Sermon from May 7, 2017

This is a most  interesting story.  It really is a laugh-out-loud story.  The cast of characters are delightful and it is a welcome relief from the previous weeks tensions.  We have skipped last weeks story of the stoning of Stephen.  The young church is struggling with taking itself pretty serious.  After Stephen’s stoning the disciples scattered from Jerusalem.   Internal conflicts within the church often take life and scatter the believers.  On the other hand that didn’t stop the church then or now.  God’s amazingly wild  grace can not be easily tamed.  So today’s story is a welcome relief from too much serious drama.

Philip had been preaching and teaching people about the Messiah to them.  He cast out spirits and healed people.  It says earlier in the chapter—so there was great joy in that city.  It doesn’t say less sinners, more church goers, more money given, louder or better singers; it says people had joy.

Then the story just gets funny.  Philip was waiting tables-seeing that food was distributed to the widows and the poor when God sends an angel to him that says leave the city and go south on that wilderness road.  Really God-I am busy her, plus I am doing well in Samaria.  I don’t want to go out to the middle of nowhere!  Maybe it is God who laughs.

But he goes.

Funny thing, there was a eunuch, Ethiopian who was traveling in a chariot.

The story tells us he had been to Jerusalem for worship.  Interesting that he, being a enuch, would not have participated fully in temple worship.  Enuchs many times served queens.  The story tells us that he was the chief treasurer for Queen Candace.  So he is in his chariot reading a scroll with the scripture from Isaiah 53 on it.  As the custom he would have been reading it aloud.

Funny thing, the spirit tells Phillip-go over to the chariot and join it.  When Philip hear the man reading the scripture-he asked, do you understand what you are reading?

The man replies-how can I, unless someone guides me?

Philip joins him in the chariot and the man asks,

“About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or someone else?”

Philip explains the scripture and shares the good news about Jesus.

Then the funniest thing-Stop the chariot-what is to prevent me from being baptized?

They go to the water, Philip baptizes him.

When they come up out of the water the spirit snatches Philip away.

Philip ends up some 60 miles away spreading the good news.

That’s it, that the story and I think we should laugh and laugh and laugh.

Then we should laugh at ourselves because this little story from the Book of Acts is not as strange as it first seems.

Ok a few of the details are!

Folks, angels are inviting us out of our safe churches and homes all the time.

We meet people on the Wilderness Road every day.  Those people, at least some of them would love to know more about the good news of Jesus.

And always…always the Holy Spirit will bring us to the waters of baptism and renewal.  Anytime we are willing and listening to be moved.

This is what God does!  God is up to these funny stories every day.  Sometimes we notice.

I guess I can only speak for myself…

But sometimes I take myself and the Church way to seriously I need to come back to this story and let Philip teach me.

Philip gets up and goes, gets in and shares, gets out and baptizes and then poof, is snatched away.

Who feels trained to talk about scriptures and Jesus…Philip didn’t let training stop him.

Who feels they don’t have the church authority or an official call to minister-Philip didn’t let that stop him.

Philip’s discipleship is measured by something else-not official status-but his discipleship is measured in joy.  The eunuch-he went on his way rejoicing.  The measure is joy.

I ask us how much joy have we left in our wake this week?

But I laugh-this story is an inspiration and it is joy.

Our challenge is set before us.  I want you to leave laughing today.  I wish for you awareness.  Be aware of what bold thing are you willing to try when the Spirit nudges you. Keep watch for the chariots going through town.  Be the good news someone needs to hear.  Be filled with laughter and joy for all you meet.

(This sermon was preached on Sunday March 5, 2017)
It is a beautiful day in the neighborhood. One of my favorite inspiring people was Fred Rogers. I share his words with you and I think you will find them familiar.
“I have always wanted to have a neighbor
Just like you!
I’ve always wanted to live in a
neighborhood with you
So let’s make the most of this beautiful day;
Since we’re together we might as well say.
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?
Won’t you be my neighbor?”
Mr Rogers spoke about neighbors also. I wonder if Jesus and Mr Rogers were both to join us this morning and speak to us about neighbors, how similar their messages would be.

In our scriptures this morning someone is testing Jesus. What must I do to inherit eternal life? The man essentially has to answer his own question. So the man then asks who is my neighbor and Jesus answers with the parable that we know as the Good Samaritan.

We, as devout Christians sit back rather smug and say, yep that’s right. The guy was looking for a loophole, some wriggle room….

Don’t we all! My neighborhood is fine….we have a smiting God. And it just works. Things seem right, in order, by the rules. We don’t need anything, or at least I don’t.
I like this set up.

But
I’m not broken…..
If I get beaten, if I get grabbed, if I get stripped and left for dead, then a smiting God isn’t going to do me much good.
Stop and think about that….

The only kind of G that I will need or desire is a G who can draw near and be moved by pity to rescue the broken.

But the neighborhood is fine. I will help.

But I spent years hearing Mr Rogers telling me he wanted a neighbor just like me.
What makes a neighbor-relationship.
Micah will have many neighbors.

We also have the Mary/Martha story that follows. The Samaritan story was about hospitality of action. M/M is a story of hospitality through listening.

Both stories come down to relationship. Not to-do lists but relating to one another.

In both these parable we see people who are focused on their role and no one else. They are not out of it, they are no ditzy. They are focused people, so focused that they forget that there is anyone else there.
These best days in life is when you lose you focus and find your neighbor.
That is hospitality. That is welcoming the other. That is what Mr Rogers means when he says he wants a neighbor like you. It’s about a relationship and not a schedule or a project.

Hospitality many times means action for neighbors……

Hospitality also means hospitality though listening to others…..

End with Mr Rogers quote.
“The purpose of life is to listen-to yourself
to your neighbor, to your world and to God
and, when the time comes, to respond in as
helpful way as you can find…from
within and without.”

Mountaintops are grand, they are glorious, who doesn’t like a mountaintop? The views are just awe-inspiring. The noise is hushed. It is to live different when you are standing there. It is a perfect mix for experiencing the holy. That is precisely the experience for Jesus and three disciples, Peter James and John. Mosses and Elijah appear and then the cloud and the voice of God….This is my son, my chosen listen to him! Then just Jesus and the disciples are left standing there. A most Holy experience.

I know we do not climb mountains with a physical Jesus with us nor are any of us THE disciples. Yet we have all had those mountain top experiences…even the flat-landers. We crave that experience of being somewhere that is all together not ordinary. Someplace for quiet, some solitude, a place with a view of creation and beauty. We wait for that holy encounter-that moment when you know that God is God and that you are not, that moment when you can just rest in and with God, no prayer, no request, no agenda—just to be. You don’t know if it was a brief moment or a millennium but you were there. That is our mountain tops. I think all of us have experienced. I believe the mountain top is accessible for all of us but sometimes those mountain top experiences get few and far between.

The majority of our day are lived out in the valleys and the flat lands. And we have work to do. That work is done with precision and grace, through love and relationship….at times. Well, then there are the other times. Times or perhaps seasons when we get boughed down with the world, the predictions, the news, the studies and responsibilities and our work becomes difficult, ineffective, even just a plain ole mess! Have you been there?

Life in the valley or in the flat-lands is….well flat at the very least and may be filled with shadows of confusion and uncertainty. That is life…at least some of our days. We know our job is to heal, to help, to love but it isn’t that simple. Like the disciples we lose our focus, we lose our God given gifts of power.

I sounds like a discouraging rhythm of life, sounds like drudgery. Resembles hopelessness. I am the first to confess to you today that my life can be that exact situation. I get bogged down in just how life is. The mountain tops are high but I slide too easily into the valley of despair the flat land of monotony.

Yet just below the surface of this glorious scripture reading is a rhythm for our life. It is the rhythm of worship. The passage begins with saying on the eighth day they went up the mountain to pray. The eight day in Christian tradition quickly came to mean the day of the resurrection, and the day of worship. So the went up to pray and as Jesus was transfigured Elijah and Moses appear and the focus of the discussion is the upcoming crucifixion. In worship it always centered around the cross and the meaning of Christ’s death and resurrection.

As with all worship the very word of God is heard…This is my son, the chosen, listen to him. Said not to Jesus but to those that were with him, commanding them to listen to Jesus. A similar rhythm that we experience each Sunday in this very place. We meet on the resurrection day for prayer, focusing on Jesus good works and listening for the word of God and listening.

Then we depart, down the hill. I think the story today has other important things for teach us, to share with us. For as surely as comes the mountaintop of worship comes the return to the everyday world. A world that is filled with human needs where Jesus heals the sick and opposes the forces of evil and injustice. If worship is our retreat, if is a retreat in order to come back to the world in love, mercy and grace. We worship to come back to our callings of to love and to heal with renewed energy and compassion. What happens in here is only to prepare us for what is out there.

A number of years ago a young couple that was relatively new to the church I was serving explained to me how important church had become for them. Whenever one of them could not make it – if, for instance, of their children was sick – they’d do a quick two-minute drill to check in on the week they’d just been through and the week about to come to determine, as they said, “who needed church more.” “Church is what helps us make sense of our lives,” they explained, “it’s that pick-me-up that connects us with God and our calling and sends us back into the week.”

So on this Transfiguration Sunday the challenge, or the question for us is what did we come her for? We need to be here for the whole story, the entire journey not just the flash of a mountaintop. The view is great and God’s word is exciting and frightening. But it’s not for the show, it’s about the ministry, it’s about Jesus calling us from the mountaintop and into everyday life and world. Will we cast out demons? For some we will, other times not. Jesus says get this, I suffered for you, for your life, life abundant.

1/17/2017

Nothing like an ice storm to make you appreciate others in your life. Being in the house with no place to go and few to no opportunities for a chat will drive you buggy in a short time. While my dogs are faithful companions, most of their interests are with treats, followed up with drool. Drool is not cool – regardless of what they say!

God created us for relationship. When God created Adam and Eve it wasn’t all about procreation and boy-girl things. Adam and Eve were made for each other-to chat each other up. If there was coffee or tea in the garden then I most definitely believe they shared conversation and a cuppa..

Jesus models community and companionship for us in his relationship with the disciples. Really, Jesus didn’t need the disciples for his earthly ministry. After all, he was the Son of God, capable of accomplishing all things. He could have trained others in a six week course on ministry. Instead Jesus ministered with a group. They traveled together, ate together and ministered together. We can assume that they also laughed, visited, and shared stories together.. What a model for us to have for our lives.

We are created and wired to desire one another’s company. Who do you like to keep company with, aside from your spouse, children, or siblings? Do you have a friend who listens well? Perhaps a neighbor that always offers a word of cheer. If you are like me, Sunday mornings are a time of delight with conversations and warm greetings all around you. Sometimes just a look of understanding between one another can speak volumes.

Take the time to seek out a companion, share a cup of tea , and enjoy a chat. That is, after the ice clears off the front steps!

God’s Blessings To All!