available at Amazon.Com. Hosea declares:-
“I want your constant love, not your animal sacrifices, I would rather have my people know me than burn offerings to me”
Two things I’d like to draw out of Hosea’s words at the start of chapter 6.
1. The danger of presumption
2. The need to put our relationship with God, before all other things.
The danger of presumption
Hosea Chapter 6 begins with the people coming before God with what seems like a sincere confession of faith. The words are all there… “Let us return to the LORD... He will heal us… He will raise us up on the third day…He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth."
Though it sounds good, the words are the confession of people who knew about God, but didn’t actually know God. Their prayer is uttered in a spirit of complete presumption. “Well, we’ve let God down before, but God has always come through for us, so let’s just go through the motions again, and God will come around to seeing things our way.”
These people had a form of faith but it had no reality to it. There is no real desire for God in their hearts. They are just looking out for number One. Things weren’t going well… so “Hey, let’s ask God for help”. There is with them no real commitment, no real experience of grace. They are ‘Balconeers’, looking on and offering a theory as to how things could be fixed, not ‘Travelers’ wrestling with their situation and seeking to have their relationship with God restored.
The response of God comes in verse 4. "What can I do with you? Your love is like morning mist, like a morning cloud that disappears.” Because their heart isn’t in it they do not experience the blessing of God, they receive the rebuke of God. “I want your constant love, not your animal sacrifices”.
Our opening hymn this morning contained the lines “As first light brings the sun's warm rays, Accept our sacrifice of praise”. Everything about our worship services is a sacrifice of praise, an offering to God...The Call to Worship, the Children’s Time, the Confession, the Hymns, the Anthem, the Offering, the Bible Readings, the Creeds, the Sermon… it’s all a part of a sacrifice of praise.
According to this bible verse, if we are offering up worship, and we are in any way being presumptuous regarding the love of God… if our hearts not in it… it’s not going to bring us God’s blessing. That if we presume we can just turn up on a Sunday and that somehow God is going to be impressed we better think again. If we think that it’s enough to know about God, without whole-heartedly seeking to truly know God, we better look again at what Scripture teaches.
If I think I can stand up here and preach a well-crafted grammatically correct sermon; but I haven’t sought for God’s anointing or blessing then God’s judgment is going to be “What do you expect me to do with that?”
If the choir is up here singing an anthem, and every note is in tune, and the organ part raises the rafters and the solo satisfies the senses, but they are just giving a nice performance then they would be better keeping quiet. If their offering is not an expression of genuine worship, it may impress people, but it is an offence to God. “I want your constant love, not your animal sacrifices.”
Same with our testimony and prayers and times of dedication. I can think back in my own experience of people who have stood up in church and given a marvelous account of how God has saved them, and how much they are going to do for God and so and so on. About some of them, I just have to ask (and I do so with real regret) “Where are they now? What happened to that faith they were bragging about?”
Let us not give voice to the greatness of our commitment if when the going gets get tough, we give up. Don’t say you are following Jesus Christ if when things don’t turn out as you had planned them in your play book, you throw in the towel. Because if we know God, we will know that’s not the way faith works.
This leads to the second thing I wanted to draw out of this passage from Hosea.
The need to put our relationship with God, before all other things.
But how do we do that… how do we move from knowing about God to knowing God?
We come to know God through Scripture Reading and Prayer. Rather than considering reading the bible for the knowledge that it may give or of prayer as a practice that benefits your personal health; think of them both as building a relationship. As Dr. Phil will tell you the important thing in a relationship is ‘Communication’. Reading the scriptures and times of prayer need to become a dialogue, not a monologue. “What is God saying to me? How am I going to act upon it?”
We come to know God through whole hearted worship offered in the presence of others. Worship throughout Scripture is a communal act. People tell me they can worship God just as easily on the golf course or taking a walk in the beauty of nature as they can by attending a service of worship. We forget so easily that worship isn’t about us… it’s about God and the Bible’s teaching is crystal clear that one of the key components of a healthy relationship with God is worshiping God in the presence of others.
We come to know God through service. We need to do something, to be involved with something that is nurturing the life of somebody else. We encounter the presence of God in the lives of others. ‘In as much as you did it for the least of one of my little ones,’ says Jesus, ‘you did it unto me’.
It’s about communication. Through prayer and Bible Reading we involve ourselves in a conversation. That conversation is enriched as we worship God in the presence of others. It is further enriched as we seek to reach out to others with the love of God.
It is not those who sit on the balcony and watch the world go by who find the way, the truth and the life that Jesus spoke of. It is those who are travelers, those who are committed to a journey that they will see through to the end, no matter what obstacles are in the way, or how much it costs.
Balconeers don’t follow, they watch. Only pilgrim people discover the joy, the peace, the hope, the healing, the resurrection and the light which Jesus promised to His followers. Such is a journey we are called to make together with His songs on our lips, His gospel in our hearts and His Holy Spirit as our strength.
So today I invite you not to become ‘Balconeers’, but ‘Travelers’, to be those who don’t just know about God, but know God. To put Christ first… and then let everything else follow on.
The path to knowing God? Hosea 6:6 “I want your constant love, not your animal sacrifices, I would rather have my people know me than burn offerings to me”.
Adrian Pratt
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Sermon for Instillation of Rev. Elise Renee Neal “Administrators of mystery!”
Reading: Ephesians 3:1-9
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Fairmont, WV, Sunday 16th September, 2012
A printable PDF file can be found here
These are anxious days for our churches. Within our society are many voices suggesting religion has had it's day. Within our religious institutions divisions run as deeply as those in the realm of politics. The game keeps changing. The goalposts keep moving. To survive we are called to embrace change. And if there is one thing that makes congregations anxious... it's 'change!'
But the teaching of Jesus is not a message that allows for complacency. Such notions as 'Taking up a Cross' and 'Being Born Again' and 'Losing ourselves in order to find ourselves' easily become railroaded by more pressing concerns such as the credentials required for ordination, figuring out how we are going to meet the budget and true burning issues such as 'what color the sanctuary carpet should be'.
The letter Paul wrote to the Ephesians was written from a prison cell. Paul knew a thing or two about change. He was changed from being the one who had it all together, who knew 'who was who' and 'what was what' into a blind man struggling to find his way. On the Damascus Road, in an instant, he went beyond 'We've never done it this way before' and 'We tried this and it didn't work' and 'It doesn't matter where you are from, believe me, this won't work here!” When Paul writes about change he writes in capital letters.
One of the things I love about the change that came over Paul's life was that it was a change that left him completely out of his depth. A change that left him completely reliant on God and in total awe of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. In Ephesians 3:8 Paul writes 'Although I am less than the least of all the Lord's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ”
In the transliteration given in Eugene Petersen’s 'The Message Bible' we read “When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God's way, I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities. And so here I am, preaching and writing about things that are way over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ.” I adore the way Paul is pictured as saying 'Here I am Lord, preaching about things … way over my head... inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ'
So, Elise, as you take the wheel of the good ship Fairmont, if there are moments when you feel completely overwhelmed and out of your depth and feel as though you are in way over your head, rejoice ...you've got a friend …. in Paul. If the challenge of these days, of the changing landscape of church and society, of these anxious times of change, seems completely overwhelming and you wonder how on earth all that stuff you learnt in seminary and in your last positions actually applies here, then take comfort from Paul who tells us, again from 'The Message' 'I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities.'
In these anxious days it is good to remember that our gospel is a mystery. Paul tells us that everything proceeds according to 'God's secret plan'. Though we may have some days when we question if God's plan really is the best one.... (actually I shouldn't say 'some days'... maybe it's more like 'most days' we question God's will...) it remains an essential tenant of our belief that we do actually believe that God is in control.
An old friend and West Virginian Baptist pastor in Fayetteville, Rev. Harry Fuller, used to regularly have his congregation participate in an affirmation of faith that was short, sharp and to the point. So please repeat after me;
'There is a God.' 'There is a God.'
'And it isn't me' 'And it isn't me'
If we can try in our ministries to remember that simple thing, it will prevent us from running into a whole lot of trouble. Our vision can be so limited. Though not physically confined like Paul, we can be imprisoned by all sorts of things. Our calling practically guarantees it. We are constantly bombarded with peoples needs, our church buildings needs, our denominations struggles, our emotional needs, our financial needs, our families needs, our spouses needs, not to mention our own struggle for time for sabbath and self.
God does not have these limitations. God's secret plan is superior to our plans. God's plan is not limited to us, to our congregations, to our denomination, to our town or even our nation. God's plan is already at work. We may not recognize it or perceive it or sense it. That's the thing about secrets! They are .. well... secretive. It takes a while to realize what's going on. It took Paul a while to get in on the secret.. Why should it be any different for us?
According to verse 6 the secret is something is like this. 'The mystery is that people who have never heard of God and those who have heard of him all their lives stand on the same ground before God. They get the same offer, same help, same promises in Christ Jesus. The Message is accessible and welcoming to everyone, across the board.'
This verse makes ministry a little easier to do. It reminds us that we don't have to bring God to anyone or introduce Jesus to anybody. The Spirit is already working with them. Our task is to get them to realize it. I say all, but “All' is of course the tricky bit. Tricky, but not impossible. With God nothing is impossible. God has a secret plan! Always has. We just don't always see it.
I never saw it when many many moons ago when I went to my first youth retreats at Cedar Lakes and Bluestone. This Presbytery still has a wonderful thing called 'youth council'. When I first experienced youth council there was this crazy red-haired teenager trying to teach a whole bunch of us these odd things called energizers. 'Star-Trekkin across the universe' 'Jump up liking your whipping a horse” “There's Klingons on the starboard bow” 'Make like you're shakin' off a Klingon.' Say what? You do realize I'm British don't you! That crazy red head was a younger (but maybe only slightly less crazy) version of Elise. And God had a secret plan.
Didn't see that plan when she went off to Marshall. Was excited to visit PROWL and reconnect with some of the kids I'd met at Youth Council. A few years later, beyond possibility I am invited on a retreat with Marshall students at Myrtle Beach . Who has left college by then, but is working down there and comes to visit? Elise. And so it goes. On a number of other occasions our lives have crossed paths. That's how it seems to be when you swim in the Presbyterian sea! People cross your path. You lose touch. You get back in touch. God's secret plan.
And now...look at this! Elise being installed as pastor here at this wonderful welcoming church of Fairmont, WV. With a wonderful partner in Ryan and three delightful children Kaylen Rose, Knox Levin and Terryn Alexander. Who knows? Here's hoping they may grow up and be as wonderfully gifted and crazy as she is! God's secret plan. Best sometimes just to stand back and say “Allright!”
'This is my life work' writes Paul in Ephesians 3:6: 'Helping people understand and respond to the Message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details.' Best to let God handle all the details. Best to let God work it out. For sure ask questions and take time to wonder and ponder and even try to think it all through. But never lose sight of the mystery of God's love for us. The love that's always been there, but which we took a time to wake up to!
There are ways that we get to participate in the mystery. There are ways that the secret plan becomes clearer to us. We have our church communities. God works through community. Pastors can only take their congregations as far as their congregations will go with them. And, again, these are anxious days that call for change. Change can cause us to want to stick in the mud or recreate the past or a thousand other avoidance strategies, rather than launch into unknown waters.
We participate in the mystery through applying ourselves to the understanding of the Scriptures. This is something we do best in community, be it our local church, a study group, or even these days some kind of internet forum. We have our Confessions as a guide. We have have each other to bounce our thoughts off.
We participate in the mystery through prayer. Elise's life has been surrounded by prayer. She was baptized by her grandfather Rev. Robert C. Steele in the Philippi Presbyterian Church. She has a family that have prayed for her. When, as pastors, we look back over the years, we realize our whole lives have been lived against the backdrop of peoples prayers for us. Such is a humbling thought that moves us to faithfulness.
So I encourage you as a congregation to pray for your new pastor. You can support your church financially, that's always good! You can support your church with your presence. That too is very important. But you participate in the mystery, you appreciate God's secret plan, only when you give yourself in prayerful support of your pastor, your church and your churches ministries.
With your prayerful support Elise can apply herself to the task that Paul claimed was God's calling. 'My task is to bring out in the open and make plain what God, who created all this in the first place, has been doing in secret and behind the scenes all along.' (Ephesians 3:9) . Or as it reads in the NIV “To make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.”
In these days of change and uncertainty the model of being 'Administrators of Mystery' may indeed be a wonderful one to describe the teaching elders task. We do not know what the future church will be like. But we trust that God knows and is working it out. God's Secret Plan.
Elise, I wish you every blessing for the future and thank you for this opportunity to be a part of this special day, in the life of this historically faithful congregation, in this wild and wonderful corner of God's creation.
Finally; Love God, love people and never stop applying yourself to the discovery of God's secret plan.
May you truly be an 'Administrator of Mystery'.
Amen!
Rev. Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Fairmont, WV, Sunday 16th September, 2012
A printable PDF file can be found here
These are anxious days for our churches. Within our society are many voices suggesting religion has had it's day. Within our religious institutions divisions run as deeply as those in the realm of politics. The game keeps changing. The goalposts keep moving. To survive we are called to embrace change. And if there is one thing that makes congregations anxious... it's 'change!'
But the teaching of Jesus is not a message that allows for complacency. Such notions as 'Taking up a Cross' and 'Being Born Again' and 'Losing ourselves in order to find ourselves' easily become railroaded by more pressing concerns such as the credentials required for ordination, figuring out how we are going to meet the budget and true burning issues such as 'what color the sanctuary carpet should be'.
The letter Paul wrote to the Ephesians was written from a prison cell. Paul knew a thing or two about change. He was changed from being the one who had it all together, who knew 'who was who' and 'what was what' into a blind man struggling to find his way. On the Damascus Road, in an instant, he went beyond 'We've never done it this way before' and 'We tried this and it didn't work' and 'It doesn't matter where you are from, believe me, this won't work here!” When Paul writes about change he writes in capital letters.
One of the things I love about the change that came over Paul's life was that it was a change that left him completely out of his depth. A change that left him completely reliant on God and in total awe of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. In Ephesians 3:8 Paul writes 'Although I am less than the least of all the Lord's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ”
In the transliteration given in Eugene Petersen’s 'The Message Bible' we read “When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God's way, I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities. And so here I am, preaching and writing about things that are way over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ.” I adore the way Paul is pictured as saying 'Here I am Lord, preaching about things … way over my head... inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ'
So, Elise, as you take the wheel of the good ship Fairmont, if there are moments when you feel completely overwhelmed and out of your depth and feel as though you are in way over your head, rejoice ...you've got a friend …. in Paul. If the challenge of these days, of the changing landscape of church and society, of these anxious times of change, seems completely overwhelming and you wonder how on earth all that stuff you learnt in seminary and in your last positions actually applies here, then take comfort from Paul who tells us, again from 'The Message' 'I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities.'
In these anxious days it is good to remember that our gospel is a mystery. Paul tells us that everything proceeds according to 'God's secret plan'. Though we may have some days when we question if God's plan really is the best one.... (actually I shouldn't say 'some days'... maybe it's more like 'most days' we question God's will...) it remains an essential tenant of our belief that we do actually believe that God is in control.
An old friend and West Virginian Baptist pastor in Fayetteville, Rev. Harry Fuller, used to regularly have his congregation participate in an affirmation of faith that was short, sharp and to the point. So please repeat after me;
'There is a God.' 'There is a God.'
'And it isn't me' 'And it isn't me'
If we can try in our ministries to remember that simple thing, it will prevent us from running into a whole lot of trouble. Our vision can be so limited. Though not physically confined like Paul, we can be imprisoned by all sorts of things. Our calling practically guarantees it. We are constantly bombarded with peoples needs, our church buildings needs, our denominations struggles, our emotional needs, our financial needs, our families needs, our spouses needs, not to mention our own struggle for time for sabbath and self.
God does not have these limitations. God's secret plan is superior to our plans. God's plan is not limited to us, to our congregations, to our denomination, to our town or even our nation. God's plan is already at work. We may not recognize it or perceive it or sense it. That's the thing about secrets! They are .. well... secretive. It takes a while to realize what's going on. It took Paul a while to get in on the secret.. Why should it be any different for us?
According to verse 6 the secret is something is like this. 'The mystery is that people who have never heard of God and those who have heard of him all their lives stand on the same ground before God. They get the same offer, same help, same promises in Christ Jesus. The Message is accessible and welcoming to everyone, across the board.'
This verse makes ministry a little easier to do. It reminds us that we don't have to bring God to anyone or introduce Jesus to anybody. The Spirit is already working with them. Our task is to get them to realize it. I say all, but “All' is of course the tricky bit. Tricky, but not impossible. With God nothing is impossible. God has a secret plan! Always has. We just don't always see it.
I never saw it when many many moons ago when I went to my first youth retreats at Cedar Lakes and Bluestone. This Presbytery still has a wonderful thing called 'youth council'. When I first experienced youth council there was this crazy red-haired teenager trying to teach a whole bunch of us these odd things called energizers. 'Star-Trekkin across the universe' 'Jump up liking your whipping a horse” “There's Klingons on the starboard bow” 'Make like you're shakin' off a Klingon.' Say what? You do realize I'm British don't you! That crazy red head was a younger (but maybe only slightly less crazy) version of Elise. And God had a secret plan.
Didn't see that plan when she went off to Marshall. Was excited to visit PROWL and reconnect with some of the kids I'd met at Youth Council. A few years later, beyond possibility I am invited on a retreat with Marshall students at Myrtle Beach . Who has left college by then, but is working down there and comes to visit? Elise. And so it goes. On a number of other occasions our lives have crossed paths. That's how it seems to be when you swim in the Presbyterian sea! People cross your path. You lose touch. You get back in touch. God's secret plan.
And now...look at this! Elise being installed as pastor here at this wonderful welcoming church of Fairmont, WV. With a wonderful partner in Ryan and three delightful children Kaylen Rose, Knox Levin and Terryn Alexander. Who knows? Here's hoping they may grow up and be as wonderfully gifted and crazy as she is! God's secret plan. Best sometimes just to stand back and say “Allright!”
'This is my life work' writes Paul in Ephesians 3:6: 'Helping people understand and respond to the Message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details.' Best to let God handle all the details. Best to let God work it out. For sure ask questions and take time to wonder and ponder and even try to think it all through. But never lose sight of the mystery of God's love for us. The love that's always been there, but which we took a time to wake up to!
There are ways that we get to participate in the mystery. There are ways that the secret plan becomes clearer to us. We have our church communities. God works through community. Pastors can only take their congregations as far as their congregations will go with them. And, again, these are anxious days that call for change. Change can cause us to want to stick in the mud or recreate the past or a thousand other avoidance strategies, rather than launch into unknown waters.
We participate in the mystery through applying ourselves to the understanding of the Scriptures. This is something we do best in community, be it our local church, a study group, or even these days some kind of internet forum. We have our Confessions as a guide. We have have each other to bounce our thoughts off.
We participate in the mystery through prayer. Elise's life has been surrounded by prayer. She was baptized by her grandfather Rev. Robert C. Steele in the Philippi Presbyterian Church. She has a family that have prayed for her. When, as pastors, we look back over the years, we realize our whole lives have been lived against the backdrop of peoples prayers for us. Such is a humbling thought that moves us to faithfulness.
So I encourage you as a congregation to pray for your new pastor. You can support your church financially, that's always good! You can support your church with your presence. That too is very important. But you participate in the mystery, you appreciate God's secret plan, only when you give yourself in prayerful support of your pastor, your church and your churches ministries.
With your prayerful support Elise can apply herself to the task that Paul claimed was God's calling. 'My task is to bring out in the open and make plain what God, who created all this in the first place, has been doing in secret and behind the scenes all along.' (Ephesians 3:9) . Or as it reads in the NIV “To make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.”
In these days of change and uncertainty the model of being 'Administrators of Mystery' may indeed be a wonderful one to describe the teaching elders task. We do not know what the future church will be like. But we trust that God knows and is working it out. God's Secret Plan.
Elise, I wish you every blessing for the future and thank you for this opportunity to be a part of this special day, in the life of this historically faithful congregation, in this wild and wonderful corner of God's creation.
Finally; Love God, love people and never stop applying yourself to the discovery of God's secret plan.
May you truly be an 'Administrator of Mystery'.
Amen!
Rev. Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
God's Secret (Summer) Plan
Readings: Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9, Song of Solomon 2:8-13, Ephesians 3:1-9, Luke 4:1-13
Preached at Baldwin Presbyterian Church on September 2nd 2012
A printable PDF file can be found here
I don't know what sort of summer you have had. I hope it's been a good one. I want to share with you this morning that whilst in many ways for myself it has been an unusual summer of highs and lows, it has also been one in which I have been very conscious of the presence of God and the support of God's people. As we come to the table this morning I want to share some of my own summer stories and focus on a verse found in the third chapter of Ephesians 'The mystery is... that through the gospel... we are sharers together in the promise...” (excerpt from Ephesians 3:6)
One of the lessons I have had reinforced for me over the summer is that there are our plans... and then there are God's plans. The two do not necessarily coincide. In fact sometimes God takes us through circumstances that are not at all what we expected or even wish to welcome. When that happens, the mystery of God's grace often surprises us in unexpected and surprising ways. I've said before that to me the miracle in events is not so much that they happen, but the synchronicity that is present in the where, when and how things happen. So I'm borrowing a phrase from our scripture passage and calling this sermon “God's Secret Plan”.
One of the first things I was involved in this summer was leading a youth camp at Bluestone Conference Center, which is a beautiful place, high up on a mountain, in my previous Presbytery of West Virgina. The plan was that I was to lead a High School group in conversations about worship. As the date grew closer registration was down, but the normal camp program was taking place so Mark Miller the director said 'Come along anyway'.
Instead of focusing on worship, the theme was changed to a curriculum prepared some years before that focussed on our denomination's Brief Affirmation of Faith. It had been prepared by a wonderful Christian Educator from Charleston, WV, called Lynn Wood, who sadly lost her battle with cancer this past December. Her husband Rev. Bob Wood, was a good friend of mine and I hadn't had a chance to see him since he lost his wife. I knew he was at the camp the week before me, so I kind of hoped to reconnect with him. We missed each other by six hours. Oh well. Things don't always go according to plan!
I was familiar with the curriculum as I'd used it before when I'd been leading a creative arts group and we had set much of the text of the Affirmation of Faith to music. I wasn't sure I'd have a chance to share any of the songs we'd done years before. But when I arrived at camp I discovered that the folk who had been leading the music at worship and song time weren't going to be there, so I found myself in the role of song leader! Naturally I taught them a couple of the songs we'd used some years before. One of them had the words, “In life and death we belong to God'. Another began 'We trust in God the Holy Spirit, everywhere the giver and renewer of life.'
Camp was fun. Until the last evening. It was the Friday night that the storm hit that knocked power out of much of Virginia and West Virginia. One moment we were sitting in a field enjoying the kids acting out there skits. Then we heard the wind coming. Sounded like a freight train. We shouted at the kids to run towards the chapel building. By the time we were half way across the field the dust was blowing in our eyes, trees were cracking and limbs falling and the wind blowing so strong that it was knocking some of the younger kids down. Some of the little ones (and not so little) were terrified as we herded them into the building and told them to sit in the middle away from the windows.
It was then a little group of them began quietly singing 'In life and death we belong to God' and 'We trust in God the Holy Spirit', the songs I'd been able to teach them. The words took on a new significance as these kids thought they really were in a life or death situation and the only one they felt they could trust in was God! As they sang, and as we told stories and said prayers, the storm quickly passed, and although it had taken the power out, an hour or so later we were enjoying a fireworks display that marked the close of camp. An interesting end to the week! Coincidence or God-incidence? Not my plan, but maybe God's secret plan!
But I kept to my plan and left around 3:30 in the morning. With us having lost communication with the outside world I had no idea of the extent of the storm. I wound down a narrow road where, thankfully, somebody had gone before me and cut a way through the fallen trees and debris. At one point I hit some fog and what I think were downed power lines scraped the top of my little Hyundia. I dread to think what could have happened if I were driving a larger vehicle like the Honda Element I usually took to camp! So I get to Hinton, the first town. Complete darkness. No power. I travel along the interstate to Lewisberg. Same story. Only then do I catch the news on the radio that most of the Eastern Seaboard up to Washington DC is out of power. My gas guage showed I had about 45 miles left of fuel. The nearest large town, which may or not have had power was about 50 miles away. 'Lord' I pray silently 'What now?'
I see a sign for gas and decide to take it. The gas station looks deserted but there is a white van parked next to the pump and a guy scratching his head looking at it. I pull up and shout over, 'Anything working?' He says he thinks so but his credit card was taking forever to clear. I give it a try. Sure enough it takes the card but then the screen goes blue. I notice the guy in the white van is now pumping gas and smiling. A moment later my card also clears and I'm able to fill up. Although the gas station is deserted apart from the two of us, there's a generator humming somewhere in the back... so I whisper a little thankyou and breathe a sigh of relief. Maybe I can get home!
A little while later I stumble across a McDonalds with a generator. Bear in mind I've been on the road since 3:30 in the morning. I need some coffee. It was crazy busy and as I chatted with people in line it became clear that this was a huge storm affecting a huge area and that I'd stumbled across one of the few places that actually was still working. Again, I said a prayer of thanks as I headed safely home.
The next week's camp had to be cancelled as it was a whole week before they got the power back on. For some folks it took even longer. Many folks that day were stranded, unable to get gas. I count it as something of a miracle of time and place that I made it back to Long Island not only with gas in my tank, but having had a good breakfast. Coincidence or God-incidence? Not my plan, but maybe God's secret plan!
My next engagement over the summer was being music leader at Trinity Youth Conference in Pennsylvania. For different reasons, this too turned out to be quite a trip. TYC, as its known, is for older High School and college age youth. I was delighted that one of our own youth, Brian Achille was able to attend. It is a humbling thing to listen to some of these young adults share their stories and their struggles. The pressure that a lot of our kids are under, from broken homes, unrealistic family expectations, pressure of finance and work, desire to be acceptable to their peers... can almost break your heart. I never grew up with that sort of pressure. Hold our young folk in your prayers.
TYC is a place where they find themselves, they find each other and in many cases find God is with them in the midst of their struggles. I would share some of their stories, but we make a covenant at TYC; 'What happens at TYC stays at TYC'. It's a safe place where they can be who they are, say what they want and ask questions without it getting back home or with fear of being judged. I can tell you this though. At TYC God works to restore what life has broken. And it is a beautiful and wonderful thing to observe. It's a place where God's secret plans connect with God's children.
On August 1st I'm sitting at the breakfast table. It is half way through the week, and I need coffee. So I head for the kitchen for a fresh brew. What I don't know is that back home my brother Steven has just called my wife Yvonne to pass on the sad news that my mum had just passed away. Knowing that at this camp cell-phones are not allowed and that I could be anywhere on the 150 acre site, Yvonne calls the camp, simply to see if they can find me. Her call goes straight through to the kitchen as I'm walking in to get my coffee wearing a label with my name on it. 'Could you find Adrian Pratt for me?' Yvonne asks this guy, whom I don't know from Adam. As he answers the phone, there I am, standing right in front of him. He looks at my name tag. 'It's for you' he says. Of course this is sad news for me to hear, but the amazing thing is, I'm right there to take that call. Coincidence or God-incidence? Not my plan, but maybe God's secret plan!
The week is over. Funeral plans are being made. But we had scheduled vacation time and set appointments to pursue the very wonderful task of Yvonne, daughter Helen and the bridesmaids shopping for a wedding dress in Virginia whilst I spent some time with my future son-in-law. What now Lord? It turns out that over in my homelands, various cousins and family are also having scheduling problems. So the funeral is delayed for a few days and we have time to go to be with my daughter, and get back in time for us to have time to travel back to England for the funeral.
First day we are spending with my daughter in Herndon, Virginia, I wake up with the words of an English folk song that reminds me of mum singing in my head. The words, particularly appropriate to my life situation, say “It's not the leaving of Liverpool that grieves me, but my darling when I think of thee”. Obviously, I'm from Liverpool, I'm grieving and I'm missing my darling mum. Ever heard the song? On the radio maybe? No? Well I've never heard it, anywhere since moving to the USA many years ago.
'Where are we going to eat?' We decide on the local Irish pub. I'm sitting next to the little stage as a guitar and banjo duo are setting up. By now you can guess what's coming! What is the first song that they sing, that I've never heard this side of the big pond but was buzzing though my head that morning? You guessed! 'It's not the leaving of Liverpool that grieves me, but my darling when I think of thee!” Coincidence or God-incidence? Not my plan, but maybe God's secret plan!
We travel to my homelands for mum's funeral. At one point I'm standing in the Moreton Methodist Church, the church my mum helped found and where she bought me to be baptized, my first Sunday School teacher is standing one side of me, my Presbyterian minster and mentor Rev. Barrie Redmore is standing the other side of me, and I'm thinking how strange it is to have all these spritual strands that have weaved their way though my life suddenly coming together at one time, in one place, through the normal everyday actions of drinking tea and sharing in conversation. I'm sharing with cousins I hadn't seen for years, rebuilding family connections and I'm just thinking, you can't plan this stuff, you can't make it up. Coincidence or God-incidence? Not my plan, but maybe God's secret plan!
After our trip to England for the funeral we return to Baldwin. It's dark and we're tired. But when we get up next morning we go outside and Building and Grounds have been at work in the flower beds at the manse. It looks great! That was so kind of you! We have a mail box later in the day filled with wonderful cards and expressions of sympathy. When I'm writing this sermon, I'm in North Carolina and James Taylor comes on the radio singing 'When you're down and troubled and you need a helping hand...You got a friend” So now here I am wanting to express to you, this congregation who have reached out to me friendship and concern and love, thank you for being a friend. Coincidence or God-incidence?
Finally. Last week I'm on study leave at Montreat Conference Center. I am not expecting to be meeting with anybody I know. At the first meal, who comes across to sit with me. Of course. Rev. Bob Wood. Whose late wife Lynn Wood prepared the curriculum I used up at Bluestone Conference Center, Bob, whom I missed seeing up there by a few hours. On Wednesday afternoon we get a chance to reconnect and renew a friendship... and even to grieve a little over the losses we've experienced. We spend more time together than we would have had a chance to had we been passing ships up at camp. Coincidence or God-incidence? Not my plan, but maybe God's secret plan!
Now let me say I have no desire to explain or suggest anything from all these connections other than that it seems to me that there is more going on in and around our lives than we are often prepared to acknowledge. It all proves nothing. But you see, that's what these elements of bread and wine on the table are all about. We are invited to share in the mystery of the fact that our lives can be blessed and nurtured and nourished and changed and are accompanied by the living influence of Jesus Christ, though the power of God's Spirit.
It has for me and mine been quite a summer. I'm thinking, 'Where did it go? What just happened?' But I'm also grateful to God. Grateful to God for a wonderful church family who have been there for me in a time of need. Grateful to God for the love and grace and joy I find through Jesus Christ. Grateful to God for getting me through. It's nothing I can earn. It's nothing I deserve. It truly is a mystery.
And, I'm thinking maybe there's been things that I've shared this morning that have resonated with things you have been going through. Maybe over the summer in your own life there have been things that made connections or caused more questions than answers. And maybe all of that is connected with our walk with God.
So in conclusion I share again the text from Ephesians 3:6 with which I began 'The mystery is... that through the gospel... we are sharers together in the promise...” And I ask you to ponder with St.Paul and myself as we come to the table together: Coincidence or God-incidence? Not my plan. God's secret plan! Amen.
Rev. Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
Preached at Baldwin Presbyterian Church on September 2nd 2012
A printable PDF file can be found here
I don't know what sort of summer you have had. I hope it's been a good one. I want to share with you this morning that whilst in many ways for myself it has been an unusual summer of highs and lows, it has also been one in which I have been very conscious of the presence of God and the support of God's people. As we come to the table this morning I want to share some of my own summer stories and focus on a verse found in the third chapter of Ephesians 'The mystery is... that through the gospel... we are sharers together in the promise...” (excerpt from Ephesians 3:6)
One of the lessons I have had reinforced for me over the summer is that there are our plans... and then there are God's plans. The two do not necessarily coincide. In fact sometimes God takes us through circumstances that are not at all what we expected or even wish to welcome. When that happens, the mystery of God's grace often surprises us in unexpected and surprising ways. I've said before that to me the miracle in events is not so much that they happen, but the synchronicity that is present in the where, when and how things happen. So I'm borrowing a phrase from our scripture passage and calling this sermon “God's Secret Plan”.
One of the first things I was involved in this summer was leading a youth camp at Bluestone Conference Center, which is a beautiful place, high up on a mountain, in my previous Presbytery of West Virgina. The plan was that I was to lead a High School group in conversations about worship. As the date grew closer registration was down, but the normal camp program was taking place so Mark Miller the director said 'Come along anyway'.
Instead of focusing on worship, the theme was changed to a curriculum prepared some years before that focussed on our denomination's Brief Affirmation of Faith. It had been prepared by a wonderful Christian Educator from Charleston, WV, called Lynn Wood, who sadly lost her battle with cancer this past December. Her husband Rev. Bob Wood, was a good friend of mine and I hadn't had a chance to see him since he lost his wife. I knew he was at the camp the week before me, so I kind of hoped to reconnect with him. We missed each other by six hours. Oh well. Things don't always go according to plan!
I was familiar with the curriculum as I'd used it before when I'd been leading a creative arts group and we had set much of the text of the Affirmation of Faith to music. I wasn't sure I'd have a chance to share any of the songs we'd done years before. But when I arrived at camp I discovered that the folk who had been leading the music at worship and song time weren't going to be there, so I found myself in the role of song leader! Naturally I taught them a couple of the songs we'd used some years before. One of them had the words, “In life and death we belong to God'. Another began 'We trust in God the Holy Spirit, everywhere the giver and renewer of life.'
Camp was fun. Until the last evening. It was the Friday night that the storm hit that knocked power out of much of Virginia and West Virginia. One moment we were sitting in a field enjoying the kids acting out there skits. Then we heard the wind coming. Sounded like a freight train. We shouted at the kids to run towards the chapel building. By the time we were half way across the field the dust was blowing in our eyes, trees were cracking and limbs falling and the wind blowing so strong that it was knocking some of the younger kids down. Some of the little ones (and not so little) were terrified as we herded them into the building and told them to sit in the middle away from the windows.
It was then a little group of them began quietly singing 'In life and death we belong to God' and 'We trust in God the Holy Spirit', the songs I'd been able to teach them. The words took on a new significance as these kids thought they really were in a life or death situation and the only one they felt they could trust in was God! As they sang, and as we told stories and said prayers, the storm quickly passed, and although it had taken the power out, an hour or so later we were enjoying a fireworks display that marked the close of camp. An interesting end to the week! Coincidence or God-incidence? Not my plan, but maybe God's secret plan!
But I kept to my plan and left around 3:30 in the morning. With us having lost communication with the outside world I had no idea of the extent of the storm. I wound down a narrow road where, thankfully, somebody had gone before me and cut a way through the fallen trees and debris. At one point I hit some fog and what I think were downed power lines scraped the top of my little Hyundia. I dread to think what could have happened if I were driving a larger vehicle like the Honda Element I usually took to camp! So I get to Hinton, the first town. Complete darkness. No power. I travel along the interstate to Lewisberg. Same story. Only then do I catch the news on the radio that most of the Eastern Seaboard up to Washington DC is out of power. My gas guage showed I had about 45 miles left of fuel. The nearest large town, which may or not have had power was about 50 miles away. 'Lord' I pray silently 'What now?'
I see a sign for gas and decide to take it. The gas station looks deserted but there is a white van parked next to the pump and a guy scratching his head looking at it. I pull up and shout over, 'Anything working?' He says he thinks so but his credit card was taking forever to clear. I give it a try. Sure enough it takes the card but then the screen goes blue. I notice the guy in the white van is now pumping gas and smiling. A moment later my card also clears and I'm able to fill up. Although the gas station is deserted apart from the two of us, there's a generator humming somewhere in the back... so I whisper a little thankyou and breathe a sigh of relief. Maybe I can get home!
A little while later I stumble across a McDonalds with a generator. Bear in mind I've been on the road since 3:30 in the morning. I need some coffee. It was crazy busy and as I chatted with people in line it became clear that this was a huge storm affecting a huge area and that I'd stumbled across one of the few places that actually was still working. Again, I said a prayer of thanks as I headed safely home.
The next week's camp had to be cancelled as it was a whole week before they got the power back on. For some folks it took even longer. Many folks that day were stranded, unable to get gas. I count it as something of a miracle of time and place that I made it back to Long Island not only with gas in my tank, but having had a good breakfast. Coincidence or God-incidence? Not my plan, but maybe God's secret plan!
My next engagement over the summer was being music leader at Trinity Youth Conference in Pennsylvania. For different reasons, this too turned out to be quite a trip. TYC, as its known, is for older High School and college age youth. I was delighted that one of our own youth, Brian Achille was able to attend. It is a humbling thing to listen to some of these young adults share their stories and their struggles. The pressure that a lot of our kids are under, from broken homes, unrealistic family expectations, pressure of finance and work, desire to be acceptable to their peers... can almost break your heart. I never grew up with that sort of pressure. Hold our young folk in your prayers.
TYC is a place where they find themselves, they find each other and in many cases find God is with them in the midst of their struggles. I would share some of their stories, but we make a covenant at TYC; 'What happens at TYC stays at TYC'. It's a safe place where they can be who they are, say what they want and ask questions without it getting back home or with fear of being judged. I can tell you this though. At TYC God works to restore what life has broken. And it is a beautiful and wonderful thing to observe. It's a place where God's secret plans connect with God's children.
On August 1st I'm sitting at the breakfast table. It is half way through the week, and I need coffee. So I head for the kitchen for a fresh brew. What I don't know is that back home my brother Steven has just called my wife Yvonne to pass on the sad news that my mum had just passed away. Knowing that at this camp cell-phones are not allowed and that I could be anywhere on the 150 acre site, Yvonne calls the camp, simply to see if they can find me. Her call goes straight through to the kitchen as I'm walking in to get my coffee wearing a label with my name on it. 'Could you find Adrian Pratt for me?' Yvonne asks this guy, whom I don't know from Adam. As he answers the phone, there I am, standing right in front of him. He looks at my name tag. 'It's for you' he says. Of course this is sad news for me to hear, but the amazing thing is, I'm right there to take that call. Coincidence or God-incidence? Not my plan, but maybe God's secret plan!
The week is over. Funeral plans are being made. But we had scheduled vacation time and set appointments to pursue the very wonderful task of Yvonne, daughter Helen and the bridesmaids shopping for a wedding dress in Virginia whilst I spent some time with my future son-in-law. What now Lord? It turns out that over in my homelands, various cousins and family are also having scheduling problems. So the funeral is delayed for a few days and we have time to go to be with my daughter, and get back in time for us to have time to travel back to England for the funeral.
First day we are spending with my daughter in Herndon, Virginia, I wake up with the words of an English folk song that reminds me of mum singing in my head. The words, particularly appropriate to my life situation, say “It's not the leaving of Liverpool that grieves me, but my darling when I think of thee”. Obviously, I'm from Liverpool, I'm grieving and I'm missing my darling mum. Ever heard the song? On the radio maybe? No? Well I've never heard it, anywhere since moving to the USA many years ago.
'Where are we going to eat?' We decide on the local Irish pub. I'm sitting next to the little stage as a guitar and banjo duo are setting up. By now you can guess what's coming! What is the first song that they sing, that I've never heard this side of the big pond but was buzzing though my head that morning? You guessed! 'It's not the leaving of Liverpool that grieves me, but my darling when I think of thee!” Coincidence or God-incidence? Not my plan, but maybe God's secret plan!
We travel to my homelands for mum's funeral. At one point I'm standing in the Moreton Methodist Church, the church my mum helped found and where she bought me to be baptized, my first Sunday School teacher is standing one side of me, my Presbyterian minster and mentor Rev. Barrie Redmore is standing the other side of me, and I'm thinking how strange it is to have all these spritual strands that have weaved their way though my life suddenly coming together at one time, in one place, through the normal everyday actions of drinking tea and sharing in conversation. I'm sharing with cousins I hadn't seen for years, rebuilding family connections and I'm just thinking, you can't plan this stuff, you can't make it up. Coincidence or God-incidence? Not my plan, but maybe God's secret plan!
After our trip to England for the funeral we return to Baldwin. It's dark and we're tired. But when we get up next morning we go outside and Building and Grounds have been at work in the flower beds at the manse. It looks great! That was so kind of you! We have a mail box later in the day filled with wonderful cards and expressions of sympathy. When I'm writing this sermon, I'm in North Carolina and James Taylor comes on the radio singing 'When you're down and troubled and you need a helping hand...You got a friend” So now here I am wanting to express to you, this congregation who have reached out to me friendship and concern and love, thank you for being a friend. Coincidence or God-incidence?
Finally. Last week I'm on study leave at Montreat Conference Center. I am not expecting to be meeting with anybody I know. At the first meal, who comes across to sit with me. Of course. Rev. Bob Wood. Whose late wife Lynn Wood prepared the curriculum I used up at Bluestone Conference Center, Bob, whom I missed seeing up there by a few hours. On Wednesday afternoon we get a chance to reconnect and renew a friendship... and even to grieve a little over the losses we've experienced. We spend more time together than we would have had a chance to had we been passing ships up at camp. Coincidence or God-incidence? Not my plan, but maybe God's secret plan!
Now let me say I have no desire to explain or suggest anything from all these connections other than that it seems to me that there is more going on in and around our lives than we are often prepared to acknowledge. It all proves nothing. But you see, that's what these elements of bread and wine on the table are all about. We are invited to share in the mystery of the fact that our lives can be blessed and nurtured and nourished and changed and are accompanied by the living influence of Jesus Christ, though the power of God's Spirit.
It has for me and mine been quite a summer. I'm thinking, 'Where did it go? What just happened?' But I'm also grateful to God. Grateful to God for a wonderful church family who have been there for me in a time of need. Grateful to God for the love and grace and joy I find through Jesus Christ. Grateful to God for getting me through. It's nothing I can earn. It's nothing I deserve. It truly is a mystery.
And, I'm thinking maybe there's been things that I've shared this morning that have resonated with things you have been going through. Maybe over the summer in your own life there have been things that made connections or caused more questions than answers. And maybe all of that is connected with our walk with God.
So in conclusion I share again the text from Ephesians 3:6 with which I began 'The mystery is... that through the gospel... we are sharers together in the promise...” And I ask you to ponder with St.Paul and myself as we come to the table together: Coincidence or God-incidence? Not my plan. God's secret plan! Amen.
Rev. Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
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