Sermon Micah 6:1-8

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon Micah 6:1-8

Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church

June 22, 2008

As we gather together for worship this morning we are joining with the commissioners of the 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) as they gather for worship in San Jose, California. These commissioners have been selected by presbyteries, the regional governing bodies of our denomination to jointly and prayerfully discern God’s will for our church. We have been asked to pray for these commissioners that they will lead the church of Jesus Christ through these challenging times, and that is what we are doing this morning.

Will you pray with me? Lord Jesus Christ you are the head of the church. We ask that your spirit come down right now on our General Assembly as they come together to discern your will for the church. Help them to discover how you wish to lead the church through this time of falling membership and limited budgets. Help them to discover better ways of proclaiming your gospel in today’s world. Help them to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God, amen.

James 2:1-6a: My brothers and sisters do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? 2 For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, 3 and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Have a seat here, please,” while to the one who is poor you say, “Stand there,” or, “Sit at my feet,” 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor.

Our General Assembly has taken as it biblical theme God’s challenge to the people of Jerusalem in the 8^th century B.C. delivered by the prophet, Micah who said “what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” The 8^th century started as a golden era for Jerusalem. The Davidic dynasty had already existed for two hundred years giving them a level of political stability. Military alliances with the northern kingdom and with Aram had preserved the peace for many generations. This led to great prosperity as Jerusalem controlled the lucrative trade routes at the port of Joppa and along the great highway leading up from Ethiopia, through Egypt, passing Jerusalem and headed toward Damascus. This resulted in great wealth being amassed in the city which made it a target for their enemies. As the century progressed cracks appeared in the military alliance and the prosperity and freedoms they enjoyed where placed in peril.

It was in this context that the prophet Micah came to Jerusalem with a warning from God. Micah pointed to the high places where people from Jerusalem would climb to worship Baal, the weather God. God is coming, he said, and those hills would melt as if they were made of wax before a flame. Micah pointed to the marketplace where dishonest merchants would cheat people out of their money and their land. Micah pointed to the government officials, the priests and the prophets who all solicited bribes. Jerusalem, the holy city of God, had become a place of idolatry and injustice

Micah heard from God that the city would be punished. Already the arch enemy Assyria was on the march. City after city had fallen in their wake. Jerusalem was high on the Assyrian wish list and they were on the way. Jerusalem was facing defeat, destruction and exile. But God told Micah that this would not be the end of the story. A remnant of the people would remain to make the city holy again. A leader from Bethlehem would be born to lead the faithful remnant back to God.

The people of Jerusalem responded to Micah’s challenge. “What shall we do?” they asked. Let’s make a great sacrifice to the Lord and God will pardon us, they thought. Would a sacrifice of year old calves be sufficient? How many thousands of animals do we need? Should we sacrifice our first born sons? As the Assyrians approached the people of Jerusalem were desperate to find ways to appease their angry God.

But the prophet Micah told them that God’s love could not be bought by sacrifices. God didn’t care about their worship practices or their theology. God was not interested in good works, or even contributions to the church. What God wants his people to do is to fulfill the covenant the God had made with Abram: I will bless you so that you will be a blessing. The golden age of Israel was a blessing from God. And God demanded that the people be a blessing to those in need. God wanted them to “do justice” by caring for the poor and ensuring that they have food to eat and clothes to wear. God wanted them to “love kindness” so that they would no longer cheat people out of their money and land. And God wanted them to walk humbly with him as his creatures and not chase after idols and false gods.

This is a challenging message for our General Assembly. The commissioners will spend most of their time debating how the church will govern itself, do World Missions, interact with other denominations, promote the peace, unity and purity of our church, add to our confessional documents, advocate for peace around the world, elect new leaders for the denomination, and help the church to grow. All of these are important. But according to the prophet Micah our primary concern should be to ensure that the poor in the world are cared for, that people deal with each other with kindness, fairness and justice, and that as a church we realize that we are to do these things while walking humbly with our creator.

We can learn from Micah that as attendance in our churches declines God will maintain a remnant of faithful people. Many of these people, who will be restored to the church, will be the lame, the afflicted, and the poorest among us. These are the people who cry out for justice and kindness. They will be the given to the church and the promise is that God will richly bless the church that is a blessing to the poor. We can already see God’s work here at Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church. At our evening worship we see people who have lost their jobs and their homes and wondering what to do. They are coming to hear some good news and meet kind people who will listen to their stories of injustice. They are drawn here by the one Micah spoke of, the one who was born in Bethlehem, the one who feeds his flock, brings about justice and righteousness, and gives peace to the whole world.

A young couple worshiped with us last Sunday evening. They were hungry and stopped in St. Dominic’s to see if they were serving dinner Sunday night. St. Dominic’s sent them down to us. They worshiped with us and then ate dinner with us in Montgomery Hall. As I talked with them over dinner I found out that the husband had worked in retail for many years but had recently lost his job. He was looking for a new job and a place to live. Meanwhile they were living in a van and eating whatever people would give them. As we talked I found out about his great love of church. At one time he had been part of a praise band playing the drums and keyboard. I have been praying for Juan and his wife all week and hope that they will return this Sunday and will be a part of our church.

So lets pray for our General Assembly that they will guide us to be a church that truly does justice for those at the economic bottom of our society, a church that is kind to all people even to those who are much poorer than ourselves, and a church that stops deciding for itself what it wants to do, and begins walking humbly with our creator God. That is the kind of church that God will richly bless because it will be a blessing for others.

Let us pray: Father in Heaven we confess that we do not live in a just world. People are cheated out of the money and land, and wind up desperately poor. We ask that you help our General Assembly to deal with matters of poverty and injustice on a national and international level. We asked that you make the Presbyterian Church into a church that welcomes into its fellowship people from the lowest rungs of the economic ladder. Help us to be kind and welcoming into our fellowship all people especially those who really need to hear some good news for God. Help Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church to reach out to people in our community with love and kindness welcoming all people into our fellowship. We pray all of this in the name of the one Micah prophesied would come from Bethlehem, and would teach us to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God, our Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

July Vision Article

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

July Vision Article

Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church

June 24, 2008

Last month the Presbyterian Church (USA) selected a new moderator, Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow, who will lead us for the next two years. He is young, passionate about church growth, and is excited about the future God is leading us into. Here is some what he had to say:

“As I stand here before you today after having lived the life of “candidate for moderator” over the past six months, I can tell you that more than once I have said to myself, both out loud and in my head, “What are you thinking?” The very idea that I, this 39-year-old, father of three, earring wearing, pastor of some funky urban new church should or could stand for moderator is utterly ridiculous.

And then I think about my family.

I think about my grandparents who, in the 1940’s, came to the United States from the Philippines, gifted me with my Presbyterian roots and, through their work, sacrifice and hope, dreamt for the next generation, blessings even beyond their own imagination.

They would not think this is ridiculous at all.

Despite great cultural and social obstacles of the day, when it came to the future of their family, they embodied the words that were spoken to Abraham as he and Sarah balked at the possibility of birthing the future at such an advanced age. They were reminded that, nothing is too hard or too wondrous for God …

As I stand before you my friends, my family, our church, despite the obstacles in our path, the questions we are afraid to ask, the human brokenness that gets in our way, I would not be standing here today if I did not believe that God has great things in store for this Presbyterian family.

For if we simply open ourselves up to the possibilities of the future, we will not only dream our wildest dreams, but together, compelled by the grace-filled life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we will know, live and share those dreams with one another and with the world.

For again, my sisters and brothers, my Presbyterian family, as we move into the future, believe at the core of your soul, nothing, nothing, nothing is too hard or wondrous for God. AMEN.”[1]

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[1] Adapted from http://www.mod.reyes-chow.com/2008/06/opening-speech.html?ref=nf

Sermon Matthew 9:35-10:15

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon Matthew 9:35-10:15

Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church

June 15, 2008

This morning we will be joining with Jesus as he looks out over the Eagle Rock community and sees so many people who have no faith and no relationship with God. This causes Jesus to grieve that so many people do not come into his presence to worship the creator. So today we will be reflecting on what Jesus intends to do about this problem.

Will you pray with me? Lord Jesus we grieve with you over the large number of souls in our community who have not found you. We confess that we have been unable to bring them to church and we need your help. So we ask that you bring in the harvest as you have promised and allow us to help in this great work. We pray this in the name of our Lord and savior who sends us into the Eagle Rock Community as bearers of the good news. And we pray all of this in his strong name, amen.

Matthew 9:35-10:15 35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

1 Then Jesus a summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him. 5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near. 8 Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.

You received without payment; give without payment. 9 Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, 10 no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for laborers deserve their food. 11 Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. 12 As you enter the house, greet it. 13 If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

Jesus’ ministry while on Earth was primarily as a preacher, teacher and healer. As a preacher he proclaimed that the Kingdom of Heaven had come very close to the earth. As a teacher or rabbi he entered the synagogues and taught from the Hebrew Scriptures with authority that astounded his listeners. And as a healer he stopped the twelve year suffering of a woman with hemorrhages, brought a young girl who had recently died back to life, restored sight to two blind men, and cast out the demon that had made a man mute. As Jesus preached, taught and healed large crowds began to follow him like lost sheep searching for a shepherd. Jesus looked out at the crowds and was moved deeply by all of the people who did not know God. As we gather for worship today in the presence of Jesus Christ there is no doubt that Jesus grieves over all the people here in our community, our city, our state, our nation and our world who have yet to develop a personal relationship with their God through him.

Jesus’ solution was to send out his disciples, not as shepherds gathering in the flock, but as common laborers helping the shepherd to gather his sheep. God is the shepherd of the sheep and she had already spoken to the hearts of the people of Jesus’ day just as he had spoken the good news directly to Abraham and Sarah. Our God who created the ear can speak directly to his creatures, the crowd following Jesus, or the people living here in Eagle Rock. Since God has already spoken to hearts of the people in our community with the good news, all God wants us to do is to help him by talking to people about our faith.

Jesus told the disciples that when they meet people they are to tell them about the good news that they had already heard, that the Kingdom of Heaven had come near and justice and righteousness would soon reign on earth. He gave them the authority to heal as he had healed those with pressing needs. Jesus gives us the same message. We have the authority proclaim that God’s kingdom has come near, and we have the ability through prayer to heal and to serve the people in our community. So as we meet people here in Eagle Rock, at the store, or the hairdresser, or Kiwanis, or the Women’s Club, or wherever we happen to be we can with authority and confidence proclaim the good news that we have heard here in church, and pray for needs of the people we meet in our community. Through our words, prayers and actions people in the Eagle Rock Community will find Jesus and through him their creator God.

Just a Jesus gave his disciples some practical advice for bringing in God’s harvest let me give you some ideas for those times when you talk with people in our community about the good news. First, you will find people who want to know more about God at many different places. They can be found in coffee shops, street corners, across the back fence, at work, in the library, at school, in other words wherever people gather there will be those whom God has already given the hunger to come into a relationship with her through Jesus. You have the authority from God to talk with people, just be sure to use humor and a light touch; as my mother said you can attract more flies with honey than vinegar. Remember that when you talk with people you are starting a process which will continue with proper instruction here at the church. So just give people the impression that Christians have something exciting to offer, that just might interest them.

Second, God has given you the authority to have personal conversations with people about the good news of Jesus Christ. Don’t be embarrassed or afraid to talk with people about your faith. Remember that God has already prepared their hearts. Start talking with people confident that God has prepared them to receive your message. There is no reason to use hype or manipulation. Just develop friendships with others with whom you will able to share your faith. And remember that the church is a place where Christians are equipped to go back out into the world to spread to good news they have heard.

Third, remember that your home is the best place to talk with people about Jesus. This was certainly the case in the early church where Christians met together in small groups in people’s homes. The home is the best place for conversation, prayer and meals. You don’t have to have a Beverly Hills mansion, although that would help. All you need is a kitchen table or a couple of chairs or like Abraham and Sarah a shady tree to get together with some friends and talk about your faith. This is the way most churches have started with a small group of people around a dinner table talking about Jesus. A group is always a good way to spread the faith because within a group you have encouragement and support and one person can make up for another’s deficiency. So look for ways of inviting people into your homes to gossip about Jesus. You will find that your group will grow and you will need a larger room like the ones here at the church.

And finally remember that the act of making Christians is not your responsibility. This is the work of the Holy Spirit who will guide, empower and lead you as you meet people and discuss your faith. The Holy Spirit is already working in the hearts of the people in this community and will be at work as you invite people into your homes to talk about Jesus. The promise is that Holy Spirit will give you exactly what is needed to share your faith in a way that will bring people to Christ. Remember that the Kingdom of Heaven has come near and with it comes the power of God that works though your ministry of bringing the good news of Jesus Christ to your neighbors here in Eagle Rock. The growth of Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church, which is so desired by Jesus Christ, will come about as the Holy Spirit empowers you to proclaim the good news and share your faith with others.

The good news for Eagle Rock is that the Holy Spirit is at work right here. She is already transforming the hearts of people who live here to be receptive to your message. If anyone does not want to hear about the faith you have to share then just move on; don’t worry about it because the next person will be ready to hear the good news. And the good news is that the Kingdom of Heaven has come near and our community will is richly blessed.[1]

Holy Spirit, we ask this day that you empower us to speak the good news by sharing our faith with the community we live us. Help us to overcome our fear of speaking with people we don’t know. Help us to overcome our fear of inviting people into our homes for discussions about faith. Fill our hearts with the compassion of Jesus Christ for the people in our community who wander about like sheep without a shepherd. Lead us, guide us and encourage us as we share our faith with people in our community. We pray this with full confidence in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, amen.

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[1] These four points were adapted from Michael Green, Evangelism in the Early Church, (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. 1970,2003) 23-26.

Sermon Genesis 12:1-9 and Romans 4:13-15 – Called by God

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon Genesis 12:1-9 and Romans 4:13-15 – Called by God

Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church

June 8, 2008

This morning, immediately after worship, we will be having a congregational meeting to call members of the church to ministries of Elder, Deacon and Nominating Committee. As a church we are discerning who God has called to these ministries. We need to know what biblical criteria to use in evaluating the candidates. So this morning let us reflect on what it means to be called by God to ministry in the church.

Please pray with me. Lord Jesus while on this earth you chose disciples and apostles to follow you and lead your people. We know that you have called people in this church to roles of leadership and service. Help us to discern those among those who have the necessary gifts and faith to lead this church in months and years to come. We put our trust in you, amen.

Romans 4:13-25 ¹³ For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. ¹⁴ If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. ¹⁵ For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation. ¹⁶ For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, ¹⁷ as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations")-- in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. ¹⁸ Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become "the father of many nations," according to what was said, "So numerous shall your descendants be." ¹⁹ He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. ²⁰ No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, ²¹ being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. ²² Therefore his faith "was reckoned to him as righteousness." ²³ Now the words, "it was reckoned to him," were written not for his sake alone, ²⁴ but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, ²⁵ who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.

The first book of the Bible is Genesis. “Genesis” literally means “beginning”. The first eleven chapters deal with the beginnings of the whole world with stories about creation, fall and flood. But in chapter 12 the entire focus changes from cosmological beginnings to the beginning of God’s calling his people to faith and service. We are told about all of this in the story of Abram.

According to Genesis 12 God appeared directly to Abram and spoke to him. “Get walking” God said because she wanted Abram to go somewhere new and start something big. Abram was to leave his land and his family and go off into the great unknown with only his faith as a guide and an uncertain promise that God would somehow let him know when he had arrived. God was calling Abram to ministry, but Abram had very little notion what all of this meant.

God also made a promise, a contract, with Abram. Its terms were very simple and yet very profound. God promised to bless Abram’s life by giving him land and descendants and all Abram had to do was to be a blessing for others. This is the great covenant that God still has with his people. We are blessed with rich lives so that we will be a blessing to those around us. As followers of Jesus Christ we are all blessed to be a blessing to others. As with all covenants in the ancient world this one had blessings if it was observed and curses if it was violated. All blessings will be blessed by God, but God will curse all curses. And if Abram truly blesses others just as he has already been blessed by God then the promise is that God will multiply the blessings to Abram into blessings for the whole world.

The question that has perplexed scholars for thousands of years is: why was Abram chosen? What was there about Abram’s character or behavior that attracted God’s attention? One answer was that Abram must have been righteous. He must have followed the law that God had given to Moses. Under this theory Abram must have lived a virtuous life free from sin and thus able to approach God as a holy and righteous person. But as the Apostle Paul pointed out this explanation is just not possible. Moses lived 500 years after Abram. The Law of Moses did not exist in his lifetime. So obeying the law was not the reason God called Abram and promised to bless him.

Maybe Abram was simply a virtuous person who in the absence of the Law just happened to please God. Maybe Abram was so good God chose him for a great blessing. But this can’t be because in the very next verses of the twelfth chapter of Genesis Abram sells his wife to Pharaoh in Egypt. How could someone who pimps his wife for money have earned God’s blessing?

Paul’s conclusion was that God called Abram not because of what Abram did or because of the kind of person Abram was but because of Abram’s faith. You see Abram was a sinner who was chosen, and blessed by a gracious God because he believed in a creator God who took the dead dust of the earth, formed it into the form of a human being and breathed the spirit of life into it. This faith was all that was needed for Abram to be richly blessed by God.

So faith is what is needed to be called by God into a ministry of receiving God’s blessing and pouring those blessing out to others. Jesus exemplified all of this when he called Matthew to be a disciple. Matthew was tax collector. Tax collectors were essentially extortionists who lined their own pockets with gold. They were universally hated but tolerated by the Romans who shared in the wealth. We would expect that Jesus would condemn the tax collector Matthew as a sinner. But we would be wrong. What Jesus did was to call Matthew to follow him as a disciple. And Matthew followed Jesus and led other tax collectors and sinners to Jesus’ table for dinner. The message was clear for anyone to see. Just as God had called a sinner named Abram to follow him so too did Jesus call a sinner named Matthew as a disciple. Both Abram and Matthew were blessed not because of their character or their behavior but because of their great faith (Matthew 9:9-13).

This gives us great hope because all of us are sinners too. None of us have the behavior or character to deserve to be called and blessed by God to be a blessing for others. But we are all called to our own ministries because of our faith that the God of Abram breathed the spirit of life into the dead body of Jesus resurrecting him to new life. Because of our faith in Christ we too are blessed by God and called to be a blessing to others.

So what does all of this mean for us today as we gather to discern who God is calling to lead this church? We could look for sinless people, people who always obey God’s law. We could select as elders and deacons people with exemplary lives, who always do what they are supposed to do. We could select those who are righteous before God because of their great character and works.

The Presbyterian Church tells us that we should select people who have demonstrated that God has given them gifts to lead the church. They should be “persons of strong faith, dedicated discipleship, and love Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior” (G-60106a). And we are told that the persons we select should demonstrate with the lives the good news of Jesus Christ. All of these characteristics clearly describe both Abram and Matthew. So rather than imposing an ethical test on candidate for church office we look for the evidence that God has blessed them so that they can be a blessing to others.

So as you prayerfully discern who God is calling to serve this church as leaders expect that people you choose will be sinners who fall short of what we expect of leaders and what God expects of everyone. Rather expect that God will send someone like Abram or Matthew. Your job is not to judge their behavior or even criticize their character. Rather you are to discern whether or not they are people of faith, who are gifted by God and believe that Jesus loves us so much he died for us. Find leaders for this church who are willing to follow Jesus wherever he may lead. And if you do this the promise is that Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church will be blessed by God so that we may be a blessing to people in our community.

Lord God Most High, help us to discern your desire for leaders of this church. We are entering an uncertain time of change and growth and need leaders with the gifts of bringing this church to new life. We are confident Lord that you will raise our leaders up from among us who love you and will follow your son Jesus. We pray this in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, amen.

Sermon – Psalm 46, Matthew 7:21-29

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon – Psalm 46, Matthew 7:21-29

Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church

June 1, 2008

The psalm Steven read to you this morning was attributed to the children of Korah, the Korahites. It turns out that three thousand years ago King David appointed Korah’s children to handle the music ministry in worship. Korah’s children continued to sing and play instruments for Solomon after the temple was built. I am happy to report that this tradition of having Cora and her children offering music in worship to God continues in this church today.

Please pray with me. Lord Jesus we know that you are the way, the truth and the life. Lead us in your way, by your truth, and toward the lives you would have us lead. Put our lives together again when they appear to be falling apart. Be for us a firm foundation and stronghold against evil. We pray this in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, amen.

Matthew 7:21-29 ²¹ "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. ²² On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?' ²³ Then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.' ²⁴ "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. ²⁵ The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. ²⁶ And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell-- and great was its fall!" ²⁸ Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, ²⁹ for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

Today is June 1. This is the beginning of the hurricane season in the Atlantic and the east coast of the United States is bracing for another season of devastating storms, winds and floods. In the Midwest we have already seen gigantic tornados racing across the plains leaving behind a wake of destruction. Here on the west coast the lack of rain has caused the vegetation on the hills to dry out. When this dry vegetation is combined with the heat and strong winds of summer we brace for the fires that will race across the southland. Those fires leave behind unstable earth that wants to slide into the sea carrying everything with it. And of course we live on top of a great seismic fault that periodically shakes everything to pieces. In this environment it is no wonder that our lives often seem to be falling apart; we become unglued and look to God to put everything back together. No wonder we all feel insecure.

We all want to feel secure. We need to know that we have a warm place to sleep tonight, that we will have sufficient food to satisfy our hunger. We need to know that everything will be all right. So we work hard, very hard, to make ourselves as secure as possible. We spend years educating and preparing ourselves for careers. We save and invest our money to be able to buy a home, educate our children, and provide for our own retirement. We work hard all of our lives to make us feel secure that if misfortune should befall us we can weather the storm and survive.

But what if despite all of our efforts and hard work it is just not enough. What if the mortgage requires two incomes and a spouse divorces or dies? Where will you live? What if your back and neck are injured in a fall and you cannot work and the disability check is not enough to live in an apartment? Where will you go? What will you do?

Most of us are blessed with sound bodies and good minds. We have been successful in raising families and setting aside enough to get us through. But even with all of this we cannot rest secure because we know that the day will come when fire blazes through this town or the ground shakes or illness strikes and everything we have counted on is gone in a flash. So we build strongholds for protection. Maximize contributions to the 401k. Hire more police to deal with the gangs. Earn another degree. Buy more insurance. Move to Arizona. We try all of these and so much more, but our insecurity remains. We fear that we may loose it all. For all of us whether we are rich or poor, live in a nice house or on the street, have work or are facing unemployment, we feel a deep insecurity that just won’t go away. We have a nagging fear that we haven’t done enough to prepare. We might lose it all.

Last year I worked for Rev. Roberto Colon at Faith United Presbyterian Church. Rev Colon emigrated from Puerto Rico two decades ago to attend Fuller Seminary. He stayed in the United States to work with the homeless in Los Angeles. Later he became pastor of Iglesia de la Comunidad in Glendale and moved his congregation to Highland Park to join with Faith United in a joint ministry to that community. He and his church had a home, a charismatic pastor, and sufficient financial resources to grow the combined ministry. They were secure. But this security could not be counted on. Six month ago Rev. Colon was taken off an airplane at LAX and rushed directly to the hospital with respiratory problems. He was placed on a respirator and has been in an intensive care unit with his wife Noelia at his side. The security that Rev. Colon and his family and church thought they vanished in an instant.

According the psalmist there is only one place where we can go and be free of fires and earthquakes, and mudslides, and tornadoes and hurricanes and illness. There is only one place where we can feel secure and know that if we were to lose everything we would still be ok. There is only one place where we are not threatened by disease, or unemployment, or bankruptcy. The psalmist calls this place the “City of God”. The City of God can never be shaken because it is where God lives. This city will never be destroyed by fire, or flood, or wind, or mudslide because God provides the sure foundation. No nation or gang can hurt it inhabitants because God protects this city with a heavenly army. Those who reside in the City of God will feel secure because God is their defender and strength.

So how does one enter this wonderful city where our fears calmed and we can feel secure. Some believe that coming here to church allows us to enter the City of God, here where we declare Christ to be our Lord and Savior, here where we cast out evil spirits and pray for healing. Certainly this must be the City of God where we at last will find our security. But shockingly for us Jesus says that this is not the case. Coming here to worship and learn correct theology in not enough to make us feel secure. We will not leave worship today with a passport to the City of God.

According to Jesus the only way to enter God’s city is by doing God’s work. We are to do the work of justice and righteousness by caring for those less fortunate than ourselves. Jesus is teaching us a great lesson. If we are concerned about our own security we will be less secure, but if we are concerned about the security of others we will find security for ourselves. So if we care for those who are hungry then we will not fear that we will have nothing to eat. If we care for those who are homeless then we will not fear losing our homes to fire or foreclosure. Our security comes from making others feel more secure. All of this happens because our feeling of security ultimately comes not from our own hard work or from the things we acquire or even from our belief in Jesus. Rather our security comes from following God who loves us so much and wants us to love others.

This is the lesson the Rev. Colon has learned. Now that he can no longer count on his health and being able to make a living from his church he has had to rely on God as his sole foundation. With God’s help he is now off the respirator and has begun walking with assistance, and Noelia has been able to go home for the first time in months. They now know that money and good health are not something to be relied upon. Only by doing God’s work of loving and caring for those who desperately need our love can we find a firm foundation for our lives.

We are about to gather around the table of our Lord. Everyone is invited to join feast. Whatever your needs are this today I invite you to bring it to this table. If you need a place to live or meal to eat bring those concerns to Jesus as you approach this table. If you are facing illness or a shortage of money bring those concerns right here. And as you eat the bread and drink the wine you will begin to feel the security that comes from following Jesus who leads us to our unmovable foundation, the love of God.

Father in heaven, be for us a mighty stronghold and a firm foundation. Help us to follow in the way of Jesus. Fill us with a feeling a security as go into the world to care for those are most insecure. And allow us to enter your city where nothing can be shaken, amen.