Readings: Psalm 32, Genesis 2:15-17,3:1-7, Matthew 4:1-11, Romans 10:8-13
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY on March 9th 2014
A printable PDF file can be found here
The first Sunday of Lent. The cross that draws our attention reminds us that we are on a journey. In our Bible Study groups this year we began a study on the Book of Romans. We're actually taking a break from that theme as we join with other churches for a joint study during Lent, but I'd like to draw your attention this morning to a verse that appears in Romans 10:10: "For with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation".
Paul was the greatest architect in forming the beliefs of the early church and his writings continue to shape the beliefs of today’s church. He writes as a pastor, deeply concerned for the people of the different congregations he has seen emerging around the Roman world. He writes of his own struggles and victories. He writes, above all, to deepen peoples relationship with Jesus Christ.
He had a special concern for the Church in Rome. Rome, after all, was the center of power and influence throughout the whole empire. What happened in Rome affected the whole wide world. And it is in the book of Romans that he gives his most comprehensive outline of what being a Christian involved.
One word rings out through the book of Romans again and again. The word; "Faith". Faith is the essential ingredient in Christian life. The word of faith brings salvation. Faith sets people free from legalistic religion that would keep them down. Faith releases people for service. Faith works miracles. Faith is the guiding factor when there are moral choices to be made.
But that faith is not some wispy, indefinable, quality. It is faith that is consciously and deliberately nurtured by the words of Scripture and the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It is faith that is nurtured through active participation in a worshiping community.
The verse we are considering makes a distinction between ‘faith’, as an inner quality that shapes our beliefs, and ‘The Faith’, the way we give expression to what we believe. The first part of the verse talks about our personal faith. “With the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness”. The second part speaks about ‘The Faith'; the way our inner beliefs are expressed to the world around us. “With the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”
The two things need to be held together. Paul places them in the right order. Faith has to start somewhere deep within us. As we are changed by God’s Spirit working within our lives, God’s ways come to be seen in our actions. As we share that faith, through acts of service, words of confession and times of worship in community with others, the salvation of God takes on a fresh reality in our lives and influences others. Let’s dig deeper!
“With the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness”
True faith does not lie in simply saying ‘yes’ with our words to the claim of the gospel on our lives, nor simply agreeing that the gospel is true. True faith does not lie in the brain or in the tongue, but in the heart. It’s not about intellectual understanding. Neither is it about simply saying that we believe in something. It is heart work.
God seeks for those who will believe in Him with all their heart, with all their understanding, with all their will, with all their soul and with all their love. As Christian people our faith is focused on Jesus. Faith encourages us to see Jesus in all His glory and to understand the ability of God’s Holy Spirit to work in our lives. Faith sees how Jesus willingly came to this earth to be our Savior and places all hope of salvation in God’s saving work.
As one commentator puts it, faith is the ‘going out of the soul to Christ’. It is expressed in our lives in different ways. It is being prepared to spend time in the presence of God in prayer, meditation and study of God’s word. It is humbling ourselves before God, for His love is so much greater than any we can conceive. It is seeking to discover God's love though serving those less fortunate than ourselves.
It is being prepared to do whatever, go wherever, act however, God desires us to. It is having total dependence on Christ as our Savior and not assigning that work of salvation to any other. It is leaning and relying upon Christ. It is living in Him. It is allowing the teaching and influence of Jesus to be such an important part of our life that He becomes the rock upon which all other things are built.
Faith is a heart thing. God wants us to be people with a heart of faith. For it is having a heart of faith that leads to the quality the apostle describes as righteousness – which is essentially being in a right relationship with God and others. Righteousness is a gift, a gift of grace. The righteousness God offers is based upon heart felt faith in Jesus Christ.
Paul is keen to impress upon the Romans, righteousness is not about keeping the Laws of Moses or even the law of the land. Righteousness didn't involve the accomplishment of great things. It was about receiving the love that God offers to us. The first part of Romans 10;10 talks about our personal faith. “With the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness”. The second part speaks about ‘The Faith’, the teachings that we give assent to with our words.
“With the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness……...
With the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”
When Paul uses the word ‘confession’ here, he is not talking about confessing our sins, as we do in the prayer of confession that appears in the bulletin. The confession that he speaks of here, relates to the previous verse. “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you shall be saved.” (Romans 10:9).
'Confessing Jesus as Lord' doesn’t mean ramming your beliefs down other people’s throats at every given opportunity. It implies rather, acting upon the hope you have in your heart, in such a way as it encourages others to want to share in the life of the Kingdom.
As those of you who come to the Bible Studies know, when it comes to understanding the Book of Romans I'm a big fan of Eugene Petersen's transliteration 'The Message'. He has a way of bringing out the meaning of the text. Here is how he interprets the passage we've been thinking about;
“It’s the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God --"Jesus is my Master” --embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That's it. You're not "doing" anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting God to do it for you. That's salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: "God has set everything right between Him and me!"
These verses remind us that faith is both an 'inward' and an 'outward' thing. We welcome God's influence in the center of our being. We recognize that at the Cross something life changing was taking place... and we allow ourselves to be changed. But we don't leave it there.
The change that God works in us needs to be expressed in concrete ways. We give expression to the fact that through Jesus God has set everything right between us by seeking to make things right for others. We express our faith through the service we give. We express our faith by learning and understanding what our faith is about. We express our faith by joining with others in worship and fellowship and community.
The season of Lent offers us a wonderful opportunity for reflecting on our faith. How does the message of the cross impact our hearts? And how does that work out in the way we live our lives? We rejoice that God in Christ has done everything we need to live in a right relationship with Him. But what things can we do to help put things right for others?
As we travel towards Easter we can find many opportunities both to deepen our personal faith and to serve and work with others to give expression to what we believe. Paul reminds us that 'faith' is a big word, related to both what we believe and what we do on the basis of our beliefs. May God help us to be those who are both in a right relationship to God and who are working to see that others are aware of the love God has for them.
And to God's name be all glory. Amen.
The Reverend Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Stop It and Tidy Up
ASH WEDNESDAY
Readings; Psalm 51:1-17, Joel 2:1-2, 12-17, 2 cor. 5:20-6:10, Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, March 5th, 2014
A printable PDF file can be found here
The book 'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry' by British author, Rachel Joyce, weaves the delightful tale of Harold, who having received an unexpected letter from an old work colleague battling terminal cancer, writes a note. On his way to the mail he makes the unlikely decision to walk the length of England and visit them instead.
Along the way he uncovers much about himself through the encounters with the people he meets. He encounters a man, smartly dressed in an immaculate suit, with perfectly shaped hair, who exuded an air of self confidence that had eluded Harold for all of his life. Harold is somewhat in awe.
Whilst they share a tea-cake together the distinguished silver haired gentleman breaks down and confesses to Harold that he is having an affair with a person he dearly loved, but the kind of affair that if ever came out, would destroy him. The object of the mans affections needed some new shoes. “I can't bear to think of them walking the streets with a hole in their shoe. What should I do?” the distinguished gentleman asks him.
“Harold sat in silence. The silver-haired gentleman was in truth nothing like the man Harold had first imagined him to be. He was a chap like himself, with a unique pain; and yet there would be no knowing that if you passed him in the street, or sat opposite him in a cafe and did not share his teacake. Harold pictured the gentleman on a station platform, smart in his suit, looking no different from anyone else.
It must be the same all over England. People were buying milk, or filling their cars with petrol, or even posting letters. And what no one else knew was the appalling weight of the thing they were carrying inside. The inhuman effort it took sometimes to be normal, and a part of things that appeared both easy and everyday. The loneliness of that. Moved and humbled, he passed his paper napkin. 'I think I would buy them the shoes', said Harold.”
Many people carry stuff they would rather avoid. Skeletons in the closet. Places, emotionally or literally that they don't want to go. I remember as a child being told to “Stop it and Tidy Up” and how I used to try and put all my junk into one closet. As long as the room looked clear, then everything would be fine. But please; don't open the closet. I think we all do it. We have a garage, or a shed or an attic, or even a closet where we put all the stuff we don't want to sort out. But there comes a time when you can't ignore it any longer and things have to be sorted.
Maybe that's what Jesus is hinting at when he teaches about secret giving, praying and fasting. That the outward acts, though laudable and recommended, could be deceptive. That it was the things we did in private, that truly revealed our relationship with God.
We are familiar with politicians being criticized when their secret life does not square up with their public face. Where would the news media be without the occasional political scandal involving somebodies mistress or some funds used inappropriately? Likewise with celebrities.
They are put on a pedestal and live in the glare of the spotlight, yet often become train wrecks. You fear what fame is doing to young stars like Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus. How much of their behavior is simply kicking back at the unreal world they are forced to live in? In many cases, like the tragic death of Philip Seymor Hoffman, what is found in the closet is toxic and dangerous and life destroying.
This teaching on secret place giving, praying and fasting, recalls to us the truth that life is not about appearances. That only when our outward acts are balanced by inner reality can wholeness come. It is recognition that the One we need to seek approval from over and above all others, is God. That security comes, not through our ability to make an impression on others, but found through resting secure in the knowledge that we are God's children, accepted, forgiven and cherished in Jesus Christ.
The season of Lent offers a wonderful opportunity to go beyond re-arranging the furniture and actually sort out the junk in the closet. In our bible study group that has been focused on Romans we have been studying Paul's teaching that there is a fault line that runs throughout all humanity, that none of us is immune from the destructive tendencies of sinful behavior. That all of us experience, to quote from the novel I mentioned earlier, 'The inhuman effort it took sometimes to be normal, and a part of things that appeared both easy and everyday. The loneliness of that.'
Easter comes in Spring. And one of the things that a lot of folk do in Spring is 'Spring Cleaning'. Spring cleaning properly executed is a lot more than 'Stop it and Tidy Up'. It goes deeper then that. It may even involve clearing out those areas we have been neglecting or ignoring.
In the marking with ashes we use the phrase “From dust you have come, to dust you shall return”. Life is not infinite. We live in the period between dusting! And life can be delightful. But not if we are hiding our real ourselves or in denial of our private selves. God invites us to seek true wholeness.
To pursue in the secret places and the public places the things of Christ's kingdom. To live, not for the benefit of self or to make an impression on others, but live secure in the knowledge that through Jesus Christ our lives are blessed with purpose, meaning and significance.
As the imposition of ashes takes place, seek for God to act in your secret place though the influence and power of the Holy Spirit. Bring those tender places that they may be healed. Expose the dark corners to the light that they may be cleansed. By God's grace, may this be a time to 'Stop It and Tidy Up' and clear out the closets of our hearts. Amen.
The Reverend Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
Readings; Psalm 51:1-17, Joel 2:1-2, 12-17, 2 cor. 5:20-6:10, Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, March 5th, 2014
A printable PDF file can be found here
The book 'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry' by British author, Rachel Joyce, weaves the delightful tale of Harold, who having received an unexpected letter from an old work colleague battling terminal cancer, writes a note. On his way to the mail he makes the unlikely decision to walk the length of England and visit them instead.
Along the way he uncovers much about himself through the encounters with the people he meets. He encounters a man, smartly dressed in an immaculate suit, with perfectly shaped hair, who exuded an air of self confidence that had eluded Harold for all of his life. Harold is somewhat in awe.
Whilst they share a tea-cake together the distinguished silver haired gentleman breaks down and confesses to Harold that he is having an affair with a person he dearly loved, but the kind of affair that if ever came out, would destroy him. The object of the mans affections needed some new shoes. “I can't bear to think of them walking the streets with a hole in their shoe. What should I do?” the distinguished gentleman asks him.
“Harold sat in silence. The silver-haired gentleman was in truth nothing like the man Harold had first imagined him to be. He was a chap like himself, with a unique pain; and yet there would be no knowing that if you passed him in the street, or sat opposite him in a cafe and did not share his teacake. Harold pictured the gentleman on a station platform, smart in his suit, looking no different from anyone else.
It must be the same all over England. People were buying milk, or filling their cars with petrol, or even posting letters. And what no one else knew was the appalling weight of the thing they were carrying inside. The inhuman effort it took sometimes to be normal, and a part of things that appeared both easy and everyday. The loneliness of that. Moved and humbled, he passed his paper napkin. 'I think I would buy them the shoes', said Harold.”
Many people carry stuff they would rather avoid. Skeletons in the closet. Places, emotionally or literally that they don't want to go. I remember as a child being told to “Stop it and Tidy Up” and how I used to try and put all my junk into one closet. As long as the room looked clear, then everything would be fine. But please; don't open the closet. I think we all do it. We have a garage, or a shed or an attic, or even a closet where we put all the stuff we don't want to sort out. But there comes a time when you can't ignore it any longer and things have to be sorted.
Maybe that's what Jesus is hinting at when he teaches about secret giving, praying and fasting. That the outward acts, though laudable and recommended, could be deceptive. That it was the things we did in private, that truly revealed our relationship with God.
We are familiar with politicians being criticized when their secret life does not square up with their public face. Where would the news media be without the occasional political scandal involving somebodies mistress or some funds used inappropriately? Likewise with celebrities.
They are put on a pedestal and live in the glare of the spotlight, yet often become train wrecks. You fear what fame is doing to young stars like Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus. How much of their behavior is simply kicking back at the unreal world they are forced to live in? In many cases, like the tragic death of Philip Seymor Hoffman, what is found in the closet is toxic and dangerous and life destroying.
This teaching on secret place giving, praying and fasting, recalls to us the truth that life is not about appearances. That only when our outward acts are balanced by inner reality can wholeness come. It is recognition that the One we need to seek approval from over and above all others, is God. That security comes, not through our ability to make an impression on others, but found through resting secure in the knowledge that we are God's children, accepted, forgiven and cherished in Jesus Christ.
The season of Lent offers a wonderful opportunity to go beyond re-arranging the furniture and actually sort out the junk in the closet. In our bible study group that has been focused on Romans we have been studying Paul's teaching that there is a fault line that runs throughout all humanity, that none of us is immune from the destructive tendencies of sinful behavior. That all of us experience, to quote from the novel I mentioned earlier, 'The inhuman effort it took sometimes to be normal, and a part of things that appeared both easy and everyday. The loneliness of that.'
Easter comes in Spring. And one of the things that a lot of folk do in Spring is 'Spring Cleaning'. Spring cleaning properly executed is a lot more than 'Stop it and Tidy Up'. It goes deeper then that. It may even involve clearing out those areas we have been neglecting or ignoring.
In the marking with ashes we use the phrase “From dust you have come, to dust you shall return”. Life is not infinite. We live in the period between dusting! And life can be delightful. But not if we are hiding our real ourselves or in denial of our private selves. God invites us to seek true wholeness.
To pursue in the secret places and the public places the things of Christ's kingdom. To live, not for the benefit of self or to make an impression on others, but live secure in the knowledge that through Jesus Christ our lives are blessed with purpose, meaning and significance.
As the imposition of ashes takes place, seek for God to act in your secret place though the influence and power of the Holy Spirit. Bring those tender places that they may be healed. Expose the dark corners to the light that they may be cleansed. By God's grace, may this be a time to 'Stop It and Tidy Up' and clear out the closets of our hearts. Amen.
The Reverend Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
Monday, March 3, 2014
Trust the Process
Readings; Psalm 99, Exodus 24:12-18, Matthew 17:1-9, 2 Peter 1:16-21
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, March 2nd, 2014
A printable PDF file can be found here
Matthew's gospel gives us an account of the events that we recall on Transfiguration Sunday. Jesus takes Peter, James and John up a mountain to pray. Whilst in prayer the mountain top is bathed in light and they see two great figures from the old Testament, Moses and Elijah standing with Jesus. A voice is heard form the Father in heaven “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased, listen to Him”. It truly was a mountaintop experience that prepared them for the difficult days of Christ's betrayal and crucifixion.
The second letter of Peter, from which our reading this morning was taken, is thought by most scholars to be one of the later writings in the new Testament. By the time it was written the church had already started to become established throughout the Roman empire. At that point in history they had no canon of Scripture and there were many different stories and accounts of the life and significance of Jesus in circulation.
One of the aims of the writer of the second letter of Peter is to invite the reader to discern which stories were reliable and which should be discarded. The writer addresses the problem in two ways.
Firstly, the author insists that the true gospel message was built upon events that actually happened, upon things that the first disciples had seen and heard. The first letter of John begins in a similar way. 1 John 1:1 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.” So in 2 Peter 1:18 we read, “We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with Hm on the sacred mountain.”
There was a well known Welsh comedian by the name of Max Boyce, who was a marvelous story teller and used to finish up his stories with lines that become his catchphrase - “I know” he would say, “Because I was there!”
The second way the writer of second Peter seeks to affirm the validity of the gospel message is to remind the reader of the intricate relationship between Old Testament prophecy and the life of Jesus. The gospel writers, and in particular Matthew, were insistent that everything that happened in and through and around the life of Jesus was not an accident, but part of a plan that God had had for the world since the dawn of creation.
The life of Jesus was the fulfillment of everything that the law and the prophets had said would come to pass. Nowhere is that theme more dramatically reinforced than on the mountain of Transfiguration, where we see the greatest representative of the law, Moses who had brought down the 10 commandments from the mountain, and Elijah, the greatest representative of the prophetic tradition, standing there, alongside Jesus, and a voice from heaven declares... “This is my beloved Son, Listen to Him.”
Of course it's been a long time since even the later books of the New Testament were written down. We are removed from them by a vast distance of time, and also have to travel across barriers of culture, language and understanding to truly appreciate the significance of the 66 books that make up that amazing collection of sacred scripture we collectively refer to as 'The Bible'.
Even as some of the later letters of the New Testament, like Second Peter, were being written, there were questions being raised as to what could be trusted and how the gospel story should be told. For 2000 years those questions have been asked by every generation and in every land. Some seek for fresh revelation, some seek for historical verification, some seek for external proof or outside evidence before they feel comfortable accepting the gospel message as being genuinely the word of God.
Where does that leave us? Twenty first Century disciples trying to define our lives with documents dating back to the first and second centuries! We would never dream of going to a dentist or doctor who practiced first century medical techniques, so why do we trust our spiritual health to prescriptions that are from such a distant age?
Maybe the second letter of Peter can help us.
One of the things that it encourages us to do is to 'Trust the process.'
Second Peter is thought to belong to a body of literature known as 'testament' – as in a last testament or a will. It reflects the thoughts of a person nearing the end of their life and passing on what is of most importance. Often, and many scholars suggest this is the case with second Peter, such 'testaments' may not have been composed by the person whose book bears their name, but are the reflections of an anonymous author who speaks for them. Usually this would be somebody close to them and well acquainted with their ways. This was a common practice at the time such writings were composed.
There is a lot that we will probably never know about who actually wrote many of the books in the bible, when they were written or exactly why they ended up being amongst the 66 we know as the Bible. Yet we believe in a living God, whose Holy Spirit was active and working throughout the process and is still active and guiding us to understand those things God needs us to know in our day and our time.
There is a fascinating passage in Matthew's gospel (22:31- 32) where Jesus is debating with the Sadducees over the question of resurrection. The Saduccees were a group of people who held to a very narrow interpretation of Scripture and rejected many of the traditional religious ideas.
They had come to Jesus with a trick question about whose wife somebody would end up being if they had married multiple brothers who had all passed away. Jesus answers them like this:- “About the resurrection of the dead--have you not read what God said to you, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living."
Jesus is telling them that they didn't get it! There was a process. There was a bigger eternal picture that they were totally missing. God had been at work in history. God was at work on the mountain when Jesus stood there with Moses and Elijah. God was God of the living, not of the dead. Peter suggests we trust the process by which the scriptures have come to us, as an expression of our faith in the living God.
A whilst ago I was able to visit the Discovery exhibition of the Dead Sea Scrolls in Times Square. The Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of scriptures discovered in a cave in a place called Qumran in 1947. Some of the scrolls date back 250 years before even Jesus was born.
It was a goose-bump moment to view such an ancient version of the first chapter of Genesis, and realize the care that had gone into maintaining the message over countless centuries. To be doing so at one of the hubs of twenty century life, Times Square, NYC, just made the experience all the more a mountain-top type experience. Trust the process!
I sense that second Peter also encourages us to seek for our own transfiguration experiences. Of course, in saying that, it's not as if such an experience can be engineered or orchestrated. Such moments... call them 'epiphanies', call them 'thin-places', call them 'transfiguration’s', rarely come our way.
What is needed is a consistent Christian life. The disciples who witnessed the light of that mountain-top moment had been faithful in hearing Jesus call and seeking to follow. They were there when He said, 'Let's go up the mountain'. They'd still be there as they came down from the mountain. Such experiences were not those of casual or part-time disciples.
The transfiguration was also an experience that was preparing them for something. It was not a random act to make them think good thoughts about Jesus. Trouble was coming. Jesus, as He came down from the mountain, set His face and headed for Jerusalem. There would be no turning back. The shadow of the cross loomed over them.
The disciples were about to face different kinds of darkness. Peter totally misinterprets the events, tries to talk Jesus out of His mission and is accused of being a mouthpiece of the devil. All of them would, in different ways, deny, betray and abandon their Lord. None of them were truly prepared for either the crucifixion or the resurrection.
Yet in days following those awesome events they would reflect back on that time they went up a mountain and witnessed the presence of Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus and heard a voice saying 'This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.” It was only after the fact that it truly started to make any sense to them.
We all experience those times in our lives that as we pass through them, we ask 'Why?” 'Why did this happen?” or 'Why didn't that turn out when it looked like everything was so right?” Relationships, opportunities, life events... often can only truly be interpreted retrospectively.
So I finally suggest that this passage encourages us to nurture our lives through spiritual disciplines. To be regular in our devotions and worship and service. To be consistent and faithful in pursuing those things we believe discipleship of Jesus Christ invites us to.
For each of us that doesn't have to be the same. There are as many different ways to serve as we are different people. We are not all made the same. Some of us gravitate to one thing, some to another. That's part of what being a community is all about.
But one place we are invited to all come together is around a table laid with bread and wine. As we do so, we remember our purpose and our calling. That we are called to be disciples of One who so loved us that He laid down His life. One who suffered as redemption for sin. One who died that we may live and was raised that we may have life in all it's abundance.
There are times when the communion table can be a place of transfiguration. A time when we realize we are at this table, not only with Moses and Elijah, but as part of a huge cloud of unseen witnesses. That we see here how God's beloved Son was content to give His life that all may know God's love.
Returning full circle I'd again say, 'Trust the Process'. Travel down the ancient paths that lead to this table. Trust in God's ability to guide our lives through scriptures that resonate with authenticity. Trust in the daily disciplines that guide us and lead us. Trust in God's presence to be our inspiration in the here and now.
Hear for yourself... the words spoken on the mountaintop... "This is my beloved Son, Listen to Him.”. And to God be all glory, honor and praise. Amen.
The Reverend Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, March 2nd, 2014
A printable PDF file can be found here
Matthew's gospel gives us an account of the events that we recall on Transfiguration Sunday. Jesus takes Peter, James and John up a mountain to pray. Whilst in prayer the mountain top is bathed in light and they see two great figures from the old Testament, Moses and Elijah standing with Jesus. A voice is heard form the Father in heaven “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased, listen to Him”. It truly was a mountaintop experience that prepared them for the difficult days of Christ's betrayal and crucifixion.
The second letter of Peter, from which our reading this morning was taken, is thought by most scholars to be one of the later writings in the new Testament. By the time it was written the church had already started to become established throughout the Roman empire. At that point in history they had no canon of Scripture and there were many different stories and accounts of the life and significance of Jesus in circulation.
One of the aims of the writer of the second letter of Peter is to invite the reader to discern which stories were reliable and which should be discarded. The writer addresses the problem in two ways.
Firstly, the author insists that the true gospel message was built upon events that actually happened, upon things that the first disciples had seen and heard. The first letter of John begins in a similar way. 1 John 1:1 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.” So in 2 Peter 1:18 we read, “We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with Hm on the sacred mountain.”
There was a well known Welsh comedian by the name of Max Boyce, who was a marvelous story teller and used to finish up his stories with lines that become his catchphrase - “I know” he would say, “Because I was there!”
The second way the writer of second Peter seeks to affirm the validity of the gospel message is to remind the reader of the intricate relationship between Old Testament prophecy and the life of Jesus. The gospel writers, and in particular Matthew, were insistent that everything that happened in and through and around the life of Jesus was not an accident, but part of a plan that God had had for the world since the dawn of creation.
The life of Jesus was the fulfillment of everything that the law and the prophets had said would come to pass. Nowhere is that theme more dramatically reinforced than on the mountain of Transfiguration, where we see the greatest representative of the law, Moses who had brought down the 10 commandments from the mountain, and Elijah, the greatest representative of the prophetic tradition, standing there, alongside Jesus, and a voice from heaven declares... “This is my beloved Son, Listen to Him.”
Of course it's been a long time since even the later books of the New Testament were written down. We are removed from them by a vast distance of time, and also have to travel across barriers of culture, language and understanding to truly appreciate the significance of the 66 books that make up that amazing collection of sacred scripture we collectively refer to as 'The Bible'.
Even as some of the later letters of the New Testament, like Second Peter, were being written, there were questions being raised as to what could be trusted and how the gospel story should be told. For 2000 years those questions have been asked by every generation and in every land. Some seek for fresh revelation, some seek for historical verification, some seek for external proof or outside evidence before they feel comfortable accepting the gospel message as being genuinely the word of God.
Where does that leave us? Twenty first Century disciples trying to define our lives with documents dating back to the first and second centuries! We would never dream of going to a dentist or doctor who practiced first century medical techniques, so why do we trust our spiritual health to prescriptions that are from such a distant age?
Maybe the second letter of Peter can help us.
One of the things that it encourages us to do is to 'Trust the process.'
Second Peter is thought to belong to a body of literature known as 'testament' – as in a last testament or a will. It reflects the thoughts of a person nearing the end of their life and passing on what is of most importance. Often, and many scholars suggest this is the case with second Peter, such 'testaments' may not have been composed by the person whose book bears their name, but are the reflections of an anonymous author who speaks for them. Usually this would be somebody close to them and well acquainted with their ways. This was a common practice at the time such writings were composed.
There is a lot that we will probably never know about who actually wrote many of the books in the bible, when they were written or exactly why they ended up being amongst the 66 we know as the Bible. Yet we believe in a living God, whose Holy Spirit was active and working throughout the process and is still active and guiding us to understand those things God needs us to know in our day and our time.
There is a fascinating passage in Matthew's gospel (22:31- 32) where Jesus is debating with the Sadducees over the question of resurrection. The Saduccees were a group of people who held to a very narrow interpretation of Scripture and rejected many of the traditional religious ideas.
They had come to Jesus with a trick question about whose wife somebody would end up being if they had married multiple brothers who had all passed away. Jesus answers them like this:- “About the resurrection of the dead--have you not read what God said to you, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living."
Jesus is telling them that they didn't get it! There was a process. There was a bigger eternal picture that they were totally missing. God had been at work in history. God was at work on the mountain when Jesus stood there with Moses and Elijah. God was God of the living, not of the dead. Peter suggests we trust the process by which the scriptures have come to us, as an expression of our faith in the living God.
A whilst ago I was able to visit the Discovery exhibition of the Dead Sea Scrolls in Times Square. The Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of scriptures discovered in a cave in a place called Qumran in 1947. Some of the scrolls date back 250 years before even Jesus was born.
It was a goose-bump moment to view such an ancient version of the first chapter of Genesis, and realize the care that had gone into maintaining the message over countless centuries. To be doing so at one of the hubs of twenty century life, Times Square, NYC, just made the experience all the more a mountain-top type experience. Trust the process!
I sense that second Peter also encourages us to seek for our own transfiguration experiences. Of course, in saying that, it's not as if such an experience can be engineered or orchestrated. Such moments... call them 'epiphanies', call them 'thin-places', call them 'transfiguration’s', rarely come our way.
What is needed is a consistent Christian life. The disciples who witnessed the light of that mountain-top moment had been faithful in hearing Jesus call and seeking to follow. They were there when He said, 'Let's go up the mountain'. They'd still be there as they came down from the mountain. Such experiences were not those of casual or part-time disciples.
The transfiguration was also an experience that was preparing them for something. It was not a random act to make them think good thoughts about Jesus. Trouble was coming. Jesus, as He came down from the mountain, set His face and headed for Jerusalem. There would be no turning back. The shadow of the cross loomed over them.
The disciples were about to face different kinds of darkness. Peter totally misinterprets the events, tries to talk Jesus out of His mission and is accused of being a mouthpiece of the devil. All of them would, in different ways, deny, betray and abandon their Lord. None of them were truly prepared for either the crucifixion or the resurrection.
Yet in days following those awesome events they would reflect back on that time they went up a mountain and witnessed the presence of Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus and heard a voice saying 'This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.” It was only after the fact that it truly started to make any sense to them.
We all experience those times in our lives that as we pass through them, we ask 'Why?” 'Why did this happen?” or 'Why didn't that turn out when it looked like everything was so right?” Relationships, opportunities, life events... often can only truly be interpreted retrospectively.
So I finally suggest that this passage encourages us to nurture our lives through spiritual disciplines. To be regular in our devotions and worship and service. To be consistent and faithful in pursuing those things we believe discipleship of Jesus Christ invites us to.
For each of us that doesn't have to be the same. There are as many different ways to serve as we are different people. We are not all made the same. Some of us gravitate to one thing, some to another. That's part of what being a community is all about.
But one place we are invited to all come together is around a table laid with bread and wine. As we do so, we remember our purpose and our calling. That we are called to be disciples of One who so loved us that He laid down His life. One who suffered as redemption for sin. One who died that we may live and was raised that we may have life in all it's abundance.
There are times when the communion table can be a place of transfiguration. A time when we realize we are at this table, not only with Moses and Elijah, but as part of a huge cloud of unseen witnesses. That we see here how God's beloved Son was content to give His life that all may know God's love.
Returning full circle I'd again say, 'Trust the Process'. Travel down the ancient paths that lead to this table. Trust in God's ability to guide our lives through scriptures that resonate with authenticity. Trust in the daily disciplines that guide us and lead us. Trust in God's presence to be our inspiration in the here and now.
Hear for yourself... the words spoken on the mountaintop... "This is my beloved Son, Listen to Him.”. And to God be all glory, honor and praise. Amen.
The Reverend Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
Monday, February 24, 2014
The Temple of You
Readings: Psalm 119:33-40, Leviticus 19:1-2,9-18, Matthew 5:38-48, 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, February 23rd, 2014
A printable PDF file can be found here
I was on a youth retreat in West Virginia, and as sometimes happens, the kids were making comments about my accent being a little different to theirs. They took great amusement at the way I pronounced certain words and would say 'Say it again'. Then one of the guys looked me straight in the eye and asked “What's it like... being you?”
I have to say that I really wasn't sure how to answer. Never been asked that before, never been asked it since! 'What's it like being you?' The strange thing is, sometimes on a Sunday morning when we're here in church, it seems to be the sort of probing question that God would ask us, both as individuals and as a community. 'What's it like being you?'
I'm sure, given time for reflection, we could all come up with some kind of answer. 'Actually' one may say, 'Not to good being me right now, got a lot on my mind'. Another may say 'Couldn't be better, can't complain'. There would be as many different answers as we are different people. Maybe as a church community we'd respond; “Well we have a bit of a challenge with our finances right now!”
'That's how you are,' God may reply, 'But do you know what you are?' “Do I know what I am?” 'Yes' says God , “Tell them what they are Paul!” At which point somebody could read for us from 1 Corinthians 3:10, “Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst?” Or as it appears in the Message bible “You realize, don't you, that you are the temple of God, and God Himself is present in you?”
And that's what I want to talk about today. The temple of you. Because if we are temples, then there are implications to be faced. Temples need maintaining. Temples have a mission. The temple was the place for meeting with God, a sacred place, set apart and indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
1. Temples Need Maintaining
Temples, be they a small pagan temple in Corinth, the grandest of temples in Jerusalem or your local Presbyterian Churches have one thing in common. They always need a building and grounds committee. I know I could invite Rich Perez or Howard Batsford to come forward this morning and tell you what a time consuming and expensive job that can be. You have to care for a building.
This text reminds us that we also have to care for ourselves. 'You realize, don't you. That you are a temple...' I'm very glad that we have Laura Curran in our midst who offers yoga classes that a number of our members enjoy. Historically Christianity has often created a divide between spirit and body, as though somehow the body was profane, and only our spiritual needs were sacred.
We are beginning to re-learn that body, soul and spirit are intimately related. That not all our diseases can be treated by administering a tablet. That prevention is better than a cure, that a healthy diet and physical life results in health benefits all round.
As I was doing some reading for this sermon I came across this, which though it is written primarily for an African-American context, I'm sure you'll see applies to other contexts.
“For African-American youth, re-imagining themselves as 'sacred' would mean praying for God's wisdom to avoid the kinds of risky behaviors which leave the temple vulnerable to all manners of sickness, disease, violence and other forms of physical harm; such as (but not limited to) unprotected sexual activity, illegal drug and alcohol abuse and gun-play. Also adults need to see our youth as 'sacred bodies' and not as 'Gangstas', thugs, lost causes, future prison inmates and absentee baby-daddies. If we begin to see them as young princes and princesses, future presidents, engineers, teachers, parents, preachers and more, then they will more likely see themselves and treat themselves in the same way”
One can apply such an illustration to almost any group of people. To recognize our bodies as sacred means cherishing them. It means not being taken in by the lies the media tells us that certain body types and age groups are so much more significant then others. It means recognizing that God has made you 'you', and being thankful for that unique physical creation that you are!
If God says we are temples then we need to ask ourselves, how well are we doing in the area of personal buildings and grounds! Not so we can compare ourselves with others, or compete with people different from us, but so that we can have the physical well-being God desires for our lives. Temples need maintaining.
2. Temples have a mission.
When He was 12 years old Jesus took a trip with His family to Jerusalem and we find Him in the temple debating with the teachers. (Luke 3:41-50). The temple was a place of learning. The body may well be a temple but the person who lives inside it needs more than just the physical. God gives us a body and a mind.
Presbyterians have always been strong promoters of education. There are 65 colleges and universities nationwide related to the PC(USA), 10 seminaries and 2 further seminaries in a covenant relationship. For a denomination of our size, that's a lot! And the majority have a reputation for holding to high academic standards.
There remains an emphasis within our theology that all truth is God's truth. That the sciences and the arts are just as important as the theology and philosophy one traditionally associates with religious institutions. We believe that one of our callings in life is to grow in knowledge and wisdom. We are not happy with simplistic answers, easy solutions or simply offering the comment “Well, I think it says in the bible.”
We believe God has given us a mind and expects us to exercise it. That's why in many of our churches we host nursery schools or after school programs. That's why we have adult forums and bible studies. We recognize that we all have a lot to learn!
It also means we often hold to different positions on a whole variety of issues. This led to somebody quipping; “What do you get if you put two Presbyterians in a room together?” Answer? 'A disagreement!' Our Presbytery meetings can become quite volatile when opinions are strongly and deeply held.
Yet, for much of our history we have agreed that although we differ, we can still travel together. That the truth is so much greater than any of us can ever fully discern, and that sometimes we are the ones that need to listen, rather than those who have the answers. Sadly, there are times when peoples differences cause them to separate, but often when historically those situations are viewed retrospectively, we wonder why they were such a big deal!
Where I'm going with this is to say 'Keep asking Questions'. Keep your mind in gear. Never be afraid to think outside of the box or look beyond the confines of ones own comfort zone. Having said that I would also encourage you to make that journey of inquiry in tandem with God, and make the best use of the insights Scripture can offer. Bear in mind of course that in order to know what they are... you are going to have study the scriptures!
I like the way the Message Bible transliterates verses 18 and 19. “Don't fool yourself. Don't think that you can be wise merely by being up-to-date with the times. Be God's fool—that's the path to true wisdom.” Temples have an educative component to their mission.
3. The Temple was THE place for meeting with God.
a. The temple was the dwelling place of God. The Jews believed that God dwelt in the temple, took possession of it and resided in it. “Don't you know” asks Paul in verse 16 of our reading today “That you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst?”
I remember as a young person being invited to “Ask Jesus into my heart”. A little confusing if you take that image literally! What is actually meant by such a phrase is that we invite the Holy Spirit to be a central force in our lives, invite the power of resurrection to invade our time constrained existence, invite God to make a kingdom perspective the lens through which we view everything else around our lives.
Notice as well that this verse is both individual and corporate. “God's Spirit dwells in your midst”. Our lives individually and the life we share together as a church community are an arena for the activity of the living God. In Matthew 18:20 teaches His disciples “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.". The temple is a dwelling place of God.
b. The temple was set apart from common use for a holy purpose. Our call as Christians is not to be the same as everyone else and go along with the crowd. Jesus invites us to be in the world, but not of the world. (John 17:14) We are set apart for God's service, to live for God's glory and bring glory to God's name. How that works in our life and within our experience is something we work at with God!
c. The temple was a sacred place. This brings us around full circle to where we began talking about looking after our bodies and nurturing our minds. Just as the temple was sacred to God, so our lives are sacred to God. Sacred enough to send His son Jesus Christ to die on the Cross for us. Sacred enough to be a place in which God wants to accomplish the work of the Kingdom, within and through and all around us.
Returning to the question I was asked at a youth camp. 'What's it like being you?'. Let's rephrase it and ask ourselves “How are we doing at being a temple?”
Being a temple requires a number of things. It takes maintenance. We need take care of ourselves physically. Exercise, diet, health, these are important. Being a temple means we have a mission and a mind to discern what that mission is. Being a temple means that our lives are a meeting place with God. We welcome the Spirit's presence and activity. We recognize that the call to be a disciple is a high call and a great privilege. We see our life in it's totality, body, soul and spirit as a sacred trust.
“Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst?”
May God help us to live into our calling!
And to God's name be all glory. Amen.
The Reverend Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, February 23rd, 2014
A printable PDF file can be found here
I was on a youth retreat in West Virginia, and as sometimes happens, the kids were making comments about my accent being a little different to theirs. They took great amusement at the way I pronounced certain words and would say 'Say it again'. Then one of the guys looked me straight in the eye and asked “What's it like... being you?”
I have to say that I really wasn't sure how to answer. Never been asked that before, never been asked it since! 'What's it like being you?' The strange thing is, sometimes on a Sunday morning when we're here in church, it seems to be the sort of probing question that God would ask us, both as individuals and as a community. 'What's it like being you?'
I'm sure, given time for reflection, we could all come up with some kind of answer. 'Actually' one may say, 'Not to good being me right now, got a lot on my mind'. Another may say 'Couldn't be better, can't complain'. There would be as many different answers as we are different people. Maybe as a church community we'd respond; “Well we have a bit of a challenge with our finances right now!”
'That's how you are,' God may reply, 'But do you know what you are?' “Do I know what I am?” 'Yes' says God , “Tell them what they are Paul!” At which point somebody could read for us from 1 Corinthians 3:10, “Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst?” Or as it appears in the Message bible “You realize, don't you, that you are the temple of God, and God Himself is present in you?”
And that's what I want to talk about today. The temple of you. Because if we are temples, then there are implications to be faced. Temples need maintaining. Temples have a mission. The temple was the place for meeting with God, a sacred place, set apart and indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
1. Temples Need Maintaining
Temples, be they a small pagan temple in Corinth, the grandest of temples in Jerusalem or your local Presbyterian Churches have one thing in common. They always need a building and grounds committee. I know I could invite Rich Perez or Howard Batsford to come forward this morning and tell you what a time consuming and expensive job that can be. You have to care for a building.
This text reminds us that we also have to care for ourselves. 'You realize, don't you. That you are a temple...' I'm very glad that we have Laura Curran in our midst who offers yoga classes that a number of our members enjoy. Historically Christianity has often created a divide between spirit and body, as though somehow the body was profane, and only our spiritual needs were sacred.
We are beginning to re-learn that body, soul and spirit are intimately related. That not all our diseases can be treated by administering a tablet. That prevention is better than a cure, that a healthy diet and physical life results in health benefits all round.
As I was doing some reading for this sermon I came across this, which though it is written primarily for an African-American context, I'm sure you'll see applies to other contexts.
“For African-American youth, re-imagining themselves as 'sacred' would mean praying for God's wisdom to avoid the kinds of risky behaviors which leave the temple vulnerable to all manners of sickness, disease, violence and other forms of physical harm; such as (but not limited to) unprotected sexual activity, illegal drug and alcohol abuse and gun-play. Also adults need to see our youth as 'sacred bodies' and not as 'Gangstas', thugs, lost causes, future prison inmates and absentee baby-daddies. If we begin to see them as young princes and princesses, future presidents, engineers, teachers, parents, preachers and more, then they will more likely see themselves and treat themselves in the same way”
One can apply such an illustration to almost any group of people. To recognize our bodies as sacred means cherishing them. It means not being taken in by the lies the media tells us that certain body types and age groups are so much more significant then others. It means recognizing that God has made you 'you', and being thankful for that unique physical creation that you are!
If God says we are temples then we need to ask ourselves, how well are we doing in the area of personal buildings and grounds! Not so we can compare ourselves with others, or compete with people different from us, but so that we can have the physical well-being God desires for our lives. Temples need maintaining.
2. Temples have a mission.
When He was 12 years old Jesus took a trip with His family to Jerusalem and we find Him in the temple debating with the teachers. (Luke 3:41-50). The temple was a place of learning. The body may well be a temple but the person who lives inside it needs more than just the physical. God gives us a body and a mind.
Presbyterians have always been strong promoters of education. There are 65 colleges and universities nationwide related to the PC(USA), 10 seminaries and 2 further seminaries in a covenant relationship. For a denomination of our size, that's a lot! And the majority have a reputation for holding to high academic standards.
There remains an emphasis within our theology that all truth is God's truth. That the sciences and the arts are just as important as the theology and philosophy one traditionally associates with religious institutions. We believe that one of our callings in life is to grow in knowledge and wisdom. We are not happy with simplistic answers, easy solutions or simply offering the comment “Well, I think it says in the bible.”
We believe God has given us a mind and expects us to exercise it. That's why in many of our churches we host nursery schools or after school programs. That's why we have adult forums and bible studies. We recognize that we all have a lot to learn!
It also means we often hold to different positions on a whole variety of issues. This led to somebody quipping; “What do you get if you put two Presbyterians in a room together?” Answer? 'A disagreement!' Our Presbytery meetings can become quite volatile when opinions are strongly and deeply held.
Yet, for much of our history we have agreed that although we differ, we can still travel together. That the truth is so much greater than any of us can ever fully discern, and that sometimes we are the ones that need to listen, rather than those who have the answers. Sadly, there are times when peoples differences cause them to separate, but often when historically those situations are viewed retrospectively, we wonder why they were such a big deal!
Where I'm going with this is to say 'Keep asking Questions'. Keep your mind in gear. Never be afraid to think outside of the box or look beyond the confines of ones own comfort zone. Having said that I would also encourage you to make that journey of inquiry in tandem with God, and make the best use of the insights Scripture can offer. Bear in mind of course that in order to know what they are... you are going to have study the scriptures!
I like the way the Message Bible transliterates verses 18 and 19. “Don't fool yourself. Don't think that you can be wise merely by being up-to-date with the times. Be God's fool—that's the path to true wisdom.” Temples have an educative component to their mission.
3. The Temple was THE place for meeting with God.
a. The temple was the dwelling place of God. The Jews believed that God dwelt in the temple, took possession of it and resided in it. “Don't you know” asks Paul in verse 16 of our reading today “That you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst?”
I remember as a young person being invited to “Ask Jesus into my heart”. A little confusing if you take that image literally! What is actually meant by such a phrase is that we invite the Holy Spirit to be a central force in our lives, invite the power of resurrection to invade our time constrained existence, invite God to make a kingdom perspective the lens through which we view everything else around our lives.
Notice as well that this verse is both individual and corporate. “God's Spirit dwells in your midst”. Our lives individually and the life we share together as a church community are an arena for the activity of the living God. In Matthew 18:20 teaches His disciples “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.". The temple is a dwelling place of God.
b. The temple was set apart from common use for a holy purpose. Our call as Christians is not to be the same as everyone else and go along with the crowd. Jesus invites us to be in the world, but not of the world. (John 17:14) We are set apart for God's service, to live for God's glory and bring glory to God's name. How that works in our life and within our experience is something we work at with God!
c. The temple was a sacred place. This brings us around full circle to where we began talking about looking after our bodies and nurturing our minds. Just as the temple was sacred to God, so our lives are sacred to God. Sacred enough to send His son Jesus Christ to die on the Cross for us. Sacred enough to be a place in which God wants to accomplish the work of the Kingdom, within and through and all around us.
Returning to the question I was asked at a youth camp. 'What's it like being you?'. Let's rephrase it and ask ourselves “How are we doing at being a temple?”
Being a temple requires a number of things. It takes maintenance. We need take care of ourselves physically. Exercise, diet, health, these are important. Being a temple means we have a mission and a mind to discern what that mission is. Being a temple means that our lives are a meeting place with God. We welcome the Spirit's presence and activity. We recognize that the call to be a disciple is a high call and a great privilege. We see our life in it's totality, body, soul and spirit as a sacred trust.
“Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst?”
May God help us to live into our calling!
And to God's name be all glory. Amen.
The Reverend Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Solid Food
Readings; Psalm 119:1-8, Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Matthew 5:21-37, 1 Corinthians 3:1-9
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, February 16th, 2014
A printable PDF file can be found here
I'm sure as you were growing up your parents said it to you when you were in the midst of a squabble, and I'm sure if you are a parent you have at some point had to say it to your children. The phrase “Why don't you just grow up!”
Such is the tone of our reading today in which Paul tells the church in Corinth to stop their quarreling and grow up. As the first verse reads in the Message Bible: “Right now, friends, I'm completely frustrated by your unspiritual dealings with each other and withGod. You're acting like infants...” He says of the teaching that he has given them; “I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.”
He chastises them for the infantile way they have lined themselves up to support a particular preacher. 'One says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos,” (1Co 3:4) Didn't they realize that Paul and Apollos were on the same team, about the same task and served the same Lord Jesus Christ? “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.”(1Co 3:6)
His concern is that of a father in the faith to them. He calls them friends and sisters and brothers. He's not bullying them or disparaging them. Rather his love for them compels him to speak out.Most concerning of all is that he discerns that they are not acting in a way consistent with spiritual growth. They are behaving according to the spirit of the world rather than the Holy Spirit of God. By their jealousy, by their partisanship, by their quarreling they were betraying the trust placed in them as recipients of the great and good news of the gospel.
This gospel was a message that had been sown in their hearts through his work, through the work of Apollos, and both had been reliant on God's grace. They needed to move forward, not be stuck in the midst of senseless quarrels and disputes that prevented them from receiving sound teaching. They needed solid food.
Reading between the lines in this passage we can see how Paul, whilst chastising them for being milk drinkers, is also offering them solid food, by teaching them what spiritual ministry looked like, using himself as an example. As we consider how to move forward as a faith community, we do well to take note of Paul's teaching about the nature of Holy Spirit motivated ministry.
1. Spiritual Ministry is Servant Shaped.
Verse 5a “What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe--“
Paul uses the Greek term 'diakonos' to describe both his own ministry and the ministry of Apollos. It is from 'diakonos' that we derive our term 'Deacon'. We recognize in our tradition that the role of the deacon is one of service and the offering of care and support. From Paul’s perspective we are called to be 'deacons' ...'servants'... to one another.
If you are a Downton Abbey fan then hopefully you will be enjoying watching the 4th season and observing what it was like to be part of the staff of a large country estate. When the Earl of Grantham or any of his family tells them to 'Do something', they do it. They don't argue. They don't complain that it's not their task or that it's not convenient right now. They don't say, 'Sorry I have other plans this weekend.'
If Mr. Carson, the chief butler, suspects any quarreling or dissension in the ranks downstairs, then he nips it in the bud. They either shape up and get on with doing what they are meant to be doing or they are out of a job.
Being a Christian is not a job, it is an assignment. It is a spiritual task. Essential to the nature of the task is the attitude that we are not part of a church community to simply get out of it what we can, but that we are called to give what we can, sometimes sacrificially. Our pattern is that of Jesus Himself, who gave His life for us on the Cross, in order that we may be freed to serve others. We serve because that is the right response to make to Jesus who died for us. We love because He first loved us. Continuing with verse 5...
2. Spiritual Ministry is Task Orientated
“... the Lord has assigned to each his task.” (1Co 3:5b). Or as the Message Bible has it, Paul describes the servant ministry of himself and Apollos by saying “We each carried out our servant assignment.”
Congregations are made up of people with different gifts and talents and abilities. Stewardship is determining how we are going to use our particular gifts and influence to enhance the spiritual community God has invited us to be a part of. We sometimes speak of stewardship as being only about money. But what's the point of having a bank balance that is in the black if nobodies actually moving from being babies in the faith to mature believers?
Staying with the Downton Abbey imagery, everybody has an assignment. Be they in the kitchen or a personal maid or a butler or a gardener... everybody has a job to do. If any one of them fails to function effectively then the whole thing becomes out of balance and you find jealousy and quarrels erupting, precisely the ailments that were so troubling Paul about the church in Corinth.
It can be hard to find exactly where you fit in. Sometimes we can feel like a square pin in a round hole. Sometimes we become frustrated because we can see what needs to be done but we are not asked our opinion. Sometimes we observe that people occupy positions that are beyond their capabilities, but there's no way they are letting go of those positions because they have too much of themselves invested in that task or that position.
Do you know why that is? It's because God doesn't call us to be a business or an enterprise or a corporation or a company. God doesn't call us to be the staff of a country house. God calls us to be a family. 'And there ain't no dynamics quite as curious as family dynamics.'
There's our working relationships, there's the relationships we have with our friends and then there's the relationships we have with our families. There are times when it seems that we can get along with everybody, except those we were actually born to get along with.
Family relationships take all the grace, patience, understanding and tolerance that we are given... and then some. Loving people we don't know is a piece of a cake. Loving those God calls to be our spiritual family and with whom we share a space we describe as our spiritual home, that's another story.
Such is the reality we deal with and can only travel through with prayer, with lots of deep breathing and by focusing on each others needs more than our own. Yet please be assured, there is room for us all at the table. There will come those moments when it makes sense and falls into place. It takes time. Things that matter always do. Solid food has to be chewed.
You can chug a bottle of milk, but all that happens if you eat a steak dinner to rapidly is that you risk the chance of choking and get indigestion. We are invited to center on the things that need doing and bring to them what we can. Spiritual ministry is always task orientated.
3. Spiritual Ministry is God Focused
I Corinthians 3: 7 in the Message Bible reads; “It's not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process but God, who makes things grow.”
Growth requires the planting and the nurturing. There have to be people in place to faithfully accomplish the assignments God has given them Yet at the end of the day, we cannot predict the outcome. It is 'God, who makes things grow'.
Spiritual ministry is servant-shaped, task orientated and focused on what God can do. We build upon the heritage that those who have gone before us have left us and we recognize that we are not alone in the task. We have each other and we have God to lead us and guide us. If it were entirely up to us, I don't think we'd have a hope.
Rather God promises to be with us and encourages us to go beyond spiritual infancy, to go beyond being in a place where we are nourished on milk alone and move to a place of being fed with solid food, the meat of God's word, the knowledge of God's ways that allows us to take risks and make mature judgments.
At the commencement of our reading Paul appears frustrated by the Corinthian Church. “For goodness sake, grow up!” As we dig deeper into the passage we realize he is expressing parental concern and offering solid guidance as to what it takes to be a Holy Spirit centered congregation.
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, February 16th, 2014
A printable PDF file can be found here
I'm sure as you were growing up your parents said it to you when you were in the midst of a squabble, and I'm sure if you are a parent you have at some point had to say it to your children. The phrase “Why don't you just grow up!”
Such is the tone of our reading today in which Paul tells the church in Corinth to stop their quarreling and grow up. As the first verse reads in the Message Bible: “Right now, friends, I'm completely frustrated by your unspiritual dealings with each other and withGod. You're acting like infants...” He says of the teaching that he has given them; “I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.”
He chastises them for the infantile way they have lined themselves up to support a particular preacher. 'One says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos,” (1Co 3:4) Didn't they realize that Paul and Apollos were on the same team, about the same task and served the same Lord Jesus Christ? “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.”(1Co 3:6)
His concern is that of a father in the faith to them. He calls them friends and sisters and brothers. He's not bullying them or disparaging them. Rather his love for them compels him to speak out.Most concerning of all is that he discerns that they are not acting in a way consistent with spiritual growth. They are behaving according to the spirit of the world rather than the Holy Spirit of God. By their jealousy, by their partisanship, by their quarreling they were betraying the trust placed in them as recipients of the great and good news of the gospel.
This gospel was a message that had been sown in their hearts through his work, through the work of Apollos, and both had been reliant on God's grace. They needed to move forward, not be stuck in the midst of senseless quarrels and disputes that prevented them from receiving sound teaching. They needed solid food.
Reading between the lines in this passage we can see how Paul, whilst chastising them for being milk drinkers, is also offering them solid food, by teaching them what spiritual ministry looked like, using himself as an example. As we consider how to move forward as a faith community, we do well to take note of Paul's teaching about the nature of Holy Spirit motivated ministry.
1. Spiritual Ministry is Servant Shaped.
Verse 5a “What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe--“
Paul uses the Greek term 'diakonos' to describe both his own ministry and the ministry of Apollos. It is from 'diakonos' that we derive our term 'Deacon'. We recognize in our tradition that the role of the deacon is one of service and the offering of care and support. From Paul’s perspective we are called to be 'deacons' ...'servants'... to one another.
If you are a Downton Abbey fan then hopefully you will be enjoying watching the 4th season and observing what it was like to be part of the staff of a large country estate. When the Earl of Grantham or any of his family tells them to 'Do something', they do it. They don't argue. They don't complain that it's not their task or that it's not convenient right now. They don't say, 'Sorry I have other plans this weekend.'
If Mr. Carson, the chief butler, suspects any quarreling or dissension in the ranks downstairs, then he nips it in the bud. They either shape up and get on with doing what they are meant to be doing or they are out of a job.
Being a Christian is not a job, it is an assignment. It is a spiritual task. Essential to the nature of the task is the attitude that we are not part of a church community to simply get out of it what we can, but that we are called to give what we can, sometimes sacrificially. Our pattern is that of Jesus Himself, who gave His life for us on the Cross, in order that we may be freed to serve others. We serve because that is the right response to make to Jesus who died for us. We love because He first loved us. Continuing with verse 5...
2. Spiritual Ministry is Task Orientated
“... the Lord has assigned to each his task.” (1Co 3:5b). Or as the Message Bible has it, Paul describes the servant ministry of himself and Apollos by saying “We each carried out our servant assignment.”
Congregations are made up of people with different gifts and talents and abilities. Stewardship is determining how we are going to use our particular gifts and influence to enhance the spiritual community God has invited us to be a part of. We sometimes speak of stewardship as being only about money. But what's the point of having a bank balance that is in the black if nobodies actually moving from being babies in the faith to mature believers?
Staying with the Downton Abbey imagery, everybody has an assignment. Be they in the kitchen or a personal maid or a butler or a gardener... everybody has a job to do. If any one of them fails to function effectively then the whole thing becomes out of balance and you find jealousy and quarrels erupting, precisely the ailments that were so troubling Paul about the church in Corinth.
It can be hard to find exactly where you fit in. Sometimes we can feel like a square pin in a round hole. Sometimes we become frustrated because we can see what needs to be done but we are not asked our opinion. Sometimes we observe that people occupy positions that are beyond their capabilities, but there's no way they are letting go of those positions because they have too much of themselves invested in that task or that position.
Do you know why that is? It's because God doesn't call us to be a business or an enterprise or a corporation or a company. God doesn't call us to be the staff of a country house. God calls us to be a family. 'And there ain't no dynamics quite as curious as family dynamics.'
There's our working relationships, there's the relationships we have with our friends and then there's the relationships we have with our families. There are times when it seems that we can get along with everybody, except those we were actually born to get along with.
Family relationships take all the grace, patience, understanding and tolerance that we are given... and then some. Loving people we don't know is a piece of a cake. Loving those God calls to be our spiritual family and with whom we share a space we describe as our spiritual home, that's another story.
Such is the reality we deal with and can only travel through with prayer, with lots of deep breathing and by focusing on each others needs more than our own. Yet please be assured, there is room for us all at the table. There will come those moments when it makes sense and falls into place. It takes time. Things that matter always do. Solid food has to be chewed.
You can chug a bottle of milk, but all that happens if you eat a steak dinner to rapidly is that you risk the chance of choking and get indigestion. We are invited to center on the things that need doing and bring to them what we can. Spiritual ministry is always task orientated.
3. Spiritual Ministry is God Focused
I Corinthians 3: 7 in the Message Bible reads; “It's not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process but God, who makes things grow.”
Growth requires the planting and the nurturing. There have to be people in place to faithfully accomplish the assignments God has given them Yet at the end of the day, we cannot predict the outcome. It is 'God, who makes things grow'.
Spiritual ministry is servant-shaped, task orientated and focused on what God can do. We build upon the heritage that those who have gone before us have left us and we recognize that we are not alone in the task. We have each other and we have God to lead us and guide us. If it were entirely up to us, I don't think we'd have a hope.
Rather God promises to be with us and encourages us to go beyond spiritual infancy, to go beyond being in a place where we are nourished on milk alone and move to a place of being fed with solid food, the meat of God's word, the knowledge of God's ways that allows us to take risks and make mature judgments.
At the commencement of our reading Paul appears frustrated by the Corinthian Church. “For goodness sake, grow up!” As we dig deeper into the passage we realize he is expressing parental concern and offering solid guidance as to what it takes to be a Holy Spirit centered congregation.
- That it takes the willingness to be servants of each other, in genuine and realistic ways.He uses the term 'deacon' to describe that servant relationship he had with them and prayed they would have the desire to be 'deacons' for each other.
- He reminds them that being a family could be hard. People had to find their place and do what needed to be done Spiritual maturity required time and effort and focus upon the tasks at hand.
- He also, in his own unique way, reminds them at the end of all things, it wasn't about what they could do or be, but rather about allowing God's love to grow within them and minister to others through them.
Though this passage in Corinthians Paul invites us to grow in faith, in love and in hope; to grow up into Christ, into being people shaped less by the attitudes and shallow perceptions of our every day world and be transformed by the values of His Kingdom, where everybody matters and the little things we do count for a lot... and where the bottom line is always love.
Keeping in mind the Downton Abbey imagery I shared earlier, I leave you with Paul's words, as transliterated in the Message Bible, 1 Corinthians 3:7-9; “It's not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process but God, who makes things grow. Planting and watering are menial servant jobs at minimum wages. What makes it all worth doing is the God we are serving.”
And to God's name be the glory. Amen
Monday, February 10, 2014
The Deep
Readings; Psalm 112:1-9, Isaiah 58:1-12, Matthew 5:13-20, 1 Corinthians 2:1-12
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, February 9th, 2014
A printable PDF file can be found here
One of the biggest movie hits of the late 1970's was about a killer shark called 'Jaws'. In an effort to capitalize on it's success numerous follow ups were made including a lavish production in 1977 called 'The Deep'. The Deep was about a young couple who discovered a World War II wreck, called Goliath, that not only has a valuable cargo, but lays over a Spanish galleon with an even more valuable cargo upon it.
Not surprisingly other people, of dubious character, find out and are out to get their hands on the available wealth, and what with the presence of mutated sea creatures, the action becomes deadly. The posters advertising the movie contained the phrase “Is anything worth the terror of the Deep?”
In our bible reading today we heard Paul speaking of ' “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” – the things God has prepared for those who love Him... The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God ' (1 Corinthians 2:9)
There is however no terror involved in the deep things of God. On the contrary, the deep wisdom of God is pictured as a treasure to be highly desired, and available to all those whose lives are being recreated by the action of God's Holy Spirit.
The only terror expressed in our passage comes through Paul himself, who explains to the Corinthians “I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling”
We sometimes picture Paul as a fearless, bold, extrovert of a guy; on a mission from God and afraid of nothing. Yet here he pictures himself as a stumbling and not-very-gifted speaker. As Christians, one of our duties before God is to share our faith with others. But often, even the thought of speaking about we believe, paralyzes us. We feel insecure, we feel inadequate. We are worried about doing more harm than good.
Maybe then we can take comfort from the fact that even Paul felt ill-equipped for the task God had laid upon him. He claims to have no power, other than that which the Spirit of God blessed him with, to present the gospel message. “When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God” (1 Cor 2:1)
In the last chapter he spoke about the 'foolishness' of the gospel and how it's power didn't lie in words or dazzling philosophical insight, but was something that people would witness as they observed the church in Corinth practicing love and hospitality towards each other, crossing boundaries of culture and tradition, breaking down centuries old practices of exclusion and privilege and seeking to be One in Christ.
He rejoices that the good news of God's love is delivered through cracked and damaged vessels. Later in his letter he writes “We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (2Co. 4:7)
'Jars of Clay'. That's a great image. We, who are nobody special, just fallible and frail humanity like everybody else, are commissioned by God to share the good news with others. Those whom God calls, God also equips with the blessing and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. We are called to do God's work, in God's way and in God's power. That way, glory goes to God and our service becomes an act of worship.
Cracked, flawed, fearful and apprehensive jars of clay that we may be, nevertheless God invites us to share the beautiful secret of the love of Jesus in whatsoever and with whomsoever we can. The other side of the picture however is that in order to know what we are talking about, and to place a proper framework around the things that we do, we have to be prepared to dive deeper into our faith.
It is interesting to note that Paul never describes people who put their faith in Jesus as being 'Christians'. In the Book of Acts we do read that the followers of Jesus were first called Christians in Antioch. (Acts 11:26). But most scholars suggest that the term was used in a derogatory way and not meant as a compliment. Rather like calling them 'Jesus Freaks'.
Only later in church history did the word become associated not just with individuals but a phrase that carried sociological, cultural, and political, as well as religious meaning.
For Paul a disciple of Jesus is a 'spiritual' person. But he makes a distinction between being spiritual, in some vague sense of the word, and a person whose life is being molded and shaped by the action of God's Holy Spirit. In verse 12 he writes “What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.”
There are many people in our world, just as there were many in the Corinthian community to whom Paul writes, who could rightly describe themselves as 'spiritual'. Corinth was one of the broadest minded, eclectic cities in the whole Roman Empire. If Corinth had a theme tune it could have been “Anything goes” - and that applied to their religious life as well as their cultural life.
So Paul is quite specific in stating that what he had in mind was not any vague notion of 'spirituality'; “What we have received is not the spirit of the world”, but a spiritual nature formed by a persons relationship with God, through Jesus Christ and in tandem with the work of the Holy Spirit. When Paul speaks of 'Going Deep' he does not visualize the process as some individual quest for meaning, but tells us in verse 10 that 'The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.'
In the movie 'The Deep' in order to plumb the depths and reach the treasure, those who desire the prize have to put on their diving suits and search for it. Paul is in no doubt the gospel is worth diving for. In verse 7 he speaks of the gospel as 'A mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began' . At the end of verse 9 he talks of the things “God has prepared for those who love Him”.
His whole emphasis is that there are things about life, about ourselves, about each other, about God, that we have yet to discover. That we cannot afford to stay as we are but need to go deeper and deeper and deeper in our discovery of the love of God. That if we fail to do so we will stagnate, we will fail to appreciate just how greatly God loves us, we will become disconnected from each other and from our church communities and even from God,
Just as a diver has to reach different levels in order to discover what they are looking for, Paul envisages spiritual life as a quest, and a journey of discovery that involves all of our senses.
In verse 9 Paul speaks of the deep things of God being perceived by our sight, “What no eye has seen', by our listening 'what no ear has heard' and by our thinking 'What no human mind has conceived.'
Seeing. We are invited to a deeper vision. We know that we see ourselves in certain ways. But we also know that another persons perception of our lives can be entirely different. Paul takes it one step further and tells us that God's perception of our life is something different again.
If only we could grasp God's perception on our relationships, on our problems, on our finances, on our worries, on our temptations, on our hopes and dreams.... well things would look different. Bear in mind that God looks at us as people whom He loved enough to send His Son Jesus Christ to die on a Cross for. That God’s love is so powerful that Christ was raised from the dead. How we need to see that resurrection perspective over and above our narrow visions of what can and can't be!
Hearing. We are invited to listen. Through the Old Testament prophet Isaiah 28:23 God addressed the people: “Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say.” In John 10:27 Jesus, the Good Shepherd, describes His relationship to His people in this way; “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
But how do we hear God? Matthew's gospel suggests we hear God's call when we witness the plight of the hungry and homeless, the naked and the prisoner and decide to take action. That's what separated the sheep from the goats. (Matthew 25:32)
We hear God when we approach Scripture in an attitude of prayer and humbly seeking God's guidance. The Holy Spirit is with us to interpret the written words in a way that they become the Word of God to us.
We hear God in worship as we open ourselves up to the music and the hymns and the words and the giving and the fellowship. We hear God when we take the time to listen!
Thinking. We are invited to understand 'What no human mind has conceived.' When we have an uncomplicated trust in God we witness unexplainable things happening in and around and through our lives. I can't put that into words. I can't explain it. I just know that God's love is so much greater than we dare imagine. I'm back again with the prophet Isaiah 55:9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Or as Paul writes to the Corinthians: “What no eye has seen,what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” the things God has prepared for those who love Him”.
I hope you are able to take away a few thoughts from this message.
Firstly, that we have no need to fear that we are not good enough, or clever enough, or ideally suited to share with others the treasure of the gospel. God promises that such is the work of the Holy Spirit. “We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”
Secondly, that we are invited to dig deep into our heritage of faith, because... to coin a phrase... “We ain't seen nothing yet!” We are prompted to dive deep and discover hidden treasures within the love of God.
Finally, let us recall that for Paul there was no such designation of people as 'Christians'. For Paul a disciple of Jesus was somebody, not spiritual in any vague sense of the word, but one who was being changed and inspired and renewed by the action of God's Holy Spirit.
With the help of that same Holy Spirit may we travel deeper and deeper and deeper into an understanding of the love of God as a treasure that changes everything. And to God's name be the glory. Amen.
The Reverend Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, February 9th, 2014
A printable PDF file can be found here
One of the biggest movie hits of the late 1970's was about a killer shark called 'Jaws'. In an effort to capitalize on it's success numerous follow ups were made including a lavish production in 1977 called 'The Deep'. The Deep was about a young couple who discovered a World War II wreck, called Goliath, that not only has a valuable cargo, but lays over a Spanish galleon with an even more valuable cargo upon it.
Not surprisingly other people, of dubious character, find out and are out to get their hands on the available wealth, and what with the presence of mutated sea creatures, the action becomes deadly. The posters advertising the movie contained the phrase “Is anything worth the terror of the Deep?”
In our bible reading today we heard Paul speaking of ' “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” – the things God has prepared for those who love Him... The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God ' (1 Corinthians 2:9)
There is however no terror involved in the deep things of God. On the contrary, the deep wisdom of God is pictured as a treasure to be highly desired, and available to all those whose lives are being recreated by the action of God's Holy Spirit.
The only terror expressed in our passage comes through Paul himself, who explains to the Corinthians “I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling”
We sometimes picture Paul as a fearless, bold, extrovert of a guy; on a mission from God and afraid of nothing. Yet here he pictures himself as a stumbling and not-very-gifted speaker. As Christians, one of our duties before God is to share our faith with others. But often, even the thought of speaking about we believe, paralyzes us. We feel insecure, we feel inadequate. We are worried about doing more harm than good.
Maybe then we can take comfort from the fact that even Paul felt ill-equipped for the task God had laid upon him. He claims to have no power, other than that which the Spirit of God blessed him with, to present the gospel message. “When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God” (1 Cor 2:1)
In the last chapter he spoke about the 'foolishness' of the gospel and how it's power didn't lie in words or dazzling philosophical insight, but was something that people would witness as they observed the church in Corinth practicing love and hospitality towards each other, crossing boundaries of culture and tradition, breaking down centuries old practices of exclusion and privilege and seeking to be One in Christ.
He rejoices that the good news of God's love is delivered through cracked and damaged vessels. Later in his letter he writes “We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (2Co. 4:7)
'Jars of Clay'. That's a great image. We, who are nobody special, just fallible and frail humanity like everybody else, are commissioned by God to share the good news with others. Those whom God calls, God also equips with the blessing and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. We are called to do God's work, in God's way and in God's power. That way, glory goes to God and our service becomes an act of worship.
Cracked, flawed, fearful and apprehensive jars of clay that we may be, nevertheless God invites us to share the beautiful secret of the love of Jesus in whatsoever and with whomsoever we can. The other side of the picture however is that in order to know what we are talking about, and to place a proper framework around the things that we do, we have to be prepared to dive deeper into our faith.
It is interesting to note that Paul never describes people who put their faith in Jesus as being 'Christians'. In the Book of Acts we do read that the followers of Jesus were first called Christians in Antioch. (Acts 11:26). But most scholars suggest that the term was used in a derogatory way and not meant as a compliment. Rather like calling them 'Jesus Freaks'.
Only later in church history did the word become associated not just with individuals but a phrase that carried sociological, cultural, and political, as well as religious meaning.
For Paul a disciple of Jesus is a 'spiritual' person. But he makes a distinction between being spiritual, in some vague sense of the word, and a person whose life is being molded and shaped by the action of God's Holy Spirit. In verse 12 he writes “What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.”
There are many people in our world, just as there were many in the Corinthian community to whom Paul writes, who could rightly describe themselves as 'spiritual'. Corinth was one of the broadest minded, eclectic cities in the whole Roman Empire. If Corinth had a theme tune it could have been “Anything goes” - and that applied to their religious life as well as their cultural life.
So Paul is quite specific in stating that what he had in mind was not any vague notion of 'spirituality'; “What we have received is not the spirit of the world”, but a spiritual nature formed by a persons relationship with God, through Jesus Christ and in tandem with the work of the Holy Spirit. When Paul speaks of 'Going Deep' he does not visualize the process as some individual quest for meaning, but tells us in verse 10 that 'The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.'
In the movie 'The Deep' in order to plumb the depths and reach the treasure, those who desire the prize have to put on their diving suits and search for it. Paul is in no doubt the gospel is worth diving for. In verse 7 he speaks of the gospel as 'A mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began' . At the end of verse 9 he talks of the things “God has prepared for those who love Him”.
His whole emphasis is that there are things about life, about ourselves, about each other, about God, that we have yet to discover. That we cannot afford to stay as we are but need to go deeper and deeper and deeper in our discovery of the love of God. That if we fail to do so we will stagnate, we will fail to appreciate just how greatly God loves us, we will become disconnected from each other and from our church communities and even from God,
Just as a diver has to reach different levels in order to discover what they are looking for, Paul envisages spiritual life as a quest, and a journey of discovery that involves all of our senses.
In verse 9 Paul speaks of the deep things of God being perceived by our sight, “What no eye has seen', by our listening 'what no ear has heard' and by our thinking 'What no human mind has conceived.'
Seeing. We are invited to a deeper vision. We know that we see ourselves in certain ways. But we also know that another persons perception of our lives can be entirely different. Paul takes it one step further and tells us that God's perception of our life is something different again.
If only we could grasp God's perception on our relationships, on our problems, on our finances, on our worries, on our temptations, on our hopes and dreams.... well things would look different. Bear in mind that God looks at us as people whom He loved enough to send His Son Jesus Christ to die on a Cross for. That God’s love is so powerful that Christ was raised from the dead. How we need to see that resurrection perspective over and above our narrow visions of what can and can't be!
Hearing. We are invited to listen. Through the Old Testament prophet Isaiah 28:23 God addressed the people: “Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say.” In John 10:27 Jesus, the Good Shepherd, describes His relationship to His people in this way; “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
But how do we hear God? Matthew's gospel suggests we hear God's call when we witness the plight of the hungry and homeless, the naked and the prisoner and decide to take action. That's what separated the sheep from the goats. (Matthew 25:32)
We hear God when we approach Scripture in an attitude of prayer and humbly seeking God's guidance. The Holy Spirit is with us to interpret the written words in a way that they become the Word of God to us.
We hear God in worship as we open ourselves up to the music and the hymns and the words and the giving and the fellowship. We hear God when we take the time to listen!
Thinking. We are invited to understand 'What no human mind has conceived.' When we have an uncomplicated trust in God we witness unexplainable things happening in and around and through our lives. I can't put that into words. I can't explain it. I just know that God's love is so much greater than we dare imagine. I'm back again with the prophet Isaiah 55:9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Or as Paul writes to the Corinthians: “What no eye has seen,what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” the things God has prepared for those who love Him”.
I hope you are able to take away a few thoughts from this message.
Firstly, that we have no need to fear that we are not good enough, or clever enough, or ideally suited to share with others the treasure of the gospel. God promises that such is the work of the Holy Spirit. “We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”
Secondly, that we are invited to dig deep into our heritage of faith, because... to coin a phrase... “We ain't seen nothing yet!” We are prompted to dive deep and discover hidden treasures within the love of God.
Finally, let us recall that for Paul there was no such designation of people as 'Christians'. For Paul a disciple of Jesus was somebody, not spiritual in any vague sense of the word, but one who was being changed and inspired and renewed by the action of God's Holy Spirit.
With the help of that same Holy Spirit may we travel deeper and deeper and deeper into an understanding of the love of God as a treasure that changes everything. And to God's name be the glory. Amen.
The Reverend Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Field of Fools
SOUPERBOWL SUNDAY
Readings; Psalm 15, Micah 6:1-8, Matthew 5:1-12, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY,February 2nd, 2014
A printable PDF file can be found here
Little Joey is outside throwing a ball. Mum yells 'It's dinner time'. 'Just a few more minutes!' Joey protests. 'Now' says mum, 'You'll never get anywhere in life if all you can do is fool around with a ball'.
I'm fairly sure that such is a situation that every professional baseball player, basketball player, and indeed every player that will take part in today's Superbowl Game could identify with. That somewhere in their past, there were people who told them that they were being foolish investing their lives in throwing, bouncing or kicking a ball.
But now there they are. Running out onto the field as some of the most admired athletes in the nation, taking part in one of the most watched TV events of the year. A field of fools. Very well accomplished, very well paid, very much admired fools. It does, if you think about it, seem rather strange that the ability to play a game well can bring so much adulation, but that's the way of the world.
I'm guessing that professional artists, writers and musicians had to face similar challenges. The girl in the dance class. The kid with the dream of writing a movie script. The one who is always fiddling about on the computer, coming up with codes and images and little innovations. There has been somebody who told them, somewhere along the line, “Look, that's fine to do as a hobby or a distraction, but you are a fool if you think you can make a living out of it.”
Tell that to Steven Spielberg or Mark Zuckerberg or Paula Abdul (or even our own Matt Wilson). When are they going to stop fooling around and get a proper job? There are many fields for fools out there!
Which brings me to a verse from our bible reading today, 1 Corinthians 1:18. Paul tells us 'For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God'.
There are many in our society who will tell us that we truly are fools, if we allow the message of Christianity to get a deep hold upon us. After all, look where it led Jesus and all those early disciples. He ended up on a cross, they ended up as martyrs. And that resurrection stuff? Get real! It's impossible.
The Christian message does not fit well with the way things are meant to be. Paul tells us, “Jews demand for signs, Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified; a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles” (1 Cor. 1:22-23)
That phrase here translated as 'stumbling block' is the Greek word 'skandalon', from which we derive our English word 'scandal'. According to the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy 21:23 anyone who was 'hung on a tree' was irrevocably cursed by God. How could the Messiah, the anointed one of God, come to his life's end in such an accursed fashion? For those of a Jewish background that wasn't the kind of sign they were looking for! It didn't make sense. Foolishness.
The problem for the Greeks was different. Their problem was that almost everything about Jesus made no sense to them. His concern for the poor. The way He identified with people who didn't really matter in the larger scheme things. His teaching about the pecking order in life. His humility. Wasn't He supposed to be a King? Royalty and humility did not go together.
The power of God, which Paul claimed was shown through Jesus Christ, manifested itself in contradictory ways to established wisdom. The Corinthian Church was a case in point. The gospel message had called together a mixture of folk who, outside of their church community, wouldn't normally get together. There were a few influential folk, probably a few wealthy folk, maybe a few learned folk. But a lot of them were really, to Greek eyes, nobody special.
Paul writes to them, verse 26, “Brothers and Sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were influential, not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are”
Their very existence as a church was an exercise in foolishness that went against the wisdom of the day. I believe that when we are at our best, we as churches, can still do that! Our diversity can speak volumes to a world where everything has to have it's own category.
I am sidetracking here, but one of the things I really dislike about the way music is marketed these days is that everything has to have a genre. If somebody asks you, 'What kind of music do you like?” they are expecting you to give a specific answer. “Oh, I'm into post-reformation, adult orientated, 1990's punk opera, with a hint of techno.”
That's why I look forward to singing “Drop Kick Me Jesus” on Souperbowl Sunday. It's just fun. It's not what we do every Sunday, and if every hymn was in the vein of “Silly Country Song” I'd become tired of it quickly! There's a lot of snobbery associated with music, yes, even with church music. As though somehow, certain types of music are much more 'holy' and acceptable to God than other types.
It goes in all directions. I've known some folks in 'trendy-modern' churches declare their superiority by saying they have done away with those dusty old hymnbooks. And I have had folk tell me that if we are going to start singing those 'Happy-Clappy' songs, then they will find another church to attend. Hmm!
And there was I thinking that we actually came to church to worship God, not for the aesthetic or uplifting experience that a piece of music, be it ancient or modern, provides, but for the inspiration that comes to us through the Holy Spirit. In fact when I read scripture it appears that what God is looking for, is lives and hearts that are humble, and expectant, and truly thankful for and open to Christ's love, regardless of the way that love presents itself.
Does that found foolish? Well, listen to Paul, verse 27; “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world, to shame the strong”
Why? He tells us in verse 29 “So that no one may boast before Him. It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord”
Whenever we confuse our 'preference' for God's will, then we are on shaky ground. It doesn't matter if it's our preference for the kind of people we want to rub shoulders with, the kind of worship service that we enjoy, the kind of music we like,or the temperature we like the church thermostat set at, what we are actually doing, when we idolize our preferences, is making worship, about us, not about God.
Because the Corinthians were learning to accept each others differences, to see each other through the eyes of Jesus as all equally needing His love to reclaim them and remake them, then people were seeing that a different kind of wisdom was at work in their community. It was not the wisdom of this world, but the foolishness of God.
God invites us to make Christ's love and Christ's tolerance our focus. In his letter to the Ephesian Church, Paul writes “I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
The foolish, scandalous thing about a gospel that focuses on the Cross and the Resurrection of Jesus is that every thing is turned inside out and upside down. The little things are the big things. The things we often count as insignificant and, sometimes uncomfortable, are the things of the kingdom.
Jesus offers teaching that transcends the wisdom of this world. We heard earlier, part of His mountain top sermon; “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”.
In 1990, a Presbyterian youth leader, Brad Smith closed his youth meeting with a prayer that asked God to make them mindful of those who didn't even have a bowl of soup to eat, as they were gathering that night to watch the Superbowl on TV.
This morning our youth will invite you to make a donation towards feeding the hungry in their soup bowls. It doesn't seem like much. Indeed it may seem rather foolish to think that such small tokens can make a difference to the huge problems of inequality and injustice that our wold faces.
Rather like the kid who throws a ball, as though they could ever make a career out of it. Or the girl who dances a few steps and believes that one day she could make a living from her skills. Or the church in Corinth, thinking that by coming together across societies boundaries to worship God, the world could be changed. Or Paul, thinking that telling people about the wisdom of God and the foolishness of the Cross might actually be a world changer.
The Souper Bowl of Caring, since 1990, has raised more than $98 million for people in need. If that's foolishness then it is a divine kind of foolishness that does indeed make this worlds wisdom look... well... kind of foolish.
So I invite you today, to take your place on the field of fools, to see beyond our preferences and dare to believe that dreams we pursue, and the little things we do, in the service and worship of God, are actually the wisest and most important of all. And, to again quote from our reading, 'Therefore, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord”... to God's name be all the glory. Amen.
The Reverend Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
Readings; Psalm 15, Micah 6:1-8, Matthew 5:1-12, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY,February 2nd, 2014
A printable PDF file can be found here
Little Joey is outside throwing a ball. Mum yells 'It's dinner time'. 'Just a few more minutes!' Joey protests. 'Now' says mum, 'You'll never get anywhere in life if all you can do is fool around with a ball'.
I'm fairly sure that such is a situation that every professional baseball player, basketball player, and indeed every player that will take part in today's Superbowl Game could identify with. That somewhere in their past, there were people who told them that they were being foolish investing their lives in throwing, bouncing or kicking a ball.
But now there they are. Running out onto the field as some of the most admired athletes in the nation, taking part in one of the most watched TV events of the year. A field of fools. Very well accomplished, very well paid, very much admired fools. It does, if you think about it, seem rather strange that the ability to play a game well can bring so much adulation, but that's the way of the world.
I'm guessing that professional artists, writers and musicians had to face similar challenges. The girl in the dance class. The kid with the dream of writing a movie script. The one who is always fiddling about on the computer, coming up with codes and images and little innovations. There has been somebody who told them, somewhere along the line, “Look, that's fine to do as a hobby or a distraction, but you are a fool if you think you can make a living out of it.”
Tell that to Steven Spielberg or Mark Zuckerberg or Paula Abdul (or even our own Matt Wilson). When are they going to stop fooling around and get a proper job? There are many fields for fools out there!
Which brings me to a verse from our bible reading today, 1 Corinthians 1:18. Paul tells us 'For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God'.
There are many in our society who will tell us that we truly are fools, if we allow the message of Christianity to get a deep hold upon us. After all, look where it led Jesus and all those early disciples. He ended up on a cross, they ended up as martyrs. And that resurrection stuff? Get real! It's impossible.
The Christian message does not fit well with the way things are meant to be. Paul tells us, “Jews demand for signs, Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified; a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles” (1 Cor. 1:22-23)
That phrase here translated as 'stumbling block' is the Greek word 'skandalon', from which we derive our English word 'scandal'. According to the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy 21:23 anyone who was 'hung on a tree' was irrevocably cursed by God. How could the Messiah, the anointed one of God, come to his life's end in such an accursed fashion? For those of a Jewish background that wasn't the kind of sign they were looking for! It didn't make sense. Foolishness.
The problem for the Greeks was different. Their problem was that almost everything about Jesus made no sense to them. His concern for the poor. The way He identified with people who didn't really matter in the larger scheme things. His teaching about the pecking order in life. His humility. Wasn't He supposed to be a King? Royalty and humility did not go together.
The power of God, which Paul claimed was shown through Jesus Christ, manifested itself in contradictory ways to established wisdom. The Corinthian Church was a case in point. The gospel message had called together a mixture of folk who, outside of their church community, wouldn't normally get together. There were a few influential folk, probably a few wealthy folk, maybe a few learned folk. But a lot of them were really, to Greek eyes, nobody special.
Paul writes to them, verse 26, “Brothers and Sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were influential, not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are”
Their very existence as a church was an exercise in foolishness that went against the wisdom of the day. I believe that when we are at our best, we as churches, can still do that! Our diversity can speak volumes to a world where everything has to have it's own category.
I am sidetracking here, but one of the things I really dislike about the way music is marketed these days is that everything has to have a genre. If somebody asks you, 'What kind of music do you like?” they are expecting you to give a specific answer. “Oh, I'm into post-reformation, adult orientated, 1990's punk opera, with a hint of techno.”
That's why I look forward to singing “Drop Kick Me Jesus” on Souperbowl Sunday. It's just fun. It's not what we do every Sunday, and if every hymn was in the vein of “Silly Country Song” I'd become tired of it quickly! There's a lot of snobbery associated with music, yes, even with church music. As though somehow, certain types of music are much more 'holy' and acceptable to God than other types.
It goes in all directions. I've known some folks in 'trendy-modern' churches declare their superiority by saying they have done away with those dusty old hymnbooks. And I have had folk tell me that if we are going to start singing those 'Happy-Clappy' songs, then they will find another church to attend. Hmm!
And there was I thinking that we actually came to church to worship God, not for the aesthetic or uplifting experience that a piece of music, be it ancient or modern, provides, but for the inspiration that comes to us through the Holy Spirit. In fact when I read scripture it appears that what God is looking for, is lives and hearts that are humble, and expectant, and truly thankful for and open to Christ's love, regardless of the way that love presents itself.
Does that found foolish? Well, listen to Paul, verse 27; “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world, to shame the strong”
Why? He tells us in verse 29 “So that no one may boast before Him. It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord”
Whenever we confuse our 'preference' for God's will, then we are on shaky ground. It doesn't matter if it's our preference for the kind of people we want to rub shoulders with, the kind of worship service that we enjoy, the kind of music we like,or the temperature we like the church thermostat set at, what we are actually doing, when we idolize our preferences, is making worship, about us, not about God.
Because the Corinthians were learning to accept each others differences, to see each other through the eyes of Jesus as all equally needing His love to reclaim them and remake them, then people were seeing that a different kind of wisdom was at work in their community. It was not the wisdom of this world, but the foolishness of God.
God invites us to make Christ's love and Christ's tolerance our focus. In his letter to the Ephesian Church, Paul writes “I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
The foolish, scandalous thing about a gospel that focuses on the Cross and the Resurrection of Jesus is that every thing is turned inside out and upside down. The little things are the big things. The things we often count as insignificant and, sometimes uncomfortable, are the things of the kingdom.
Jesus offers teaching that transcends the wisdom of this world. We heard earlier, part of His mountain top sermon; “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”.
In 1990, a Presbyterian youth leader, Brad Smith closed his youth meeting with a prayer that asked God to make them mindful of those who didn't even have a bowl of soup to eat, as they were gathering that night to watch the Superbowl on TV.
This morning our youth will invite you to make a donation towards feeding the hungry in their soup bowls. It doesn't seem like much. Indeed it may seem rather foolish to think that such small tokens can make a difference to the huge problems of inequality and injustice that our wold faces.
Rather like the kid who throws a ball, as though they could ever make a career out of it. Or the girl who dances a few steps and believes that one day she could make a living from her skills. Or the church in Corinth, thinking that by coming together across societies boundaries to worship God, the world could be changed. Or Paul, thinking that telling people about the wisdom of God and the foolishness of the Cross might actually be a world changer.
The Souper Bowl of Caring, since 1990, has raised more than $98 million for people in need. If that's foolishness then it is a divine kind of foolishness that does indeed make this worlds wisdom look... well... kind of foolish.
So I invite you today, to take your place on the field of fools, to see beyond our preferences and dare to believe that dreams we pursue, and the little things we do, in the service and worship of God, are actually the wisest and most important of all. And, to again quote from our reading, 'Therefore, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord”... to God's name be all the glory. Amen.
The Reverend Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
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