Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon - Iksan, South Korea
July 11, 2007
Article in the Iksan Newspaper
2nd article
As we come together in the presence of Jesus Christ this evening in worship,
you may be wondering why an American is preaching to you in English.
You may also be wondering why this American is wearing a Hanbok.
Well, I have been wondering about these things myself.
But before I attempt an answer lets start by looking at the Word of God.
Our reading tonight comes from the twelfth chapter of Genesis, verses 1-3.
Will you pray with me?
Holy Spirit, help me this day to preach your mighty Word. Help Jeong Ju as she translates it. And help this congregation to understand what you are speaking to them this evening. We pray this in the strong name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
God has made a wonderful promise to Abraham and Sarah.
God has promised to bless them, to make their lives wonderful.
But there are conditions on the promise.
Abraham and Sarah must follow God wherever he leads.
They must leave their home and family and go to a new land God will show them.
God's promises often come with difficult conditions.
God's promise to Sarah and Abraham was initiated by God.
This is the way it is suppose to be.
God promises something and we respond.
But for many of us we reverse the process.
We make a promise with God and expect God to respond to us.
Students often pray something like,
"God, if I pass this test I will read the Bible every day for a month"
Workers often pray something like,
"God, if I made just a little more money I could tithe to the church"
We really want God to do something for us.
Many years ago I prayed a prayer like this.
I said, "God if you give me a wife I will follow you wherever you lead."
Now I was not looking for just an ordinary wife.
I was looking for someone who would lead me to new experiences,
someone whom would motive me to be the kind of man I was created to be.
But this prayer remained unanswered for many years.
One Sunday, while in church, I prayed to God for a wife.
God responded with these words, "Its in the book"
I immediately opened a Bible and read this promise to Abraham.
I knew right then and there that God wanted me to dedicate my life to his Word.
Over the next three years I studied the Bible as hard as I could.
But God did not send me a wife.
Then for two years I was trained to be a Bible teacher.
But God did not send me a wife.
I taught the Bible for four years to adults in my church.
But God did not send me a wife.
Then I remembered that I had promised to follow God wherever he might lead.
So I left my family and friends in Washington DC and moved to Los Angeles CA.
There I enrolled at Fuller Theological Seminary.
And I prayed to God to send me a wife.
Then one day I was worshiping at the Pasadena Presbyterian Church.
After the service I noticed a lovely young Korean woman passing our fliers.
A few months later this same Korean woman sat down next to me in class.
I told her that I was a Bible teacher and was attending Fuller to become a pastor.
Her name was Oh Jeong Ju.
We formed a small group of international students.
These students came from many countries, but most were Korean.
Jeong Ju cooked a delicious Korean meal every week.
I helped them with English and used the Bible to help start conversations.
The group grew to nearly 20 people
A talented music leader from a church in Seoul arrived and organized a band.
We moved the group into the church and called it CrossRoads because:
The students came down many different roads that crossed in Pasadena.
And we were all on the same road to the cross of Jesus Christ.
I saw with my own eyes the revelation first seen by John on Patmos,
a great multitude from every nation, tribe, people and language standing before the throne ... worshiping God. (Rev 7:9,11)
Jeong Ju and I worked closely together on the ministry.
I found that I loved Korean culture.
I found that I loved her family.
We fell in love with each other and were married 18 months ago.
I believe that God has answered my prayer.
God has given me the wife I always wanted.
Now is my time to respond.
I had promised God that If he gave me a wife
I would follow him wherever he might lead.
There is a small church in the Eagle Rock section of Los Angeles.
It has a small and aging congregation.
The community around it is filled with new immigrants.
These new immigrants want to learn English and adapt to American culture.
God is calling Jeong Ju and I to pastor this church.
The congregation is ready to help us reach out and help the new immigrants.
The message I will have for this church is that they have been blessed.
So it is time to bless others.
Our dream is to build a multicultural church in Los Angeles.
In this church we hope to see people of all nations and cultures
worshiping Christ together.
When you come to Los Angeles please visit us and worship together.
We hope that through this church all the families of the earth will be blessed.
So why is an American preaching to you this evening in English?
Because I am ready to follow God wherever he might lead.
I never dreamed that I would come to Korea, yet here I am in Iksan.
And why am I wearing a Hanbok?
Because this is my way of thanking God and you for sending Jeong Ju to me.
Amen
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Sermon - Acts 3:1-10 - A Little Touch of God’s Grace
Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon – FUPC –
A Little Touch of God’s Grace
In the last year of Herod the Great a young couple came to
20 Years Old
Twelve years later young couple from
40 years old
An additional 20 years have passed and the man with bad feet, now 40 years old, was still sitting next to big bronze gate of the temple, the one everyone called “beautiful”. He hoped that somehow someone would give what he truly needed. He didn’t need money. Rather, what he needed was a little touch of God’s grace. One day he heard a remarkable story. A rabbi from
But no sooner had this good new reached his he heard that the rabbi from
A little touch of God’s Grace
Jesus’ apostles, Peter and John, went to the temple every day for evening prayers. The temple offered continuous sacrifices twice each day. The first was at daybreak. Then, nine hours later at around
This man was lovingly brought there each day to sit next to the gate hoping that someone somehow would give him what he really needed, a little bit of God’s grace. But day after day everyone just ignored this man with bad feet. So he just sat there and waited.
Then one day Peter and John came to the temple and were about to pass through the Beautiful gate. Peter’s eyes had been opened by the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. He saw the world in a new way. Now he noticed people in need, like the man with bad feet sitting next to the gate. So he went over to the man with the bad feet.
The man didn’t know who Peter was. He had been there for so long. Few people ever came over to talk. Those who did usually gave him a few coins as charity. But rarely did anyone talk with him. Rarely did anyone want to know him or to help find what he really needed.
But Peter with the help of the Holy Spirit saw the man as few others did. He stared right at him for a few moments and was filled for compassion for the man, realizing his deep need. And Peter knew why this man came to the temple every day. He wanted to be touched by God’s grace. So Peter reached down and grabbed his hand. Peter had been a fisherman all of his life. He used his powerful arms and hands to reach over the side of the boat and pull in a net filled with fish. Jesus had told him that one day he would the fisher of people. And this day, Peter reached down with those powerful arms and hands and pulled up the man with bad feet.
Peter realized that with the coming of the Holy Spirit everything has changed. God was no longer just in the temple. No more did someone have to enter the temple to find God. In the Holy Spirit, God had left the temple to come directly to his people. God no longer will wait for us to make ourselves holy before we can enter into his presence. Rather he comes to us as we are in our brokenness and sin. The Holy Spirit prepares us with Christ’s holiness. So clothed in Christ we are ready to meet God.
As soon as Peter grabbed the man his bad feet began to heal. Just as Ezekiel had prophesied centuries before, God created flesh, and muscle and ligaments on the dry bones. For the first time in his life the man was able to stand. And he did what he always wanted to do. He walked through the big bronze gate everyone called “beautiful”. The man’s joy was intense and leapt into the air with joy. The man who used to have bad feet jumped and danced and praised God for everything God had done.
The people in the temple were amazed, astonished, bewildered by all they had seen. Here was the man who had sat outside the gate with bad feet for as long as anyone could remember. And now he was healed, jumping for joy and praising God for this great gift. Five thousand people saw with there own eyes this miracle of God.
Miracles
But we as modern people have a hard time believing this story. We have told over and over again that miracle do not happen. Since the beginning of the Enlightenment we have believed that science can give us answers to all questions. If we just give the scientists enough time and enough resources they can find natural causes for everything that happens. Belief in science is an element of faith for modern people.
The church has been divided as to how to handle this scientific world view. Most Christians believe that miracles do not happen now. Some accept that miracles did happen in Jesus’ time but stopped once the New Testament was written. Others look at the miracles in the Bible as just helpful myths. But I believe that we have been too quick to throw out the idea of miracles. Just because science has been very successful in finding natural explanations for things does not mean that miracle do not happen. In fact there are many things that science just cannot answer. Let me give you an example.
Contemporary Miracle
Several years ago a dear friend of mine was not feeling well. She went to the doctor to see what was wrong. He found that she suffered from extremely high blood pressure. It was so high she was in danger of a stroke. So she was put on blood pressure medicine. But it didn’t work. The doctor changed the prescription. But this one did not work any better. So my friend went to the hospital for a complete set of tests to see what was wrong. While in the hospital the doctors discovered a lump on her breast. It was an early form of Breast Cancer. As soon as the diagnosis of breast cancer was made her blood pressure went to normal.
The doctors were amazed and astonished. They had no explanation for what had happened. To their scientific minds it did not make sense. But they celebrated the great joy of their patient who was relieved to finally know what was wrong. My friend strongly believes that her high blood pressure was a sign from God that helped the doctors to find cancer while it was still treatable. My friend is happy and healthy today. Her cancer is in complete remission. And she is extremely thankful for all that God had done for her. Miracles do happen today. We just have to look for them with the eyes of Pentecost.
Of course not everyone will experience a miracle. Many people suffer from chronic diseases and disabilities. Sadly, many prayers for healing have been left unanswered. Not everyone will be cured. But we are comforted by the fact that God knows what we really need and genuinely desires our well being. We will be provided with a little touch of God’s grace.
The Lord’s Supper
So why do we come Sunday after Sunday to church? Why do we sit here on Sunday morning when we could be at Starbucks reading the paper, or on golf course or at the beach? My guess is that there is something that we really, really need. That is why we come to this table. No longer do we have to sit outside the gate. Rather God has invited us here to his own table, which some call “beautiful”, to receive what we really need, a little bit of God’s grace. Amen.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Book Review - Screen Saved
Screen Saved[1]
Dan Andiacco is the Communications Director of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and experienced journalist and expert on the media. In his book Screen Saved Andiacco looks at the effect modern media has on culture and the church and suggests ways that the church can respond. Since words have the ability to transform we should be concerned that the words communicated though the media are transforming people, and the church must respond.
One response is to disengage from the media. Here churches hold onto traditional liturgies and practices and avoids using anything that could remind people of today’s mediated culture. Another response is to hold onto as many old practices as possible as a way to challenge the teachings of the mediated culture. And a third response would be to adopt as much media technology as you can and use it to communicate the gospel.
Andriacco observes that we lead hectic lives primarily driven by the media and its commercial message of accumulating greater wealth. He suggests that the church should combat this with a Lenten media fast. Ministers, however, must get out of the cloistered lives to see for themselves what the media is doing it they are going to respond to it. That way ministers can help their congregations deal with the harmful effects of the mediated culture while still using some media techniques to engage in Christian formation.
From my own experience I have found that silence is difficult. I like to have the TV or radio on all the time, even if it is just background noise. It keeps me from getting lonely. But I realize as a Christian that I need quiet time to meditate on scripture and pray. So Andriacco’s idea of a fast from the media would be good for me. It would allow me to listen for God. But the media fast should only be considered for active Christian. Christian evangelism requires that we speak the language of the people. That language is the language of the media. So we need to use the media to communicate our message of hope and bring people into the churches. The churches must be places where people feel safe and at home. Thus there should be good sound systems and video presentations. Christians should aspire to excellence. That way what we do will be attractive to people from a mediated culture. But we should not adopt all of the principles of the culture.
There is a distinction between principles and techniques. Although these are related and affect each other it is possible to adopt a technique without adopting the cultural principle that normally goes with that technique. For example television commercial are usually used to get someone to buy something. Christians have used commercials to get people to buy Christian things, like a worship service, music or books. When this happens the Christians have adopted both the technique, commercial, and the principle, buy more. But what it we ran commercials that said, “Slow down”, be quiet and pray”. We would be using the commercial technique without the commercial principle of “buy more”.
The tasks for Christians therefore is to us the media techniques, but find innovative ways to undermine the principles the media techniques usually communicate.
[1] Dan Andriacco, Screen Saved, Peril and Promise of Media in Ministry (
Sermon - Luke 15: 11-22 - Our Heavenly Home
Sermon - Luke 15: 11-22 - Our Heavenly Home
Introduction
Recently, Fuller Seminary asked me for my permanent address. The question stumped me. Where is my home? I currently live in a small one bedroom apartment in Fuller Housing, but I will be moving shortly after graduation. That apartment is my home right now. But there is no sense of permanence. The homes I lived in back east belong to other people now. My father has remarried and their home welcomes me as a visitor, but it is not my home. So again I ask, “Where is my home?”
Settlers
My grandfather would have had no difficulty with this question. He never lived more than a couple of miles away from where he was born. He was a coal miner and had to live close to the mine. His father was also a coal miner as were all of his brothers. And he married a coal miner’s daughter who worked in the company store. Life was hard and not expected to get much better. He worked in the mines from his sixteenth birthday until retirement. He never had few luxury items or spare time. His life was centered on work, family and church. He lived on the land originally settled by his parents who had come from
Settlers always went to the local community church. It would have never occurred to them to go to church in someone else’s community. Church is where their community gathered together for worship. Since life was difficult and not expected to improve the church gave them hope in life after death, when settlers would live in paradise. Heaven, for settlers, was located on the other side of death when they would finally receive their great reward. Listen to these comforting words from the prophet Zephaniah.
“At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the LORD.” (Zephaniah 3:20)
Settlers understood that home was where they lived and worked during their lives. And they looked forward to their heavenly home where God the father would graciously welcome them home as his beloved children.
Exiles
My father grew up knowing this coal mining town as home. But after high school he was drafted into the army and served in World War II. After returned home a grateful country sent him to college on the G.I. Bill. After college he went to work for a corporation and bought a house in the suburbs. Several times each year we would get into the station wagon to drive over the mountain back home. Home was always back there in
Exiles lived in one community but considered another community as home. They enjoyed all the luxuries and extra time their new lifestyle allowed. But they longed for the community that they had left behind. So exiles joined churches to be part of new exile communities where they could remember home. In these church communities exiles could use their free time as volunteers, something unknown in my grandparent’s day. They could join committees and become deacons and elders. The watchword for exiles was “upward mobility”. Every few years they could expect a better job, a better home, and a better car. Their goals were to have the corner office and to be an elder in the church.
For a people experiencing upward mobility the church began preaching a new message. Rather that seeing heaven as a place where you go when you die they saw it as being somewhere in the sky above the clouds. The role of the church was to help exiles look up toward their heavenly homes. Listen to these words from Revelation.
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell be with them as their God.’” (Revelation 21:1-3)
Settlers joined community churches to wait for their opportunity to enter heaven. Exiles joined churches that looked up to see the heavenly home they longed for. But today I am neither settled in a community, nor do I long for a remembered home. I am moving from home to home never settling down very long. I live somewhere for as long as I want to live there them I move to another home. I am neither a settler nor an exile. I am a nomad.
Nomads
Nomads live wherever they want. They move from apartment to apartment, house to house, city to city and even country to country. They stay in an apartment, a job or a church only as long as they find fulfillment. As soon as they experience dissatisfaction they move to a new experience, always hoping that the new experience would be better. Sometimes it is. The watchword for nomads is “change”. Settlers never expected change. Exiles expected change as upward progress. But nomads look for change whatever it is.
A few years ago I was offered a job from IBM. I would be managing the installation of cash registers for Wal-Mart stores. Had I taken this job I would have been homeless because IBM expected that I would be traveling to various Wal-Mart stores 100% of the time. I would fly to a
Most young people today live somewhere, but they do not consider that somewhere as home. Since most are the children of exiles they never considered the place where they grew up as home either. So unlike exiles the nomads have no longing for where they grew up. They go wherever the wind blows.
For nomads “home” is not defined by a physical location. Rather “home” consists of the network of relationships they develop. These relationships cross geographic and cultural barriers. Let me give you an example. A little while ago I was looking at my church’s bulletin. Since my church is in
When ministering to nomads the church must assist them in developing a network of relationships grounded in a relationship with Jesus Christ. A friendly church is one where members will exchange cell phone numbers with visitors, and use that contact information to meet visitors for lunch or coffee. For nomads heaven in not someplace you go after you die, nor is it found high above the clouds. Rather heaven is where relationships are formed and people gather together to follow Jesus. Listen to the following words of Christ from Matthew.
Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” (Matthew 18:19-20)
For nomads heaven exists whenever two or three of them come together in Jesus’ name. Church should be the place where relationships are formed and nurtured by the word of God. Exiles see heaven as above the clouds. Church is where they gather to look up. Settlers see heaven as their ultimate destination. Church is where they anticipate this glorious event. Now let’s look at home from the perspective of the Prodigal Son.
Heavenly Home
In the Old Testament home was tied to the land. The land you lived on had been farmed by your father and grandfather and his father going back to the conquest of the land by Joshua. The land was holy because
Jesus explained all of this in the parable of The Prodigal Son. The Father and his two sons lived on the land that their family had lived on forever. They were settlers. But when the younger son demanded his inheritance the land that had fed the family for generations had to be sold. The old system of land inheritance was over. After the younger son left and lost his money he longed for home. He remembered his family and the food the land produced. He was an exile. When the younger son returned he saw that everything had changed. Home was no longer tied to the land. Rather home consisted of the relationships among the father and his two sons. Jesus was preparing us for a change in the meaning of “home” from being a place where you live to being the network of relationships you have with others. Heaven exists whenever your network of relationships follows Jesus.
Amen
Sermon - Isaiah 64:17-25 - New Creation
Sermon - Isaiah 64:17-25 - New Creation
Jeffrey T. Howard
Jeffrey T. Howard
On day after Easter, God is at work renewing and restoring creation.
Introduction
Yesterday was Easter Sunday. At Easter we Christians celebrate our favorite day. Our churches are filled with flowers. Everyone wears their best clothes. And preachers are ready with their greatest sermons. They tell us about the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. This story is a familiar one. Jesus had been killed on a cross and buried in a tomb. But early on the first day of the week the tomb was empty and Jesus was alive. Was the resurrection of Christ a historical event? Of course, we have the testimony of the witnesses faithfully preserved in the New Testament. Did the resurrection validate what Jesus had said and taught? Of course, Jesus claimed to be God. There was no better way to prove it. Did Christ's resurrection change things for the world? Of course it initiated the new creation of heaven and earth.
Problem
But on this Monday after Easter we are forced to ask what difference did Easter make. On this Monday after Easter violence is still raging in Iraq. Gangs still run in the streets of Los Angeles. Extreme poverty is still the rule below our boarders. We still face academic requirements, job uncertainty, and large student debt. In other words this Monday after Easter is not much different from the Monday before Easter. So, what difference did Easter make?
This was the question that Jews had after their Babylonian captivity. The Persian King Cyrus had free them from exile and permitted them to return to Judea and their beloved city Jerusalem. This proclamation had to result in a huge celebration of thanksgiving to God not unlike our own Easter celebrations. But when the exiles returned and saw their city in ruins and their temple destroyed they must have asked: what difference did Cyrus' proclamation make? They had returned home but not to their own kingdom. There was no descendent of David on the throne as God had promised. So their great excitement at being freed from captivity was tempered by reality. What difference did it all make?
The prophets had the answer. Just follow God. Avoid the other gods who led you astray. Follow your God who will restore your land. Here is the good news one wrote:
Isaiah 65:17 - 25 17 For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. 18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight. 19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people; no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, or the cry of distress. 20 No more shall there be in it an infant that lives but a few days, or an old person who does not live out a lifetime; for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth, and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed. 21 They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 22 They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 23 They shall not labor in vain, or bear children for calamity; for they shall be offspring blessed by the LORD-- and their descendants as well. 24 Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear. 25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox; but the serpent-- its food shall be dust! They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the LORD. (NRSV)
On this, the Monday after Easter, can we accept this good news? Do we see the new heaven and the new Earth being created all around us? Do we see signs of peace in the world? Do we see signs that life is getting any better?
Illustration
Recently I was a chaplain at Methodist Hospital in Arcadia. At 5:30 one morning I was awakened by a call from the hospital switchboard. They told me an ambulance was on its way with a patient in cardiac arrest. A chaplain was needed in the Emergency Room immediately. When I arrived at the hospital the Emergency Room staff was frantically trying to revive the patient. It was a scene straight out of the TV show ER with doctors and nurses performing a well rehearsed ritual using every medical technique they had to save the patient's life. Eventually the doctors and nurses relaxed. There was nothing more they could do. The patient had died. He was placed in a small room next to the ER. And I waited for the arrival of the widow.
When the widow arrived we sat in the family waiting room in the ER. We talked while waiting for other members of the family to arrive. She told me that her husband was 45 years old and in good health. She awoke that morning and began brewing coffee when she saw the dogs behaving strangely. She went into the bedroom to wake her husband, and when she touched him his skin was cold. She knew he was dead as she dialed 911. She never expected anything like this.
The promise of Isaiah was that "no more", "NO MORE" shall there be an old person who does not live out his lifetime. Isn't this our expectation after Easter? How could this man of 45 years die leaving behind a widow and two young children - on this side of Easter? There are no easy answers for these questions. These questions test our Christian faith.
I. Blinded by grief
The promise of Easter is that God is at work in the world transforming and renewing creation. Sometimes though, we are blinded by our grief, concerns and sin, unable to see all that God is doing. For example, in preindustrial societies one third of all children died before age six, and the life expectancy of a newborn was just 33 years old. Today childhood mortality rates have plummeted because of substantial improvements in medicine and nutrition. It is common for people to live well into their 80s and 90s with many over 100 years old. This has come about because God has worked with scientists and doctors to create medicines that protects us and allows us to live healthier and longer lives. We are living happier and healthier lives right now. But, when we are happy and healthy we forget about God and all he has done for us. We take our happiness and health for granted. We assume that it will last forever. Then when we or a loved one gets sick we are blinded by grief to these blessings of God and complain that God has forsaken us. The good news is that God is at work renewing and transforming our world whether we see it or not. We can trust by faith that God's will is being done on earth right now bringing about the new creation God promised.
Illustration
After the family arrived at the hospital we went in to see their dead husband, father, brother and friend. We gathered around the bed and each person in turn said goodbye. The widow cried softly as this ritual continued. But near the end she began to sob loudly and fell to the floor. I knelt down and held her hand. She asked me to pray for the family. I said that I needed her help. So she got up and assembled the family around the bed. Everyone held hands. And I began to pray.
II. The importance of prayer
According to the prophet Isaiah, God's work of re-creation and renewal is tied to prayer. God knows our prayers even before we pray them. And his promise is that our prayers will be heard. God will answer our prayers in his work of transforming and renewing creation. Our prayers for peace will be heard. The Sunnis and Shiites in Iraq will one day dip pita bread into olive oil together. Poverty in Latin America will go away. We often wait until the crisis hits to begin our prayers. We are too busy to pray every day. But God's work of re-creation is enhanced because our prayers change our hearts of stone into a hearts of flesh. Prayer is how we allow ourselves to be re-created. The good new is that even if we do not pray as we should, God still hears our prayers.
Illustration
I was with the widow and her family all day. We waited for the deceased's mother to arrive and went to the morgue to say our last goodbyes. After our prayer the widow asked me to do a funeral service for her husband in the church chapel. At that chapel service I talked about the future when the bodies of all the faithful will be resurrected from the dead. The death of her husband was not the end. Just as Jesus Christ had defeated death by being raised from the dead so too would her husband who would live forever in the glorious presence of God where no grief would be remembered and gladness and rejoicing would continue forever.
III. Hope in a yet unrealized future
The new heaven and earth that Isaiah prophesied is in some sense still in the future. God's work of re-creation is an ongoing process that lasts for generations. Our own re-creation is the result of a lifetime of interaction with the Holy Spirit. Thus the ultimate fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy will not occur until the end of the age when Jesus will return. Our hope in the return of Jesus takes many forms. Some are waiting for Christians to be snatched up into heaven. Others expect a violent apocalyptic end. But Isaiah gives us a vision for a nonviolent renewal of the entire world. The world we have today is not as God intends. It is a fallen world corrupted by sin. God has not yet finished the work of creation. Eventually, as God works in our hearts we will be transformed into new creatures. Sin will be removed from our hearts. And fallenness will be removed from the whole cosmos. When this happens we will all be living in right relationship with God. We will experience the fullness of life that come from a full participation in God. All of humanity will learn to live together in peace, harmony, love and righteousness. We will be reconciled with God and with each other. And the new creation will be glorious because we will all join together in glorifying God. This is the good news.
Conclusion
So, on this Monday after Easter has anything changed? Of course, the new creation of heaven and earth has begun. We may be blinded to much of God's work. But God is working whether we see it or not. Now is a time for prayers that God will transform the earth beginning with own hearts. And we trust that the final re-creation will be fulfilled with the coming of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Sermon - Acts 1:4-14 - Prayer from a Reformed Perspective
Sermon - Acts 1:4-14 - Prayer from a Reformed Perspective
4 While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. "This," he said, "is what you have heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." 6 So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He replied, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." 9 When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11 They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day's journey away. 13 When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.
This is the Word of God for the people of God
Thanks be to God
Will you pray with me?
"Eternal God, who has set before us life and death for our choice, and has given us Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, help us to enter that way, to receive that truth, and to live be that life. Suffer us not to miss the purpose of our creation, but make us to be sons and daughters of yours and servants of your kingdom. Through the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen" [1] Adapted from Donald Baillie (1887-1954)
They devoted themselves to constant prayer. Jesus' remaining disciples, some women and his own family gathered back into the upper room to wait for the arrival of the Holy Spirit and the new empowerment that Jesus promised. They went there to wait and to pray. Prayer was important to the leaders of the new church. They regularly went to the temple every afternoon for three-o-clock prayer. As the demands of the church demanded more and more of their time deacons were ordained for pastoral care so that the leaders could continue devoting themselves to prayer. And new elders were ordained with much prayer and fasting.
Since women and men first walked on the earth prayer has been a part of our lives. Our earliest ancestors sensed a mysterious power at work in the world. The nature of this power was dimly understood. But when famine or disease threatened to destroy their tribes they reached out to this power in prayer pleading for salvation. Today all people sense this mysterious power beyond themselves. We reach out to it with our most intense needs and desires. When in trouble our natural response is prayer. Yet we live in an age when results matter. So when we pray we expect God to answer. And if God fails to answer or if the answer is "no" then we are profoundly disappointed.
Many people believe that praying is a way to get God to do something for them. Prayer somehow changes God. But as Christians we believe that prayer changes us. When we pray our hearts are changed. Prayer increases our self understanding and molds us around God's will. For Christians prayer is never centered on getting something rather it is always centered on God. Our goal in prayer is to have a relationship with God. This leads us to the first reason for prayer that our hearts may be filled with a "burning desire to seek, love and serve God." [2] Will you pray with me?
"O Eternal, Almighty and most gracious God! Heaven is your throne, and earth is your footstool; holy and reverend is you name; you are praised by the heavenly hosts, and in the congregation of your saints on earth; and will be sanctified in all that come close to you. We are sinful and unworthy dust; but being invited by you, are bold, through our blessed Mediator, to present ourselves and our supplications before you. Receive us graciously, help us by your Spirit; let you fear be upon us; put your laws into our hearts, write them in our minds; let your word come to us in power, and receive us in love, with attentive, reverent and obedient minds. Make it to us the savour of life unto life. Cause us to be fervent in prayer, and joyful in your praises, and to serve you this day without distractions: that we may find that it is good for us to draw near to God; through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen." [3] (Adapted from Richard Baxter (1615-1691))
Too often we put off praying because we are too busy or too tired. But these are just excuses. Since prayer is our way of conforming ourselves to God's will, the failure to pray is really a form of resistance to God. When we cannot find time to pray we should realize that this is a sign of an inner conflict with God. The temptation to not pray must be resisted. Then as we pray we will experience a renewal of the sense of God's presence in our lives.
As we pray we should make all of our needs and wants, all of our thought and feelings known to God. It forces us to examine our thoughts and desires carefully. If you do not want to bring a thought or desire to God you should reconsider the appropriateness of that thought or desire. Our thoughts and desires may change radically in prayer. This leads us to the second reason for prayer "that there may enter our hearts no desire and no wish at all of which we would be ashamed to make God a witness." [4] Will you pray with me?
"What a frightful account we will have to give to you, O God, to you who judges and condemns the words we speak! If vain words will be condemned, what then of malicious, venomous words? And if our words merit such severe judgment, what will our deeds merit? O Lord, Lord, do not settle accounts with us! Pardon us first: then change us and in the future let no words cross our lips save those inspired by this thought, that your Son, so full of love, was called the Word." [5] Napoleon Roussel (1805-1878).
Prayer is closely tied to self-examination. This is why the Puritans who settled in American made self-examination a daily practice of confession. It forces us to take a new look at ourselves and consider what we doing with our lives. Prayer changes us even if the change in undesired and unexpected.
When we think about our lives we often focus on the negative. We see what is wrong with ourselves and others. But in prayer we take a second look and notice all of the blessings God has given us. This causes us to respond to God with thanksgiving. Our consciousness is freed from the negative. We are able to be thankful for the goodness of life even in the midst of our troubles. This leads us to the third reason for prayer, "that we be prepared to receive God's benefits with true gratitude of heart and thanksgiving." [6] Will you pray with me?
"O God, Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier, we thank you that we may be together to hear your word of life and hope. We are all equal before you. You know our life in its deepest recesses. You have not forgotten us; you love us, and again and again you fill the empty hands which we stretch out towards you. Though the suffering and death of your Son Jesus Christ, you took our darkness and fear upon yourself in order that we might know light and joy." [7] (Prayer of the Waldensian Church)
Prayers of thanksgiving are an important feature of Black churches. Frequently people in the congregation respond with exclamations like "Thank you Jesus" and "Yes, Lord". Their prayers are filled with praises of God. Gratitude fills their hearts helping them deal with oppression and discrimination that has lasted for generations. With prayers of thanksgiving we never take God's blessings for granted. We recognize that God is the source of everything we have, and we recognize God's blessings every day.
In prayer we perceive all that God is doing for us. As we respond in gratitude our hearts change. Then we realize how much God truly loves us, hears our cries and desires our well-being. We begin to see answers from God for what we thought was unanswered prayer. We respect God's "no" when we realize that it has been given out of love. And we develop patience to wait for God's answer in God's time. This leads us to the fourth reason for prayer that, "being convinced that God has answered our prayers, we should be led to meditate upon his kindness more ardently." [8] Will you pray with me?
"Father of mercies, in Thy Word what endless glory shine;
Forever be Thy Name adorer for these celestial lines.
Here the Redeemer's welcome voice spreads heavenly peace around;
And life and everlasting joys attend the blissful sound.
O may these heavenly pages be my ever dear delight;
And still new beauties may I see, and still increasing light;
Divine Instructor, gracious Lord, be Thou forever near;
Teach me to love Thy sacred Word, and view my Savior there." [9]
(Anne Steele (1716-1778)
We all know that we should pray, but praying is hard to do. Everything around us tells us that prayer in unimportant. We are independent people who want to take care of ourselves. We do not want to be dependent. And we ask, "How can God make a difference in a world that obeys natural laws?" We ask these questions because we forget who God is and what he has done for us in Jesus Christ who loves us and forgives all that we have done wrong. Even if we think that prayer may be useless it still affects who we are because in prayer we realize that we are God's beloved. We are reminded of God's grace. And we rekindle our sense of the mysterious and otherness of God.
Prayer brings us into a relationship where we can trust God, the creator of the universe. We also understand in prayer that Christ has joined in our weakness. By praying in Jesus' name we are reminded that he stoops down to lift us up to the presence of God. This act teaches us that we are dependent on God, and frees us from the necessity of depending only on ourselves. We set aside our busyness and our workaholic ways to do nothing, to set ourselves quietly before God's throne.
When Jesus taught his disciple to pray, they already new what prayer was. They had seen numerous examples in the Torah and in the Psalms. The already understood that God meets our daily needs, forgives us, and will initiate a new kingdom. What Jesus taught them was that they could approach God calling him "our father". Will you pray with me?
"Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven, Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen."
Benediction
"O God,
Who has so greatly loved us, and mercifully redeemed us, give us grace that in everything we may yield ourselves, our wills and our works, to a continual thankoffering unto you, though Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen."[10]
(Adapted from The Westminster Divines, "Directory for Worship" (1647))
[1] Donald Baille, as quoted in A Book of Reformed Prayers, 112.
[2] Calvin, as quoted in Howard L. Rice, Prayer in the Reformed Tradition, 75.
[3] Richard Baxter (1615-1691), as quoted in Howard L. Rice and Lamar Williamson Jr. A Book of Reformed Prayers, 41
[4] Calvin 76
[5] Napoleon Roussel, as quoted in A Book of Reformed Prayers, 80,
[6] Calvin 77
[7] Prayer of the Waldensian Church, as quoted in A Book of Reformed Prayers, 190
[8] Calvin 78
[9] Anne Steele, as quoted in A Book of Reformed Prayers, 63.
[10] The Westminster Divines, as quoted in A Book of Reformed Prayers, 38.
Book Review - Ten Strategies for Preaching in a Multimedia Culture
Ten Strategies for Preaching in a Multimedia Culture [1]
Jeffrey T. Howard
Jeffrey T. Howard
In Ten Strategies for Preaching in a Multimedia Culture Thomas Troeger discusses methods of sermon preparation that can be used with congregations coming from a culture dominated by new and changing media. Like the authors of the New Testament we are called to present the word of God in new and imaginative ways that speak to people in an audiovisual culture. In doing this we must be careful to avoid distorting the message. So we have to balance presenting God is a way that can be received by people today without reducing the message to what is merely attractive and entertaining.
Troeger's first strategy is to "assume that there is more to the story." Here we are to embellish the biblical story. This is appropriate because it mimics the practice of the New Testament writers and Jesus in talking about God using story. We must be care though to sufficiently exegete God's word to make certain that our assumption is not in fact a distortion.
His second strategy is to "create a parable". The purpose here is to challenge the listeners' assumptions and patterns of thought. This can be accomplished through a dramatic presentation. This can be a good way for people to consider alternative points of view.
His third strategy is to "play with an image". Troeger points out correctly that since the Reformation there has been a dearth of the use of imagery in churches. Yet image is how much information is communicated on television and movies.
This leads to the fourth strategy to "write the sermon as a movie script". Troeger suggest that we take a biblical story and rewrite it as a movie. This has the advantage of putting the message in a form readily accessible to people.
One technique used in movie scripts is to "use a flashback", Troeger's fifth strategy. This mirrors how we think as we suspend judgment and reflect on our past experiences. The biblical narrative augments our own experiences.
The media is constantly redefining symbols. So Troeger suggest in his sixth strategy to "reframe a sacrament". I agree with Troeger that sacrament are powerful Christian symbols by themselves. We can use story and imagery in our sermons in a way that will illustrate the reality behind these symbolic acts.
Stories about children are among the most memorable. We love stories people tell about their childhood. This is Troeger's reason for his seventh strategy to "let a little child lead you". I love his idea that by using children stories in a sermon it can be understood in two ways. Children understand that their stories are a part of God's story. And adults understand the biblical message through a memorable story.
Building on telling stories about children Troeger's eight reason is to "play a game". This is a good way to get the congregation to participate in worship. Their "point" of the game can be presented in a sermon the next week. This would be a good way to present complicated issues such as immigration or economics.
It is important to speak from the voices of the marginalized in society. These voices often are not heard through the traditional media. This forces the preacher to enter into another context and is the basis of Troeger's ninth strategy to "listen to the muffled voices."
In Troeger's tenth strategy emphasizes an important exegetical method to "compare translations". It is important to compare translations or do a careful translation from the original languages to understand what the authors originally meant. This can often correct past exegetical mistakes that have led to theological problems.
Troeger's approach is surprising in that I had expected to learn how to use multimedia in preaching. But that is not at all what he does. Rather he argues for varied and innovative preaching that will keep the interest of people who are part of a multimedia culture.
[1] Thomas H. Troeger, Ten Strategies for Preaching in a Multi Media Culture (Nashville: Abingdon Press 1996)
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