Godly Things

Touch the eternal.

With hand, eye, heart and mind, always know.

There is silence.

The Presence is a presence known.

Revealed; Unchanging.

Remember! Remember the birth.

Someday…today.

So long...for now.

Galatians 2:20 says, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."


My Grandmother Gladys Brown died a week ago Monday.  She is an extraordinary child of God.  You may view her obituary here. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/themorningsun/obituary.aspx?n=gladys-l-brown&pid=155128523&fhid=2672

Over the past week there has been a cloud of sadness hovering over me.  I thought  "my gosh, am I depressed?  Do I need to see a doctor?  Perhaps...but not about this.  I am full on in the process of grieving the loss of my grandmother.  But while I am sad beyond any control.  I am also confident that I will see her again.  The only life worth having, as the Apostle Paul describes in the passage above is the one that we have in Jesus Christ.  My grandma has that.  I have that.   Notice the present tense.  The life of those we lose in this earthly existence does not end if they are "in Christ."  This is a mystery and a mystical truth that when give ourselves over to the Lordship of Jesus that his life, the life that never ends, resides in us.  
We all share the same life if we are in Christ.  The actions of my grandma in life are just as much a part of the story of my life as mine are.  Its just that her part of the story began 50 years before mine did.  


Just the same when I go to the funeral tomorrow, I know the pain and the sting of loss will be intense.  We will share memories.  We will be together as a family.  And what a family it is.  My grandmother raised 5 head-strong children, who all found partners who are all just as bold and intelligent.  This is the environment in which I grew up.  This is my family.  We are all part of the same story, we are just telling it  from different perspectives.  One day we will all be reunited.  for me and grandma it may be another 50 years, but I can wait.  


Love you grandma.  So long...for now. 

Enlightenment

John 1:1-14

And the word became flesh and lived among us.

This world was created by the very word of God. Whether that happened with a big bang or otherwise makes no difference to me. It was the creative power of almighty God that made it happen.

God set in motion His created order. God set in motion a story where the characters, you and I are free to write our own scripts, free to love him or reject him. God saw that when left completely alone we are incapable of helping our selves. So God entered the story as one of the participants to offer us an opportunity for a happy ending.

And the word became flesh and lived among us.

Pause for a moment think of the beauty that is all around you. Feel the breath fill your lungs and feel the air leave them. And feel the rhythm of your heart. Every breath, every heartbeat is a gift of god. Here now in this sacred place we take time out to celebrate the coming of the Baby Jesus into the world. We also come with Holy expectation that Jesus will be born into our lives again. That his Holy Spirit will germinate in us and take root and make us better than we have ever been before. We are here to make a very special birth announcement. God the Father wants everybody in all ages to hear this announcement.

The birth announcement was first delivered by the angels that night in Bethlehem, but now the announcement of Jesus birth comes from each one of us down through the ages who comes to know that Jesus is Lord.

This truly is a grass roots campaign. God could have started with emperor Augustus. And then the emperor could have made decrees that everyone should worship Jesus. That’s the way we humans would go about it. God doesn’t call a people to himself. He calls you to himself. He calls me. Has been calling individual people to himself and he will continue to seek out every individual until the end of time. Being a Christian isn’t about being part of an organization, its is first about pondering in your heart what god has already done for you. Pondering what he is offering you and you simply accepting that free gift that is yours for the taking. Pondering the fact that the Word became flesh and lived among us.

The Word became flesh and was born in a
barn.  Now that's really real.

When one person makes that decision and joins with other people who have made that same decision to worship God and praise his name, there is Joy in the heavens and in the earthly church.

It is the action of God that makes the difference in our lives. It is the presence of God and our willingness to accept God's presence that will enrich our lives. Only God can truly Change us. The change that we can come up with in our lives are things like Pregnancies, promotions, relocation, weddings, war, resistance to war... All these things can change our life and will make things different. The Big news that God sent his angels to announce not only made things different from that point on for Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, the magi and anyone else that may have been a witness. But it change the course of human history, and even more important than that it will change your destiny if you only believe. I don’t know where you are, at this point in your life. Only you and god know how your relationship is.

Know this: The Word became flesh and lived among us.

The difference this makes is significant to say the least. The efforts we make in this life to change ourselves, to change others, to change systems are doomed to failure until we admit that we are helpless as babies and need to fully rely on God.

Not only rely on God but to fully submit to God. Now if I were a motivational speaker rather than a pastor I would not use the word “submit.” that word seems has taken on negative connotations in our culture. We value individualism, strength, resourcefulness, power, fortitude. Submission seems to fly in the face of all that.

Well...we're just going to have to get over that. Jesus is Lord of heaven and earth. Jesus is the light that shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it.

In verse 12 of our reading today it says “But to all who received him (Jesus), who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God... He gave them who believe 'power' to become children of God. It is as if belief isn't necessarily enough. Please correct me if you think I am wrong but it sure sounds like if if you believe you still have the option of not being one of God's Children.

One can believe that Jesus is the Word made flesh and still live apart from God.

Well we know this is true from Mark's Gospel when a man with an unclean spirit cried out,
what have you to do with us , Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who your are, the Holy One of god.” But Jesus rebuked him, saying , “Be silent, and come out of him.”

So just knowing who Jesus is and acknowledging it isn't enough. Especially if you are opposed to God.

Knowing Jesus is the first step.

The next is becoming his disciple. That means searching the scriptures and discerning the will of God for your life. That means opening yourself, being willing to be enlightened by the Power of the Holy Spirit. There is no formula for this. There is no spiritual checklist for this to happen, it all goes back to submission to God. Are you willing to admit your complete lack of ability to save your self and ask God to save you.

God will change you. It wont feel forced or awkward. Your spirit will be changed, and you will begin to see the Kingdom of heaven realized in your own life.

The word became flesh and lived among us. This is information that matters but its what you do with it after you believe it that makes the difference.

So How is it with you today on this Christmas morning? Are you ready to begin or begin again your discipleship journey with the Lord of heaven and earth?

Would you pray with me?

Missed Opportunity

This chalk painting was done by a volunteer chaplain at Hospitality
INC (In the Name of Christ), an emergency shelter in Ludington Michigan.

A special baby came.

The era of Jesus came and offered life to all those who would believe in him. Believeing in him means what we trust in him free us from death and to give us a life that will never end.
We trust in Jesus because no matter how good we are at living this earthly life, it will never be good enough to earn eternal life. We have to get to the end of our ego's. We have to get to the end who we are and who we think we are and trust in Jesus. Believing in Jesus also means that we believe what he said and believe what he believed.

Jesus said who ever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple- truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.

Mary and Joseph made there way to some inn and the innkeep didn not admit them. There was no room. It wasn't his fault. There was no room. This was a young couple. She was about to give birth.

Joseph: The baby's comin'

Innkeeper: Not here it's not.

some will ask “when was it that we saw you hungry or thirst or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and didn not take care of you?” then He WILL ANSWER THEM, “truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to the one of the least of these you did not do it to me.”

caring for those in need seems to be a top priority for Jesus. He knows about it first hand. But in our story at the point the inkeeper enters the story: Jesus wasn't born yet, right? Jesus hadn't yet said and done the things revolutionized the world. His earthly ministry hadn't yet begun. The sacrifice of his life had not yet been offered. The Holy Spirit had not yet empowered te earthly church to be the body of Christ.

It wasn't his fault that he turned away a young woman on a cold night that was about to give birth.

Jesus is quite clear as to what it means to be His disciple. He once sumarized it with an answer to a question designed to test him. Jesus was asked, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is greatest?” He said to him, “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the greatest and first commandment. He didn't even tell them that he was God. He didn't tell them that the face that they were looking at was the face of God. He didn't tell them his very being was the reflection of the glory of God. No he didn't tell them those things, it wasn't time yet. He did talk about another commandment though. He said the second is like it: You shall love your neigbor as yourself.”

Who is my neighbor? Jesus answers that question too. (story of the good Samaritan).

Mary probably said “but the baby's comming” In keeper said “Not here he's not...no room”

What ever you did not do for the least of these you did not do it for me.

The innkeeper walked on the other side of the road, so-to-speak.

To say the least, that inn keeper missed an opportunity.

“The intentionshould be not to justify Christianity in this present age, but to justify the present age before the Christian message” -Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Interpretation of the New Testament. Those who love and neighbor have a responsibility to stand up to evil and injustice in what ever form it presents itself.

In our story it is the hard heart of an inkeeper who forced Mary and Joseph to make the decision to have their baby in a barn!

That door may have been closed to Jesus, but the door to Jesus is open. Jesus said “ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; Knock and the door will be opened for you.

Jesus says it doesn't matter how you treated me. I still love you. I believe in you even if you don't believe in me.

The comfort of the inn was denied to the family of Jesus but that didn't change the fact that the baby was commin'

The baby was coming whether he let them stay there or not. The sad part of his story is that he didn't get to experience it. He didn't get to be a part of it.

The presence of Jesus in the world demands a change in both the way we live and the way the world operates.

God wants to come into your life. God wants to use you. God wants to transform the world through you. Do you want to experience that? Do you want to be part of that? Then hear this: “the baby's comin'”

God will do what god will do. When Jesus was rolling into town on what we now call Palm Sunday the people were shouting and praising God but the religious folk didn't like it. They said to Jesus “Teacher, order your disciples to stop.” He answered, “I tell you if these were silent, the stones would shout out.” There's no stoppin' God.

the babys comin will you be a part of it?

If you are not thanking and praising Jesus, he'll find someone else to do it.

'cause..the baby's comin'.

John the Baptist used the words of the prophet Isaiah “The voice of the one crying out in te wilderness: 'prepare the waay of the Lord, make his paths straight.'” We may not be ready. For the baby...

but the baby's commin'

We will encounter folk like the inkeeper, who put there hands up and say, “no thank you” to the Good news about Jesus Christ but that doesn't change the fact that... the baby's comin'.

Now Jesus was already born in the flesh and has ascended into heaven. What is being born is the kingdom of heaven. The processs of this birth began with the Birth of Jesus 2000 and some years ago in a little village a quarter way around the planet. It started small like a mustard seed but what was planted started to grow and will grow and grow until there is room for everybody. The home of God will be with us. He will live with us. We will be his people and God himself will be with us. He will wipe every tear from our eyes and death will be no more; Mourning and crying and pain will be no more. And Jesus who will be sitting on the throne says, “See, I am making all things new.”

The process continues with us when we believe in Jesus, when we believe what Jesus said and when we believe what Jesus believed.

Our brothers and sisters, our friends and neighbors have something of the kingdom of heaven growing in them. They all have a part to play. Everyone is invited to the party in God's kingdom. We gather here in God's house, which is a beautiful house. Why wouldn't people want to come to God's House?

When those who accept the invitation come to the door, will we Join them in witnessing what God is growing in them or will we say, “ No thank you...not here.”

Hey! The baby's comin'

What we should be looking for are folk who have said, “Yes!” to God. We should be looking for people who want to say “Yes” to god and have not yet heard the question. We should be looking for people who are carrying great burdons so that we can give them rest that they can know that God is already saying “Yes” to them.

The Baby's commin'!”

So how is it with you on this most Holy Day? Will you be a witness to what God is doing in an through your brothers and sisters?

The inkeeper missed his opportunity. If only we would have our eyes open to what God is doing we wont miss it!. You don't want to miss an opportunity like that. We don't want to miss the the blessings of God. On this most holy day, may you see the Glory of God reflected in the Face of Jesus, the little baby born in a manger.

Would you pray with me?

The Mission

Have you ever seen the movie The Mission with Jeremy Irons and Robert DeNiro? In it DeNiro plays a very vile man who kills his own brother. With the guidance of a priest, he tries to find peace through penance for what is done and then he becomes a monk himself. In the end of the movie he reverts back to his violent ways, not his former life, but he solves the problem in the movie by reverting to violence he once was proficient at. my question is can we change our nature? God calls us to use the gifts he has given us. I'm sure that he did not give the gift of violence to people, however I wonder if sometimes we are culturally conditioned to think certain ways of being and living are undesirable when in all actuality God wants us to use those traits to serve him.
Some very important people in my life people I respect greatly have been very forward direct and sometimes even offensive people. The common thread however seems to be that all those people had at the center of their lives love. When we are motivated by a selfless love a love that is not self seeking, a love that is giving and forgiving then God will use any gift that we have, any skill or trait to serve His ends.
If you have seen the movie the Mission. I would love to know what you think. Do you think that the DeNiro character failed or do you think that he was living out the way that he was designed by God?

No sermon today

One week to go 'till Christmas. The tradition at St. Paul is to have a children's program. That was today so...no sermon.
This year my family is reinventing and re-imagining what it means to celebrate Christmas because for the first time in my life, my siblings an I are Not going to be together.
This will not be easy.
I have always drawn much of my identity from who I am in relation to my family. We have always been very close. The very symbol of that closeness is our yearly gathering at the family home around christmas time.
All that fell apart this summer for various and understandable reasons, of which I won't go into here.
And so my wife and our children have had several conversations about what our family traditions will be. It's both sad and exciting. Sad for what has been lost, exciting starting a new chapter of life of which we will pen many of the details that otherwise may have been pre-determined.

On This Side of Life

I respect the life that Mary mother of Jesus lived. I respect it, but I don't envy it. She was asked to carry the child that was God's son and face public scorn. she was willing, I respect that. she gave birth to a baby in a barn, I respect her for her strength and doing what you had to do. I don't envy her having to go through that experience, being rejected hearing, "There's no room here for you."
I don't envy a mom who spends her whole life knowing how special her child is only to watch that child be ridiculed and rejected. I don't envy a mom that watches as her son gets arrested unjustly. I certainly don't envy a mom who watches as her son is executed. And yet the Bible says when Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting the child lept in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry "Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb."
Just saying someone has a blessed life does not by any means mean that they have an easy life.
It's a rainy day on the sunset coast of Michigan. Everything about today makes me want to slow down, perhaps even take an afternoon nap (I am usually opposed to taking naps because it means I would have to get out of bed twice in one day). Days like this lend themselves to contemplation. Just thinking about where you been, we've been through and where you are now. It seems I've done a lot of that lately, remembering the people of my past, people I've lost along the way, the people I've left behind. It's a terrible thing to experience the brokenness of this world, to experience the pain that comes inevitably with this human life. The thing to do, however is to repair the brokenness. I've said that before this blog. When we can make connections when we can demonstrate love and when we can heal old hurts, I believe that's the beginning of the abundant life that God has promised to us. I'm sitting here in my office at the church just on the other side of the office door is the sanctuary, lit only by the lights on the Christmas tree in the chancel area. People come to this place to experience the presence of God, to experience the love of God by demonstrating that love for each other. Behind every happy smiling face that I see on Sunday, There's a story. There's a story of pain of old Hurts of brokenness and of struggle.
And God loves each one of them so much he came and sacrificed is own human life for each one of us. We may think we know our fellow brothers and sisters. We may think we know them so well that we have the right to judge them, but we don't. Some people have felt the pressures of this life and found it to be too much to bear. In the last 20 years, I have lost four friends who thought just that. Blair, Jeff, Angie and Matt, for them, I will remember. I will remember them and I'll try harder to reach out to really hear those who have something to say.
God said that he will make all things new. I don't think God is waiting to the end of time to do this. I think through us we have to make all things new. We have to fix those relationships. We have to fix those hurts. We have to lift each other up and support each other and love each other. That's what it means Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
So let's all be kind to each other because a blessed life does not necessarily mean an easy life.

In God's perfect love

Jon

Woodcarver's Christmas

The message given during worship today will be from Bruce P.  He will courageously and graciously share his testimony about his journey of loss and healing since the loss of his beloved son.  

A woodcarver himself.  Bruce will share his story against the backdrop of the story The Woodcarver's Christmas, read by his wife Genette.  

Bruce carved the Nativity scene that is on the Alter at St. Paul Church which is featured on the front page of the church web site.  www.ludingtonstpaul.org

Family

Juliana.  Loves reading and imagining possibilities.  Future
tae kwon do master

  As we approach the Christmas celebration one of the greatest joys is the gift and blessing of family. Family is the unit of measure in the Kingdom of God, not the individual. It is true that God loves each one of us and we are all uniquely made, however it seems that the biblical witness suggests that it is the family that God is most interested in.

Alex.  Loves science, logic and has a heart for justice

It makes sense the very nature of God is that of a loving community of relationships. We understand the One God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit all of the same essence yet distinct in their own way. All three living as one in relationship with each other.

Savannah.  A natural leader.  Loves dance.

Jaylen. Always happy.  Loves to
"drive" everything i.e.Mario
Cart, toy trucks, plates, chairs -
whatever he can imagine as a steering
wheel. 

God, however has not restricted the idea of family to those with whom we share DNA. In fact It seems that it is God's intention that we see beyond those connections to find a broader definition of family. In chapter 12 of the book of Genesis in the Bible “The Lord said to Abram, 'leave your native country, your relatives, and your father's family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.” Notice God called Abram away from ties of biological family to do his will. God wanted to use Abram to bless others in this new place. Abram receives the promise from God that “all families on earth will be blessed through you.” This is interesting because it is radically inclusive. It's not just the Hebrew people, it's not just this kingdom or that one. Likewise it is not for all individuals, it is for all families. Being part of a family, an active part of a family means that we are necessarily in relationship with others. Our own ideas, passions, desires, fears are all in play in the context of the on-going dynamics of multiple relationships. It is when we are selfish and insular that we deny ourselves the blessings of God.

This model of relationship expands. Families are not supposed to isolate themselves either but share the blessings they have with others. Chapter 12 of Exodus describes the instructions for the first Passover. In it it says “...each family must choose a lamb or a young goat for a sacrifice, one animal for each household. If a family is too small to eat a whole animal, let them share with another family in the neighborhood. Divide the animal according to the size of each family and how much they can eat.”

Family has always been and remains important to me. My ideas of family are expanding though. For instance our friends Mike and Nancy have become such beloved friends that indeed they are a part of our family even though we are separated by 200 miles and not a lick of DNA. God brought us together. My biological father was adopted as a toddler; I was adopted by my step-father; After having two children of our own we adopted three children in 2008 and am currently trying to adopt their youngest sibling who was born in April of 2010. Family in all these cases had nothing to do with being biologically related it's all about choosing to be in relationship with each other.

Julian.  A deep thinker.
 Loves action and adventure. 

God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.” Ephesians 1:5-8

My three youngest all have special needs. If you know them you probably already know this. If you are interested here is a link to an article I would like you to read so that you may understand them better and perhaps make being in relationship with them a little easier.

http://lubbockonline.com/stories/050610/loc_634601012.shtml

A Christmas Story

Mark 1:1-8

God is telling a story and we are the main characters.

This Gospel reading is, as I said from the book of Mark. Over the course of the next year we will be reading primarily from the book of Mark. This is my favorite of the Gospels because the energy is so high. The writer of Mark tells the story of what happened when he was following Jesus. The portion I just read was the beginning of that story. He was setting the stage for all that he experienced when he was following Jesus.

When we look at this text we have a tenancy, for good reason, to look at the words of the prophet Isaiah and to try to understand the message of John the Baptist and what it means to prepare for the lord by making paths straight. But I like to take a step back and just listen to the voice of the story-teller. In this story he sounds so excited.

There is an urgency in the story as if he understands that this is something that needs to be said and something that people really need to hear. I think because he knows that it is God's story.

I read a story recently. A supposed Christmas story. The only thing “Christmas” about it was that Christmas was mentioned in it. I am going to step out of the pulpit to tell it to you because it's not the message for the day...

http://www.childrenstory.info/childrenstories/brerrabbitchristmas.html

What did that story teach us? What values did that story convey? It lifts up being crafty, heartless, ruthless perhaps even being mean. Just because we put the label Christmas on it does not make it Christian.

year we hear the message: “Keep Christ in Christmas.” and I agree with the idea, its just that all the Christians I know...do. They all say “Merry Christmas.” They all know of the love of God and the sacrifice of Jesus. So to whom are we directing the message, Keep Christ in Christmas? To those who don't believe? Do we really want Macy's and Wal Mart being the ones who direct the message of Christmas? Do we want atheists and people who are opposed to the teachings of Jesus to be spokes persons for the holiday?

I say, if someone wants and prefers to say “Happy Holidays.” let em'. Because then we know where they stand. We can love them right where they are. We won't make any false assumptions about what they believe. We touched on this issue in the adult discussion group a couple weeks ago.

The theme of our discussions for the past several weeks has been on how do we give in a way that is in line with our faith. How can Christmas and the lessens we learn change our life? How can the story of Christmas change the world?

The event that we celebrate at Christmas certainly changed the world in the most profound way. The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem divided time. The eternal God of all creation became human and offered salvation to anyone who would put their trust in in him. After the birth of Jesus every thing has been different. We have access to God. We have a way that leads to eternal life. The suffering and injustice of this world is not part of God's story for us. God wrote a different story for us but we messed it up. Humanity, in our freedom that God granted us, failed to follow the story line.

You see, we are all central characters in the story that God wrote.

Can you imagine reading a book where the main character didn't do what he was supposed to do? When you pick up a mystery novel and the detective in the story decides not to pursue the truth, would that be frustrating? If you have ever seen the movie No Country for Old Men you know what I am talking about. In that movie there is a very bad guy and the good guy is pursuing him, but in the end the good guy just retires. That's it. There is no justice. I found that ending to very jarring and frustrating.

That's how it is with us. God wrote the story of creation. He intends for all of us, every person living to be a part of his family. He gifts us with talents and abilities as well as spiritual gifts. God intends for us to use our gifts to make life better for all those around us. We tend to forget this though. The tendency is to think first of our own comfort and prosperity.

The question is: If someone were reading the story of our lives, would we be following the story line that God intended for us or are we off course? The answer is, of course, between you and God.

When we participate in the Holy Sacraments. Holy baptism and Holy Communion we become direct participants in the story of God. When we invite the Holy Spirit to bless us we are inviting God to change us. We are giving ourselves over to the Story that God is tellingl. John the Baptists part of the story of God was that of a messenger to all, that we need to prepare ourselves to receive God. But what does that mean? Does that mean that go shopping and sing Christmas carols? Well yes in our culture that is part of how we prepare. Those are cues to us that we are getting ready for this blessed season. Those are things that bring joy to people. That joy is a reflection of the joy that God promises to his children. Are shopping and parties supposed to be the source of our joy? No, of course not; Jesus is. And that is a story worth telling. So to all those who prefer to say “Happy holidays” you can give them the gift of telling them the story of Jesus through your life. When you follow God's story-line and your life is filled with joy, despite its difficulties, despite it's challenges people will be interested in hearing the story you have to tell.

This is the season of Advent. A time when we are preparing ourselves to be changed. Preparing ourselves to be a part of the story. How is it with you today? In this season of Advent? What part has God written for you? Would you pray with me?

A reading from the Church Fathers

I thought you would like to read today's reading from A Year with the Church Fathers.

Recognize both natures in Christ

Jesus Christ, the Word incarnate, was true God and true man. When we hear or read the Gospel stories, says St. Gregory the Great, we need to see both natures at work, because we need to understand that both natures are vital for our salvation.

When you read or hear the Gospel, you find some things in our Lord Jesus Christ subjected to injuries, and some things lit up by miracles. In the same Person now the humanity appears, now the divinity shines out.

Don't think any of these things are a delusion, as if Christ were either man or God alone, but believe both faithfully, and worship both very humbly.

Attribute it to the man that he was born of a woman; attribute it to God that his mother's virginity was not harmed, either by conception or by bearing.

Recognize the form of a slave wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger, but acknowledge that it was the Lord's form that was announced by angels.

Understand it of his humanity that he did not avoid the wedding feast; confess it divine that he turned water into wine.

Let your own feelings explain to you why he shed tears over a dead friend; realize his divine power when that same friend, after moldering in the grave four days, is brought to life and raised just by the command of his voice.

For the old original wounds in human nature could not be healed, except by the Word of God taking flesh to himself from the Virgin's womb, by which flesh and the Word existed together in one and the same Person.

–St. Gregory the Great, Sermon 46, 2

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Expectations

Mark 13:24-37

     This is the first Sunday of Advent, Advent is a season of preparation. Advent is about acknowledging that we need a savior. This is the season when we are reminded that we need to keep a posture of wakefulness as a spiritual discipline. It is about expectations.

     Advent is not about getting ready for December 25^th. It's not like Jesus will be born on that day. We celebrate his birth on that day but Emmanuel, God with us, Jesus has already been born and lives on.

We can make all the preparations possible to get ready for an event that will happen in about a month, but if we are just getting ready for the day, the day will pass and nothing will have changed. We all have expectations around this Holiday. What we expect, reflects what is in our heart.

     Back in 1999 around this time of year there was a lot of talk about the problems that the changing of the year to 2000 would cause with computer systems that used only the last to digits of they year rather than all four. Remember? Y2k was, for some, impending doom. I have a friend of a friend who quit his job in Chicago moved back to Michigan and stockpiled food. I wasn't too worried but I was curious, so I stayed up on December 31 with my 3-year-old son my 6 month old little girl and my wife to watch as the clock ticked past 11:59. And as you know, nothing happened. I think that some were actually disappointed. If you put so much energy into an event, a date the inevitable consequence is that when that date passes there will be a let down. How about the poor fellow who keeps predicting the end of the world on specific dates and keeps getting it wrong. I want to know how sure he actually feels. Does he sell his stuff? Does he quit his job? Does he come clean about his past like a prisoner on death row? My guess is that he is using expectation to draw attention to himself or at least to his message.

     According to the scripture today, there will come a time when things will be radically changed. “the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see “the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.” These words of Jesus demonstrate great urgency. He even says that they will happen soon. “Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” But then he goes on to say that we wont know when these things will happen. He tells a story as an illustration about someone going on a journey and leaving his affairs to his servants. And that when the master returns, he expects the servants to be awake. Jesus final words on this is “What I say to you, I say to all: “Stay awake.” He didn't say, “try and guess when I am coming again and on that day be ready.” that would be just cruel considering it has been nearly 2000 years since his resurrection and ascension.

     So its not about the expectation of an event. It is the posture of wakefulness. So what does that mean for us?

     It means that Jesus expected us to wake up from our spiritual sleep and be alert and attentive to what he is doing in the world and to participate with him in the ordering of the kingdom. In the Gospel lesson Jesus used physical wakefulness as an example but I am absolutely certain he didn't intend for us to go with out sleep. But we can use physical sleep and wakefulness as an example.

To be alert and attentive we need to be well rested. God said that we should labor for 6 days and on the seventh day we should rest. When I was going to Ferris State University before the whole internet thing we had to register for classes by phone. The problem was that we had specific times that we were allowed to register. Often our time began in the middle of the night. So to get the classes we wanted we would have to stay up all night to make sure that we registered as early as possible during our designated time. It became a thing. My friends and I would all register, stay up all night then go out for breakfast the next morning. Of course the next day was shot because I was so tired. Sacrificing your rest, your health, your sanity, your peace is no way to stay wakeful. We are designed to have periods of activity and of rest. This is true of our Spiritual life as well. Some times we are active and sometimes we are in retreat. There are times when we engage the world and it is also necessary once and while to disengage. The trick is to not engage so long that you burn out and to not disengage so long that you disconnect.

       To stay awake spiritually we need something to hold our attention. Jesus Christ, our Lord should always be at the center of our attention. Jesus should be at the heart of all our motives. This may be difficult. We have so many mundane things in a day that we can easily become distracted. How do you keep Jesus at the center of your attention, when you have a million things to do and not enough time to do them? How can you keep your motives all about God's will when every thing in the world seems to pull your attention away? This is where regular spiritual discipline and practice comes in. If you want to be a better piano player, basketball player, quilter, pastor... you practice more, you push yourself to try new things and you pay attention to what you are doing and learn from your mistakes. I often hear people say they don't know how to pray. My best advise it to just try it. Talk to God without any fear of “getting it wrong.” I used to see my cousins every holiday. There was always that awkward time when we first arrived when we had to re-familiarize ourselves with each other, then we would be off and running. God know you. You can't get it wrong. You just have to get used to doing it. But Praying is just one of the spiritual disciplines; just one of the ways you can direct your attention toward God.

      When I have a particularly full schedule I intentionally set an alarm on my phone to go off every hour. It is a bell and when I hear it, no matter what I am doing I pause and acknowledge the presence of Jesus. We have to be intentional about where we put our attention.

      To stay awake we need to be well nourished. When the kids and I did the 24-hour fast last week, there were several of the youth that took naps during the day. Without nourishment the body has no energy. We need spiritual nourishment to stay awake as well. I find nourishment in reading Holy scriptures, and in worship. Jesus once compared him self to a vine and we are the branches. If we stay connected to the vine we will have life. When we disconnect we will wither and waste away.

      To stay awake it helps to have someone with us. I probably would never have been able to schedule my classes and stay up all night if I were by myself. Likewise, it is good go have companions along for the journey. The conversations we have after worship, the Sunday School classes, the simple meal, the Christmas party, all those things that we do together as the body of Christ helps us each to keep focused and to stay awake.

      This is advent. It is not a time of getting ready for one particular date that will come and go. It is a season to remind us that we need to always be prepared to receive Jesus in what ever form he may appear. So how is it with you today on this first Sunday of Advent? It is time to wake up. The king is coming! Would you pray with me?  

Pepper Was A Good Dog

     He may not have been the best dog. He bit our friend Roger once. Sorry Roger. He wasn't on his thyroid medicine yet and was a little ill-tempered.

he was a good dog. He liked it when I said so. “You're a GOOD DOG Pepper,” in that voice that people use only for dogs, you know that low, gravely, exaggerated way that they seem to respond to. He would wag his tail and almost smile when he was praised. He also liked it when I would scratch his ears. He would lean in so hard to get as much out of those ear scratches as possible.

     Pepper came to be a part of our family in 2001 when we met him at the Humane Society Animal shelter. We knew he was supposed to be our dog. We took him home, did all the necessary things with the vet and he became a part of our family. The vet said he was probably about five years old back then. So in 2011 he was an old dog, but a good dog.

     In his younger years the kids would attach his leash to their tricycle one would ride while the other would call to Pepper down the driveway and he would run giving the rider a wonderful ride. Over and over they would do this. When Pepper was tired he just stopped and the kids would do something else.

By the time we moved to Ludington this summer, Pepper had slowed down considerably.

He slept a lot. Once and a while he would get a burst of energy and chase the family cat or play with our other dog Maggie, but mostly he just slept. He still appreciated a good ear scratching though. Then on Monday the 21^st of November we noticed that he was growing weak, he couldn't keep food down and we saw what we thought was blood in his urine. On the morning of the 22^nd Diane took him into the vet. She she called me from and said there was nothing to do for him. He was losing blood, his body temperature was well below normal, he was dying. We made the decision to have the vet administer a drug that would stop his heart so that the end would come quickly so that he wouldn't have to suffer a long death.

  I have always said, quite callously I have to admit, that the reason for pets is to teach children about death. When the call came from my wife from the vets office I thought that I could detach myself from the situation. I told her I didn't need to be there, but just as soon as I hung up the phone I knew I needed to be there. I raced out of the church parking lot, phone in hand, calling and calling wanting to say that I would be there. I wanted them to wait for me. I wanted to be there for Diane and for Pepper.

     I got there and they were prepping him. They brought him into the exam room with a port in his front leg for the injection. I gave Pepper an ear scratching. I thought he might like that. He didn't have the strength to resist so is head shook to the rhythm of my scratches. The Doc said I am going to administer the “treatment” now. I told him to go ahead. I got down so my face was level with his and I told him over and over, “you are a good dog Pepper. You're a good boy.” He likes that you know. And as the solution entered his veins, Pepper slowly put his head down and closed his eyes. The veterinary assistant listened with a stethoscope and said that it was over.

     A sound came form deep inside of me, from the very depths of my soul. It was a wail of sadness that was completely involuntary. To teach children about death?! I apparently had a thing or two to learn. Animals are a part of God's beloved creation. Pets are those animals that we have been entrusted with to care for, nurture and love. Pepper was more than just a creature that shared the same living space that I did. He was a part of my life. The life that God intended for me. I no longer take that as lightly as I did before. The Spirit of God pulses through all of that is. Yes there is a special place in the created order for humanity but that doesn't mean that that the rest of creation is not special and precious as well.

     The kids had a half-day of school that day. When they got home we told them what happened. I had made arrangements with a friend to bury Pepper at his farm. So we all went to that place, out in a pasture where horses are kept. There is a nice tree there. My son and I dug the hole. We put Peppers favorite pillow, the one he slept on in the bottom. Then we lowered his towel wrapped body into the hole, thanked God for bringing Pepper into our lives then filled the hole in. There were a lot of question about what happens next. What will happen to his body? Is there heaven for dogs? What will happen to me? Yes there were lessons learned through this experience for my children and for me as well. It is a sad and painful experience that we are going through right now, but I come away from it with a greater appreciation for the good things inn life.

   Pepper was born circa 1996 and lived to November 22, 2001. For me he was part of the abundant life that god promised to all of his children. Thank you God, for Pepper. He was a good dog.

The Kings Orders

A really cool stool given to me on Father's Day several years ago

Matthew 25:31-46

This stool I have right here was a gift from my family. It was a Fathers Day gift several years ago. It is supposedly a Chiefs stool. I don't know which culture it comes from but apparently a leader of a tribe/community would have something like this and it is a symbol of his authority. It isn't the most comfortable thing though. It is a little too low and there is this metal work that takes away as much comfort as it adds design and beauty.

We, in the adult discussion group, have been talking for the past couple of weeks about Christmas and the best gifts, the worst gifts and the most appropriate gifts to give that demonstrate love and honor Jesus. Rather than being participants in a hyper-consumerist frenzy that ends in disappointment on or about December 26^th every year, we have been exploring ways to make the celebration of the coming of the Savior a more intentional, more meaningful event. And more than that: Not just a day but the whole season can bee steeped in generosity that doesn't have to show it's self in meaningless spending but its a generosity that truly demonstrates the unbounded, unrestrained, unconditional love of god for us.

We were talking about specific gifts we had been given that were meaningful. I failed to remember one very important gift I received. It was a gift that produced in me so much gratitude I couldn't have expressed it adequately with words. What I received on one particular summer day in either 1992 or 1993 I can't exactly remember any more, was one that, though I don't remember the year I will never forget the gift it's self

Now you might expect me to tell about a time when I learned something from a beloved friend or relative that taught me a valuable lesson. Or perhaps I came to a realization about some truth of life through some hardship that I went through. Well, such examples are valuable and can be gifts to be cherished, this, example however is nothing like that. The gift I received was an actual object given to me with out any expectation of return.

It was a t shirt. A single brown cotton blend t-shirt. There were no words printed on the front of it. It didn't come from a particularly special person. I didn't receive it on a particularly auspicious occasion. Just a t-shirt. The thing is, is that the thing I needed most at that moment was indeed a t-shirt and when I needed it, it was given to me.

It was a hot-hot day in that summer of '92 or '93. I was in Grayling Michigan with my National guard unit. We were on a long movement, walking through the woods, ruck sacs full, up and down those hills trying to stay focused, trying to get to where we were going. We stopped. Someone was down. Someone in my unit was suffering from heat exhaustion. We were in too remote an area for an ambulance so we made a litter a stretcher and carried him to the nearest place where an ambulance could pick him up. We moved on. Hot and sweaty we pushed on. When the storms clouds rolled in we saw it as a welcome relief from the heat. When it started to rain we didn't even put our rain gear on because it felt so good. But that turned out to be a mistake. I would find out days later that the National Weather Service reported that the temperature that day dropped 40 degrees in less than 30 minutes. Now I don't know if it was 100 degrees and dropped to 60, or if it was 90 and dropped to 50, I just know that when you are wet, tired, hungry in 40 or 50 or even 60 degree weather it's cold. In fact one of our soldiers went into hypothermia. Sgt. Steed earned a lifesaving medal that day when he lent his own body heat to that down soldier while we waited for the med-evac helicopter to come. We were to far in the woods to carry him back to the point where an ambulance could get to him. We were all cold. I was shivering violently and uncontrollably. I could have been the next one to do down. Until one of my fellow soldiers handed me a dry brown t-shirt. I took of the wet one I had, put the dry one on. Covered it in a rain jacket. Instead fighting to keep my body temperature normal I was able to focus on the task at hand, which was getting out of the woods and going home. I felt such relief and such gratitude.

We serve a Great, Big God. That this great God uses small things to reveal himself to us. He didn't call the elite or the powerful to be his disciples, he called the outcasts and the not-good-enoughs. He wasn't born in a palace but in a barn.

God doesn't call us to to be the biggest and the best. God doesn't call us to draw attention to ourselves with the grand gesture. He calls us to offer water to the thirsty, visits to those who are sick and in prison, food to the hungry and might I add, a t-shirt to those who are cold and wet.

Does this look like a throne of a king?  Perhaps.

This is Christ The King Sunday. This is the last Sunday of the liturgical year. At the end of this year we are at the very edge of a new beginning. Next week we begin again a year with the season of Advent. Christ the King, bumped right up next to Christ the baby born in a barn to a teen-aged mom. The baby who lived under Roman occupation, the baby who would be a refugee in another country for a time. That baby would be come Christ the King. Our king! Jesus said, “When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory?” I wonder what that will look like.

What will the throne of Jesus look like? Have you ever seen the movie Indiana Jones and the last Crusade? There is a scene in which Indiana Jones has to choose from dozens of goblets the one that belonged to Jesus during his earthly life. He bypassed all the big, bejeweled, and shiny Goblets in favor of a small simple cup. “The cup of a carpenter” he said. We serve a big God, we serve a powerful god. But God is a god of the small, the simple and the humble. Rather than big and shiny and bejeweled, I figure God's throne might look something like this Chief's stool. Simple and wooden.

We might be tempted to make the faith and to make the season about grand gestures and events and really great feelings. But Jesus says it's about giving a cup of water to the thirsty, some food to the hungry and taking care of the stranger.

So how is it with you today? Your King requires something of you. Mica 6:8 says, “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? We can't say we never knew what we were supposed to do. Its right here in his Word. If you did or did not do it for the least of these who are members of his family you did or did not do it for Jesus. Simple as that. Would you pray with me?  

24 hour fast

It's nearly 7 am and I have been here at the church with eight youth learning about hunger, poverty and their causes. As a part of that we fasted from solid food during this time. I pray that something new will awaken in us through this experience.

In our midst

 Here is a series of art pieces that are found about my home.  Yes the artists are indeed members of my family and I paid exactly zero dollars for the collection, just the same, the collection is priceless.

Truth Justice and God's Way

Matthew 24:14-30

This past Friday was Veteran's day here in the United States. By a show of hands, who among you have ever served in the Armed services?

We all had different motivation to serve. Some were drafted, some volunteered. Some made a career of it some served the minimum amount of time required. Some liked the military lifestyle while for some it didn't suit them as well. Some served during times of conflict while others served during peace time. What ever the experience, one does not serve in the U.S. Armed forces and come away unchanged or unaffected.

I never went into a combat situation but the realization that whether or I went or not depended completely on the decisions of people higher on the chain of command forced me to give up the illusion of control in my life.

Control is an illusion. Despite our strongest efforts or our deepest desires, life happens to you. Challenges come. People are unpredictable. The only control we have is what we do with our own actions. We have to decide what our motivation is, that will guide our actions. Our nature will be formed by our motivation to please the one we serve.

We all serve something. Even if it is ourselves. If we are self serving then we obviously will have a selfish nature. In the military there is a strong motivation to serve the Nation. Even when we as a people get things wrong I still love this country. I like patriotic songs and I love it when we get lots of gold medals at the Olympics.

There are those who may serve there work, or their children, their political affiliation, their union, or their college football team. Or any combination of a variety of other things. The motivation to please the one your serve will shape your nature.

The farm where I grew up.  It was a dairy farm when my dad was a kid,
 a beef farm when I was a kid and now it is  practically a farm in name only.
Earthly circumstances change.  God is eternal.  

In the Gospel lesson today Jesus is, again, describing what the Kingdom of Heaven is like. “It is as if a man is going on a journey. He summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them.” We are tempted to think that this man going on a journey is supposed to be God. Because indeed Jesus ascended into heaven and had promised to come again. So it would seem to fit. However, I don't think that is the point that Jesus is making here.

Jesus tells the story about the man going on a journey and the gives 5 measures of wealth to one, 3 to another and 1 to the last. The slave that receives the one measure gets himself into trouble when the master returns because he didn't do anything with the money. He just buried it and waited until the master came back. Then he dug it up and gave it to him.

The reason I don't think that Jesus was comparing the landowner to God is in the description of the landowner by the slave. He said “Master, I knew that your were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid...” This is not a description of God. This does not paint a picture of a loving and forgiving master. However in the parable that Jesus tells, the master does not dispute this description of himself. Yet he is still displeased with the slave. He is displeased because this slave knew exactly what sort of man his master was and yet he did not do as his master does. The other two did. When the master went on his journey they continued to conduct business as usual on the masters behalf. The slave with the one talent did not and therefore displeased his master.

Remember the story of Jesus childhood when he and his family went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover? When it was over Mary and Joseph and the rest of the family were heading home and discovered that Jesus wasn't with them. They had to go all the way back to Jerusalem and they found Jesus in the temple and they were getting on his case about it and Jesus said to them, “Why were you searching form me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?” (Luke 2:49)

If they understood his nature they would have known where to find him.

How about one of the many times when Jesus was challenged and he said “If I a not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” (John 10:37,38)

Proof of his nature lies in what he says and does. Jesus and the Father are one.

The parable of the Talents is not a description of God's interaction with us but rather it is a description, or rather an illustration that shines light on the fact that we should be about our Fathers business in his absence. While we are waiting for Christ's return we will conduct his ministry as he would.

If we fail to do so. If we bury our talent, even if we have just one, we are of no use to the Lord. We are called to do the work of God and to use what we have at hand to do so.

We talked a little earlier with the young disciples about Justice. Justice can mean different things depend on who you serve and who your master is. If justice means that you should get everything you want, then you are probably serving yourself. Justice means that we are obligated to use what we have to serve our God according to His will. The challenge and the difficulty comes when we try to figure out just what that is. Because like the slave in today's Gospel lesson we may have a particular understanding of the one we serve that may differ from our brothers and sisters in Faith.

If you see God as a God of unconditional love only, then you are obligated to follow suit and love unconditionally. That means acceptance of those that hate, those that victimize and those that prey on innocence. If you see God as a god of justice then you may have strong views about law and of punishment. Perhaps you see God as the giver of good things to those who are faithful. Then perhaps as a good servant you are trying to determine how much God loves you by the amount of good things in your life. The fact is that God is a god of love and justice. God does bless us with good things. However we have to be careful not to minimize God as to serve our own purposes. God is bigger than our minds can fathom. God is both transcendent and present. God is three: Father, Son and Holy Spirit and yet God is One.

As faithful servants of this marvelous god we must be about our Fathers business. God came as the person Jesus. Jesus affirmed that the greatest commandments tell us to love god and to love each other. Jesus embodied that. Jesus lived that. THAT we can understand. That we can wrap our mind around.

So how is it with you today? What is your view of the God you serve? Know that God, through Jesus Christ expects us to conduct business as he would in his absence. And on that day when we see him again, may He say to each one of us, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of may things; enter into the joy of your master.”  

Like the Morning Frost Being Melted By the Sun

In my study, on the top shelf, I have displayed a book called Bible Forget Me Nots it was published by DeWolfe Fiske & Co in 1898.  This book is a gift from former parishioners whose wedding I officiated.  At 114 years old there is no one alive today that was alive at its printing.  In 114 years from now not one of us will be alive.
Jesus gives us some perspective, “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, `What shall we eat?' or `What shall we drink?' or `What shall we wear?
We may be more valuable than a lily or grass in a field but our lives are just as temporary, therefore each day is a celebration.  Even the planned and regular interruption of my much valued sleep by Miles Davis playing from my CD alarm clock is a joyful event.  I have, in my most human way, tried to order my life so that it is as predictable and manageable as possible.  However, as we all know, change happens.
We get older, we grow stronger in our convictions or we let some of them go as they are no longer useful.  Our bodies start to fail as the years wear on.  Even if the circumstances of our life were stable…we are not.
Truth is circumstances are even less stable than our physiology.  Things happen.  Relationships change, children grow up, economies falter, wars rage, tires go flat and in the midst of all that God says “I am with you.”
When I was about ten years old, there was a tornado warning, and for whatever reason my parents were not home.  My grandmother knowing I was home alone came to our house with a package of those cheap sugar wafer cookies and she sat with me through the storm.  She couldn’t protect me from a tornado but it was nice that she was there.  What ever may come across that field she and I would be together and every thing was okay.
The tornado never came.  That was thirty plus years ago.  And now my grandmother is near the end of her life.  Her body is failing her.  She is facing the end of her earthly existence and I know that God is with her.  I know because he has a steady stream of loving family members taking turns sitting with her.  The storm is coming but its okay because she’s not alone.
In the Bible Jesus says, “The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”
 I pray that we… that I can give of myself in every moment the way she gave of herself for me on that summer afternoon in 1981.

Spiritual Preparation

Spiritual Preparation

Matthew 25:1-13

This scripture is about being prepared, isn't it? Jesus tells this parable about ten bridesmaids to explain yet another way and from a different perspective, what the Kingdom of heaven is like. Jesus is telling us across the milennia, through the Holy Scriptures to prepare yourself for something new, something different, something wonderful.

We know about preparing for wonderful things. In just a few weeks the season of advent will begin. This is the season of preparation to celebrate Christmas. The question that we ask each other is, “are you ready for Christmas.” because we know that it does take a lot of preparation to celebrate Christmas in Western culture. Generous giving has come to be the norm for us. Unfortunately generous sometimes turns into extravagant. And sometimes we put so much pressure on ourselves to give extravagantly that we lose sight of the relationship with Jesus. We lose sight of honoring God with our gifts. Then there is the beautiful simplicity of Christmas morning when everything is quiet and hopefully, if we had been distracted before, now we can contemplate the fact that God is in our midst. Hopefully all of our preparations pointed us to that moment of realization.

Christmas morning naturally is connected to Easter morning in that we would not have a resurrected Lord if he had never been born. We celebrate the resurrection every Sunday. This is the day we set aside to Worship the Living Lord. We live in a world that is not yet perfected. We live in a world that draws our attention away from God. We have to prepare for things that are not so wonderful.

I was not prepared for the events of September 11, 2001.

I was not prepared, in 2005 for the news that my Dad, who I had only seen a handful of times in the previous decade, was taken in for emergency Brain surgery.

I was not prepared to be asked to officiate my 42-year-old cousins funeral on my 40^th birthday this summer.

But in all those situations God was there. On September 11, 2001. I was going to college at Central Michigan University. When I heard the news I went to the Sanctuary of the Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church and prayed. And I read psalm 27 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

In 2005 when I drove from Greenville to Traverse City to be with my dad, I didn't know it then but my dad would live for three more months, during which time we were reconciled.

And this summer when I officiated my young cousins funeral. God gave me the strength in a very difficult situation to proclaim the Gospel about Jesus Christ to nearly my entire family.

In these situations I was not initially prepared but God found ways to bless me.

However the consequences of not being prepared for the Kingdom of God means that we will not be able to participate in that new creation. Not because we deserve to be punished. Not because we didn't live up to a particular set of rules but because we didn't have a relationship with Jesus. At the core of who God is, is Love. If you don't have love then, you don't know God. That is the beginning of being prepared. If we are unprepared then when the time comes he will say “I never knew you.”

We talked last week about the fact that ultimately it is just between you and God. You have a choice in every moment to seek God and live for God. You may come from a long line of Christian believers, but if you don't seek a relationship with God, it wont matter. God wants your heart. God wants you to love him. We have this gift of scripture. We have this gift of a parable that Jesus taught 2000 thousand years ago what was remembered by his listeners, written down by the disciple Matthew, hand copied, and now we have it before us today. The words of our Lord Jesus. And he is telling us to “be prepared.”

Keep your lamps lit. or at least keep on hand enough oil so that when you need the light you will be able light your lamp. Scripture tells us that, “all things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being, in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (John 1:3-5)

Our bodies are the lamp and the oil is Jesus. We need to have Jesus living in and through us to be prepared for eternity. This means we need to submit to the Lordship of Jesus in our lives. This means we need to seek Jesus with our Heart and not just our intellect. When we seek Jesus in earnest he will come to us, and the Holy Spirit will live in us.

When we have that kind of intimacy with God, we will readily recognize the love of God in our lives. We will see the blessings that God is giving us. When we see and recognize God's love in our lives we will be all the more ready to return that love and worship God with all that we are. This is what it means to have a relationship with God.

When we share Holy Communion we are in the presence of God who feeds us and who also feasts with us. God is both above everything and in everything. This is a glimpse of the banquet that we will gain admittance to if we have the light of Christ burning in us at the end of this life.

Holy Communion is but one of the many ways in which we experience Christ in our midst. Another is in the fellowship of believers. When we gather in Christs name and keep Jesus at the center of our attention. He is present in and through us and we are blessed.

Jesus is calling us to be prepared.

So...How is it with you today? If you were to show up at the banquet of heaven tonight would your lamp be lit or would Jesus say “I never knew you?” Would you pray with me?