“Christian fellowship isn’t about shaking hands with someone and saying, ‘Hi nice to see you again. How ya doing? How are the kids?’ It is about understanding that Jesus Christ is in your life, and Jesus Christ is in my life. And together we have been knocked down, but we have not been knocked out. And so we are witnesses to the redeeming power of Jesus Christ. We are witnesses to the redeeming power to the life that Jesus offers, to the life abundant that is in Christ, and to the life eternal that is offered to us all. This who we are as a people of God, and when you understand that in the depth of your being then you know that one tongue is not enough to sing the praise of God. O For a Thousand Tongues to sing my great redeemer’s praise!”
First Reading: Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak
Date: Mother’s Day, 2012
Scripture passage: Luke 15:1-10
All the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around Jesus to listen to him. The Pharisees and legal experts were grumbling, saying, “ This man welcomes sinners and eats with them. ”
Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose someone among you had one hundred sheep and lost one of them. Wouldn’t he leave the other ninety-nine in the pasture and search for the lost one until he finds it? And when he finds it, he is thrilled and places it on his shoulders. When he arrives home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Celebrate with me because I’ve found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who changes both heart and life than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to change their hearts and lives.
“ Or what woman, if she owns ten silver coins and loses one of them, won’t light a lamp and sweep the house, searching her home carefully until she finds it? When she finds it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Celebrate with me because I’ve found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, joy breaks out in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who changes both heart and life. ”
When the apostles returned, they described for Jesus what they had done. Taking them with him, Jesus withdrew privately to a city called Bethsaida. When the crowds figured it out, they followed him. He welcomed them, spoke to them about God’s kingdom, and healed those who were sick.
When the day was almost over, the Twelve came to him and said, “ Send the crowd away so that they can go to the nearby villages and countryside and find lodging and food, because we are in a deserted place. ”
He replied, “ You give them something to eat. ”
But they said, “ We have no more than five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all these people. ” (They said this because about five thousand men were present.)
Jesus said to his disciples, “ Seat them in groups of about fifty. ” They did so, and everyone was seated. He took the five loaves and the two fish, looked up to heaven, blessed them, and broke them and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. Everyone ate until they were full, and the disciples filled twelve baskets with the leftovers.
When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Bethany was a little less than two miles from Jerusalem. Many Jews had come to comfort Martha and Mary after their brother’s death. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him, while Mary remained in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “ Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. Even now I know that whatever you ask God, God will give you. ”
Jesus told her, “ Your brother will rise again. ”
Martha replied, “ I know that he will rise in the resurrection on the last day. ”
Jesus said to her, “ I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even though they die. Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? ”
She replied, “ Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, God’s Son, the one who is coming into the world. ”
After she said this, she went and spoke privately to her sister Mary, “ The teacher is here and he’s calling for you. ” When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to Jesus. He hadn’t entered the village but was still in the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who were comforting Mary in the house saw her get up quickly and leave, they followed her. They assumed she was going to mourn at the tomb.
When Mary arrived where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “ Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. ” When Jesus saw her crying and the Jews who had come with her crying also, he was deeply disturbed and troubled. He asked, “ Where have you laid him? ”
They replied, “ Lord, come and see. ”
Jesus began to cry. The Jews said, “ See how much he loved him! ” But some of them said, “ He healed the eyes of the man born blind. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying? ” Jesus was deeply disturbed again when he came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone covered the entrance. Jesus said, “ Remove the stone. ”
Martha, the sister of the dead man, said, “ Lord, the smell will be awful! He’s been dead four days. ”
Jesus replied, “ Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you will see God’s glory? ” So they removed the stone. Jesus looked up and said, “ Father, thank you for hearing me. I know you always hear me. I say this for the benefit of the crowd standing here so that they will believe that you sent me. ” Having said this, Jesus shouted with a loud voice, “ Lazarus, come out! ” The dead man came out, his feet bound and his hands tied, and his face covered with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “ Untie him and let him go. ”
Therefore, many of the Jews who came with Mary and saw what Jesus did believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the chief priests and Pharisees called together the council and said, “ What are we going to do? This man is doing many miraculous signs! If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him. Then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our people. ”
One of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, told them, “ You don’t know anything! You don’t see that it is better for you that one man die for the people rather than the whole nation be destroyed. ” He didn’t say this on his own. As high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would soon die for the nation— and not only for the nation. Jesus would also die so that God’s children scattered everywhere would be gathered together as one. From that day on they plotted to kill him.
The Raising of Lazarus, 1962 by John Reilly. From the Methodist Church Collection of Modern Art
I recently wrote a guest column for rethinkchurch.org. If you want to read it, CLICK HERE. It’s a pretty good article, and a great website. I also preached a sermon on Mother’s Day around this topic. If you’re interested in a CD recording, please let me know in the comments. We can exchange information in a private email, and I’ll send you a CD.
Also, check out that picture of me next to the article. I’ve lost about 35 pounds since that picture was taken. I look a lot different now.
When I was a sophomore in high school I was kicked out of a football game for kicking someone. It was a stupid. I was near the bottom of a pile, and I felt like the guy on the other team that was on top of me was taking his sweet time in getting up. Instead of just waiting for the guy to get off, I got mad, and started kicking. I don’t think I actually kicked anyone. I wasn’t aiming at anyone in particular. I was just mad and reacted. Unfortunately the ref saw me and said “You, 62 – you’re out of here.” I couldn’t believe it. So I stormed off the field in anger and sulked on the sideline for the rest of the game. Strangely, none of the coaches even said anything to me.
After the game, none of the coaches said anything to me. When I was back at school, had changed and was ready to go home, none of the coaches had said anything to me. I was a little perplexed, but also pretty nervous. I knew I wasn’t going to escape punishment. They must be letting me stew. I figured that at the next practice I’d be running laps around the field for the duration. I started to walk home, despondent.
I didn’t get far when Mr. Selke pulled up and asked me, “Do you need a ride?” Mr. Selke was an intimidating guy. With his hair slicked back and suit on, he looked like he could have been cast as an associate of Joe Pesci. He didn’t give sophomore football players rides home. He was not a coach. He was the Athletic Director. I lived about a half mile from school. I didn’t really want a ride. I just wanted to sulk my way home. “No thanks,” I said. “No, let me give you a ride,” he said. I realized that this was an offer I couldn’t refuse.
I’d say we had an interesting conversation on the short ride to my house, but that would imply that I said something. He didn’t raise his voice. The power of his words did not need volume. “You will not do something like that again,” he said simply. “Your family is too good for that. Your Mom, Dad, brother, and sister have given you a good name. And you will not do anything like that again.”
I didn’t run laps at practice on Monday. None of my coaches ever said anything to me about it. It was like it never happened.
When I think of that interrupted walk home, I am reminded of another interrupted walk of shame. In Luke 24 we find the story known as “The Walk to Emmaus.” The walk to Emmaus was a walk of defeat. It was a walk of devastation, confusion, and anger. Two men were going home – back to Emmaus. They were leaving Jerusalem after a tumultuous week.
They were devastated, because the man that they thought was going to redeem Israel had been crucified. We don’t know how long they had been following Jesus. We don’t know how much they had given up, but we know that as the walked home, they were walking in shame. they were walking in confusion, despair, and anger. Their walk to Emmaus was a walk of shame. And then they were interrupted.
They were interrupted by the living Christ. They were interrupted in their despair, and at first, they were annoyed by this stranger that didn’t understand their pain. “Haven’t you been paying attention?” they ask him. “Have you been paying attention?” he responds. He does two things for them after their encounter. He allows them to tell their story, then he tells them his version. Their version went like this:
“Because of [Jesus’s] powerful deeds and words, he was recognized by God and all the people as a prophet. But our chief priests and our leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him. We had hoped he was the one who would redeem Israel. All these things happened three days ago. But there’s more: Some women from our group have left us stunned. They went to the tomb early this morningand didn’t find his body. They came to us saying that they had even seen a vision of angels who told them he is alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women said. They didn’t see him.” (Luke 24:19-24, Common English Bible)
It was a story of despair, loss, and confusion. Jesus responds by telling them the story again. This time he starts with Moses. He tells of God saving the people from slavery. He tells of the giving of the Law. He tells them about the Land that God provided the people. He tells them about the Prophets that spoke the truth to power. He reminded them about the God that saves.
Eventually it was time to eat. So they gathered at a table, and Jesus broke the bread. When they saw him break the bread, it all came together. They knew that were in the presence of Jesus. They knew that Jesus had risen. They knew everything had changed.
While they gathered at the table, their story was no longer one of despair and fear. Their walk was no longer a walk of shame. It was a walk of triumph. In the breaking of the bread, this act of friendship, companionship, and relationship, they knew that they were in the presence of the living God. He re-framed the story. He re-presented the bread. He re-newed their hearts.
Like Mr. Selke did for me during my walk of shame, Jesus reminded them of who and whose they were. All of us need that reminder every now and then. All of us take long walks of shame. We take a wrong turn. We veer off the path. We forget who and whose we are, and suddenly we find ourselves someplace we never intended to be. We find ourselves on a path of shame – somewhere God never intended us to be. It is in the midst of such walks that Jesus has a funny way of showing up. We may encounter Jesus on our path when we are least expecting him to show up.
No matter where you may be on your path, no matter how lost, no matter how hurt, no matter how bitter, an unexpected encounter with the Divine can bring you back home. Be open to the Scriptures, and the story of God’s salvation. Be open to breaking bread with those that might surprise you. Be open and know that you never need walk this path alone. You never have to make a walk of shame again.
“Dinner’s Ready!” Man, did I love hearing those two words when I was a kid. My Mom is a great cook, and I loved dinner time. Most of the time I would drop everything to get to the table. There were times, however when I might not answer the call right away. There were two main questions that determined my reaction time: What was I doing at the time? What was for dinner?
There were times when I’d be playing a game on the computer, and I just needed to finish one more level. There were times I was watching TV, and just wanted to wait until the commercial. There were times my buddies and I were playing basketball in the yard, and we just had to finish this game.
If heaven has a smell, I think it is garlic browning lightly in olive oil.
If dinner was spaghetti, it didn’t really matter what I was doing. I don’t think I ever had to be called twice to come for spaghetti. Whenever Mom made spaghetti the aroma would fill the entire house. It took several hours to cook, creating a crescendo of anticipation as I waited for the moment I could twirl that first forkful of garlic bliss. On those days, “Dinner’s Ready!” were my two favorite words, and there was no delay.
There was one thing however, that I did not like to eat as a kid. I need to try it again because my pallet has probably matured, but when I was a kid there was nothing worse than navy bean soup. I’m sure my Mom made great navy bean soup. It just wasn’t my favorite. For me, navy bean soup meant one bowl doused in ketchup, and then peanut butter and jelly. When I knew that navy bean soup was coming, “Dinner’s Ready!” was not exactly a clarion call.
Now that I’m an adult, “Dinner’s Ready” remains two of my favorite words. Now I’m usually the one calling out to my family. It is no longer so much the quality of the food that gets me excited about calling out “Dinner’s Ready!” I get excited because I know that shortly after saying those two words, the most important people in my world are going to be coming. Shortly after calling out “Dinner’s Ready!” I will hear the toys being put away (or dropped randomly). I will hear the distinct pitter-patter of my 18 month old daughter, and the much louder stomps of my 5-year-old daughter running into the kitchen. I know that soon the four of us will sit down together and eat. We will pray together. We will talk about our day. We will tell jokes. We will correct the baby when she throws her cup. We will pick up spills. We will be nourished in mind, body and soul, and we will be drawn a little closer together. There are few things I enjoy more than sitting around the table with the people I love most in the world.
Today – right now – God is calling out to all of us, “Dinner’s Ready!” God wants desperately for us to come to the table, sit down and enjoy the feast. God yearns for a chance to draw us closer together – all of us. God wants us to laugh, talk, cry, pray, correct each other when needed, forgive each other when needed, and love each other always. God invites all to the table, but not everyone will come.
Jesus tells a story in the Gospel of Luke about the great banquet.
Jesus replied, “ A certain man hosted a large dinner and invited many people. When it was time for the dinner to begin, he sent his servant to tell the invited guests, ‘Come! The dinner is now ready.’ One by one, they all began to make excuses. The first one told him, ‘I bought a farm and must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I bought five teams of oxen, and I’m going to check on them. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ When he returned, the servant reported these excuses to his master. The master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go quickly to the city’s streets, the busy ones and the side streets, and bring the poor, crippled, blind, and lame.’ The servant said, ‘Master, your instructions have been followed and there is still room.’ The master said to the servant, ‘Go to the highways and back alleys and urge people to come in so that my house will be filled. I tell you, not one of those who were invited will taste my dinner.’ ” (Luke 14:16-24, Common English Bible)
This story tells us a lot about God and how desperate God is to have the table full. If we are honest with ourselves, it tells us a lot about us too. God is willing to go to any length to fill the table with God’s children. The banquet has been prepared, all God needs now is guests. When we deny the invitation, God might be frustrated, but God will keep sending servants to find someone to come.
We all deny God’s call at some point. I know that God has called me to the feast over and over again. There are times when I have responded, and I have tasted grace. I have tasted forgiveness. I have tasted reconciliation. I know what it is like to take a seat at the gospel feast and feel the love of God. I have had a taste of the power of the Holy Spirit. I also know that there are too many times when I have ignored the invitation.
I have come up with my list of excuses. Like a child not wanting to come have bean soup, I have decided I’d rather play another inning of wiffleball, or solve another Carmen San Diego case. I’ve used lots of excuses to ignore God’s call. Like the excuses of the men in Jesus’s parable, they all seemed legitimate at the time, but they were all empty. Who would buy a field or a yoke of oxen sight unseen? These two excuses are probably just outright lies. And a marriage? How does getting married prevent anyone from going to a banquet? The excuses seem good on the surface, yet a closer look at them reveal just how shallow they are.
Some people love navy bean soup. I'm just not one of them.
Aren’t most of our excuses? What are the reasons we tell ourselves we cannot answer God? We lack the time. We lack the training or talent. We think someone else can do it. How many excuses do we come up with, but all of them are foolish. I mean, we’re not talking about an invitation to choke down some liver and onions. We’re invited to the greatest banquet that has ever been spread. God is calling to you, “Dinner’s Ready!”
Maybe you’re invited to your first taste at the table. You are invited. You are invited even if you are blind, lame, sick, hurting, broken, shattered, worried, fearful, or poor. If you are human, you are invited. Maybe you’ve been to the table before, and God is calling you for more. Maybe God is calling you for greater service, deeper Bible study, healthier living, fuller prayer, or more passionate worship.
Wherever you are on the path of life, whatever you’ve done, no matter who you are, you are invited. The banquet is ready – and it is ready now. It’s not ready in some distant and unreachable future. It’s not ready by and by when we all go to heaven. It’s ready now. God is ready now. The dinner is ready. Come and get it.
This blog post is a condensed form of a sermon I preached at Riverside United Methodist Church on February 26, 2012. If you are interested in CD with the entire worship service, please let me know in the comments, and I will contact you in private email about mailing information.
“Some times you want to go, where everybody knows your name. And they’re always glad you came…”
The Rembrandts “I’ll Be There For You” was a number one hit in America in 1995.
“So no one told you life was going to be this way. Your job’s a joke, you’re broke, you’re love life’s D.O.A… I’ll be there for you (When the rain starts to pour)…”
What makes these great theme songs? First of all, they were attached to great shows. The theme song to Veronica’s Closet might have been a masterpiece, but no one is going to remember it. Secondly, they were truly “Theme” songs. Meaning, they set the theme for the rest of the show.
The Friend’s theme is upbeat and youthful. You can clap along to it, and identify with the emotion of starting off in the world. It captured what was so popular about the show. It’s lyrics about friendship and being there for each other make the same emotional claim on the viewer that the show was able to make. The Cheers theme is a beautiful song (ranked number one by that website) that speaks to what made the show great – the desire to be a part of a community. Lovers of Cheers felt intimately connected to Sam, Norm, Cliff, and Diane, and that connection began with the wistful “Making the way in the world today, takes everything you got. Taking a break from all your trouble, sure would help a lot.”
The United Methodist Church has a theme song too. And just like these great TV theme songs, it captures the heart of what the Methodist movement was, and should still be, all about. The United Methodist Church wasn’t always a church. In fact, its founders were never members. John and Charles Wesley were members of the Church of England, and never intended on creating a new church. Charles, in fact, was adamantly opposed to it. John saw it more as a pragmatic solution to the problem of a movement that grew too fast for the institution.
“O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing” is the unofficial theme song of the UMC, and it captures perfectly what our church once was, and what it could be again. It is a song that is about two things – the power of a redeeming God and our only proper response. Charles Wesley wrote this hymn on the anniversary of the day he found a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He was deeply rooted in the Church of England, but for most of his life he felt no real connection to the loving, merciful, and gracious God that can transform lives.
The song is a reminder of that experience – the power of knowing a God that makes sorrows cease, makes the sinner clean, and restores us to new life. Wesley’s hymn captures the joy and excitement that is felt when a relationship with Jesus Christ becomes real and personal.
There are very few things that are more personal than a relationship with Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. My relationship with Jesus is intensely personal. It has had its ups and downs. We have had times when were were extremely close and times when I’ve alienated myself from him. Jesus knows the inner depths of my soul and can see the blackest parts of my heart. He has seen me stumble. He has seen me hide. He has seen me fall. He has seen me get knocked down. But every time I get knocked down he is right there. He puts his arm around me and whispers in my ear, “Get up, Robb.”
And those times when I have gotten back up, there is nothing that I can do but sing my praise to God. My only wish is that I had more than one mouth to do it with. I wish I had more than one tongue to sing my savior’s praise. O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing my great redeemer’s praise! You see, transformation in the Holy Spirit is an intensely personal experience, but it is not private. Authentic faith in Jesus Christ is a personal matter, but it must never be private.
This dual nature of faith as both intensely personal and never private is what our theme song is about. Knowing our redeeming God brings tremendous joy. I am convinced that others are in desperate need of this kind of joy. They are in need of a relationship with the God transforms lives, transforms communities, and transforms the world. People are looking for something that gives life meaning. I have found meaning in a relationship with Jesus and in involvement with the United Methodist Church, and if I am to live up to our theme song, then I must share this with others. It doesn’t mean that I am going to tell others that they are wrong. It doesn’t mean that I’m going to insert God into conversations where it isn’t warranted or welcomed. I’m a grown up with grown up social skills, but I’m also not going to hide from the opportunity to share with someone what God has done in my life and what life in the Church means to me.
John Wesley preaching outside (because most churches wouldn’t let him inside). Notice: He’s using words
“O For a Thousand Tongues” is our theme song, and it captured what was great about the Methodist Church. It was written for a movement that was driven by the Holy Spirit. It was the song of a movement that captured the hearts of thousands. It was written for a movement of people that were willing to take risks – to go places others weren’t willing to go. It was written for those going into the prisons, for those preaching to the working poor that would never enter a church, for those that were meeting in their homes to have hard discussions about how God was working in their lives. It was written for a movement of people that were on fire with the Holy Spirit, and could not help but tell others. It doesn’t mean that they were pushy or judgmental or rude. It was written for a people that had found the good news of Jesus Christ and found that one tongue to share that good news just wasn’t enough.
In our world where we are inundated with bad news, couldn’t the world use a little bit of good news? Are people really going to think you’re a nut job if you tell them that you find meaning in worship, study, fellowship, prayer, or service?
Today, many Methodists like to quote Francis of Assisi’s “Preach the gospel at all times. Use words when necessary.” There’s a lot about that quote that I like. If it means “Make sure that your actions back up your words,” or “Don’t just talk the talk, but walk the walk,” I can get on board. For too many though, this quote is used as an excuse to not talk about their faith. Sometimes words are needed. Most of the time words are needed.
“O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing,” by Charles Wesley
O for a thousand tongues to sing,
My great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of His grace!
My gracious Master and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread through all the earth abroad.
The honors of Thy name.
Jesus! the name that charms our fears,
That bids our sorrows cease;
’Tis music in the sinner’s ears,
’Tis life, and health, and peace.
He breaks the power of canceled sin,
He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean,
His blood availed for me.
He speaks, and, listening to His voice,
New life the dead receive,
The mournful, broken hearts rejoice,
The humble poor believe.
Hear Him, ye deaf;
His praise, ye dumb,
Your loosened tongues employ;
Ye blind, behold your Savior come,
And leap, ye lame, for joy.
In Christ your Head, you then shall know,
Shall feel your sins forgiven;
Anticipate your heaven below,
And own that love is heaven.
This blog was written after I preached a sermon on this topic at Riverside United Methodist Church in Moline, Illinois. If you are interested in a CD of the worship service, please leave a comment below and I will contact you about a mailing address.
“It is no small thing to be highly favored by God. Especially when you are acutely aware of how preposterous this idea truly is.”^
To know that you are higly favored by God can be a life-changing moment. It is the kind of thing that changes your perspective on the world. I remember when I realized that I was highly favored by God. It didn’t come to me an instant. It was something I realized over time, and when it finally struck me, it changed my world.
When you realize that you are highly favored by God, nothing will ever be the same.
For me it came in junior high. The realization came to me when I realized that God loved me for me. It came to me when I knew that nothing I did or said could earn God’s love. When I knew that I was highly favored by God I learned that my missing homework assignment couldn’t change that. My disappointing test couldn’t change that. The things that I forgot, misplaced, or mishandled were not bigger than the steadfast love of God.
I can’t point to any one moment when I realized that I was highly favored by God, but it was no small thing, for it changed the way I saw myself, and it changed the way I saw the world.
In the Gospel of Luke we find Mary’s Song, also known as The Magnificat. It is Mary’s song of glory after meeting Elizabeth. Elizabeth, who was herself expecting a child whose conception was surrounded in mystery, was filled with the Holy Spirit and pronounced God’s blessing upon Mary and her child. Mary’s response:
“With all my heart I glorify the Lord!
In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my savior.
He has looked with favor on the low status of his servant.
Look! From now on, everyone will consider me highly favored
because the mighty one has done great things for me.
Holy is his name.
He shows mercy to everyone,
from one generation to the next,
who honors him as God.
He has shown strength with his arm.
He has scattered those with arrogant thoughts and proud inclinations.
He has pulled the powerful down from their thrones
and lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away empty-handed.
He has come to the aid of his servant Israel,
remembering his mercy,
just as he promised to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to Abraham’s descendants forever.”
Mary is highly favored by God, and it is no small thing. When she came to that realization, she sang praise to God. She realized that through her the promise of God would be fulfilled. She sings a song of praise and promise. It is praise to the God that has held her in favor. It is praise of the God that will turn the world upside down. It is a song of the promise of God that this has already been fulfilled in the baby she is carrying. God’s promise has not begun with the coming of Jesus. It has been fulfilled.
The gift of Jesus is from the God that scatters the proud and fills the hungry. This is a God that has turned the world upside down by becoming flesh. Everything would be different because of the coming child. For all of this, Mary sings out in praise and thanksgiving.
This however, was not Mary’s first reaction. A few verses earlier, when the angel told Mary what was coming, her response was marked with confusion, fear, and a quiet resolution. It took Elizabeth to stir in her the power of praise. There is a lot to be said of the bond of one mother to another. Elizabeth was a person that Mary knew and presumably respected. She was a relative – maybe a cousin, certainly older. I like to think of her as Mary’s aunt. Mary went to her Aunt’s house when she was in trouble. She found there a woman who loved her, who comforted her, and who made her feel empowered in a way that even the angel could not. I can imagine the remarkable bond between Elizabeth and Mary because I knew an aunt much like that.
In the midst of her trouble and fear Mary was given hope and grace through the words of someone that loved her. She realized that she was highly favored by God. Her response was a song that has lived through the ages as a testimony to God’s power. It is a song that reminds us that God used Mary to fulfill God’s promise. It is a song that we may rise and sing today. In the midst of your trouble and your fear, I want you to know, “You are highly favored by God.” Trust in God’s love, and your life will never be the same.
Know that God loves you and wants to use you to fulfill God’s promise. You are highly favored by God, let your heart glorify the Lord.
^I wish I remember where I read this. As I was doing some reading for my sermon this Sunday on the Magnificat, I read these words on someone else’s blog. They hit me with such a force that I didn’t even keep reading, but I built my sermon – and this blog – around this idea. This might not be a direct quote, but I didn’t feel right not attributing this to someone.
An Illinois country road. Photo by DeWayne Neeley. Click on the picture to go to his Flickr site.
A long time ago I wrote a sermon about a bike ride through the cornfields of central Illinois. It was one of my favorite things to do when I lived in Chenoa. I would turn left out of our driveway and just keep going. It wouldn’t take long before I was on a road that looked a lot like the one pictured.
When the corn was high, riding a bike down a narrow road like this was a slighltly harrowing experience because I couldn’t really see where I was. When you’re in the middle of one of these corn canyons, you can see where the road leads – at least until the next hill – and that’s about it. When the corn is high, you can’t really see anything but corn and sky.
That is partly why I loved those bike rides so much. It was so peaceful and so calm. I spent a lot of time in prayer on those country roads. The reason I said it was harrowing, however, is because I could be riding along with cornfields on boths sides for quite some time. And while country roads were usually straight, they were not always a dependable grid. Some were deadends. Some veered in directions I didn’t really mean to go. Some took me to the highway (and if you ever want a lesson in white-knuckled prayer, ride your bike on a busy country highway – with semi trucks passing you at 60 miles and hour).
It could be really easy to get turned around amidst all the fields and right angles. Yet no matter where I rode, I always knew that I could see the water tower. As long as I could see the water tower, I knew I could get back home. The water tower is the tallest thing poking out of the grove of trees that is Chenoa. Whenever I rode – I knew I could make it home if I could see the water tower. That is why those moments in the corn canyons were a little unsettling.
In life, we can go down a lot of roads. Sometimes were are heading away from home. Sometimes we are meandering around aimlessly. Sometimes we hit dead ends, or go on courses we didn’t intend. Sometimes we get turned around. Sometimes we hold on white-knuckled just praying that things will be okay. That is why it is so important to have that water tower – raising over it all, showing us the way home.
To me, that is church. It is the place to which I can always turn. It is not perfect. The church has made mistakes – some historic, some personal. The church has hurt people, hurt families, hurt nations. Yet as far as I’m concerned, it is our best hope. It is the best hope we have of finding our way. It is the beacon that calls us home.
At its best the church is a place of love. If the church is being what Christ intended it to be, the church is a place of forgiveness, grace, invitation and mission. It is a place to be fed, empowered and sent out. It is the oasis of the Kingdom of God. When I think of the churches I have been a part of, I don’t think of buildings or decor. I don’ t think of great sermons or well-organized Bible study. I don’t think of perfect liturgy or music. I think of love.
I think of people that cared for me as a child. I think of people that loved me as an adult. I think of people that helped guide me into ministry, that picked me up when I failed and allowed me to grow. I think of people that loved me like parents and were grandparents to my daughters. When I think of when the church has hurt me I do not think of wrong theology, or boring sermons, or bad music. When the church has hurt me it has been when people failed to live up to the commandment Christ has given us – love one another as Christ has loved us. Yet before I let the anger, resentment and hurt feelings get the better of me, I remember that I have failed to love as well. I am in need of forgiveness for my carelessness, my thoughtlessness and my selfishness.
Through it all, I have found love in the church. My heart breaks for those that have been wronged by the church. My heart yearns for those that seek and do not find. I don’t know where you are on your journey. I don’t presume to know the path you need to take. All I know is what I have found. I have found a place to hold onto. I have found a water tower in the bike ride of my life – showing me the way to get back home. I pray you find your way home too.
5K 36:00 (Race for the Cure, Jun. '12)
35:15 (Firecracker Run, Jul. '12)
33:47 (Crimestoppers, Aug. '12)
31:40 (Lagomarcino's, Oct. '12)
26:52 (CASI St. Patrick's Day, Mar. '13)
26:28 (Railroad Days, Jun. '13)* *2nd place in age division
26:40 (Casa Guanajuato, Nov. '13)
30:30 (Modern Woodmen Knockout Hunger, Sep '14)** **3rd place in age division
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