Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
From the Pastor’s Desk
Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam March Newsletter
February 23, 2010
From the Pastor’s Desk
With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12)
Prayer is an essential part of the Christian life. It is how we communicate with God. We give to God all of our joys and concerns and God sends the Holy Spirit to comfort and transform us. Through this process our will is molded around God’s will. And our hearts are molded around God’s heart. Prayer, therefore, is needed for our transformation as God’s people.
This is why we devote so much of our time to prayer every Sunday morning. We pray asking God for forgiveness. We pray to understand what God is saying to us in scripture. And we pray for health for ourselves and loved ones.
But, praying once a week is not enough. Paul says that he prays constantly. We need to pray daily. That’s why Grace and I pray in the Pitts Creek sanctuary every day Tuesday-Saturday at 6AM. We read scripture. And we pray for the congregations of Beaver Dam and Pitts Creek. Please join us for early morning prayer as we do this essential work.
Blessings,
Pastor Jeff
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Sermon - John 12:1-11 – Having Jesus Over for Dinner
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon - John 12:1-11 – Having Jesus Over for Dinner
Beaver Dam and Pitts Creek Churches
February 21, 2010
Listen to this sermon.
Last week during worship we gathered around this table for the Lord’s Supper. Once a month, the church gathers around a meal for our coffee hours. The men gather for a weekly breakfast on Friday mornings at Our Place. And women in the church gather in various groups to break bread together. Breaking bread with each other is an important way of building relationships in the church. That’s why Grace and I are opening our home this Saturday and Sunday for all of you so that we can get to know you and begin the process of developing relationships with you. Jesus too gathered with his disciples and friends for meals. And an account of one of these dinners is recorded for us in the Gospel of John. But before we get to all of this please pray with me.
Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)
John 12:1-11 NIV John 12:1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages." 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 "Leave her alone," Jesus replied. "It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me." 9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him.
John has given us a picture of Jesus going to the house of some friends for dinner. In many ways this supper was very ordinary. Martha was in the kitchen getting things ready. Every family needs a Martha, someone who cooks and cleans and makes sure that everything gets done right. We have Marthas right here in this church, people who spend their time in the kitchen, or make food for the coffee hours, or care for the children of the church, or fix toilets when they leak. Churches depend on their Marthas to make things happen around the church. And as your new pastor I am very grateful to find many Marthas hard a work making church happen.
I knew a Martha at my church in Eagle Rock. Her name was Ellen. She was a Korean immigrant just learning English and American Culture. She came to Eagle Rock to meet Americans and learn English. She sang in the choir, played the piano, served food at dinner and did whatever the church needed. Ellen was always willing to help any way she could and I will always be grateful for her help. And she was one of many Marthas in that church.
One person at this dinner with Jesus should not have been there. Lazarus should not
have been at dinner because he had died. That’s right Lazarus had died and was buried for three day when Jesus brought him back to life, and of course he came to the family meal. Many of us identify with Lazarus; we have experienced old lives that have died so that we could be reborn to new life in Jesus Christ. Maybe our old lives were as alcoholics or drug addicts which ended when we found new lives by coming to faith in Jesus. Maybe our old lives were killed by the loss of a job, or the ending of a relationship; we felt like we were dead, but were brought back to life by Jesus. The church needs Lazaruses as much as it needs Marthas. Its needs people who can testify to their spiritual rebirth in Jesus Christ to remind everyone of the importance of faith and the hope that Jesus gives to those whose old lives are passing away and need hope of new life in Christ.
There is a church in Northeast Los Angeles that is made up of Lazaruses. For the last 35 years Victory Outreach has gone into the community with a mission to gang members. They tell the gang members that gang life results in death. Fighting with guns and knifes leads to the loss of arms and legs, a life in a wheel chair, years spent in prison, and death. The life of a gang member ends in ruin. But the church offers gang bangers a new life, a life of hope. This new life is available to those who believe in Jesus Christ. That church is now full of people who had chosen new life in Christ over gang life. And the members keep going back on the streets to testify to salvation they found in Jesus Christ bringing more and more gang members for redemption and faith in Jesus.
Another person who should not have been at the dinner was Jesus because there was a warrant for his arrest. The raising of Lazarus had caused quite a stir in that small town of Bethany, and the excitement spread all the way to Jerusalem. The religious authorities in Jerusalem were concerned that all this excitement about Jesus’ sign would upset the Roman Empire and trigger a violent response. So they decided to not risk Roman anger and chose to have Jesus arrested and put to death. So Jesus went into hiding in a town far to the north near the wilderness. And there he remained with his disciples until coming back to Bethany for this supper with Martha, Lazarus, Mary and Judas.
It is important for the church to have Jesus present whenever we break bread. That is why we pray for Jesus to be with us when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. And that is why we say grace before each meal not only thanking God for the provisions that make meals possible, but also asking for Jesus to be there with us as our families and our churches gather for meals.
Of course whenever families or churches get together there will be conflicts. I know of people who hate Thanksgiving because they have to eat a meal with their family and rehash all the old arguments and disputes. The supper Jesus had with Martha, Lazarus and family was no different. There was a major dispute about the use of money.
Mary opened an alabaster jar of very costly perfume. Presumably it had been purchased for the day when Jesus’ head would be anointed as king. But with Jesus’ arrest at hand Mary decided to use it now to anoint Jesus while he was still alive. So she poured the oil on his feet and wiped it with her hair. Families need Marys to lift them from the ordinariness of life to higher spiritual levels of worship. Countless Marys have given their time and treasure for the worship life of this church. Think of the teachers who have spent hours to prepare a lesson and then extravagantly pour that lesson out in a one hour class. Think of the singers and musicians who have practiced and rehearsed for hours and hours and then pour out their gifts in a single performance. Churches need Marys as much as they need Marthas and Lazaruses to beautify and adorn our worship of God.
But there is one more person at the table, Judas. Do churches need Judases? We all know Judas. He is the one who betrayed Jesus. But let’s look at Judas, the follower of Jesus, who is seated at the table with Martha, Mary and Lazarus before he decided to betray Jesus to the authorities. John often calls Judas the son of Simon. And we know that Simon the Leper owned the house where this supper is taking place. So it is possible that Simon the Leper was the father of Martha, Lazarus, and Mary. So since Martha, Lazarus, Mary and Judas all seen to have a father named Simon and since they are the ones sitting around the table with Jesus, it is plausible that they are all brothers and sister. This is what makes this meal an ordinary family supper among siblings. And the disagreement between Judas and Mary could be a spat between brother and sister. And thus we can see Judas in a new light as a follower of Jesus who disagreed with his sister over how their money should be spent. Families and Churches need Judases to keep track of money and make sure that it is used appropriately. Judas said that the money should be used to care for the poor. Mary wanted it used in worship of Jesus.
This dispute has continued in the church for two thousand years. Marys want funds spent to beautify the sanctuary, improve the music, and bring in good teachers and preachers. Judases want the money spent on Samaritan Shelter and other projects in our community, nation and world. Jesus acknowledged that both views are important. We have to spend money on worship and we have to care for the poor. But since the money for the ointment had been budgeted for anointing his body after his death he saw no reason why it could not be used now while he was still alive. This infuriated Judas who had assumed that the perfume would be used to anoint Jesus as king. As a result of his anger the great tragedy of John’s gospel occurred. Judas, a disciple of Jesus Christ, lost his faith, stopped believing in Jesus, and began making plans to betray him to the authorities.
This is the great warning in the Gospel of John that disputes within the church can lead to unbelief. Marthas, Lazaruses, Marys and Judases are all needed in the church. But we know that with this diversity of opinion disputes will happen. We must never allow our disagreements to cause us to lose our faith in Jesus Christ because the most important thing in the church is our faith that Jesus is here with us. And the promise of scripture is that if Jesus is here with us and people in the community find out we will have more people in this sanctuary than we can imagine. Marthas and Lazaruses and Marys and Judases will be breaking down our doors to get to Jesus and have faith in him.
Lord Jesus, we thank you for being with us in worship today. We ask that you bless the Marthas, Lazaruses, Marys and Judases who are worshiping with us today. Bless us with continuing faith even in the midst of our disagreements. And help us to communicate to Pocomoke the good news that you are right here with us in this church. Amen.
Sermon - John 12:1-11 – Having Jesus Over for Dinner
Beaver Dam and Pitts Creek Churches
February 21, 2010
Listen to this sermon.
Last week during worship we gathered around this table for the Lord’s Supper. Once a month, the church gathers around a meal for our coffee hours. The men gather for a weekly breakfast on Friday mornings at Our Place. And women in the church gather in various groups to break bread together. Breaking bread with each other is an important way of building relationships in the church. That’s why Grace and I are opening our home this Saturday and Sunday for all of you so that we can get to know you and begin the process of developing relationships with you. Jesus too gathered with his disciples and friends for meals. And an account of one of these dinners is recorded for us in the Gospel of John. But before we get to all of this please pray with me.
Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)
John 12:1-11 NIV John 12:1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages." 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 "Leave her alone," Jesus replied. "It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me." 9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him.
John has given us a picture of Jesus going to the house of some friends for dinner. In many ways this supper was very ordinary. Martha was in the kitchen getting things ready. Every family needs a Martha, someone who cooks and cleans and makes sure that everything gets done right. We have Marthas right here in this church, people who spend their time in the kitchen, or make food for the coffee hours, or care for the children of the church, or fix toilets when they leak. Churches depend on their Marthas to make things happen around the church. And as your new pastor I am very grateful to find many Marthas hard a work making church happen.
I knew a Martha at my church in Eagle Rock. Her name was Ellen. She was a Korean immigrant just learning English and American Culture. She came to Eagle Rock to meet Americans and learn English. She sang in the choir, played the piano, served food at dinner and did whatever the church needed. Ellen was always willing to help any way she could and I will always be grateful for her help. And she was one of many Marthas in that church.
One person at this dinner with Jesus should not have been there. Lazarus should not
have been at dinner because he had died. That’s right Lazarus had died and was buried for three day when Jesus brought him back to life, and of course he came to the family meal. Many of us identify with Lazarus; we have experienced old lives that have died so that we could be reborn to new life in Jesus Christ. Maybe our old lives were as alcoholics or drug addicts which ended when we found new lives by coming to faith in Jesus. Maybe our old lives were killed by the loss of a job, or the ending of a relationship; we felt like we were dead, but were brought back to life by Jesus. The church needs Lazaruses as much as it needs Marthas. Its needs people who can testify to their spiritual rebirth in Jesus Christ to remind everyone of the importance of faith and the hope that Jesus gives to those whose old lives are passing away and need hope of new life in Christ.
There is a church in Northeast Los Angeles that is made up of Lazaruses. For the last 35 years Victory Outreach has gone into the community with a mission to gang members. They tell the gang members that gang life results in death. Fighting with guns and knifes leads to the loss of arms and legs, a life in a wheel chair, years spent in prison, and death. The life of a gang member ends in ruin. But the church offers gang bangers a new life, a life of hope. This new life is available to those who believe in Jesus Christ. That church is now full of people who had chosen new life in Christ over gang life. And the members keep going back on the streets to testify to salvation they found in Jesus Christ bringing more and more gang members for redemption and faith in Jesus.
Another person who should not have been at the dinner was Jesus because there was a warrant for his arrest. The raising of Lazarus had caused quite a stir in that small town of Bethany, and the excitement spread all the way to Jerusalem. The religious authorities in Jerusalem were concerned that all this excitement about Jesus’ sign would upset the Roman Empire and trigger a violent response. So they decided to not risk Roman anger and chose to have Jesus arrested and put to death. So Jesus went into hiding in a town far to the north near the wilderness. And there he remained with his disciples until coming back to Bethany for this supper with Martha, Lazarus, Mary and Judas.
It is important for the church to have Jesus present whenever we break bread. That is why we pray for Jesus to be with us when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. And that is why we say grace before each meal not only thanking God for the provisions that make meals possible, but also asking for Jesus to be there with us as our families and our churches gather for meals.
Of course whenever families or churches get together there will be conflicts. I know of people who hate Thanksgiving because they have to eat a meal with their family and rehash all the old arguments and disputes. The supper Jesus had with Martha, Lazarus and family was no different. There was a major dispute about the use of money.
Mary opened an alabaster jar of very costly perfume. Presumably it had been purchased for the day when Jesus’ head would be anointed as king. But with Jesus’ arrest at hand Mary decided to use it now to anoint Jesus while he was still alive. So she poured the oil on his feet and wiped it with her hair. Families need Marys to lift them from the ordinariness of life to higher spiritual levels of worship. Countless Marys have given their time and treasure for the worship life of this church. Think of the teachers who have spent hours to prepare a lesson and then extravagantly pour that lesson out in a one hour class. Think of the singers and musicians who have practiced and rehearsed for hours and hours and then pour out their gifts in a single performance. Churches need Marys as much as they need Marthas and Lazaruses to beautify and adorn our worship of God.
But there is one more person at the table, Judas. Do churches need Judases? We all know Judas. He is the one who betrayed Jesus. But let’s look at Judas, the follower of Jesus, who is seated at the table with Martha, Mary and Lazarus before he decided to betray Jesus to the authorities. John often calls Judas the son of Simon. And we know that Simon the Leper owned the house where this supper is taking place. So it is possible that Simon the Leper was the father of Martha, Lazarus, and Mary. So since Martha, Lazarus, Mary and Judas all seen to have a father named Simon and since they are the ones sitting around the table with Jesus, it is plausible that they are all brothers and sister. This is what makes this meal an ordinary family supper among siblings. And the disagreement between Judas and Mary could be a spat between brother and sister. And thus we can see Judas in a new light as a follower of Jesus who disagreed with his sister over how their money should be spent. Families and Churches need Judases to keep track of money and make sure that it is used appropriately. Judas said that the money should be used to care for the poor. Mary wanted it used in worship of Jesus.
This dispute has continued in the church for two thousand years. Marys want funds spent to beautify the sanctuary, improve the music, and bring in good teachers and preachers. Judases want the money spent on Samaritan Shelter and other projects in our community, nation and world. Jesus acknowledged that both views are important. We have to spend money on worship and we have to care for the poor. But since the money for the ointment had been budgeted for anointing his body after his death he saw no reason why it could not be used now while he was still alive. This infuriated Judas who had assumed that the perfume would be used to anoint Jesus as king. As a result of his anger the great tragedy of John’s gospel occurred. Judas, a disciple of Jesus Christ, lost his faith, stopped believing in Jesus, and began making plans to betray him to the authorities.
This is the great warning in the Gospel of John that disputes within the church can lead to unbelief. Marthas, Lazaruses, Marys and Judases are all needed in the church. But we know that with this diversity of opinion disputes will happen. We must never allow our disagreements to cause us to lose our faith in Jesus Christ because the most important thing in the church is our faith that Jesus is here with us. And the promise of scripture is that if Jesus is here with us and people in the community find out we will have more people in this sanctuary than we can imagine. Marthas and Lazaruses and Marys and Judases will be breaking down our doors to get to Jesus and have faith in him.
Lord Jesus, we thank you for being with us in worship today. We ask that you bless the Marthas, Lazaruses, Marys and Judases who are worshiping with us today. Bless us with continuing faith even in the midst of our disagreements. And help us to communicate to Pocomoke the good news that you are right here with us in this church. Amen.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Sermon – Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 – Baptism with the Spirit
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon – Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 – Baptism with the Spirit
Pitts Creek and Beaver Dan Presbyterian Churches
January 10, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
Today is the Sunday the church traditionally sets aside to think about baptism. We usually look at one of the scripture texts describing Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River by John. For those who are not baptized this is the time to think about what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ and to consider making a public declaration that Jesus is your Lord and Savior and obtaining membership in the church through the sacrament of baptism. For those who have been baptized in the faith this is a time to remember your baptism and consider the way the Holy Spirit is transforming you to new life. But before we talk about baptism and what it means, please pray with me.
Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 5 As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 16 John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." … 21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."
John the Baptist was a prophet who was called by God to bring good news to the people living around the Jordan River in middle of the first century. The people then and there had been living lives that displeased God. They thought that they were ok with God. After all they were descendants of Abraham and were chosen as God’s own people. What did they have to worry about? But John told them that it was time to worry because tensions were building with the Romans and God’s people faced possible destruction by the Roman Empire. The people needed to prepare themselves for the coming crises and that meant getting right with God. John pointed out their lack of generosity with the poor, and told them that God’s righteousness demanded that if they owned two coats, one should be given away to someone who needed it. So John told them to change their behavior and go a different way, to repent, and God would forgive what they had done. To symbolize this fresh start John brought the people to the banks of the Jordan River where he baptized them with water symbolically washing away their old sinful lives and restoring them as God’s good creation. The people thought that John might be the messiah, the anointed one, they had longed for, for generations. But John said that he was only getting people ready for the real messiah who was coming soon and would baptize not with water but with the Holy Spirit.
So there is a difference between John’s baptism with water and Jesus’ baptism with the Holy Spirit. And the church has debated, for two thousand years, what these differences are. This, in part, accounts for the fact that there are many churches here in Pocomoke City today because each one has a slightly different explanation for the difference between water baptism and Spirit baptism.
If you go down to the Roman Catholic Church and ask the priest to explain the difference between water and Spirit baptism he will probably say something like this: Water baptism is when an infant is presented to the church by its parents and God parents. Spirit baptism occurs when that child has grown up and is able to have faith for himself or herself. The water baptism is then confirmed by the Spirit baptism.
If you go over to the Assembly of God Church and asked the minister about the difference between water and Spirit baptism he would probably say: Water baptism is the process by which you join the church. Spirit baptism is the work of the Holy Spirit and the bringing of spiritual gifts from God to the believer such as speaking in tongues. And you will know that Spirit baptism has taken place when you begin to use these gifts of the Holy Spirit.
At the Methodist Church the minister would most likely tell you: Water baptism is the means by which you join the church. This is followed by a second baptism of the Spirit when all desires of the flesh are removed and you begin to live a holy life free from sin. When you stop smoking and drinking and having sex outside of marriage you know that you have received baptism of the Spirit.
An evangelical pastor would reverse the order and tell you: Baptism in the Spirit occurs, when you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. This is then followed by water baptism for initiation into membership of the church.
In our Reformed tradition we see water baptism as a sign of God’s love for us, God’s desire to forgive us, and as a seal of our participation in God’s covenant with Abraham when God promised to bless us so that we would be a blessing. Spiritual baptism refers to the work of the Holy Spirit in a life long process of transforming the lives of baptized believers into what God had created them to be.
I think that there is a growing ecumenical consensus on all of this, that water baptism is a work of the church symbolizing what God has done for us, and Spirit baptism is a work of the Holy Spirit upon us sanctifying us, and making us holy. How and when this happens can be different with different individuals. And people tend to join churches with others who have experienced Spirit baptism in the same way.
My own experience of baptism, both water and Spirit, fits the Reformed model. I was baptized by water as an infant. Both of my parents were both believers and they brought me the church pledging that I would be raised in the faith. I attended Sunday School regularly my entire childhood receiving the nurturing in the faith that my parents had promised. When I was older and could understand my faith I confirmed my baptism and joined the church. This began a lifelong project of the Holy Spirit to transform me into what God wanted me to be.
The process of the Holy Spirit making me holy, or sanctified, was not instantaneous. At age 18 I went off to college and forgot all about church. Saturday night frat parties left little time for Sunday morning worship. I became an occasional church attendee sometimes showing up at Christmas or Easter. But the Holy Spirit did not give up on me.
In my late twenties a tragedy hit my family. My mother died suddenly of a heart attack. This caused me to rethink my life and the place of God in it. I realized that I missed the church and I missed worship. So I went back to church. I was there every Sunday morning. During this time my faith was intensely personal. I did not want to share it with anyone. So I found churches were I could sit in the back, anonymously. I didn’t talk with anyone. I just wanted to be alone with God to pray and worship. The Holy Spirit had me in its arms and would not let go.
Another ten years passed and the Holy Spirit was ready to continue its work of renewing my life. I was single and wanted a wife, but nothing I tried seemed to work. So I turned to prayer and one day I heard the voice of God give me the answer I had been searching for. God said, “It’s in the book.” I was sitting in church when I heard God’s voice and reached down to pick up the Bible in the pew. As I looked through it I realized that I knew some of the stories, but I did not really know what this book was all about. So the next Sunday I started attending a Singles Sunday School class, I went on an all church retreat, and I enrolled in a two year Bible study called the Bethel Bible Series. For the next two years I experience the transformative effect that the study of scripture has on the believer. I was trained by my pastor as a teacher for the Bethel Series and I taught Bible to people at National Presbyterian Church in Washington DC for the next four years. The Holy Spirit was transforming me into an entirely new person, but it had not yet completed my transformation to new life.
Six years ago I began of processes of discernment to understand where God was leading me. I had finished my term as a Deacon of the church. And the Bethel class I was teaching was coming to an end. I needed something new to do in service to God’s church. It was at this point that the Holy Spirit began to direct me toward seminary and ordination as a Minister of the Word and Sacrament. I enrolled at Fuller Seminary to continue my education in the Bible and theology. I developed my multicultural abilities by teaching Bible to a group of international students learning English. And I married Grace who has opened for me a love of Korean culture and a passion for the church. Though all of this the Holy Spirit was transforming me into someone who was pleasing to God. The Holy Spirit had worked on me for over 50 years preparing me for service to the church, and the most exciting transformation was yet to come.
Two years ago I was ordained by the Presbyterian Church as a pastor and I was called by God to serve a small church in Los Angeles. God’s call was simple. Here was a very small church and most of the members were in their 80s and 90s. Their money was running out, and they feared that their church might be closed. God called me to build a multicultural church on this site that would reflect the surrounding community, and that is exactly what happened. I began the revitalization of the church by launching a web site, putting signs on the building, joining the Neighborhood Council and passing out fliers. I started two new contemporary services on Sunday afternoons and evenings followed by a fellowship meal. And I prayed for the church every morning at 6AM. The results were stunning. God sent people to the church for worship. New people were coming every Sunday. The fellowship hall was filled with over 60 people each week at dinner.
I realized that the church I was building truly reflected the community and this was frightening. Los Angeles has over 20% unemployment. People have lost their homes. Many are living in their cars. Some are sleeping in the park. They are hungry and trying to get by on $200 a month and some food stamps. And they started coming to my church. Two thirds of the new people were homeless and I was their pastor, a least for a little while. Last fall, after much prayer, I decided that God was calling me elsewhere. So I asked the pastor of a Filipino church meeting in our building to be the pastor for the whole church. God’s call was complete. I had created a church that reflected a community of aging whites, younger Filipinos, and the very poor, and had given me a way to make it continue even as I moved on to a new call.
The work of the Holy Spirit is never finished. Spirit baptism is a lifelong process of transformation. It begins as you pass through the baptismal waters. It requires your awareness of where God is leading you. If you let the Holy Spirit work in you heart you will be transformed into what God created you to be. And this will be the most exciting experience in your life.
Holy Spirit, come to us now with the baptism of fire. Grab hold of our hearts and transform them with your love. Make us into what God created us to be. And we pray this in the strong name of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Sermon – Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 – Baptism with the Spirit
Pitts Creek and Beaver Dan Presbyterian Churches
January 10, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
Today is the Sunday the church traditionally sets aside to think about baptism. We usually look at one of the scripture texts describing Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River by John. For those who are not baptized this is the time to think about what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ and to consider making a public declaration that Jesus is your Lord and Savior and obtaining membership in the church through the sacrament of baptism. For those who have been baptized in the faith this is a time to remember your baptism and consider the way the Holy Spirit is transforming you to new life. But before we talk about baptism and what it means, please pray with me.
Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 5 As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 16 John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." … 21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."
John the Baptist was a prophet who was called by God to bring good news to the people living around the Jordan River in middle of the first century. The people then and there had been living lives that displeased God. They thought that they were ok with God. After all they were descendants of Abraham and were chosen as God’s own people. What did they have to worry about? But John told them that it was time to worry because tensions were building with the Romans and God’s people faced possible destruction by the Roman Empire. The people needed to prepare themselves for the coming crises and that meant getting right with God. John pointed out their lack of generosity with the poor, and told them that God’s righteousness demanded that if they owned two coats, one should be given away to someone who needed it. So John told them to change their behavior and go a different way, to repent, and God would forgive what they had done. To symbolize this fresh start John brought the people to the banks of the Jordan River where he baptized them with water symbolically washing away their old sinful lives and restoring them as God’s good creation. The people thought that John might be the messiah, the anointed one, they had longed for, for generations. But John said that he was only getting people ready for the real messiah who was coming soon and would baptize not with water but with the Holy Spirit.
So there is a difference between John’s baptism with water and Jesus’ baptism with the Holy Spirit. And the church has debated, for two thousand years, what these differences are. This, in part, accounts for the fact that there are many churches here in Pocomoke City today because each one has a slightly different explanation for the difference between water baptism and Spirit baptism.
If you go down to the Roman Catholic Church and ask the priest to explain the difference between water and Spirit baptism he will probably say something like this: Water baptism is when an infant is presented to the church by its parents and God parents. Spirit baptism occurs when that child has grown up and is able to have faith for himself or herself. The water baptism is then confirmed by the Spirit baptism.
If you go over to the Assembly of God Church and asked the minister about the difference between water and Spirit baptism he would probably say: Water baptism is the process by which you join the church. Spirit baptism is the work of the Holy Spirit and the bringing of spiritual gifts from God to the believer such as speaking in tongues. And you will know that Spirit baptism has taken place when you begin to use these gifts of the Holy Spirit.
At the Methodist Church the minister would most likely tell you: Water baptism is the means by which you join the church. This is followed by a second baptism of the Spirit when all desires of the flesh are removed and you begin to live a holy life free from sin. When you stop smoking and drinking and having sex outside of marriage you know that you have received baptism of the Spirit.
An evangelical pastor would reverse the order and tell you: Baptism in the Spirit occurs, when you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. This is then followed by water baptism for initiation into membership of the church.
In our Reformed tradition we see water baptism as a sign of God’s love for us, God’s desire to forgive us, and as a seal of our participation in God’s covenant with Abraham when God promised to bless us so that we would be a blessing. Spiritual baptism refers to the work of the Holy Spirit in a life long process of transforming the lives of baptized believers into what God had created them to be.
I think that there is a growing ecumenical consensus on all of this, that water baptism is a work of the church symbolizing what God has done for us, and Spirit baptism is a work of the Holy Spirit upon us sanctifying us, and making us holy. How and when this happens can be different with different individuals. And people tend to join churches with others who have experienced Spirit baptism in the same way.
My own experience of baptism, both water and Spirit, fits the Reformed model. I was baptized by water as an infant. Both of my parents were both believers and they brought me the church pledging that I would be raised in the faith. I attended Sunday School regularly my entire childhood receiving the nurturing in the faith that my parents had promised. When I was older and could understand my faith I confirmed my baptism and joined the church. This began a lifelong project of the Holy Spirit to transform me into what God wanted me to be.
The process of the Holy Spirit making me holy, or sanctified, was not instantaneous. At age 18 I went off to college and forgot all about church. Saturday night frat parties left little time for Sunday morning worship. I became an occasional church attendee sometimes showing up at Christmas or Easter. But the Holy Spirit did not give up on me.
In my late twenties a tragedy hit my family. My mother died suddenly of a heart attack. This caused me to rethink my life and the place of God in it. I realized that I missed the church and I missed worship. So I went back to church. I was there every Sunday morning. During this time my faith was intensely personal. I did not want to share it with anyone. So I found churches were I could sit in the back, anonymously. I didn’t talk with anyone. I just wanted to be alone with God to pray and worship. The Holy Spirit had me in its arms and would not let go.
Another ten years passed and the Holy Spirit was ready to continue its work of renewing my life. I was single and wanted a wife, but nothing I tried seemed to work. So I turned to prayer and one day I heard the voice of God give me the answer I had been searching for. God said, “It’s in the book.” I was sitting in church when I heard God’s voice and reached down to pick up the Bible in the pew. As I looked through it I realized that I knew some of the stories, but I did not really know what this book was all about. So the next Sunday I started attending a Singles Sunday School class, I went on an all church retreat, and I enrolled in a two year Bible study called the Bethel Bible Series. For the next two years I experience the transformative effect that the study of scripture has on the believer. I was trained by my pastor as a teacher for the Bethel Series and I taught Bible to people at National Presbyterian Church in Washington DC for the next four years. The Holy Spirit was transforming me into an entirely new person, but it had not yet completed my transformation to new life.
Six years ago I began of processes of discernment to understand where God was leading me. I had finished my term as a Deacon of the church. And the Bethel class I was teaching was coming to an end. I needed something new to do in service to God’s church. It was at this point that the Holy Spirit began to direct me toward seminary and ordination as a Minister of the Word and Sacrament. I enrolled at Fuller Seminary to continue my education in the Bible and theology. I developed my multicultural abilities by teaching Bible to a group of international students learning English. And I married Grace who has opened for me a love of Korean culture and a passion for the church. Though all of this the Holy Spirit was transforming me into someone who was pleasing to God. The Holy Spirit had worked on me for over 50 years preparing me for service to the church, and the most exciting transformation was yet to come.
Two years ago I was ordained by the Presbyterian Church as a pastor and I was called by God to serve a small church in Los Angeles. God’s call was simple. Here was a very small church and most of the members were in their 80s and 90s. Their money was running out, and they feared that their church might be closed. God called me to build a multicultural church on this site that would reflect the surrounding community, and that is exactly what happened. I began the revitalization of the church by launching a web site, putting signs on the building, joining the Neighborhood Council and passing out fliers. I started two new contemporary services on Sunday afternoons and evenings followed by a fellowship meal. And I prayed for the church every morning at 6AM. The results were stunning. God sent people to the church for worship. New people were coming every Sunday. The fellowship hall was filled with over 60 people each week at dinner.
I realized that the church I was building truly reflected the community and this was frightening. Los Angeles has over 20% unemployment. People have lost their homes. Many are living in their cars. Some are sleeping in the park. They are hungry and trying to get by on $200 a month and some food stamps. And they started coming to my church. Two thirds of the new people were homeless and I was their pastor, a least for a little while. Last fall, after much prayer, I decided that God was calling me elsewhere. So I asked the pastor of a Filipino church meeting in our building to be the pastor for the whole church. God’s call was complete. I had created a church that reflected a community of aging whites, younger Filipinos, and the very poor, and had given me a way to make it continue even as I moved on to a new call.
The work of the Holy Spirit is never finished. Spirit baptism is a lifelong process of transformation. It begins as you pass through the baptismal waters. It requires your awareness of where God is leading you. If you let the Holy Spirit work in you heart you will be transformed into what God created you to be. And this will be the most exciting experience in your life.
Holy Spirit, come to us now with the baptism of fire. Grab hold of our hearts and transform them with your love. Make us into what God created us to be. And we pray this in the strong name of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Sermon – Matthew 2:1-12 – Coming to Jesus
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon – Matthew 2:1-12 – Coming to Jesus
Makemie Presbyterian Church
January 3, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
Most of us have put the Christmas decorations away, taken down the lights, exchanged the gifts, and are ready to go back to work for yet another new year. But for many Christians around the world Christmas is still here. Where we start our Christmas celebration on Thanksgiving, or earlier, and end it on Christmas morning with the opening of presents and a great feast, most Christians start Christmas on the 25th and celebrate for twelve days, giving and receiving gifts, and culminating with the great feast on January 6th called Epiphany. Epiphany is the day when the church remembers the light of God coming into the world. At creation God said “Let there be light” and there was light. The light of the world was incarnate in Jesus Christ. And of course the wise men followed the light of that star. So today let’s celebrate the great festival of Epiphany and begin with prayer.
Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)
Matthew 2:1-12 NRS Matthew 2:1 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 6 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" 7 Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." 9 When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
This story of the wise men following a star is a familiar one for us. It is one of our favorite Christmas texts. We can remember Christmas pageants and displays with shepherds, angels, Mary and Joseph, the three kings, camels, the star and of course the baby Jesus.
Our understanding of this text from Matthew is heavily influenced by two thousand years of Christian interpretation. Early theologians surmised that the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh where so extravagant the wise men must have been kings. Other theologians speculated that there were three wise men because there were three gifts. And still other theologians have suggested the since the wise men came from the east they must be Asian. You can see how all of this influenced the theologian, pastor and song writer, John Henry Hopkins, when, in 1857, he wrote our opening hymn, “We Three Kings of Orient Are.”
But in Matthew’s text there were no kings just wise men, we have no idea how many there were, and all we know about their origin is that they came from the east. So let’s ignore all of these historical Christian interpretations and take a close look at exactly what Matthew said. And what he said, to his original audience, was scandalous.
Let’s begin by asking, who were these wise men who came from the east to worship Jesus? Matthew calls them, in Greek, ma,goi. The Greek word ma,goi is the root of our English word “magic”. According to scripture the ma,goi were dream interpreters and astrologers. We first meet them in the book of the prophet Daniel. In chapter 2, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has had a dream and calls in the ma,goi to interpret it. But the king does not trust the ma,goi so he insists that they not only interpret the dream but first they must also tell him what he had dreamed. The ma,goi insisted that this was impossible; no one could know what someone else had dreamed. But Daniel knew that the king’s dream had come from God. So with God’s help Daniel was able to tell the king what he dreamed and what it meant thus embarrassing the ma,goi. We also see ma,goi in the Book of Acts. These ma,goi are always giving false prophecies which the Apostle Paul has to correct. It is clear from this that the Bible considers ma,goi to be charlatans whose prophecies from astrology and dream interpretation are useless. And now you can see the scandal in Matthew’s story: the hapless, incompetent, non-Jewish ma,goi were the ones that come to worship Jesus.
The setting for Matthew’s story is in Jerusalem, during the reign of Herod the Great, after the birth of Jesus, around years 4-6 BC. A group of ma,goi coming from the east, probably Babylon or Persia, arrived in Jerusalem and had an audience with the king. They had seen something in the sky which they thought indicated the birth of a King of the Jews. So they had come to Jerusalem to worship the new prince.
This made Herod suspicious. He always feared that someone would try to take his throne. And if someone was born who was to be King of the Jews this was not good. So he convened a meeting of the Sanhedrin and asked the High Priests and Scribes from where the anointed one, the messiah would come. The searched the prophets and found that the messiah would come from Bethlehem. So Herod told the ma,goi to search for this new King of the Jews in Bethlehem and report back to him with their findings.
When the ma,goi arrived in Bethlehem they looked in the heavens and confirmed their findings indicating the birth of a king. And when they found Jesus they were overwhelmed with great joy. The promise of scripture is that anyone, no matter who, even the lowly ma,goi will experience great joy when they come to worship Jesus. Let me tell you some stories of the most unlikely people who have also experienced overwhelming joy by coming to Jesus.
Michiko was an international student from Japan. At an English language school she met
some Korean students who brought her to an international student ministry I was running with my wife, Grace, as an intern for Pasadena Presbyterian Church. Michiko had very limited English skills and had never been in a church before, but she was interested in talking with me when she found out that I had married a Korean woman. I led an ESL, English as a Second Language Bible study, and helped Michiko to understand the basics of the faith. Her Korean friends wanted to take Michiko to church on Sunday morning, but they knew that she could not understand Korean. So they all, Japanese and Korean students, started to attend the English worship as Pasadena Pres. Eventually Michiko asked me what she had to do to become a Christian. I told her about our sacrament of baptism, and I began to teach stories to the group from Acts about baptism. Michiko flew back to Japan to talk with her mother about becoming a Christian. Her mother said “no” because Michiko’s name had been written on a tile used for the roof of a Buddhist temple. But when Michiko returned to Pasadena she decided to be baptized and pledged her allegiance to Christ because like the ma,goi before her, Michiko had experienced the overwhelming joy of coming to Jesus.
Star was a drug addict living in East Los Angeles. Her boyfriend was in prison. Four of her children were in foster care. She and her new baby lived with her mother who brought her to Faith United Presbyterian Church where my wife, Grace, served as an intern. The church did everything they could to care for Star during her pregnancy. We invited Star to help as a volunteer for a Friday evening evangelism program. As Star served the church she began to experience to joy of coming to Jesus. She asked us if her baby could be baptized in the church. We told her that before a baby is baptized the church has to be assured that the baby’s parent is a believer. So we invited Star to join the church. And after a new members class we baptized both mother and baby into the faith. Star had found, like the ma,goi and Michiko before her, the overwhelming joy of coming to Jesus.
Sharon was a homeless woman. She came to a Sunday dinner we held at Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church where I served as pastor, and she told me her story. Sharon had been taking care of her mother with Alzheimer’s disease, but when her mother had to enter a nursing home Sharon had to move out of the apartment. She moved in with a boyfriend, but he got sick too and his apartment was lost. So Sharon decided to temporarily live in her car until she could figure out what to do, but one day her brakes failed and her car rolled into a Taco Bell. This got Sharon on television. But she lost her car and had to move into an abandoned house with boarded up windows with some other homeless folks. That’s when she began to attend our dinner on Sunday nights because she was hungry and needed a meal. Her $200 per month of General Relief and some food stamps didn’t go very far. Sharon wanted to be as “normal” as possible so she cleaned up as best she could and attended our Sunday morning worship service. Then she asked me if she could join the church. After conducting a new member’s class I baptized Sharon, one of three homeless people I baptized while pastoring the Eagle Rock church. Sharon had found, with the ma,goi, Michiko, and Star before her, the overwhelming joy of coming to Jesus Christ.
Our mission as the church of Jesus Christ is to lead people to Jesus where they too will experience this overwhelming joy. We are called by God to invite to church even the ma,goi, the alien, the addicted and poor in our community. So I challenge Makemie Presbyterian Church and the visitors from Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam churches to go out into your communities and invite everyone you find to come to church and experience the overwhelming joy that you have found in coming to Jesus.
Lord Jesus Christ, you are the light of God, the Epiphany that has come into the world. We have come with overwhelming joy into your presence to worship you. Equip us in our mission to bring others to you to experience this joy. We pray this in your name, Emmanuel, God with us. Amen.
Sermon – Matthew 2:1-12 – Coming to Jesus
Makemie Presbyterian Church
January 3, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
Most of us have put the Christmas decorations away, taken down the lights, exchanged the gifts, and are ready to go back to work for yet another new year. But for many Christians around the world Christmas is still here. Where we start our Christmas celebration on Thanksgiving, or earlier, and end it on Christmas morning with the opening of presents and a great feast, most Christians start Christmas on the 25th and celebrate for twelve days, giving and receiving gifts, and culminating with the great feast on January 6th called Epiphany. Epiphany is the day when the church remembers the light of God coming into the world. At creation God said “Let there be light” and there was light. The light of the world was incarnate in Jesus Christ. And of course the wise men followed the light of that star. So today let’s celebrate the great festival of Epiphany and begin with prayer.
Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)
Matthew 2:1-12 NRS Matthew 2:1 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 6 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" 7 Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." 9 When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
This story of the wise men following a star is a familiar one for us. It is one of our favorite Christmas texts. We can remember Christmas pageants and displays with shepherds, angels, Mary and Joseph, the three kings, camels, the star and of course the baby Jesus.
Our understanding of this text from Matthew is heavily influenced by two thousand years of Christian interpretation. Early theologians surmised that the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh where so extravagant the wise men must have been kings. Other theologians speculated that there were three wise men because there were three gifts. And still other theologians have suggested the since the wise men came from the east they must be Asian. You can see how all of this influenced the theologian, pastor and song writer, John Henry Hopkins, when, in 1857, he wrote our opening hymn, “We Three Kings of Orient Are.”
But in Matthew’s text there were no kings just wise men, we have no idea how many there were, and all we know about their origin is that they came from the east. So let’s ignore all of these historical Christian interpretations and take a close look at exactly what Matthew said. And what he said, to his original audience, was scandalous.
Let’s begin by asking, who were these wise men who came from the east to worship Jesus? Matthew calls them, in Greek, ma,goi. The Greek word ma,goi is the root of our English word “magic”. According to scripture the ma,goi were dream interpreters and astrologers. We first meet them in the book of the prophet Daniel. In chapter 2, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has had a dream and calls in the ma,goi to interpret it. But the king does not trust the ma,goi so he insists that they not only interpret the dream but first they must also tell him what he had dreamed. The ma,goi insisted that this was impossible; no one could know what someone else had dreamed. But Daniel knew that the king’s dream had come from God. So with God’s help Daniel was able to tell the king what he dreamed and what it meant thus embarrassing the ma,goi. We also see ma,goi in the Book of Acts. These ma,goi are always giving false prophecies which the Apostle Paul has to correct. It is clear from this that the Bible considers ma,goi to be charlatans whose prophecies from astrology and dream interpretation are useless. And now you can see the scandal in Matthew’s story: the hapless, incompetent, non-Jewish ma,goi were the ones that come to worship Jesus.
The setting for Matthew’s story is in Jerusalem, during the reign of Herod the Great, after the birth of Jesus, around years 4-6 BC. A group of ma,goi coming from the east, probably Babylon or Persia, arrived in Jerusalem and had an audience with the king. They had seen something in the sky which they thought indicated the birth of a King of the Jews. So they had come to Jerusalem to worship the new prince.
This made Herod suspicious. He always feared that someone would try to take his throne. And if someone was born who was to be King of the Jews this was not good. So he convened a meeting of the Sanhedrin and asked the High Priests and Scribes from where the anointed one, the messiah would come. The searched the prophets and found that the messiah would come from Bethlehem. So Herod told the ma,goi to search for this new King of the Jews in Bethlehem and report back to him with their findings.
When the ma,goi arrived in Bethlehem they looked in the heavens and confirmed their findings indicating the birth of a king. And when they found Jesus they were overwhelmed with great joy. The promise of scripture is that anyone, no matter who, even the lowly ma,goi will experience great joy when they come to worship Jesus. Let me tell you some stories of the most unlikely people who have also experienced overwhelming joy by coming to Jesus.
Michiko was an international student from Japan. At an English language school she met
some Korean students who brought her to an international student ministry I was running with my wife, Grace, as an intern for Pasadena Presbyterian Church. Michiko had very limited English skills and had never been in a church before, but she was interested in talking with me when she found out that I had married a Korean woman. I led an ESL, English as a Second Language Bible study, and helped Michiko to understand the basics of the faith. Her Korean friends wanted to take Michiko to church on Sunday morning, but they knew that she could not understand Korean. So they all, Japanese and Korean students, started to attend the English worship as Pasadena Pres. Eventually Michiko asked me what she had to do to become a Christian. I told her about our sacrament of baptism, and I began to teach stories to the group from Acts about baptism. Michiko flew back to Japan to talk with her mother about becoming a Christian. Her mother said “no” because Michiko’s name had been written on a tile used for the roof of a Buddhist temple. But when Michiko returned to Pasadena she decided to be baptized and pledged her allegiance to Christ because like the ma,goi before her, Michiko had experienced the overwhelming joy of coming to Jesus.
Star was a drug addict living in East Los Angeles. Her boyfriend was in prison. Four of her children were in foster care. She and her new baby lived with her mother who brought her to Faith United Presbyterian Church where my wife, Grace, served as an intern. The church did everything they could to care for Star during her pregnancy. We invited Star to help as a volunteer for a Friday evening evangelism program. As Star served the church she began to experience to joy of coming to Jesus. She asked us if her baby could be baptized in the church. We told her that before a baby is baptized the church has to be assured that the baby’s parent is a believer. So we invited Star to join the church. And after a new members class we baptized both mother and baby into the faith. Star had found, like the ma,goi and Michiko before her, the overwhelming joy of coming to Jesus.
Sharon was a homeless woman. She came to a Sunday dinner we held at Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church where I served as pastor, and she told me her story. Sharon had been taking care of her mother with Alzheimer’s disease, but when her mother had to enter a nursing home Sharon had to move out of the apartment. She moved in with a boyfriend, but he got sick too and his apartment was lost. So Sharon decided to temporarily live in her car until she could figure out what to do, but one day her brakes failed and her car rolled into a Taco Bell. This got Sharon on television. But she lost her car and had to move into an abandoned house with boarded up windows with some other homeless folks. That’s when she began to attend our dinner on Sunday nights because she was hungry and needed a meal. Her $200 per month of General Relief and some food stamps didn’t go very far. Sharon wanted to be as “normal” as possible so she cleaned up as best she could and attended our Sunday morning worship service. Then she asked me if she could join the church. After conducting a new member’s class I baptized Sharon, one of three homeless people I baptized while pastoring the Eagle Rock church. Sharon had found, with the ma,goi, Michiko, and Star before her, the overwhelming joy of coming to Jesus Christ.
Our mission as the church of Jesus Christ is to lead people to Jesus where they too will experience this overwhelming joy. We are called by God to invite to church even the ma,goi, the alien, the addicted and poor in our community. So I challenge Makemie Presbyterian Church and the visitors from Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam churches to go out into your communities and invite everyone you find to come to church and experience the overwhelming joy that you have found in coming to Jesus.
Lord Jesus Christ, you are the light of God, the Epiphany that has come into the world. We have come with overwhelming joy into your presence to worship you. Equip us in our mission to bring others to you to experience this joy. We pray this in your name, Emmanuel, God with us. Amen.
Sermon: Where is Jesus? – Luke 2:41-52
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon: Where is Jesus? – Luke 2:41-52
Occidental Presbyterian Church
December 27, 2009
Listen to this sermon
Merry Christmas! Our time of waiting is over. Our savior has arrived. This is a glorious time for the church when we experience God with us.
Although we, here in America, begin celebrating Christmas as early as Thanksgiving for many people around the world Christmas doesn’t begin until December 25th and continues for twelve days ending at the great feast of Epiphany on January 5. That makes this the third day of Christmas which a popular song immortalized with “three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.”
Today we will be looking at the only place in scripture where we see Jesus as a boy growing up. There are other apocryphal stores about the young Jesus, but this is the only story in the Bible that talks about Jesus as a youth and gives us a glimpse of the relationship between Jesus and his parents. In this story Jesus stays behind in Jerusalem after the Passover celebration without telling his parents. They become extremely worried when they discover that Jesus is missing. And a missing Jesus is something to worry about.
Let us pray. Lord Jesus, we come into your presence today as we gather around God’s Holy Word. We ask that you be our teacher today and though the work of the Holy Spirit help us to understand today’s scripture and apply it to our lives. And may the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord and our Redeemer. Amen.
Luke 2:41-52 41 Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. 43 When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 44 Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day's journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, "Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety." 49 He said to them, "Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" 50 But they did not understand what he said to them. 51 Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.
A Palestinian Christian is worshiping in his church in Palestine this morning. He has just read the scripture for today and is thinking about Mary and Joseph and their desperation in looking for Jesus. But his mind begins to wander and he thinks of all the problems Palestinian Christians have as a persecuted people. He thinks that Jesus seems to be missing from Palestine today.
Labib is a Christian living in Palestine. I met him nine years ago when I stayed in his home with his family and worshiped with them at their church. When Labib was young he came to America for school and stayed with brother, a Catholic priest serving a congregation in Texas. But Labib returned to Palestine to take care of his mother with Alzheimer’s disease. Today he lives with his wife, two daughters and one son. Life is difficult for Labib and his family. Since 1967 his community has been occupied by the Israeli army. Their land has been taken for settlements. And today their village is surrounded by a wall. They are imprisoned by Israelis who fear Palestinian violence. And Labib has to ask the question: Where is Jesus?
A homeless man is worshiping in Eagle Rock this morning. Later today he will be cooking a meal for 80 hungry people who come to the church every Sunday night looking for a meal and fellowship. I met Dirk when I first came to Eagle Rock. He was sitting on a wall next to the Nazarene church. So I invited him to come to church and I helped him to start a small business with a grant from the Self Development of People program of the Presbyterian Church. Today Dirk is fighting a cold which won’t go away probably because his in living in the park. As he worships God this morning his mind wanders and he thinks that Jesus seems to be missing from Eagle Rock.
Dirk was a prominent businessman. His security company was hugely successful. But he had a legal dispute with a former girlfriend over child support. It had not gone his way. He lost his license to do business and it closed. His assets were confiscated and he lost his home. He and his dog lived in his truck until it was impounded by the police. Today they live in the park. Life is difficult for Dirk and his dog. They get by on $200 per month of General Relief and some food stamps. Dirk too must be asking the same question as Labib: Where is Jesus?
A pastor served a church in Los Angeles. The congregation was getting older and smaller. It was getting tougher to pay the bills. Although the church was growing there was no way he could financially remain. He has been looking for another church for several months, and has some leads. So he prays to God for a church and is confident that God will act. But so far God has not called him to a new church. And sometimes he is beginning to wonder the same question as Dirk and Labib: Where is Jesus?
We have all wondered, from time to time, where Jesus has gone. Sometimes this happens to us when we lose a job, or a loved one dies, or a doctor gives of some bad news, or a relationship ends. We pray for our jobs, and our families, and our health, but sometimes it seems that our prayers are not being heard, it seems that Jesus is missing.
Mary and Joseph were on their way back to Nazareth after the Passover festival. As obedient Jews they went annually to the Temple in Jerusalem for sacrifices and the Passover meal. The ancient festival of Passover and Unleavened Bread lasted for seven days. But most people came for a couple of days and then went back to work. On the second day of the trip back home Mary and Joseph could not find their twelve year old son Jesus. He was supposed to be with the aunts and uncles and cousins, but he was no where to be found. Jesus was missing.
So his parents were worried and went looking for their absent son. They returned to Jerusalem to search for him. They retraced their steps, frantically looking for Jesus. Three days had passed and he still could not be found. They asked the same question we often ask: Where is Jesus?
Their frantic search ended at the Temple in Jerusalem. There they found their son, Jesus, sitting with the Teachers and discussing this God’s Holy Word. And according to Jesus this was just where he was supposed to be. Jesus had experienced his calling from God as a teacher of the Bible. No longer was he Mary’s little boy growing up quietly in Nazareth. No longer was he Joseph’s son preparing to be a carpenter. Jesus was going to be a teacher of scripture speaking with the full authority of God. Once Jesus did what God had called him to do to, by beginning his study of scripture, the relationship that he had with his parents improved. He became obedient to their wishes and the family lived in harmony. We see from this that obedient children and harmonious families are a direct result of study of the Word of God.
So whenever we fear that Jesus may be missing, we know where to find him. Jesus is always right here with us whenever we are gathered around God’s Word. This is what worship is all about. We live our lives each week becoming increasingly fearful that Jesus is missing, but we can always find Jesus each time we open our Bibles and begin to read. And this is why it is so important that we meditate on God’s Word every day and gather around God’s Word in worship every Sunday. This is where we find Jesus, right here in scripture. Our terror of being without a savior is washed away when we worship and when we rest in the confident faith that Jesus is right here with us.
As we read the Bible daily and attend worship weekly something amazing happens to us: we become wiser. Bible study and worship fills us we wisdom which we can apply to our lives. And this wisdom affects our behavior so that we have more harmonious relationships with our families and friends and teachers and coworkers and people in church. This is why it is so important for families to study the Bible and worship together because it is the source of wisdom that leads to obedient children and harmonious family relationships.
Today Labib and his family and his church in Palestine have found Jesus. As Labib read God’s Word in worship Jesus was found and the church rests in the confidence that their savior is on the way. No matter what oppression is facing them now they can persevere until the day that Jesus returns and makes all things right. They are sustained by their faith which is a gift from God activated by the wisdom they found in scripture. And churches around the world are just now beginning to pray for Palestinian Christians as they endure oppression. With all of this Labib can be assured that Jesus is found.
Today Dirk is worshiping at Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church. As he worships he can rest in the confidence of the presence of Jesus Christ in the church. In his cooking this afternoon he knows that he is responding to God’s call on his life. And tonight at 5:30 the very poor of North East Los Angeles will also find Jesus in worship and in the fellowship meal. But Dirk’s church is struggling to feed all of the hungry people who will come to the church this evening. So I challenge you, Occidental Presbyterian Church to help them out. They need volunteers to cook and clean up. They need money for the food. I urge anyone here that is able, to go down to Eagle Rock Pres this evening and offer to help. I can assure you that if you do this Jesus will be found.
And the pastor looking for new church is flying to Washington DC this week. He will be preaching at a church in Virginia and meeting with a Pastoral Nominating Committee from a Maryland Church. He is confident that in worship and in the study of God’s word Jesus will be found.
Lord Jesus, we are looking for you. As we experience problems in our lives you sometimes seem to be missing. But we thank you for the gift of worship and scripture where we find the wisdom we need to find you. So we thank you for being right here with us today. Amen
Sermon: Where is Jesus? – Luke 2:41-52
Occidental Presbyterian Church
December 27, 2009
Listen to this sermon
Merry Christmas! Our time of waiting is over. Our savior has arrived. This is a glorious time for the church when we experience God with us.
Although we, here in America, begin celebrating Christmas as early as Thanksgiving for many people around the world Christmas doesn’t begin until December 25th and continues for twelve days ending at the great feast of Epiphany on January 5. That makes this the third day of Christmas which a popular song immortalized with “three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.”
Today we will be looking at the only place in scripture where we see Jesus as a boy growing up. There are other apocryphal stores about the young Jesus, but this is the only story in the Bible that talks about Jesus as a youth and gives us a glimpse of the relationship between Jesus and his parents. In this story Jesus stays behind in Jerusalem after the Passover celebration without telling his parents. They become extremely worried when they discover that Jesus is missing. And a missing Jesus is something to worry about.
Let us pray. Lord Jesus, we come into your presence today as we gather around God’s Holy Word. We ask that you be our teacher today and though the work of the Holy Spirit help us to understand today’s scripture and apply it to our lives. And may the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord and our Redeemer. Amen.
Luke 2:41-52 41 Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. 43 When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 44 Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day's journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, "Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety." 49 He said to them, "Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" 50 But they did not understand what he said to them. 51 Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.
A Palestinian Christian is worshiping in his church in Palestine this morning. He has just read the scripture for today and is thinking about Mary and Joseph and their desperation in looking for Jesus. But his mind begins to wander and he thinks of all the problems Palestinian Christians have as a persecuted people. He thinks that Jesus seems to be missing from Palestine today.
Labib is a Christian living in Palestine. I met him nine years ago when I stayed in his home with his family and worshiped with them at their church. When Labib was young he came to America for school and stayed with brother, a Catholic priest serving a congregation in Texas. But Labib returned to Palestine to take care of his mother with Alzheimer’s disease. Today he lives with his wife, two daughters and one son. Life is difficult for Labib and his family. Since 1967 his community has been occupied by the Israeli army. Their land has been taken for settlements. And today their village is surrounded by a wall. They are imprisoned by Israelis who fear Palestinian violence. And Labib has to ask the question: Where is Jesus?
A homeless man is worshiping in Eagle Rock this morning. Later today he will be cooking a meal for 80 hungry people who come to the church every Sunday night looking for a meal and fellowship. I met Dirk when I first came to Eagle Rock. He was sitting on a wall next to the Nazarene church. So I invited him to come to church and I helped him to start a small business with a grant from the Self Development of People program of the Presbyterian Church. Today Dirk is fighting a cold which won’t go away probably because his in living in the park. As he worships God this morning his mind wanders and he thinks that Jesus seems to be missing from Eagle Rock.
Dirk was a prominent businessman. His security company was hugely successful. But he had a legal dispute with a former girlfriend over child support. It had not gone his way. He lost his license to do business and it closed. His assets were confiscated and he lost his home. He and his dog lived in his truck until it was impounded by the police. Today they live in the park. Life is difficult for Dirk and his dog. They get by on $200 per month of General Relief and some food stamps. Dirk too must be asking the same question as Labib: Where is Jesus?
A pastor served a church in Los Angeles. The congregation was getting older and smaller. It was getting tougher to pay the bills. Although the church was growing there was no way he could financially remain. He has been looking for another church for several months, and has some leads. So he prays to God for a church and is confident that God will act. But so far God has not called him to a new church. And sometimes he is beginning to wonder the same question as Dirk and Labib: Where is Jesus?
We have all wondered, from time to time, where Jesus has gone. Sometimes this happens to us when we lose a job, or a loved one dies, or a doctor gives of some bad news, or a relationship ends. We pray for our jobs, and our families, and our health, but sometimes it seems that our prayers are not being heard, it seems that Jesus is missing.
Mary and Joseph were on their way back to Nazareth after the Passover festival. As obedient Jews they went annually to the Temple in Jerusalem for sacrifices and the Passover meal. The ancient festival of Passover and Unleavened Bread lasted for seven days. But most people came for a couple of days and then went back to work. On the second day of the trip back home Mary and Joseph could not find their twelve year old son Jesus. He was supposed to be with the aunts and uncles and cousins, but he was no where to be found. Jesus was missing.
So his parents were worried and went looking for their absent son. They returned to Jerusalem to search for him. They retraced their steps, frantically looking for Jesus. Three days had passed and he still could not be found. They asked the same question we often ask: Where is Jesus?
Their frantic search ended at the Temple in Jerusalem. There they found their son, Jesus, sitting with the Teachers and discussing this God’s Holy Word. And according to Jesus this was just where he was supposed to be. Jesus had experienced his calling from God as a teacher of the Bible. No longer was he Mary’s little boy growing up quietly in Nazareth. No longer was he Joseph’s son preparing to be a carpenter. Jesus was going to be a teacher of scripture speaking with the full authority of God. Once Jesus did what God had called him to do to, by beginning his study of scripture, the relationship that he had with his parents improved. He became obedient to their wishes and the family lived in harmony. We see from this that obedient children and harmonious families are a direct result of study of the Word of God.
So whenever we fear that Jesus may be missing, we know where to find him. Jesus is always right here with us whenever we are gathered around God’s Word. This is what worship is all about. We live our lives each week becoming increasingly fearful that Jesus is missing, but we can always find Jesus each time we open our Bibles and begin to read. And this is why it is so important that we meditate on God’s Word every day and gather around God’s Word in worship every Sunday. This is where we find Jesus, right here in scripture. Our terror of being without a savior is washed away when we worship and when we rest in the confident faith that Jesus is right here with us.
As we read the Bible daily and attend worship weekly something amazing happens to us: we become wiser. Bible study and worship fills us we wisdom which we can apply to our lives. And this wisdom affects our behavior so that we have more harmonious relationships with our families and friends and teachers and coworkers and people in church. This is why it is so important for families to study the Bible and worship together because it is the source of wisdom that leads to obedient children and harmonious family relationships.
Today Labib and his family and his church in Palestine have found Jesus. As Labib read God’s Word in worship Jesus was found and the church rests in the confidence that their savior is on the way. No matter what oppression is facing them now they can persevere until the day that Jesus returns and makes all things right. They are sustained by their faith which is a gift from God activated by the wisdom they found in scripture. And churches around the world are just now beginning to pray for Palestinian Christians as they endure oppression. With all of this Labib can be assured that Jesus is found.
Today Dirk is worshiping at Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church. As he worships he can rest in the confidence of the presence of Jesus Christ in the church. In his cooking this afternoon he knows that he is responding to God’s call on his life. And tonight at 5:30 the very poor of North East Los Angeles will also find Jesus in worship and in the fellowship meal. But Dirk’s church is struggling to feed all of the hungry people who will come to the church this evening. So I challenge you, Occidental Presbyterian Church to help them out. They need volunteers to cook and clean up. They need money for the food. I urge anyone here that is able, to go down to Eagle Rock Pres this evening and offer to help. I can assure you that if you do this Jesus will be found.
And the pastor looking for new church is flying to Washington DC this week. He will be preaching at a church in Virginia and meeting with a Pastoral Nominating Committee from a Maryland Church. He is confident that in worship and in the study of God’s word Jesus will be found.
Lord Jesus, we are looking for you. As we experience problems in our lives you sometimes seem to be missing. But we thank you for the gift of worship and scripture where we find the wisdom we need to find you. So we thank you for being right here with us today. Amen
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Sermon: Luke 21:25-36 – Waiting and Watching
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon: Luke 21:25-36 – Waiting and Watching
Grace Presbyterian Church
November 29, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
This morning the church celebrates the First Sunday of Advent. During Advent we prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus Christ into our lives. The coming of Jesus is not something that we do. Rather it is something God does for us. So all we can do is to wait and watch. The ancient prophets waited and watched for the day that the messiah would come and fulfill God’s promise to David that his descendant would sit on his throne forever. In the first century a teenage girl waited for the birth of her son and watched the reaction of the people around her to this unexpected event. In Jesus’ time people waited and watched for the Roman legions that they feared might destroy Jerusalem and the Temple. Today, children learn to wait and to watch for Christmas and the arrival of Santa Clause and gifts. We may think that we are active people but we spend a lot of our time waiting for something to happen. So it is helpful to remember what we are really waiting for and watching for this Advent, the coming of Jesus Christ. As we wait and watch for Jesus Christ it is important to pray. So please pray with me.
Eternal God, as you led your people in ages past, you direct our journey into the future. We give you thanks that you came to us in Jesus Christ, and we eagerly await his coming again that his rule may be complete and your righteousness reign over all the world. Then we will feast at his royal banquet, and sing his praises with the choirs of heaven. By your Spirit, open our eyes to the generosity of your hand, and nurture our souls in all spiritual gifts. Fill us with gratitude overflowing that we may share life and love in praise to you, God of all the ages, in the gracious name of Jesus Christ, your Son, by the power of your Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen. (Book of Common Worship pp. 171-2)
Luke 21:25-36 25 "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. 26 People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." 29 Then he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees; 30 as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 34 "Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, 35 like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."
You are probably thanking God right now that I am just a guest preacher. Why, you must be wondering, did I select that scripture for this morning? After all it is Christmas. You have been buying gifts for a month now. The shopping malls are all decorated. Santa Claus has arrived in Glendale. Christmas carols are being played on the radio. Certainly you expected celebration of Christmas at church in Advent. But there is no Santa, no Mary and child, no angels and no shepherds in today’s scripture. These words of Jesus are filled with frightening images about a world shaken to its foundation. So you must be thankful that the guest preacher is only here for one week and Pastor Al will return to the pulpit next Sunday.
Of course the way the church prepares for Christmas is very different from the way our culture prepares for it. We are waiting not for Santa and decorated trees and gifts, but for the return of our Savior. Jesus warns us to stay awake and keep alert because he could return at any moment. And according to Jesus he will return when we need him the most. The good news is that as our nation’s recession deepens and unemployment and deficits rise we need not despair because this means that Jesus’ return is very near and all we have to do is to wait and watch. The coming of Jesus means that we can be filled with hope that no matter what is happening in our lives our savior is on the way.
I suspect that each of you has experienced some form of loss this year and need a savior to come. Some of you may have lost a family member, or you have lost your health or a job. I know that some of you have experienced the loss of your church. It was a terrible time for you as you felt abandoned by your pastor and the presbytery. And now you must worship in a strange place this Advent. But one of you saw, in all of this, the signs that Jesus’ coming is near. In the midst of the pain and fear of the closing of a church one of you has enrolled in seminary and is studying our Presbyterian Constitution to hear Jesus speak though the accumulated wisdom of the church. She is learning, even in the midst of the tearing apart of the fabric of the church, that Jesus is still with us and cares for us and is leading the church to a glorious future. All we have to do is to watch and wait for his return.
The prophet Jeremiah spoke to the people of God after the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon six hundred years before Jesus. Their temple had been burned to the ground. And the people had been taken into exile. God must have seemed very far away at that time. All the people of God could do was to watch and wait. But Jeremiah knew that God still loved his people very much and he wrote these comforting words of hope.
Jeremiah 33:14-16 14 The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: "The LORD is our righteousness."
What sustained the exiles in Babylon was their faith that God would save them. They believed that the Son of Man, would come down from heaven in a cloud and rescue them from their captivity. The prophet Daniel saw this in a vision of the coming of a savior for God’s people. Here is what he said.
Daniel 7:13-14 13 "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
So our hope, this Advent, is not in the government, or in business, or in our own abilities or even in the church. No, our hope is in the God who loves us, died for us, and promises to return when we need him the most. Just watch the signs of the times and know that these are indications that Jesus is on the way.
As we wait and watch for Jesus there is something that we can do. We can meditate on God’s Word. Reading the Bible prepares us to recognize Jesus when he does return. The psalmist put it this way.
Psalm 25 4 Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. 5 Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.
So we read scripture to know how to live our lives as people waiting and watching for Jesus. In the Bible we learn that while we wait we can trust in God. We learn to distinguish the truth of God from the lies of the world. We find out that God loves us and forgives us. And we are prepared for the glorious return of Jesus.
I am becoming an expert in waiting and watching for Jesus. My service at Eagle Rock Presbyterian church ended earlier this month. I am now waiting and watching for God to call me to a new church. I have sent resumes to churches all over the country. I have had some rejections from churches that I really wanted. But the longer I wait and watch the more I am certain that my savior is on the way. I trust that Jesus himself will call me to a new church in the near future. So I pray, meditate on scripture, wait and watch.
Jesus is coming this Advent. The signs are all around us. People are in distress and need a savior. The nation is at war and in recession and needs a savior. The world groans under the weight of human sin and needs a savior. And the good news of Advent is that the church can proclaim the coming of Jesus Christ, our savior.
So as we go through Advent remember that God has a big present for us. I know it is difficult waiting for this gift. We watch the sign of the Christmas season and long for the day we can open it. The gift we are waiting and watching for is none other than the return of our savior, Jesus Christ.
Eternal God, you taught us that the night is far spent and the day is at hand.
Keep us awake and alert, watching for your kingdom, and make us strong in faith, so that when Christ comes in glory to judge the earth, we may joyfully give him praise; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Book of Common Worship p.173)
Sermon: Luke 21:25-36 – Waiting and Watching
Grace Presbyterian Church
November 29, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
This morning the church celebrates the First Sunday of Advent. During Advent we prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus Christ into our lives. The coming of Jesus is not something that we do. Rather it is something God does for us. So all we can do is to wait and watch. The ancient prophets waited and watched for the day that the messiah would come and fulfill God’s promise to David that his descendant would sit on his throne forever. In the first century a teenage girl waited for the birth of her son and watched the reaction of the people around her to this unexpected event. In Jesus’ time people waited and watched for the Roman legions that they feared might destroy Jerusalem and the Temple. Today, children learn to wait and to watch for Christmas and the arrival of Santa Clause and gifts. We may think that we are active people but we spend a lot of our time waiting for something to happen. So it is helpful to remember what we are really waiting for and watching for this Advent, the coming of Jesus Christ. As we wait and watch for Jesus Christ it is important to pray. So please pray with me.
Eternal God, as you led your people in ages past, you direct our journey into the future. We give you thanks that you came to us in Jesus Christ, and we eagerly await his coming again that his rule may be complete and your righteousness reign over all the world. Then we will feast at his royal banquet, and sing his praises with the choirs of heaven. By your Spirit, open our eyes to the generosity of your hand, and nurture our souls in all spiritual gifts. Fill us with gratitude overflowing that we may share life and love in praise to you, God of all the ages, in the gracious name of Jesus Christ, your Son, by the power of your Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen. (Book of Common Worship pp. 171-2)
Luke 21:25-36 25 "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. 26 People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." 29 Then he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees; 30 as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 34 "Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, 35 like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."
You are probably thanking God right now that I am just a guest preacher. Why, you must be wondering, did I select that scripture for this morning? After all it is Christmas. You have been buying gifts for a month now. The shopping malls are all decorated. Santa Claus has arrived in Glendale. Christmas carols are being played on the radio. Certainly you expected celebration of Christmas at church in Advent. But there is no Santa, no Mary and child, no angels and no shepherds in today’s scripture. These words of Jesus are filled with frightening images about a world shaken to its foundation. So you must be thankful that the guest preacher is only here for one week and Pastor Al will return to the pulpit next Sunday.
Of course the way the church prepares for Christmas is very different from the way our culture prepares for it. We are waiting not for Santa and decorated trees and gifts, but for the return of our Savior. Jesus warns us to stay awake and keep alert because he could return at any moment. And according to Jesus he will return when we need him the most. The good news is that as our nation’s recession deepens and unemployment and deficits rise we need not despair because this means that Jesus’ return is very near and all we have to do is to wait and watch. The coming of Jesus means that we can be filled with hope that no matter what is happening in our lives our savior is on the way.
I suspect that each of you has experienced some form of loss this year and need a savior to come. Some of you may have lost a family member, or you have lost your health or a job. I know that some of you have experienced the loss of your church. It was a terrible time for you as you felt abandoned by your pastor and the presbytery. And now you must worship in a strange place this Advent. But one of you saw, in all of this, the signs that Jesus’ coming is near. In the midst of the pain and fear of the closing of a church one of you has enrolled in seminary and is studying our Presbyterian Constitution to hear Jesus speak though the accumulated wisdom of the church. She is learning, even in the midst of the tearing apart of the fabric of the church, that Jesus is still with us and cares for us and is leading the church to a glorious future. All we have to do is to watch and wait for his return.
The prophet Jeremiah spoke to the people of God after the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon six hundred years before Jesus. Their temple had been burned to the ground. And the people had been taken into exile. God must have seemed very far away at that time. All the people of God could do was to watch and wait. But Jeremiah knew that God still loved his people very much and he wrote these comforting words of hope.
Jeremiah 33:14-16 14 The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: "The LORD is our righteousness."
What sustained the exiles in Babylon was their faith that God would save them. They believed that the Son of Man, would come down from heaven in a cloud and rescue them from their captivity. The prophet Daniel saw this in a vision of the coming of a savior for God’s people. Here is what he said.
Daniel 7:13-14 13 "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
So our hope, this Advent, is not in the government, or in business, or in our own abilities or even in the church. No, our hope is in the God who loves us, died for us, and promises to return when we need him the most. Just watch the signs of the times and know that these are indications that Jesus is on the way.
As we wait and watch for Jesus there is something that we can do. We can meditate on God’s Word. Reading the Bible prepares us to recognize Jesus when he does return. The psalmist put it this way.
Psalm 25 4 Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. 5 Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.
So we read scripture to know how to live our lives as people waiting and watching for Jesus. In the Bible we learn that while we wait we can trust in God. We learn to distinguish the truth of God from the lies of the world. We find out that God loves us and forgives us. And we are prepared for the glorious return of Jesus.
I am becoming an expert in waiting and watching for Jesus. My service at Eagle Rock Presbyterian church ended earlier this month. I am now waiting and watching for God to call me to a new church. I have sent resumes to churches all over the country. I have had some rejections from churches that I really wanted. But the longer I wait and watch the more I am certain that my savior is on the way. I trust that Jesus himself will call me to a new church in the near future. So I pray, meditate on scripture, wait and watch.
Jesus is coming this Advent. The signs are all around us. People are in distress and need a savior. The nation is at war and in recession and needs a savior. The world groans under the weight of human sin and needs a savior. And the good news of Advent is that the church can proclaim the coming of Jesus Christ, our savior.
So as we go through Advent remember that God has a big present for us. I know it is difficult waiting for this gift. We watch the sign of the Christmas season and long for the day we can open it. The gift we are waiting and watching for is none other than the return of our savior, Jesus Christ.
Eternal God, you taught us that the night is far spent and the day is at hand.
Keep us awake and alert, watching for your kingdom, and make us strong in faith, so that when Christ comes in glory to judge the earth, we may joyfully give him praise; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Book of Common Worship p.173)
Sermon: Biblical Transitions: To Whom Do You Belong? – Psalm 24
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon: Biblical Transitions: To Whom Do You Belong? – Psalm 24
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
November 1, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
Today is All Saints Day. November 1 is the day on the church calendar when we remember the saints who have left us to be with the Lord. In the past year we said goodbye to two elders of this church Vi Vandruff and Lois Shultz. All Saints Day is also the day on the church calendar when we think about the present. Today we will say goodbye to each other as this is my final Sunday as your pastor. And All Saints Day is when we thick about the future. Next week you will celebrate the coming of a new pastor and the closer relationship you will have with the Filipino church.
Before I begin preaching this morning I would like to use this opportunity to thank some people in this church. First, I would like to thank the congregation for allowing me to be your pastor since August of 2007, right out of seminary as my first call. And I want to thank June and the group of women who meet every Wednesday for the coffee and cookies and conversation you gave me every week. And thank you to Bob and the Retreads for keeping this place so beautiful. Thank you to June and Donna and the Deacons of this church for your care for the shut-ins and the poor in our community. Thank you Laureen and Jon for the work of the Worship Committee as we continued the morning worship and launched new services at 3 and 5:30. Thank you Rosie and Vern for helping the immigrants coming to this church learn English and adapt to American culture. Thank you Cora, Cecile, David, Jon and the choir for your beautiful music at our worship services and special concerts. Thank you Ruth for our bulletins and newsletters. Thank you Judy and Dirk for meals and special events. Thank you Art for taking care of the churches finances and reports to presbytery. And thanks to all of you for welcoming Grace and me into your community.
This morning I will be completing my series of sermons on biblical transitions. And this is appropriate because my wife and I and this church are entering a transition today. The church is beginning a transition to my successor, Rev. Dr. Kyle Burch. And I am beginning a transition to a new church. Although God has not yet revealed my new church I know that God is at work and will reveal my new call shortly. And when that happens I will let you know where Grace and I wind up. But first let’s pray.
Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)
Psalm 24:1-10 NRS Psalm 24:1 The earth is the LORD's and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; 2 for he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers. 3 Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? 4 Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully. 5 They will receive blessing from the LORD, and vindication from the God of their salvation. 6 Such is the company of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah 7 Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. 8 Who is the King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah
For the last month we have been looking at biblical transitions. We started with the transition of the people of God as they brought the Ark of the Covenant across the Jordan into the Promised Land. God had the law which had governed their lives written down for them to observe as they settled in their new land and told them to be bold and courageous, to remember that God is always with you, and to have no fear. Then we saw how the people of God in the first century feared that they could no longer pray to God when they were no longer able to enter the temple, and the author of Hebrews assured them that Jesus Christ was their high priest and would continue to relay their prayers to God. And last week we read the letter to the exiles in Babylon from Jeremiah telling them to trust in God, live normal lives and pray for their oppressors. All of this constitutes biblical wisdom which we can use as we experience transitions in our lives.
In today’s scripture we see a joyous transition. The Ark of the Covenant representing the presence of God is being brought into Jerusalem. The people of God have transitioned from living in a loose federation of tribal states into a single nation led by King David with Jerusalem for its capital. The arrival of the Ark into Jerusalem indicated that God was the true king over this nation. And so this was a time of great celebration with singing and dancing and worship.
As the Ark started it journey to Jerusalem King David asked the people to remember that they were God’s people. And the God they worshiped was none other than the creator of the universe and their own creator. This meant that their God was the owner of the entire world and everything in it. And all the people of the kingdom of God belong not to themselves but to God.
So as we approach transitions in our lives we must remember that we too belong to God. We are not in control of our own lives. Rather we are God’s people and participants with God in the world that God has made. And the church is owned by God as well. No one here should think that they own this church. The session does not own the church. The presbytery does not own the church. The pastor certainly does not own this church. Nor does the congregation own this church. Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church is owned by God and will be used by God for God’s purposes. And each of you is owned by God and will also be used for God’s purposes. So as you experience transitions remember that you and the entire world belong to our loving God.
As the Ark neared Jerusalem King David asked the people of God if they were worthy to ascend the hill of Jerusalem to be in the presence of God. David told them that to be worthy to enter into the presence of God they must have clean hands and pure hearts. In other words all their works must be done for the glory of God, and these must be motivated by their love of God and their love for one another. This means that everything we do must be done for the glory of God out of our great love for God and our love for our neighbors in the Eagle Rock community. This is evident every Sunday as we satisfy the community’s hunger for the Word of God and the salvation of Jesus Christ as we worship together.
Our love of God requires that we worship and confess that our creator God is the only God. When we experience transitions in our lives we must never turn away from God and worship idols. We must not put our faith in money, or jobs, or government, or relationships, or education, or anything else that we might value more than God. We must always be motivated by our love of God and the command to love our neighbors. And this is why the church must continue it ministry at 5:30 because this is the only ministry of this church that reaches out to all people, regardless of income or wealth, to bring them the good news of Jesus Christ. This is how this church obeys God’s command to love our neighbors.
When King David and the Ark of the Covenant arrived at Jerusalem he ordered the ancient gates of the city to be opened. He announced that the King of Glory had arrived to assume power over the nation. A voice from the city wall asked for the identity of this King of Glory. King David said that the King of Glory was none other than the Lord, God of Israel, who had led his people to victory over their enemies and blessed them with peace and prosperity as a mighty nation. The news that the Lord God of Israel had arrived in Jerusalem echoed throughout the city, and the gates were opened. The Ark of the Covenant was brought into the city and a great joyous festival erupted celebrating the presence of God with them. And this same joy and excitement is experienced by this church as it assembles in worship each Sunday. Three times each Sunday at 9:45, 3 and 5:30 we celebrate that fact that our God is here with us. This is why we worship joyfully welcoming our God right here in this sanctuary.
So the wisdom we have received from King David, which we can use whenever we face transitions, is to remember that we belong not to ourselves but to our God. We must keep ourselves holy during transitions remember that all we do is for the glory of God motivated by our love of God and our love for one another. And whenever we face transitions remember that in worship we come into the very presence of God and this gives us great joy and confidence so that we can approach transitions with boldness, confident that God is with us. So have no fear because whatever happens we always have Jesus Christ as our Great High Priest. And live your lives normally remembering to pray for those who anger you. If you follow this wisdom all transitions in you lives will go well with you and you will be richly blessed by our creator God.
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church has had a rich history and an exciting present, but what about the future. What will happen to us in the years ahead? The promise of scripture is that one day Christ will return and bring all of heaven with him to earth. There will be no more death, nor pain, nor suffering, nor mourning nor crying because this will be a time of great joy as God comes to live with us. We know this because Jesus Christ, who was present with God at creation, serves us today as our High Priest, and will one day make all things new. The table that is set before us today is offered as a foretaste of this new world. Here we encounter Jesus who wipes away our tears and brings us the joy of being in the presence of God. So let’s rejoice that God is with us and has plans for our glorious future.
Lord Jesus Christ we acknowledge your presence with us this day and ask that you lead us as our High Priest to this table and into the presence of God. We ask that you give us courage to boldly walk into our future without fear. We ask that you be with us as we lead our lives and lead us into the glorious future that was planned for us before creation. We love you O God and ask that you help us to love our neighbors here in Eagle Rock. We pray all of this in the name of our one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Sermon: Biblical Transitions: To Whom Do You Belong? – Psalm 24
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
November 1, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
Today is All Saints Day. November 1 is the day on the church calendar when we remember the saints who have left us to be with the Lord. In the past year we said goodbye to two elders of this church Vi Vandruff and Lois Shultz. All Saints Day is also the day on the church calendar when we think about the present. Today we will say goodbye to each other as this is my final Sunday as your pastor. And All Saints Day is when we thick about the future. Next week you will celebrate the coming of a new pastor and the closer relationship you will have with the Filipino church.
Before I begin preaching this morning I would like to use this opportunity to thank some people in this church. First, I would like to thank the congregation for allowing me to be your pastor since August of 2007, right out of seminary as my first call. And I want to thank June and the group of women who meet every Wednesday for the coffee and cookies and conversation you gave me every week. And thank you to Bob and the Retreads for keeping this place so beautiful. Thank you to June and Donna and the Deacons of this church for your care for the shut-ins and the poor in our community. Thank you Laureen and Jon for the work of the Worship Committee as we continued the morning worship and launched new services at 3 and 5:30. Thank you Rosie and Vern for helping the immigrants coming to this church learn English and adapt to American culture. Thank you Cora, Cecile, David, Jon and the choir for your beautiful music at our worship services and special concerts. Thank you Ruth for our bulletins and newsletters. Thank you Judy and Dirk for meals and special events. Thank you Art for taking care of the churches finances and reports to presbytery. And thanks to all of you for welcoming Grace and me into your community.
This morning I will be completing my series of sermons on biblical transitions. And this is appropriate because my wife and I and this church are entering a transition today. The church is beginning a transition to my successor, Rev. Dr. Kyle Burch. And I am beginning a transition to a new church. Although God has not yet revealed my new church I know that God is at work and will reveal my new call shortly. And when that happens I will let you know where Grace and I wind up. But first let’s pray.
Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)
Psalm 24:1-10 NRS Psalm 24:1
For the last month we have been looking at biblical transitions. We started with the transition of the people of God as they brought the Ark of the Covenant across the Jordan into the Promised Land. God had the law which had governed their lives written down for them to observe as they settled in their new land and told them to be bold and courageous, to remember that God is always with you, and to have no fear. Then we saw how the people of God in the first century feared that they could no longer pray to God when they were no longer able to enter the temple, and the author of Hebrews assured them that Jesus Christ was their high priest and would continue to relay their prayers to God. And last week we read the letter to the exiles in Babylon from Jeremiah telling them to trust in God, live normal lives and pray for their oppressors. All of this constitutes biblical wisdom which we can use as we experience transitions in our lives.
In today’s scripture we see a joyous transition. The Ark of the Covenant representing the presence of God is being brought into Jerusalem. The people of God have transitioned from living in a loose federation of tribal states into a single nation led by King David with Jerusalem for its capital. The arrival of the Ark into Jerusalem indicated that God was the true king over this nation. And so this was a time of great celebration with singing and dancing and worship.
As the Ark started it journey to Jerusalem King David asked the people to remember that they were God’s people. And the God they worshiped was none other than the creator of the universe and their own creator. This meant that their God was the owner of the entire world and everything in it. And all the people of the kingdom of God belong not to themselves but to God.
So as we approach transitions in our lives we must remember that we too belong to God. We are not in control of our own lives. Rather we are God’s people and participants with God in the world that God has made. And the church is owned by God as well. No one here should think that they own this church. The session does not own the church. The presbytery does not own the church. The pastor certainly does not own this church. Nor does the congregation own this church. Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church is owned by God and will be used by God for God’s purposes. And each of you is owned by God and will also be used for God’s purposes. So as you experience transitions remember that you and the entire world belong to our loving God.
As the Ark neared Jerusalem King David asked the people of God if they were worthy to ascend the hill of Jerusalem to be in the presence of God. David told them that to be worthy to enter into the presence of God they must have clean hands and pure hearts. In other words all their works must be done for the glory of God, and these must be motivated by their love of God and their love for one another. This means that everything we do must be done for the glory of God out of our great love for God and our love for our neighbors in the Eagle Rock community. This is evident every Sunday as we satisfy the community’s hunger for the Word of God and the salvation of Jesus Christ as we worship together.
Our love of God requires that we worship and confess that our creator God is the only God. When we experience transitions in our lives we must never turn away from God and worship idols. We must not put our faith in money, or jobs, or government, or relationships, or education, or anything else that we might value more than God. We must always be motivated by our love of God and the command to love our neighbors. And this is why the church must continue it ministry at 5:30 because this is the only ministry of this church that reaches out to all people, regardless of income or wealth, to bring them the good news of Jesus Christ. This is how this church obeys God’s command to love our neighbors.
When King David and the Ark of the Covenant arrived at Jerusalem he ordered the ancient gates of the city to be opened. He announced that the King of Glory had arrived to assume power over the nation. A voice from the city wall asked for the identity of this King of Glory. King David said that the King of Glory was none other than the Lord, God of Israel, who had led his people to victory over their enemies and blessed them with peace and prosperity as a mighty nation. The news that the Lord God of Israel had arrived in Jerusalem echoed throughout the city, and the gates were opened. The Ark of the Covenant was brought into the city and a great joyous festival erupted celebrating the presence of God with them. And this same joy and excitement is experienced by this church as it assembles in worship each Sunday. Three times each Sunday at 9:45, 3 and 5:30 we celebrate that fact that our God is here with us. This is why we worship joyfully welcoming our God right here in this sanctuary.
So the wisdom we have received from King David, which we can use whenever we face transitions, is to remember that we belong not to ourselves but to our God. We must keep ourselves holy during transitions remember that all we do is for the glory of God motivated by our love of God and our love for one another. And whenever we face transitions remember that in worship we come into the very presence of God and this gives us great joy and confidence so that we can approach transitions with boldness, confident that God is with us. So have no fear because whatever happens we always have Jesus Christ as our Great High Priest. And live your lives normally remembering to pray for those who anger you. If you follow this wisdom all transitions in you lives will go well with you and you will be richly blessed by our creator God.
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church has had a rich history and an exciting present, but what about the future. What will happen to us in the years ahead? The promise of scripture is that one day Christ will return and bring all of heaven with him to earth. There will be no more death, nor pain, nor suffering, nor mourning nor crying because this will be a time of great joy as God comes to live with us. We know this because Jesus Christ, who was present with God at creation, serves us today as our High Priest, and will one day make all things new. The table that is set before us today is offered as a foretaste of this new world. Here we encounter Jesus who wipes away our tears and brings us the joy of being in the presence of God. So let’s rejoice that God is with us and has plans for our glorious future.
Lord Jesus Christ we acknowledge your presence with us this day and ask that you lead us as our High Priest to this table and into the presence of God. We ask that you give us courage to boldly walk into our future without fear. We ask that you be with us as we lead our lives and lead us into the glorious future that was planned for us before creation. We love you O God and ask that you help us to love our neighbors here in Eagle Rock. We pray all of this in the name of our one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
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