Pine Trees and Apples

Mark 9:38-50

My popcorn harvest

 

“Have salt in yourselves , and be at peace with each other.”

Here it is the last day of September 2012. Its the season of harvest. The work of planting and of preparation is literally coming to fruition. The soy beans look just about ready. The apples, the corn, the pumpkins will all soon be brought in. each plant bears the fruit that it always has. A pine tree will never bear an apple, just as the enemies of God will never bear good fruit. Those who proclaim the name of Jesus Christ and do works of power in his name will not be able to say anything bad about him. There are those who bear the name of Jesus who do things, who have a way of seeing things that is different than our own way. Jesus says, let them be.

Jesus some pretty strong words about the excuses we make for our failure to follow him. “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off! If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off! If your eye cause s you to sin, tear it out! What ever it is in your life that you are blaming for your failure to follow Jesus Remove it!

There are moments as a parent and as a pastor for that matter when I am often privileged to be there to witness a revelation. The moment when the truth, as it is, becomes clear to someone. With my children I can tell them things, good things, wise things. But until they understand it for themselves they are, at best, obedient to my word. But after they understand and make the choice to make the wise choice they have something that will shape their lives for the good and that can never be taken from them.

My children just like me and just like any one of you can come up with any number of reasons and excuses for failure to live as Jesus commanded. “Its too hard.” “He didn't really mean that.” “He lived in a different time.” “He lived in a different culture.” Or maybe we don't even bother to come up with reasons why not.

In this passage of scripture Jesus seems pretty adamant about living rightly.

So how do we live rightly as Christians? Is it by following the platform of our favorite political party? As some of you may know, there is a law that prohibits pastors like me from endorsing a political candidate or party from the pulpit. The consequence of violating this law is that the church of the offending pastor can lose their tax-exempt status. There is a movement around the country to challenge this law. Sometime in the first part of October, several pastors will intentionally violate this law and and submit transcripts to the Internal Revenue Service in an attempt to draw them into enforcing it and thereby beginning a court challenge. The hope and intent is that this law will be deemed unconstitutional. I was challenged to take part in this. If you have been here for the past several weeks you may have heard me preach on the divisiveness of politics, so you can guess that my first reaction was to resist.

However, as a thought problem and as a challenge to my self I thought, if push came to shove, and I had to say something, what would I say? Who would I endorse from God's pulpit in God's church? Who should have the “Christian” vote? I don't know. I don't think that if Jesus had a car there would be any bumper stickers on it. I am certain that God can use whomever is elected. If this answer is unsatisfying and you would like a more nuanced treatment of this, I would love to talk with you in your home. I certainly have some ideas and I don't think that either candidate would want me speaking on their behalf.

Jesus has set a very high standard. He said be perfect as I am perfect. Not that we can get to perfection on our own but we only get there by letting the Spirit of God live in us. Not that we need to be perfect to be accepted by him, in fact we often come to Jesus and find acceptance when we are at our most broken and vulnerable moments of our life.

Jesus asks those who have found life in him to begin to remove the brokenness from our lives. When we find life in Jesus we make our lives reflect his life. When we find salvation in Jesus we are drawn into a life of thanksgiving, of selflessness, and of unconditional love.

This freedom in Christ is a wonderful experience. It is a wonderful life. When you have it you want others to have it as well. We gather together in this holy place and we share our life together. We pool our talents our resources and we listen for the voice of God. We feel for the prompting of the Holy spirit and for many, many years this church has been a light in the darkness. It has been a testimony to the presence of God in the world. This church is reaching out to those in need. Providing resources to the poor. Providing shelter to the homeless through Hospitality INC. Providing a witness to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. We may be tempted to think that we have it all figured out. We may think that we are doing all we can for the Glory of God.

But we know better don't we? I am guessing that each one of you has something of God's Spirit prompting you in a direction that is new and fresh. I am guessing that God has placed in your hearts a vision for serving Him in a way that this congregation is not currently engaged in. Did you know that you don't need anyone's permission to start a new ministry? Permission has been granted by Jesus Christ!

The disciple John asked Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he was not following us.” but Jesus said “do not stop him, because no one who does a miracle in my name will be able soon afterward to say anything bad about me.” Somebody in this congregation has an idea. Another person in this congregation has a prompting from the Holy Spirit. Another person has a calling to Serve God in a new way. Many faithful Christians in this congregation will continue to serve God in the way they have for many years. However we as individuals choose to serve our Lord Jesus Christ. Let the rest of us encourage and support you.
“For I tell you the truth, whoever gives you a up of water because you bear Christ's name will never lose their reward.”

Those harsh words that Jesus has about how we should remove the things in our life that impede us from following him is just an illustration on how important it is not to stand in the way of our brothers and sisters in Christ. After all that talk of cutting of you hand and foot and tearing out your eye. Jesus says, “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

Back to the disciple John's question, “What do we do about those other people who are using Jesus name that are not a part of our church” Jesus says, “stay out of their way!” and, “Live at peace with one another.”

Brothers and sisters I may or may not vote like you but I am your Christian brother, a fellow inheritor of the kingdom. So lets live at peace with one another.

So How is it with you today? Are you prepared to live a higher ideal than any political party can set? Are you prepared to support your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ as they follow gods prompting to serve him? Are you prepared to listen and follow God's purpose for you?   

The Gardener

Mark 8:27-38

Here is a little of what the garden produced this year. Its amazing, the abundance that comes from God's earth. Just a few months ago we planted the seed and now we have food. On the surface it looks like my family did this. I mean we ordered and planted the seed. We tried to keep the weeds out to give room for the plants that we wanted to grow. And we harvested the crop. But the land we used belongs to another. The farmer whose land we rented watered the garden when it was needed. So who is the gardener? Is it Diane who was the mastermind of the design of the garden and did the largest share of the work? Was it the combined efforts of our children that did most of the labor? Was it the land owner who provided the space and watered the plants so they could survive? I certainly don't take credit for being a gardener. I don't take credit for this.

Our life is a garden. Which parts of your life do you take credit for? Which part did you do all by yourself?

Now, I have taken biology in high school and I have a basic understanding of things. But I had no idea one could know so much about growing apples before I moved to Ludington. I could listen to Darrell for 5 minutes and increase my knowledge of apple trees by 10 fold. Its amazing. But with all that is known, I have yet to hear of a synthetic apple seed. I have yet to hear of a way of growing a new plant with out a seed or a part of another plant. And so every tree and plant and animal and person on this planet gets traced back and back before we knew anything at all. In this we have to acknowledge the mystery of God in all what we are.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; Understanding is good but it is not the final judge of truth. If you understand things are just as they are. If you don't understand, thing are still just as they are. Whether you believe in something does not change the ultimate truth.

I had a conversation with a couple of atheists this week. It seems their main stumbling block to belief was the fact that they just couldn't believe some of the things that the bible says. The ultimate truth of the Holy Scriptures was lost to them. The mystery of the glory of God filling the whole creation is beyond their 5 senses and so they cannot accept it. But just because they don't believe, does not change the reality that God exists, that God loves them and that God is calling them back into relationship with him.

Paul says in the Book of Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. Stepping outside of the pattern of this world is a difficult thing for most people. When you step outside the pattern of this world you step into a life of unknowns. When you choose to accomplish things that can only happen if God intervenes then you are stepping into a world of faith. Living a life of faith can be stressful if you need always to be in control and you need to always understand. But the more you trust in God, the more you will see God's action in your life, which in turn will build your faith. That is the renewing of your mind!

Remember the story of Mary at Jesus' tomb? She was thinking in terms of the patterns of this world until Jesus shook her out of it. Mary was there crying because she believed Jesus to be dead. Hope was gone. She was feeling the sting death. John 20:15 "Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."

He was not the gardener. It was Jesus. The one she loved. He is alive? She had to abandon what she understood to be true and accept what was really true.

Those atheists that I had a conversation with...The interesting part, to me, was the fact that they started the conversation. I posted a comment on twitter about the cross of Jesus. I wrote “The cross is the ugliness of sin; it's the beauty of grace; it's the certitude of judgment; its the promise of forgiveness.” Withing minutes I had several comments denouncing what I had written. And so the conversation began. But the question I have is this: If these folks are so against the idea of God and of religion, why are they subscribing to what I write. I mean I post under the name of Pastor Jon Pohl on twitter. My posts are unabashedly christian in nature. So why would an Atheist choose to read what I write. I think I know the answer.

Its because 6the very real presence and love of God goes before us and prepares the way. They fight it because its real. It must be a very difficult position to hold-not believing in God, when God's presence fills the earth. It must be like living in San Diego and not believing in the Pacific ocean. Believing isn't even the hard part. James 2:19 says You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder. Believing is not enough. In the the book of James it says That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. “Confess with your mouth” What does that mean? It means you own it! It means you admit that it is true! Not only have you come to believe but you are willing to proclaim it.

When you proclaim it. When you take a stand for it. There will be those who will want to knock you down. When proclaim the truth there will be those who will challenge you.

Those atheists who were challenging me about my faith- I read some of their profiles they publicly proclaim that they want to smash religion they want it to go away. I think they believe they can do it. But do you know what I did. I engaged them with the truth that does not change. I confronted them with a faith that does not fail. I am not the gardener may not even be the seed planter. But I did what I could to let the soil of their souls to be prepared to let the spirit of God grow in them. And that is what we are all called to do in a variety of ways.

In today's Gospel lesson Jesus asks the question, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter got it right. “You are the Christ!” Peter correctly identified Jesus for who he was not only did he believe it but he proclaimed it. Now we all know of Peter's later failure during Jesus trial. Luke 29: 6 says, “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But all was not lost.

The confession is required, but if you have failed in the past to confess Jesus as Lord all is not lost. Peter found his voice. Peter later boldly proclaimed Jesus name. He gave his life for his confession for Jesus. And Jesus built the church on Peters confession.

How is it with you today my Brothers and sisters? Our identity as Christians is in our proclamation of Jesus. Who do you say Jesus is? Is Jesus the historical figure that started a revolution 2000 that changed the world? Is Jesus the figure that gets talked about once and a while but usually only on Sundays? Or is Jesus the life-giving, life-transforming Lord of Heaven and earth? What you say about Jesus matters. What you say wont change who Jesus is. But what you say will determine your relationship with him.

Jesus says, “Not every one who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter into the kingd0om of heaven. Only the ones who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day, may will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do many powerful deeds?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' .

Remember Jesus parting words to his disciples, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..”

Let us always be ready to answer the question that Jesus asked, “Who do you say that I am?”

Smoking Section

Visiting the sick and dying is an uncomfortable,
yet blessed part of ministering to God's people.  

Mark 7:24-37

I had hope but ultimately I was disappointed the Central Michigan University Chippewas lost their home stadium match up with the Spartans. Oh well, at least all those people at family camp wearing their green and white shirts should be satisfied today.

We are in the midst of family camp weekend. A few of the regulars at worship are not here because they are at the Lake Michigan United Methodist camp in Pentwater. I spent the last two rainy nights out there sitting around the camp fire watching the kids play on that huge tire swing they have down there. Being at family camp I couldn't help but feel the tradition that was behind this event. It was as if we were being swept along by events of the past. Old memories seemed to saturate every inch of that beautiful place. It reminded me that I...that we stand in a long line of faithful disciples of Christ that have come through these doors and have made a difference in countless lives.

Have I told you lately that I am proud to be your pastor?

Months before I knew I was being sent to St. Paul I had a meeting with a few other pastors at the Scottville UMC. It was about pastoral education, blah, blah, blah.

Barb Fay Pastor from Frankfort was there. It was the first time I had ever met her. As soon as she said Frankfort I got a little knot in my stomach. Let me tell you why...

I grew up in Beal City Michigan. When you are from Beal City Michigan you are steeped in a tradition of playing football. The tradition is so strong that there is a bit of culture shock when one goes elsewhere and finds that not everyone's calendar revolves around the high school football schedule. Last I knew Beal City holds the record for most appearances in the playoffs since records started being kept in 1950 with 26. Going to the playoffs is what Beal City Football does. And when a team goes to the playoffs either they will win the State championship or they will be eliminated somewhere along the way. I was in high school in the late 80s. We met Frankfort in the play offs and were eliminated by them in 85, 88, 90, 91, 92, and 93. Beal City got a victory against Frankfort in 95, but the very next year Frankfort was victorious. You can probably guess that when ever Frankfort came up as our next opponent we started to get a little anxious. Frankfort started to take on a “larger than life” presence in my mind. But then things change. Beal City has won 7 of their last 8 meetings with them.

because of past experience we may not see people for the children of God that they are.

What if I were called to be a pastor at Frankfort instead of St. Paul? I am sure that I would have quickly got past all those playoff losses and would have been able to minister to that congregation. I mean, are they any less deserving of God's love?

I'm kidding of course.

Sometimes we need to force ourselves to go into the very area that makes uncomfortable to defeat the demon that is holding us back from showing God's radical love.

I was on Twitter and I read a something that made me pause. It said “if you want to win the world to Christ, you need to sit in the smoking section.” Meaning, you have to go to where people are. You have to go to some uncomfortable places. You have to experience real life, real pain, real suffering if you really want to make a difference in this world.

I called up to the Frankfort United Methodist Church this week to ask Pastor Barb permission to use her in this sermon. She wasn't there. The person that answered the phone said that he was on her way to Abu Dhabi to see her new grand baby. Abu Dahbi? In the United Arab Emirates? Is that safe?

There I go again. I got that same knot in my stomach. The UAE is, apparently, on my subconscious list of places one should not go. Why? Is there any place on earth where God is not? Is there any place that would not benefit from an expression of unconditional love? I want to repent of my reluctance to go to places that are uncomfortable for me, when I know that others will benefit.

Youcef Nadarkhani...Do you know this name? Youcef Nadarkhani is a Christian pastor and a native-born Iranian. He was arrested 3 years ago for renouncing Islam. He was sentenced to death. For three years he sat in jail, in Iran, waiting for his own execution. He had several opportunities to be released. All he had to do was to recant. He just had to sign a statement what he was no longer a Christian and the process would begin that would lead to his freedom. He did not deny his faith. He stayed in that uncomfortable place. He stayed in Jail. He stayed on death row. He has a wife and children. He has plenty to live for. But he stayed in that uncomfortable place, he stayed in the smoking section.

Its amazing I have heard of people giving up of their faith for much less than that. Some bad experience in some church 20 years ago. Or some preacher said something that I didn't like. Or “I couldn't believe in a God who would______________.” Fill in the blank.

In the Gospel Lesson today Jesus went on a trip to Syria. He left his homeland. Left behind the familiar. Some suggest he went on a vacation. The text doesn't support this conclusion. He left the sea of Galilee and walked to Tyre. That's like walking from Scottville to Manistee. There he met a woman who wanted healing for her daughter. He tested her faith. Was she just looking for a hand out from this miracle worker or did she truly trust in him. She proved her faith, her daughter was healed. Do you think she might have had some good things to say about this Jesus who came by and healed her daughter with ever seeing her? Do you think she held back in mentioning to everyone she knew about Jesus? When Paul would later bring the good news to this area do you think they were ready to hear the message in part because of what happened with this woman?

After this Jesus went to the decapolis. Which is like saying he left Manistee and walked to White Cloud. But he went by way of Sidon. So to put his journey into local perspective. Going from Tyre to Sidon to the Decapolis is like going from Manistee to Frankfort to White Cloud. He made a difficult journey north, and went even further into uncomfortable territory before retiring to the familiar. It was there that he healed the man with the hearing and speaking difficulties. This was no weekend journey.  This was no vacation.  This was an intentional act of Jesus to bring about the Father's will. 

Pastor Nadarkhani stayed where is was most difficult to stay. He stayed where is was uncomfortable because it was the right thing to do. Pastor Nadarkhani was acquitted yesterday of his apostate charges, was released and was reunited with his family. Pastor Nadarkhani stayed in the smoking section and has become a hero of the faith.

So how is it with you today? Were is the smoking section for you? Is it the homeless guys that hang out in the Ludington library during the winter months to keep warm? Is it the people who go to the bar? Where is the smoking section?

What do you avoid so that you don't have to interact with, “those people”?

  

Transitions

     School has  started.  I now have a 10th grader, an 8th grader, a 5th grader, a third grader and a kindergartner.  Of course that is just school-aged children.  We cannot leave out Eli, my two-year-old who demands (and gets) the lion's share of attention in the family.  We are three days into the school year and already there is complaints. My kindergartner got up made it half way down the hall, turned around got back into bed and proclaimed, "Its not morning yet!"  I know how he feels. The earlier bedtime schedule has not come with out much protest and attempted negotiation.  I will not budge.  If I am to be the one to wake them in the morning, I need them in bed so that I can have "my" time.  If that even really exists. I am pretending for the time being that it does.

One of my favorite places on earth. 

     On Memorial weekend I took the family to the beach.  It wasn't a particularly warm day but it was our last opportunity of the summer to go to one of our favorite places on Lake Michigan.  Whatever is happening in the world, whatever family stresses or conflicts are on the front burner, it seems that when we go to the lake everything is okay.  The children all get along and find it relaxing and revitalizing.
     On Monday, Memorial Day, we didn't do anything extraordinary. but as the older kids were getting ready for bed, I noticed the paper lantern that they had built weeks before.  This is one those mini-hot air balloons that glow and float into the night sky then burn themselves out.  I suggested that we launch it as a first-annual tradition to begin the school year.  We brought it outside, lit the candle, waited for the air inside the tissue paper balloon to heat up sufficiently to make the vessel float and released it.  The tissue paper balloon immediately tipped sideways, caught on fire and burned to ashes in the road in front of the house.  I looked at my children, who put a lot of time in constructing this thing, thinking that they would be devastated.  They just started laughing...and laughing. It was really hilarious.

Catastrophic failure. 

Being a Conservative Radical

 Jesus has some harsh words about those who would criticize his followers for not following their traditions. The traditions themselves are not bad. The traditions likely started from a good and right practice. Washing hands and washing food, aside from being a good idea from a cleanliness and health standpoint, can be a powerful reminder, a symbolic act of awareness that there is a need to be cleansed not only physically but spiritually as well. But if the reminder becomes the rule and it no longer reminds us of anything, then it is useless.

We well celebrate Holy Communion in a few minutes. If it were a rule that in order to be a part of this church that once a month you had to eat a little square of bread dipped in grape juice and we never let it remind us of Jesus' sacrifice and the new covenant that he made then it would have no value.

Traditions are good. They connect us not only to the past but help to put us in a right frame of mind to have an unobstructed unique experience because we don't have to worry about extraneous details. We follow the tradition and anything new that happens is easily recognized and appreciated. Sometimes traditions get challenged and changed.

What if you grew up in a house that has always supported one political party and you find yourself after much critical investigation supporting the other?

Do you compromise what you to believe to be absolutely true in order to maintain a civil relationship with family, friends, and acquaintances, r do you stand in what you believe, risking that you may be wrong and risking the resentment and alienation from those that you love most. If we are honest, another consequence of being steadfast is that you may start to resent those who stand against what you believe. Is this really the choice? We live in a world where there are is a wide variety of ways of living, ways of thinking ways of being and believing. This is post-modern culture. No one group is given a free pass on claiming that they have the corner on the market when it comes to the “right way” of living. No longer is the Christian message received as normative throughout our culture.

Does this mean we shrink back and blend in with our neighbors? Do we round the sharp corners of our faith? Do we deny the more difficult teachings of Holy scripture?

I was raised by parents who's ideals were formed during the collapse of the “Modern” world view that said that there was one best-way of living. I was taught tolerance. I was taught open mindedness. To me that means that you can disagree with someone without belittling them. You and disagree with out someone and still respect them. You can disagree with someone and still be in relationship with them. Disagreements on political issues can divide a family; they can end friendships. Why does this have to be? This says that your political philosophy is more important than the relationships you are willing to sacrifice.

My grandfather died in 1996. I remember that he was closely associated with one of the political parities I don't remember which. I do remember that he took great offense when someone suggested that he supports the other party. That's all I remember of his politics. What I really remember is my grandpa loved his family. I remember his strength. He was both physically strong and steadfast in his beliefs. I remember that near the end of his life he saw an advertisement for a nice study bible and he ordered it so that my grandmother would have it when he was gone. Was my grandfather a dedicated Republican or a loyal Democrat? I don't know. I don't want to know. I don't really care. His political affiliation was NOT the defining characteristic of my grandpa and its not my defining characteristic.

I want to be defined by my life in Christ and Christ that lives in me. We are between times. Yes we are between the resurrection of Jesus and His second coming but but this week we are between the end of the RNC convention and the DNC convention and there is an awful lot of tribulation out there. If your are on Twitter or Facebook you know that many people are campaigning for the candidates they support and often times it gets kind of ugly. I hear less about Republicans and Democrats then I do about Conservatives and Liberals. I have friends who are both. I know faithful pastors who are both. My good friend and fellow pastor Mike is the most conservative guy I know pastors a church in rural Michigan. He loves Jesus, takes the bible seriously and genuinely cares for people. My good friend Dwayne is the most liberal or has he describes himself “radical” guy I know, served several years on the south side of Chicago and is doing a church plant in Bellwood, IL. He loves Jesus, takes the bible seriously and genuinely cares for people.

Both my friends celebrate Christmas and Easter. Both lead inspiring worship services. Both my friends have family that they love very much. But I can say with a strong degree of confidence that come November they will not be voting the same way as each other. So how can a self proclaimed Conservative and self proclaimed radical be so similar?

Because we follow a God who first transcends all human divisions. And second uses our differences to speak a wider truth than we can see from our limited points of view.

We are called to be both conservative and Radical. The danger of being just conservative is that we may get lost in our traditions. The danger of being just radical is that we wont have any guiding principles for our zeal.

We are called to be both conservative and Radical.

Be conservative in holding on to your faith. But be radical in sharing it with those whom you wouldn't normally expect to talk to.

Be conservative in keeping God's commandments but be radical in forgiving those who do not.

Be conservative in using resources on yourself but be radial in your generosity to others.

Be conservative in keeping the scriptures close at hand but be radical in living them out.

It is the paradox of God that these two ideas are linked. If you want to be mature in the faith you must have the faith of a child. The first will be last and the last will be first if anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.

He has brought down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up those of lowly position; he has filled the hungry with good things, and has sent the rich away empty.

We come to this table hungry. Whatever our political persuasion, whatever our place in community, whatever our station in life. Around this table we stand as equals. We are all children of God, accepting the invitation to gather for a family dinner.

So, how is it with you today? Be prepared to be challenged, to be ridiculed and even ostracized for what you stand for. But count it as a blessing and an opportunity. A blessing to grow in love for people who offer you difficulty and an opportunity to grow and to see the bigger picture.