December Vision Column

Vision – December 2007

From the Pastor’s Desk

Christmas is almost here. It is time to buy the gifts. We are bombarded with ads on radio, television, the LA Times and almost everywhere else telling us about the fabulous pre-Christmas sales on just about everything. On top of all of this we decorate the house, prepare meals for guests, and get ready to travel to see family. O, what joyful time!

Of course I am being a little sarcastic. If you are like me you are already getting a little tired of the Christmas rush and are wondering why we do all of this. Sadly so many people have lost touch with what Christmas is really all about as they go about their busy, busy, busy lives this holiday season.

The gift we really need this Christmas is time to relax and meditate on what God has done for us at Christmas. That’s why we will be coming together on Wednesday evenings this month. On December 5, 12 and 19 we will be gathering at 6PM in Montgomery Hall as a church family for pot luck suppers. Then at 7PM we will enter the sanctuary for candlelight vesper services to remember what it means to quietly wait for the Coming of the King.

Merry Christmas,

Jeff Howard, Pastor

Sermon Jonah 1:17-2:10 Fish for Thanksgiving

Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon Jonah 1:17-2:10 Fish for Thanksgiving

Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church

November 18, 2007

This Thursday our nation will be celebrating Thanksgiving. This is my favorite holiday. Unlike Christmas which has become dominated by Santa Claus and materialism and Easter which is best known for the chocolate Easter bunnies, Thanksgiving has been left alone as a time for families to come together for a meal and remember all the blessings we have received. This Thursday Grace and I will be in Virginia for a meal with my family. This is the first time I have been home for Thanksgiving in four years. And next Sunday I will be at my home church in Washington DC to be ordained as a Minister of the Word and Sacrament. For all of this I am extremely grateful. Will you pray with me? Dear God, thank you so much for all your work and the blessings you have provided in our lives. Be with us in the day and weeks ahead so that we can receive your blessing and be a blessing to others. In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen.

Jonah 1:17 - 2:10 ¹⁷ But the LORD provided a large fish to swallow up Jonah; and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Jonah 2:1 Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish, ² saying, "I called to the LORD out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice. ³ You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me. ⁴ Then I said, 'I am driven away from your sight; how shall I look again upon your holy temple?' ⁵ The waters closed in over me; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped around my head ⁶ at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the Pit, O LORD my God. ⁷ As my life was ebbing away, I remembered the LORD; and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple. ⁸ Those who worship vain idols forsake their true loyalty. ⁹ But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Deliverance belongs to the LORD!" ¹⁰ Then the LORD spoke to the fish, and it spewed Jonah out upon the dry land.

Normally at Thanksgiving we eat turkey with all the trimmings. Sometimes my sister will also serve a ham with the turkey if there is a large group as there may be this Thursday. But I have never eaten fish on Thanksgiving. So you are probably wondering why I would preach a sermon on Fish for Thanksgiving. What got me thinking about Fish for Thanksgiving was the opportunity I had this week to lead the chapel service for our Westminster Child Center. Elder Caroline Harris was away at a conference so Pastor Jeff got to address the two, three and four year olds. And I told them a story about Jonah. Now Jonah did not eat fish on Thanksgiving, rather he was eaten by a fish and thanked God for it.

Jonah was Hebrew Prophet whom God called to bring a message of judgment to Nineveh. Now Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh. Nineveh was the capital of the hated Assyrian Empire. The Assyrians were known for destroying farms, besieging cities, and carrying off captured people to live in other parts of the empire. Nineveh was the last place Jonah wanted to go. Yet this is the very place where God called Jonah to begin a ministry. Jonah just want to avoid Nineveh, but where could go to hide from God? Nineveh was east of Jerusalem, so Jonah went west towards the Mediterranean port of Joppa where he boarded a ship to Tarshish which was about as far away from Nineveh as he could get.

Of course no one can hide from God. God sent a strong wind and high waves which bounced the ship up and down and back and forward until it began to crumble. The ship’s crew pulled out their idols. “Oh Baal, save us”, they cried with no result. The ship continued to be tossed up and down, right and left. The frightened crew cast lots to find out why this storm had come upon them then went downstairs to get the sleeping Jonah for his help. When they found out that Jonah’s God was the LORD, God of Israel, the creator God from whom Jonah was hiding, they knew why they were in such a perilous situation. At Jonah’s request they picked him up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm was silenced. Then God sent a fish, a large fish that ate Jonah, and Jonah spent three days in the belly of the fish reflecting on what he had done and discovered four things about God.

The first thing Jonah realized was that God answers prayer. At the time of his greatest distress, when death seemed likely at any moment, God responded with steadfast love for his prophet. God is faithful and his love for us is overwhelming. Whenever we are in distress we can take it to God in prayer. When the doctor gives us a message we would rather not hear we can take it to God in prayer. When a relationship is strained to the breaking point we can take it to God in prayer. When the world seems to be caving in all around we can take it to God in prayer. And the promise is that these prayers do truly reach God. And for this we can be truly thankful.

Second, Jonah remembered that as the waters were closing in and he was about to drown his biggest fear was not death, but being separated from God forever. He pictured in his mind the temple in Jerusalem and realized that he would never see it again. He would never again come into the presence of God. Then he realized that even at the point of death he could still communicate with God in prayer. Jonah’s prayers reached up from the deep and found God in the temple. So it doesn’t matter how desperate things are. It doesn’t matter how far away from God you have drifted. If doesn’t matter if you have done things you are too ashamed to admit to God. When you need to talk with God pray and your prayers will reach God in heaven because nothing can separate you from the love of God. And for this we can be truly thankful.

Third, Jonah knew that the only God worthy our trust was the LORD, God of Israel. The crewmen on ship pulled out their wooden idols which had no effect. We wouldn’t be as crude and ignorant as that. Would we? Out idols are more sophisticated. We believe that we can depend on our own power, wealth or strength. In our modern world we place our faith in insurance policies, bank accounts and sufficient planning to prevent any surprises. But when health worsens, relationships sour and bankruptcy is at the door all of our hope dissipates and we are left with nothing. Only our faith in God can sustain us in these times. This is why spiritual development is so essential. As you worship each week, study the Bible and pray, you are making spiritual deposits that will sustain you when life seems to be spinning out of control. And for this we can be truly thankful.

And fourth, Jonah realized that his whole life, his very existence, was a result of the extravagant grace of God. Without God saving grace, Jonah never could have survived his ordeal. God had delivered him from death to life. God had saved him from his sin and pending death. Jonah’s response was to sings God’s praises with thanksgiving. God faithfully loves us, hears our prayers, sustains us in times of distress, and graciously delivers us from death to everlasting life. And for this we can be truly thankful.

I am extremely grateful for all that God has done for me. God gave me a great family that brought me to church when I was young and gave me a love of God and a desire to follow his commandments. God gave me a wonderful church in Washington DC where I was nurtured and loved. There I developed a deep love of the Bible and wanted to learn from it as much about God as I could. God then allowed me to come to Fuller Seminary where I was blessed with the best theological education available anywhere, an education that has prepared me, I hope, for the challenges that face me in this ministry. God has richly blessed me with a wife who shares my love of God and helps me to serve God in the best way I can. And next Sunday our amazing God will permit me to be ordained as a Minister in our denomination.

Now God is calling me here. And like Jonah I am tempted to run away from this assignment. Here I am to serve a small church in an ethnically diverse section of Los Angeles. Nothing in my past experience or education has prepared me for this task. The only hope I have is that God will do something with this church through my ministry. I don’t know what God is going to do. But I am sure that God is doing something and is preparing me and this church for an exciting and possibly surprising future. I believe this because our God loves us so much. Our gracious God will sustain us through budget difficulties and problems of growing a diverse multicultural church. I know nothing will be easy. But if God sent a fish to save Jonah who was running away, what will God do for us as we pray and thank God for all He has done.

So when you sit down at your Thanksgiving meal this week and see turkey remember fish and time Jonah had to just sit back and reflect on what God had done for him. Take some time for yourselves to recall all that God has done for you in your lifetimes. And respond to what God has done for you with thanks. Dear God, thank you for all blessing you have given us. Thank you for this church and Eagle Rock Community. Thank you for the Elders and Deacons of this church. Thank you for the retreads and the Wednesday Bible group. Thank you for Clippers and all new people who are coming to see what you are doing here in Eagle Rock. Thank you God. Amen.

Sermon Luke 20:17-38 Resurrection Thinking

Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon Luke 20:17-38

Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church

November 11, 2007

Today is November 11 and tomorrow we celebrate Veterans day. I ask that all of the vets in the congregation today please rise so that we may pray for you. Father in heaven; be with all the brave women and men who have served and are serving our country. Heal them when they are injured or sick. Comfort them when they are down and lonely. And remind them how much we appreciate the sacrifices they have made. In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen.

Luke 20:27-38 ²⁷ Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him ²⁸ and asked him a question, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. ²⁹ Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; ³⁰ then the second ³¹ and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. ³² Finally the woman also died. ³³ In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her." ³⁴ Jesus said to them, "Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; ³⁵ but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. ³⁶ Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. ³⁷ And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. ³⁸ Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive."

The topic which divided Jews in the first century was resurrection. The Essences and the Pharisees both believed in the resurrection of the dead. Their reason was simple, God’s justice demands it. They knew that our God is a God of justice and righteousness, and God’s justice will ultimately prevail. But what happens if a person dies before God enacts the justice required? What if evil befalls someone and she dies before God corrects the injustice? Or what if an evil person dies without ever being held accountable for his actions? Justice requires that God, in these instances, reach beyond the grave to balance the scales. Justice therefore requires an afterlife after death which we call resurrection.

The Sadducees disagreed. They searched the Hebrew Bible, our Old Testament and found nothing that supported resurrection. They just didn’t believe it. So they presented Jesus with a riddle. The Law of Moses required that if a man dies without a male heir to inherit the land, which God had given the family, then his younger brother should marry the widow to produce the necessary male heir. According to the riddle, what happens if a man followed by six younger brothers all marry one woman but never produce an heir. When the woman is resurrected with her seven husbands to whom is she married? Jesus knew that this was a ridiculous question because in the resurrection having heirs was not important because the people of the resurrection live forever.

Jesus had just the right Bible verse that would answer the Sadducees’ objection to resurrection. When Moses met God at the burning bush he asked God to identify himself. God said the he is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Jesus reasoned that since God is the God of the living and not the dead these patriarchs must still be alive. And the only way they can be alive is if they have been resurrected from the dead.

These philosophical arguments must have been very interesting at the time, but within a few days Jesus would prove conclusively that resurrection is true, because he displayed for inspection his own resurrected body. And thus we are assured that there will be a resurrection and we have at least a limited idea of what that resurrected life will be like.

In spite of all of these discussions about resurrection no one expected the real resurrection of Jesus Christ. It came as a complete surprise. Each person came to the resurrection expecting to deal with Jesus’ death. Instead they had to deal with life and this created in them great wonder and awe. According to Matthew, Mary Magdalene and another woman named Mary came to the tomb where they had watched Jesus be buried the Friday before. There they experienced an earthquake, lightening and great fear. The Roman guards were paralyzed by this fear, but the women heard the voice of an angel telling them to not be afraid because Jesus had risen. They ran off filled with wonder and joy to tell others what they had seen and heard when they saw the resurrected Jesus for themselves and reverently fell down and intimately touched his feet in worship.

Mark tells us that there was another woman, Salome, and that the women were on the way to the tomb to prepare Jesus’ body. They were concerned about having to move the stone which covered the entrance, and were surprised when they saw that it had been rolled back. Inside the tomb they saw a man, probably and angel, who told them that Jesus had been raised. The women were astonished, stunned and silent.

Luke tells us about a bigger group including Joanna and several women from Galilee. They looked in the tomb and saw no body. They were puzzled. Then two men appeared and reminded them that Jesus had been raised. Certainly they remembered that Jesus himself had told them that all of this would happen. But when they tried to tell the disciples what they had seen and heard no one believed them. So Peter ran to the tomb and looked inside. Nothing made any sense. They were all bewildered.

John takes us into the mind of Mary Magdalene. She saw the empty tomb and assumed that grave robbers were responsible. So she ran and told Peter and another disciple what she had seen and they ran off to the tomb. There they saw a piece of cloth neatly folded. No grave robber would do that! Later Mary returned to the tomb filled with grief and spilling tears. A gardener appeared who spoke her name, Mary, and she realized that it wasn’t the gardener at all but is was her dear teacher, Jesus!

All of these accounts paint one picture of the resurrection. Listen to these words: “joy”, “wonder”, “bewildered”, “puzzled”, “worship”, and “fear”. These emotions were not experienced by the recognized leaders of Jesus’ group but by the marginalized, women, who were led by the most marginalized of them all, Mary Magdalene. The resurrection did not occur in front of a large crowd of witnesses but in the quiet of early Sunday morning in a cemetery outside the city gates. All the assumptions that the participants brought with them had to be thrown out resulting in the fear of not knowing what was going to happen. Hear some more words: “amazed”, “trembling”, “astonished”, and “perplexed”.

Prior to Jesus’ resurrection people thought about resurrection as a philosophical subject. But after the resurrection people experienced the emotion of a resurrected life. They experienced a sense of wonder. Children experience wonder all the time. But as we grow older we squeeze it out of our lives. We come to church on Sundays hoping to experience a little wonder, but by Monday morning wonder is replaced by knowledge and competence which keep surprises to a minimum. Our sense of wonder is replaced by work. But Jesus’ resurrection reverses all of this. Resurrection starts with work as the women came with spices to tend the dead body and ends with wonder, amazement and awe as we experience the resurrected Jesus. Our Christian faith is based on this wonder, amazement and awe. These emotions never come from hard work or intellectual discussions. They come from experiencing Jesus in prayer and worship.

As we meditate on the four gospel accounts we see that the resurrection experience was totally unexpected. People had heard Jesus talk about resurrection, but no one expected it to really happen as they walked to the tomb that Sunday morning. Thus no one did anything to prepare for it. They were prepared to deal with a dead body and nothing more. And the two groups who expected the resurrection, the Pharisees and the Essences, missed it all together. So don’t expect that you will find resurrection wonder though planning and preparation. It always comes as an unanticipated surprise.

There is one thing we can do to prepare ourselves to receive the sense of wonder and awe of Jesus’ resurrection. All four gospels agree on this. Everyone who experienced the wonder of the resurrection had prepared themselves first with a Sabbath rest. This practice of a Sabbath was clearly proscribed in scripture and part of the religious life of the early church. On Friday, just after Jesus had been placed in the tomb, they all gathered together to remember God’s work in creation and Israel’s deliverance from slavery. One candle would have been lit to remember that God had created the world and on the seventh day rested. Another candle would have been lit to remember that as the Israelites were escaping from Egypt God spoke to Moses telling them to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. This took Jesus’ followers away from the horror of the crucifixion and placed them is a larger context of God’s plan and personal involvement in their lives preparing them to deal with mysteries that would befall them far beyond their ability to understand and control. A Sabbath rest prepared them to receive the wonder of the resurrection.

So I urge all of you to remember to take a Sabbath rest. Take time out from your busy days and weeks and set it aside for prayer and scripture meditation. My practice is to be here in this room at 6AM every Tuesday through Saturday. I pray for this church and I meditate on the scripture passage for the upcoming Sunday sermon. This is a most important time for me as I connect with God on your behalf and try to understand how the scripture passage deals with your spiritual needs. I urge each of you to set aside time each day for prayers. Open your Bibles and meditate on what God is saying to you. This will prepare you to receive the sense wonder of the resurrection when you come to worship on the day of resurrection each Sunday morning.

Lord Jesus, be with us know and give us a sense of your resurrected presence. Give us a sense of the wonder and awe first experience by the women who went to your tomb that first resurrection morning. And allow us to fall down before you and touch your feet in intimate worship. In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen.

Sermon Luke 19:1-10

Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon Luke 19:1-10

Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church

November 4, 2004

This month we will be collecting food for the poor in our community. Please bring nonperishable boxes and cans to worship. This food will be sent to Faith United Presbyterian Church for distribution in their biweekly food ministry. Will you pray with me? Holy Spirit, be with us now as we enter into worship. Inspire us with you word. Forgive our sins. And lead us to righteousness. In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen.

Luke 19:1-10 ^NRS Luke 19:1 He entered Jericho and was passing through it. ² A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. ³ He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. ⁵ When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today." ⁶ So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. ⁷ All who saw it began to grumble and said, "He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner." ⁸ Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much." ⁹ Then Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost."

Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem and the final days of his life on earth and the coming resurrection. While on his journey Jesus and his disciples entered the city of Jericho. There Jesus revealed to everyone his great power by healing a blind man. A large crowd formed just to see this powerful rabbi who had just arrived from Galilee. One man in the crowd who wanted to see Jesus was named Zacchaeus. And Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus very much.

Zacchaeus was a tax collector. As a tax collector he helped the Romans finance their occupation. Tax collecting was essentially extortion. He had the Roman legion just outside of town ready to violently punish any nonpayment. Corruption was the inevitable result of this system. Tax collectors like Zacchaeus would line their own pockets with as much as they wanted. So they grew rich at the expenses of everyone else and became universally hated. But Zacchaeus’ name in Hebrew meant “righteous one.” How ironic was this? Zacchaeus was the chief tax collector. So we have a person named “righteous” being the most corrupt person of all.

Zacchaeus was also powerful. With his money and the cooperation of the Roman Army he could do or have anything he wanted. Zacchaeus was arguably the most power man in all of Jericho. Yet despite all of his power Zacchaeus was unable to see Jesus because the crowd was so big and he was so small. Another irony: the most powerful man in town was too short to see over the crowd.

But Zacchaeus got to where he was by being innovative. So he ran ahead of the procession and hid in a large sycamore tree. Another irony: the richest man in town was hiding in a fruit tree which produced inferior figs that only the poor ate. So when it came to seeing Jesus, Zacchaeus’ power and wealth had no effect. Money and power are useless when it comes to finding Christ.

In America today many of us place our faith in power and wealth. With enough of each we can live comfortable lives. We want a powerful army that will protect us from foreign powers and terrorists. We want a powerful fire department that will protect us from the wild fires that periodically sweep through Southern California. And we want enough money in our bank accounts so that we can live comfortably throughout our retirements and have some left over for our kids. But when it comes to finding Jesus all of our power and wealth is useless. There is just no way for us to buy our way or force our way to Christ.

While Zacchaeus was hiding in the tree an amazing thing happened: he was found. Jesus called his name. That’s the way it works. We don’t find Jesus; Jesus finds us. Wherever we are, no matter what we have done Jesus seeks us out like a shepherd seeking out the lost sheep. Jesus was looking for Zacchaeus because Jesus is the Savior and a Savior always searches for the lost.

Jesus knew that Zacchaeus had an important role to play in God’s plan of salvation for humankind. Zacchaeus’ role in God’s plan was to be a sinner in need of savior. Zacchaeus was the biggest sinner of them all and the most hated person in town. Most people assumed that a rabbi like Jesus would have nothing to do with him. A person like Zacchaeus should be avoided at all costs. But God’s plan was for Jesus to spend the night in Zacchaeus’ house proving that Christ had come to save sinners. Notice that Jesus invited himself for dinner. Jesus took the initiative. That’s the way it works. There is nothing that we do to merit salvation. God loves us so much that God takes the initiative. God offers us forgiveness first. Then we respond with gratitude.

The reason sin entered into the world was because of the disobedience of our ancestors Adam and Eve. Remember when God had told them never to eat from a certain tree. So what did they do? They ate it anyway and hid in the bushes. So where was Zacchaeus? Zacchaeus was hiding in the tree when Jesus found him. And when Jesus commanded him to come down from the tree he did. Unlike his ancestors Adam and Eve, Zacchaeus obeyed God’s command. The sin of Adam and Eve was reversed. This change from disobedience to obedience is called repentance. Repentance is the proper response from a sinner when found by the Savior.

For a rich and powerful man like Zacchaeus repentance meant repairing the harm he had caused. So Zacchaeus offered to give half of his money to the poor. This was a most extravagant gift. Rabbis normally recommended a gift of 20% of processions in these situations, but giving away half of your wealth was extraordinary. And Zacchaeus agreed to repay four fold everyone he had cheated. He was only required to give back the amount stolen plus a fifth. Zacchaeus’ response to God’s forgiveness was so extravagant because he had already experienced God’s extravagant grace.

The people of Jericho knew Zacchaeus as rich man, a powerful man, a short man and a sinner. They hated him and all that he stood for. Yet this hated sinner was the one Jesus chose to eat with. When Jesus looked at Zacchaeus he did not see a chief tax collector, a short man or a sinner, rather he saw someone who was lost. Zacchaeus had wandered away God. So God sent Jesus to find him and bring him back because Zacchaeus had been created by God and God loved him as His creation. Jesus has been sent to find all those who are lost. He is looking for us today. And he is inviting us to gather around this table to feast on his body and blood. And there is no cost for this meal. Everyone is invited. It is a gift from God.

What should our response be to the extravagant gift that God has given us in Jesus Christ? Our first response should be gratitude. Let’s thank God every day for all of his blessings. And let’s remember these blessing as we make our pledges this month to support God’s ministry here at Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church. The church is growing and in the months and years ahead will serve more and more the families in our community. Your pledge will help finance this growth and ensure that your legacy in this church will continue for a long time to come. So over this next week think about all of the gifts that you have received from God, extravagant gifts, and discern what portion should be returned to God through the church as your tithe. Fill out your pledge card and bring it with you next week. Then we will bring our pledges to God as our offerings with thanksgiving for God’s extravagant love.

Lord Jesus, we thank you for all the blessings you have bestowed upon us. We thank you for releasing us from the power of sin and giving us new life in you. Guide us by the Holy Spirit into new life of generosity for the poor and dedication to God’s ministry in our community though our tithes. We pray all of this in your strong name, Amen.