Sacrament – Salvaged Faith

Touching and Tasting God’s Love

Posted on January 14, 2010Leave a comment

What is the meaning and significance of the sacraments?

In the sacraments of our church, ordinary things like bread and grape juice and water become vehicles of God’s divine grace. We gather as a community not only to acknowledge God’s presence with us, but we are each able to reach out and experience for ourselves the holy. We feel the cool water of cleansing beneath our fingertips. We smell the loving warmth of freshly baked bread. We taste the sweetness of God’s grace. We hear the water being poured out like streams of righteousness and hear the bread of heaven being broken for us. We see into the eyes of our brothers and sisters and find Christ there. Our sacraments not only remind us that God-is-with-us… the sacraments enable us to experience God-with-us, Emmanuel.

In baptism, we are washed clean of past transgressions and we are marked as children of God. We are given new life through those waters – a life that begins in community. In the sacrament of communion, we are not only reminded of the covenant Christ made with us, but invited to participate in its coming – we experience a foretaste of the heavenly banquet. Time stands still when we invite God’s sacramental presence into our lives and we are swept up into the divine reality. But the sacraments are not merely mountaintop experiences – both of these sacraments transform us so that we become different. We become initiated into the priesthood of all believers and in the confirmation of our baptisms take vows to resist evil and injustice and oppression. We pray that we might be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood. The sacraments call us into the world.

Good Dirt

Posted on April 19, 2009Leave a comment

(a sermon for Earth Day, Stewardship Week, and in response to a youth auctioned sermon on the theme “soil conservation”)

It seems like everyone and their brother is talking about “going green” these days. We can buy “green” organic food at the Big G. We can get rebates and incentives for buying “green” appliances and lightbulbs for our homes. “Green” cars are now a commonplace site, even on the streets of Marengo. With all of this recent emphasis in the world on the environment, you might get the impression that this protecting the Earth idea is a new one. But it’s not. From the very beginning of time – in fact, from the first pages of our bible, care for this world that we live in has been the core of our Christian tradition.

We already heard the familiar story of the creation with our kids this morning. This world was made by our God – and God declared it good. And then, that very same God formed us from the dust of the earth and gave to us a precious task… to care for the world God had made. From the ancient Israelites to the early followers of Christ, caring for the Earth was an important means of offering thanks and praise to God.

The General Board of Church and Society for the United Methodist Church has put out some wonderful resources for churches to us as we celebrate God’s Creation. They remind us that the “ancestors of our faith lived amid cultures that worshipped many different gods who were thought to control all aspects of nature, from fertility of the land to ferocity of the seas. Communities celebrated local gods that tended to their own particular climate systems and conditions.

But as the Ancient Israelites moved throughout the land, they encountered many climates, many different communities and religions. And as they saw the connections between all of those different environments, they began to realize that “the natural world was controlled not by many competing gods, but by one God who could be revealed through the unity of nature.”

“Along with their insights about God, the Ancient Israelites observed the ways in which interdependent systems work well when they are cared for and fail when they are damaged or neglected. In response to their understanding of God and the natural world, they created an ethos for living in healthy relationship with God, the Earth, and one another. People of the church today often refer to this ethos as ‘stewardship.’”

In the wider world, stewardship of the earth is also seen as just good old common sense. In fact, the National Association of Conservation Districts has established a National Stewardship Week – this year beginning on April 26th – in order to celebrate and remember the importance of protecting our natural resources.

According to the NACD resources, many people believe that had farmers and landowners “chosen to band together and implement proper agricultural practices, demonstrating good land stewardship, the devastation of the Dust Bowl in the 1930’s could have been somewhat diminished. The good news is that Americans have learned from the past, and since the 30’s there have been severe droughts, but the same devastation has not been repeated because good stewardship practices have been taught, learned and implemented on the land.”

The goal is good soil. And good soil isn’t just something that farmers and gardeners care about. Soil makes our lives possible. How many of you slept on soil last night? Well, where do you live? What is your home built on?

How many of you are wearing soil today? Cotton grows in soil! Just check the label on your clothing.

What about eating soil? Just think about all of the foods that you have eaten this week that were grown in the soil, or medicines that were taken from the ground, or water that we have drank that has flowed through and been cleansed by the soil.

When the Ancient Israelites noticed that everything in this world is interdependent, this is what they are talking about. The dirt and the air and the sun and plant life and our lives are all interconnected and this beautiful system God created works – as long as we take care of it.

Jesus knew this too – and he used many parables that talked about the earth because they are grounded and real. Everyone can touch the ground and feel the dirt between their fingers or toes. Everyone knows what Jesus was talking about when he talked about the soil.

Our challenge is to figure out what it means to protect the soil and make it good. And in doing so – we might learn a little bit about what it means for this little plot of ground that is our church to also be good soil – ground in which we all can put down deep roots to grow and produce fruit.

First: good soil needs to be protected by roots (strength to tell stories)

This is the number one thing that we can learn from the Dust Bowl. With all of the vegetation stripped away due to the drought, and without roots to hold the earth in place, the wind blew away an estimated 850 million tons of topsoil in the Southern Plains alone. Roots hold the soil together and help prevent erosion and they also loosen up the soil so that oxygen can filter through the ground.

Basically, roots are like fingers. They dig down deep into the ground and give the earth the support it needs.

In the church – we need roots too. Without roots, we will be tossed to and fro by the winds of change and the latest fad. But we have plenty of things within our tradition that ground us and help us to find the stability we need. In the United Methodist tradition, we especially think of four deep running roots: the scriptures, the tradition of the church, well-thought reasoning, and the experiences of the saints. As we gather together and share all of these stories, we find ourselves firmly rooted in the past, and yet also able to grow and mature into our future.

Second: good soil must be abundant and unified (strength to accompany, convene)

This is not something that we often think about, but one little clump of dirt can hardly do much. All by itself, that clump of dirt would become dry and would not have the room for anything to take root within it.

But when one clump of dirt is surrounded by millions of other little dirt particles, then, it is something to be reckoned with! We know that the outermost layer of our planet is soil… but did you know that five tons of topsoil spread out over an acre of land would only be as thick as a dime? We need soil and lots of it to have abundant life.

In the same way, Christians can’t go it alone in the world. We need one another to help us create abundant life. That is the message that we get from so many of our scripture readings from this morning. In Acts especially – it was when the believers came together, with one heart and one soul sharing what they needed that tremendous fruit came forth.

While this may sound cliché – people need people. We were created to be in relationship with others. And as the church, we are invited to walk along with others through the difficult and the joyous situations in their lives. We accompany one another through times of illness, injury, death, birth, marriage, loss of jobs, and marital problems… and together – together – we can have life and life abundant.

Third: good soil is alive (strength to bless)
We think about dirt as dead matter, but in reality it is organic – full of both living and dead organisms. Fungi and bacteria help break down matter into soil and animals such as earth worms churn and nurture the earth. Without all of that living and breathing of the soil – life as we know it would cease.

In the same way, our congregations are alive and they are living and breathing things. In a world that is so damning and critical, the church is a place of blessing and acceptance for all. The diversity of silt and clay and minerals within the ground all have a purpose, and within the church, we can only be the living body of Christ if we affirm the gifts that every single one of us bring to the table. Some of us are teachers, some of us are prophets, some of us are evangelists – and all of us are needed within the body.

Fourth: good soil needs nutrients and moisture ( strength to connect – sharing resources)

Good soil cannot give life to plants without being full of nutrients and minerals and moisture. In fact, 25% of our soil is water, while only 5% is organic matter… which means that it has a lot to give to thirsty plants and hungry critters. But when the waters dry up and the nutrients are taken out of the soil, then the ground is not good for growth. Just ask any farmer who employs crop rotation in order to keep vital nitrates in the soil!

Our church too needs to be filled up before it can be poured out. The Holy Spirit brings us the refreshing waters of new life through baptism. We are fed by the bread of heaven and the cup of salvation – grain and grapes from the land. We are nourished by the Word of God. And as we find ourselves blessed and strengthened, we can share of our abundance with the world. The church has the ability to bring together the resources of our communities and peoples to help life to come forth out of the darkest places in people’s lives.

Forgive

Posted on February 1, 2009Leave a comment

This is the third sermon in a series I am preaching on the Lord’s Prayer. And the first one that had enough of me in it to publish. I needed a way out of a preaching rut and finally got to the place where I could preach again:

Sermon Text: Luke 11:1-10, Mark 1:21-28

Recently, I came across an article about a church in Seattle that is trying to reclaim a more “masculine” Jesus. Their pastor, Mark Driscoll, argues that Jesus and the church have been feminized – that Jesus is seen as weak and soft – the type of guy who would hang out with cuddly sheep and babies, rather than the sort of man’s man who turned over the tables in the temple.

My first thought as I read that article was, why can’t Jesus be both? I have always thought that Jesus embodied the fullness of both men and women, male and female – the best of both worlds if you will. But I also got to thinking about the church and how good of a job it does in truly representing that Body of Christ in the world today.

I did some research. On any given Sunday, the church will be made up of about 40% men and 60% women. Each week, 25% of married churchgoing women come to church without their husbands. I count myself among that group. So do quite a few of you. So part of me wants to hear what Rev. Driscoll has to say – I want to know what exactly he thinks the church is missing.
In an interview he gave, he said something to the effect that the church is full of chicks and pastel colors and songs full of emotion and feelings… and that guys would rather be out hunting, or working on their trucks, or watching football. Pretty apropos for Super Bowl Sunday, I thought.

But perhaps the problem is a bit deeper than that. As I was working on this sermon, the movie “A Knight’s Tale” was on in the background and I caught a bit of dialogue that was like a light bulb coming on.

Count Adamar in the film is strong and powerful and his rival becomes a young peasant boy who is mascarading as a knight to compete in a jousting tournament. When the Count sees young Will show mercy to a competitor, the Count is disgusted. “he shows weakness,” The count exclaims. “That’s all mercy is.” Lightbulb!

Could it be that some men stay home not because of pastel carpet or children’s sermons or pretty music, but because churches are full of mercy and forgiveness?

Strength and power in our world are defined by justice and retribution. To forgive someone, to show them mercy, to let them off without punishment is weakness. And yet that is exactly what we talk about in the church. In fact, today, we celebrate the two sacraments of our tradition that revolve around forgiveness and new beginnings – baptism and communion.

We live in a dog eat dog world of war, prisons, and defense policies that involve getting the other guy before they can get us. Power is defined by how big our guns are, how much money we have, and who we have pushed out of the way to get to where we are. Not acts of forgiveness with simple things like water and bread.

The problem here is not that the church is weak and the world is strong. That violence is power and mercy is weakness. The problem is that we haven’t done a good enough job of really proclaiming the power of God.

That power shows up in our reading from Mark this morning… only a little bit in disguise. We read this passage and hear something about Jesus teaching others with authority only to have a possessed man interrupt. Jesus casts out the spirit, so we think this must be about healing.

But the word that we translate into authority can also simply mean power. Jesus’ very teaching is powerful. It is what he has to say that first amazes the crowds. His very speaking demonstrates that the power of God is present.

And only then does the unclean spirit show up.

Ofelia Ortega writes that “the forces of evil know of the healing power of Jesus’ word; they are not submissive or indifferent. Jesus’ powerful teaching not only is fresh to the ears of the faithful, but it also disrupts the undisturbed presence of evil. Evil discovers that it is running its course.” (Feasting on the Word, Year B, Volume 1, page 312)

All Jesus had to do was speak, and the evil powers of the world started shaking in their boots.

“Be silent.” Jesus commanded. “Come out.” He said firmly. And the spirit obeyed.

I don’t know what to tell all of you about demons and spirits. I have never personally experienced them, although I know people who have. What I can tell you is that I firmly believe that God has power over the evil in this world.. As Gary Charles puts it, “from the onset of his Gospel, Mark signals that no oppressive boundary will stand or withstand the [power] of Jesus…. No one (except the demons) understand that the boundary between heaven and earth has been pierced and the reign of God is “at hand” (Feasting on the Word, Year B, Volume 1, page 313)

The reign of God… the Kingdom of God is at hand. When we pray the Lord’s Prayer and we get to that part about “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth”… we are talking about God’s power to live within us. We are praying for God to help us tap into that amazing power that the people witnessed within the synagogue. We are praying not only to be cleansed of our own internal demons – but we are also praying for the power to love others who have been their own internal demons.

You heard one story of the power of forgiveness this morning – of the mother who found the power to reach out to the mother of the boy who killed her son. She admitted that it was God who gave her the strength to do so.

I want to tell you another story today. A story about a church here in Iowa that took seriously Jesus prayer and the command to forgive. This story is related in the book “Becoming Jesus’ Prayer.”

Nine years ago, Farmers Chapel, a United Methodist congregation, “was burned to the ground by an arsonist. In the weeks and months that followed, the congregation had to wrestle with how to forgive the person who destroyed their 107-year-old church…. [their pastor] wrote an open letter to the unknown arsonist and had it printed in the local newspaper…” (Becoming Jesus’ Prayer, page 37-38)

Part of the letter is as follows:

“Our worship time is 9:00AM every Sunday. I tell you this because I want you to know that you are invited. In fact, we even plan to reserve a seat just for you. Our faith has a lot to say about forgiveness. Every Sunday we ask God to forgive our sins but only as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us. That would be you. So if you would join us for worship, we could practice this kind of forgiveness face to face. I say “practice” for a reason. I don’t expect us to get it right the first or even the second time. Of course we’ll continue to work to forgive you even if you decline our invitation to worship. Forgiveness is the cornerstone of the faith we have inherited. Some people think it is impossible. They may be right. I only know that we have to try. Our forgiveness of you is tied to God’s forgiveness of us. We can’t receive something we are not willing to give others. So you see, if we harbor hatred for you in our hearts, we harbor the smoldering ashes of your arson. If we cling to bitterness, we fan the embers of your violent act. If we fantasize about revenge, we rekindle a destructive flame that will consume us. Forgiveness may indeed be impossible, but for us it is not optional.” (as printed in Becoming Jesus’ Prayer)

That 107-year-old church that burned to the ground has been rebuilt and at the focal point of their worship space is a cross that has been built out of the charred timbers of their old building. Every single time that Body of Christ comes together, they are a living witness that “life comes out of death, that hope emerges from desolation.” (Becoming Jesus’ Prayer, page 39) There is no weakness there – only power.

Today as we gather around the waters of baptism, we become witnesses to the love of God that claims us before we even know how speak. And we are renewed by the Spirit of God, that flows among us and helps us to resist evil and injustice and oppression in the world. That is not weakness – that is power.

And every Sunday that we come together for a meal of simple bread and juice, we are witnesses that all are welcome at the table of our Lord. We partake of that meal not out of simple ritual, but because there is real transformative power. The bread and the cup transforms us into the body of Christ poured out for the redemption of the world. The redemption of the world is not the stuff of sissys or pansys or the weak – it is for the bold, those who are willing to take the risk of stepping out of our comfort zones and truly carrying grace and forgiveness outside of these walls and onto the streets of our town.

When we pray Jesus’ prayer – when we truly pray it – we are asking… no we are begging for our lives to be changed. We are asking for this church to be transformed and for it to be a place of transformation.

Instead of being a church of pastel carpet, pretty music, and potlucks… the call to forgiveness challenges us to be a church where unwed mothers and drug addicts and yes, even guys who would rather watch football than listen to a sermon, find grace. Find forgiveness. Find God.

When we become that kind of church – then we will be able to stand up to the powers of this world and say to them that their way does not work. We will speak loudly and boldly that mercy does have power, that forgiveness is God’s way. That the Reign of God is at hand and that they too are invited to belong.

Amen and Amen.