Our scripture passage this week came from Deuteronomy and told the story of Moses' death. The passage shared that Moses was allowed to glimpse the promised land, but was also told that he would not lead the people into the land. In the middle of telling about Moses' death, the passage mentions that Joshua "was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him." This small portion of the passage was central to our message this week.
I shared that in highschool I ran track. It was in fact my favorite sport (and my best), largely because it was coed! This was not why you might think, but rather because with girls on the team, profanities were never used to describe me, and I never heard "down and give me 50." Track was mostly an individual sport, except for the three relays. The 4 x 100 relay I always found to be too short. I would get the baton, and in a few steps be handing it off, and before I knew it the race was over. The 4 x 400 relay was, in my opinion, the perfect relay. It helped that our 4 x 400 team was always very good.
I ran the first leg of the race, and so I got to lead things off and give my team a lead or at least keep us in the race. To be honest, my favorite part about the relay though was not running my part of it, but rather the time when the other three guys on the team were running their parts of the race. I enjoyed the opportunity to cheer on my teammates. By the time the fourth guy on the team was running his race, the other three of us would be running around the infield of the track cheering him on and encouraging him to run faster. It was always exciting and thrilling, and regardless of the outcome we all knew that each one of us played a crucial role in the overall success of the team. No one guy could do it all by himself.
Once our coaches tried to have our 4 x 400 team run the longest of the relays, the 4 x 800. Things started out good for us, but as we got around the 600 meter mark, each one of us began to fade and slow down considerably. It turned out we didn't have the stamina to run 800 meters and still be competitive.
The church is very similar, to our 4 x 400 relay team. Each generation has a leg of the race to run. Just like in our 4 x 400 relay, each generation is asked to run with the baton for a distance, and then to hand it off to the next. This is something that often times is not done well in churches though. Too often a generation within the church thinks that they can (or that they need to) run 800 meters instead, only to realize around the 600 meter mark that they don't have the stamina to finish the race.
One such example of this can be found in a church where one man ran everything. He was the Administrative Council chair, the Trustee chair, the PPR chair, the altar steward, and about 100 other jobs. The problem came when he died unexpectedly and hadn't taken the time to show anyone how to do the various jobs he filled in the church. A small example of this came from his caring for the altar every week. He made sure the candles were filled with enough fluid that they would burn throughout the service, but what he didn't tell anyone was that the candles could be filled too much and then they would smoke throughout the service. This was a problem that plagued the church for years after his death. All because he didn't think he needed to hand off the baton.
In the church each generation needs to hand off the baton to those following while they still have enough energy and enthusiasm to properly instruct and encourage those who are running their leg of the race. Likewise the generations that follow need to be there willing and ready to take that baton and receive that instruction and encouragement from those who have gone before.
Since giving this message on Sunday, I've had several people tell me that this is a message that both of congregations need to hear. Some even gave me names of specific individuals! I want to be clear that I think both of our congregations do a great job of this (both the older and younger generations). I also want to be clear that I never give a sermon with specific individuals in mind and so if you felt that I was talking specifically to you, that most likely was the work of the Holy Spirit, not some foolish attempt of mine to get a point accross. Finally, although we as a whole are doing well at this, we must always remember that the church is only one generation from extinction at any time, and therefore we must remain vigilant and diligent in running the race and handing off the baton.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
October 19th Sermon Capsule - Golden Calves
This Sunday was Laity Sunday, but in Oxford I was given a raincheck, meaning that I preached and led the service and the second Sunday of November will be when Oxford observes Laity Sunday. Our message came from the passage in Exodus where the people ask Aaron to make a golden calf for them that they might worship it as their god. This occurs while Moses is up on the mountain being given the Law from God. Needless to say, when God finds out, the people are in a bit of trouble, and would be in more if not for Moses interceeding and pleading on their behalf.
Often times the focus in this passage is on the golden calf that the people had made, but I suggested that it was not so much about the object as it was about the people's attitude toward the object. In other words, it wasn't that a calf made of gold was necessarily a bad thing, it was the fact that the people said it was their god and began to worship it. The passage is fundamentally one about idolatry (worshipping something other than God). At its core, idolatry is putting anything before God. This could be something bad, something neutral, or even something good.
I then suggested several things that can become idols in our lives:
*Food - For some people eating is primary in their lives, and while food is essential for life, for some it takes an unhealthy place in their lives, and begins to control them.
*Drink - For many certain types of drink can control their thoughts and actions. Beverages containing alcohol can completely consume some people's entire lives, but even drinks like coffee have great power over some. For example, if you are a coffee drinker, try going without your daily cup or two of coffee and see how you feel.
*TV - Some people find themselves unable to miss a particular television show. They will re-arrange everything else in their lives in order to watch that program. This can get to the point where it controls their lives, and if for some reason they miss that show, it can even "ruin" their day.
*Drugs - Many, if not all people who begin down the path of drug use, eventually find themselves addicted. Once addiction sets in, it is very difficult to break and persons have been known to do terrible things in order to continue to feed their addiction.
*Gambling - Gambling pervades our culture. It is in common vernacular ("wanna make a bet"), it is connected with other forms of entertainment (sports, etc), and it is largely viewed as an "OK" thing. But for some, gambling can take control of their lives, leaving the person willing to sell anything in order to continue to gamble, always believing that the next bet will be the "one".
Up to this point my list centers around addiction and things people commonly become addicted to. Many of you reading this may be feeling pretty good about yourselves thinking that you obviously don't have any "golden calves" in your life. But wait there's more:
*Money - There is nothing intrinsically wrong with money. It is what we use to purchase goods and services that we need or desire. Nothing wrong with that, but for many people, money becomes an end in itself. It becomes their goal, to get money and lots of it. They lose sight of the reality that money is only as valuable as the goods and services that it brings you, and ultimately in the joy that you derive from those goods and services. For some money controls their every action and what they don't realize is that the more money a person has, the more control that money will have over their lives.
*People - Many people have no problem with any of the above. Instead their golden calves are the people around them. Their friends and family become idols for them. Remember idolatry is putting anything before God. Also remember that there was nothing wrong with a calf made of gold, it was the people's attitude toward that calf that made it idolatrous for them. The same is true for the people in our lives. Many people feel they are doing "OK" and even doing good, when their entire life revolves around other people. I often hear parents who talk about how their lives are literally run by their children's schedules. In our society this is lifted up as a good thing, as being responsible and involved. The only problem with such thinking is that if your life is revolving around a child, friend, spouse, or anyone else, then it is not revolving around God. Anything that you put before God in your life is idolatrous. (This is not to say that parents should neglect their children, spouses should neglect one another, or that families should not spend time together. God does not want that either. But God does want to be first in your life, and anything less is idolatry).
Now I'm sure that almost everyone can relate with one or more of these "golden calves", but I've got one more that I'm pretty sure will touch each and every one of you:
*Yourself - For many of us, number one in our lives is ourselves. Heck, we say it all the time ("I've gotta look out for number one."). Most all of us are like the egocentric three year old that thinks the world revolves around us, except as adults we've learned to not come right out and say it. Look at the way we talk, even in church for example: "This is my church", "It's my faith", "My God", or "I need some me time". I could go on and on with such phrases that betray our selfishness and self-centerdness, but something tells me that if we are being honest with ourselves we know this and can see it right away.
So you're right we don't literally bow down and worship golden calves anymore, but we certainly do still have problems with idolatry in our lives, and have more than enough "golden calves" to deal with.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Often times the focus in this passage is on the golden calf that the people had made, but I suggested that it was not so much about the object as it was about the people's attitude toward the object. In other words, it wasn't that a calf made of gold was necessarily a bad thing, it was the fact that the people said it was their god and began to worship it. The passage is fundamentally one about idolatry (worshipping something other than God). At its core, idolatry is putting anything before God. This could be something bad, something neutral, or even something good.
I then suggested several things that can become idols in our lives:
*Food - For some people eating is primary in their lives, and while food is essential for life, for some it takes an unhealthy place in their lives, and begins to control them.
*Drink - For many certain types of drink can control their thoughts and actions. Beverages containing alcohol can completely consume some people's entire lives, but even drinks like coffee have great power over some. For example, if you are a coffee drinker, try going without your daily cup or two of coffee and see how you feel.
*TV - Some people find themselves unable to miss a particular television show. They will re-arrange everything else in their lives in order to watch that program. This can get to the point where it controls their lives, and if for some reason they miss that show, it can even "ruin" their day.
*Drugs - Many, if not all people who begin down the path of drug use, eventually find themselves addicted. Once addiction sets in, it is very difficult to break and persons have been known to do terrible things in order to continue to feed their addiction.
*Gambling - Gambling pervades our culture. It is in common vernacular ("wanna make a bet"), it is connected with other forms of entertainment (sports, etc), and it is largely viewed as an "OK" thing. But for some, gambling can take control of their lives, leaving the person willing to sell anything in order to continue to gamble, always believing that the next bet will be the "one".
Up to this point my list centers around addiction and things people commonly become addicted to. Many of you reading this may be feeling pretty good about yourselves thinking that you obviously don't have any "golden calves" in your life. But wait there's more:
*Money - There is nothing intrinsically wrong with money. It is what we use to purchase goods and services that we need or desire. Nothing wrong with that, but for many people, money becomes an end in itself. It becomes their goal, to get money and lots of it. They lose sight of the reality that money is only as valuable as the goods and services that it brings you, and ultimately in the joy that you derive from those goods and services. For some money controls their every action and what they don't realize is that the more money a person has, the more control that money will have over their lives.
*People - Many people have no problem with any of the above. Instead their golden calves are the people around them. Their friends and family become idols for them. Remember idolatry is putting anything before God. Also remember that there was nothing wrong with a calf made of gold, it was the people's attitude toward that calf that made it idolatrous for them. The same is true for the people in our lives. Many people feel they are doing "OK" and even doing good, when their entire life revolves around other people. I often hear parents who talk about how their lives are literally run by their children's schedules. In our society this is lifted up as a good thing, as being responsible and involved. The only problem with such thinking is that if your life is revolving around a child, friend, spouse, or anyone else, then it is not revolving around God. Anything that you put before God in your life is idolatrous. (This is not to say that parents should neglect their children, spouses should neglect one another, or that families should not spend time together. God does not want that either. But God does want to be first in your life, and anything less is idolatry).
Now I'm sure that almost everyone can relate with one or more of these "golden calves", but I've got one more that I'm pretty sure will touch each and every one of you:
*Yourself - For many of us, number one in our lives is ourselves. Heck, we say it all the time ("I've gotta look out for number one."). Most all of us are like the egocentric three year old that thinks the world revolves around us, except as adults we've learned to not come right out and say it. Look at the way we talk, even in church for example: "This is my church", "It's my faith", "My God", or "I need some me time". I could go on and on with such phrases that betray our selfishness and self-centerdness, but something tells me that if we are being honest with ourselves we know this and can see it right away.
So you're right we don't literally bow down and worship golden calves anymore, but we certainly do still have problems with idolatry in our lives, and have more than enough "golden calves" to deal with.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
October 12th Sermon Capsule - I've got a Problem
Our sermon this week took a look at Jesus' first miracle recorded in John's gospel, commonly known as the wedding at Cana. We also focussed in on a passage in Philippians specifically the following phrase: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
The Philippians passage encourages us to bring everything to God in prayer. I immediately drew a connection between this passage and the time of reflection and sharing we've been practicing within worship the past 4 weeks. I pointed out that many of us (myself included) have at times experienced difficulty in recalling any occasion that God has been at work in our lives through. I then suggested that this difficulty may be because we are not asking God to be in our lives.
I shared about my mother who seems much better and bringing all things before God than most. She will even bring requests for better parking spots before the Lord. I know that many of us feel like God is too busy, or our requests too trivial to bother God, but the passage in Philippians is clear, we are to "present our requests to God". Not just our big problems, or our really important requests, but all requests!
This first half of this past week's message illustrates the need to bring all things before God in prayer. The second half takes its inspiration from Jesus' first miracle. In the story the text mentions that Jesus' mother, Jesus and all of his disciples had been invited to a wedding. We are then told that the wine ran out and Mary came to Jesus and said "They have no wine". Many of us read this as a statement of fact on Mary's part. It's interesting though, because with any written statement, often the meaning of the words can be shifted if only read with a different tone. For example, Mary could be saying this in a whiny voice and be complaining or even lamenting that they are out of wine. Mary could be saying these four words in a frightened tone and thus fearing the reality of a wedding without wine (a sober reception! Who's ever heard of such a thing). Finally Mary could be saying these words with a scolding tone and therefore accusing Jesus and his friends of in some way contributing to the wine shortage. It is this final example which I ran with. I suggested that the presence of Jesus and his 12 friends (all of whom almost certainly were not on the guest list) put a substantial strain on the wine supply. Therefore Mary was either a) suggesting that they stop drinking all the wine up, or b) that they pool their money together and go procure some more wine.
However you read this statement from Mary, it's important to note that she only states the problem. Mary does not give possible solutions to the problem. Often when we pray, we will lift up a problem or dilemma, and then offer the way in which God can fix things. For example, a relative is ill, but instead of lifting up that illness our prayers almost always include several solutions like healing, comfort, decreased pain, etc. Or another example could look like the teen who wants a new car and therefore prays to win the lottery. Such prayers not only bring a problem/request before God, but they also tell God that we've got it all figured out and if God will only do what we say, everything will be alright. Such prayers are very narrow and limiting, they leave out the possibility that God might be able to solve the problem in a way not previously thought of. With the example of the wine shortage, Jesus neither stopped drinking, nor did he go out and buy more wine. Instead he chose to turn water into wine (really good wine according to the passage) and provide plenty of wine for everyone. There certainly wasn't anyone in the room who had seen that as a possible solution!
The same is true for you and I. While we are asked to bring all things to God in prayer, we should be careful not to be too limited in how we pray. We are better served to do what Mary did, and state the problem, but leave the solution up to God. In the end who knows better, you a mortal, finite, created being or God the immortal, infinite, all-knowing, Creator?
So pray to God about all things, big and small, but always be sure to leave space for your amazing God to amaze you with the answer!
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
The Philippians passage encourages us to bring everything to God in prayer. I immediately drew a connection between this passage and the time of reflection and sharing we've been practicing within worship the past 4 weeks. I pointed out that many of us (myself included) have at times experienced difficulty in recalling any occasion that God has been at work in our lives through. I then suggested that this difficulty may be because we are not asking God to be in our lives.
I shared about my mother who seems much better and bringing all things before God than most. She will even bring requests for better parking spots before the Lord. I know that many of us feel like God is too busy, or our requests too trivial to bother God, but the passage in Philippians is clear, we are to "present our requests to God". Not just our big problems, or our really important requests, but all requests!
This first half of this past week's message illustrates the need to bring all things before God in prayer. The second half takes its inspiration from Jesus' first miracle. In the story the text mentions that Jesus' mother, Jesus and all of his disciples had been invited to a wedding. We are then told that the wine ran out and Mary came to Jesus and said "They have no wine". Many of us read this as a statement of fact on Mary's part. It's interesting though, because with any written statement, often the meaning of the words can be shifted if only read with a different tone. For example, Mary could be saying this in a whiny voice and be complaining or even lamenting that they are out of wine. Mary could be saying these four words in a frightened tone and thus fearing the reality of a wedding without wine (a sober reception! Who's ever heard of such a thing). Finally Mary could be saying these words with a scolding tone and therefore accusing Jesus and his friends of in some way contributing to the wine shortage. It is this final example which I ran with. I suggested that the presence of Jesus and his 12 friends (all of whom almost certainly were not on the guest list) put a substantial strain on the wine supply. Therefore Mary was either a) suggesting that they stop drinking all the wine up, or b) that they pool their money together and go procure some more wine.
However you read this statement from Mary, it's important to note that she only states the problem. Mary does not give possible solutions to the problem. Often when we pray, we will lift up a problem or dilemma, and then offer the way in which God can fix things. For example, a relative is ill, but instead of lifting up that illness our prayers almost always include several solutions like healing, comfort, decreased pain, etc. Or another example could look like the teen who wants a new car and therefore prays to win the lottery. Such prayers not only bring a problem/request before God, but they also tell God that we've got it all figured out and if God will only do what we say, everything will be alright. Such prayers are very narrow and limiting, they leave out the possibility that God might be able to solve the problem in a way not previously thought of. With the example of the wine shortage, Jesus neither stopped drinking, nor did he go out and buy more wine. Instead he chose to turn water into wine (really good wine according to the passage) and provide plenty of wine for everyone. There certainly wasn't anyone in the room who had seen that as a possible solution!
The same is true for you and I. While we are asked to bring all things to God in prayer, we should be careful not to be too limited in how we pray. We are better served to do what Mary did, and state the problem, but leave the solution up to God. In the end who knows better, you a mortal, finite, created being or God the immortal, infinite, all-knowing, Creator?
So pray to God about all things, big and small, but always be sure to leave space for your amazing God to amaze you with the answer!
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
October 5th Sermon Capsule - Over You!
This weeks scriptures included portions of the Ten Commandments found in Exodus and Paul's assertion that life in Christ is not about the laws and rules but about relationship found in Philippians. Our sermon endeavored to explain how the Apostle Paul could make such an assertion (as he does in the Philippians text) and yet expect Christians to live righteous and moral lives.
This question still exists for contemporary Christians: "If it's not about rules and regulations, laws and rules, but about knowing Jesus, then why are we still expected to live a certain way (ie striving toward sinlessness/perfection)?" In order to answer this question I'll tell you about a friend of mine.
His name is Fred Brown. Alfred Eberle Brown to be exact. Fred was my roommate in college (all four years of my undergraduate studies). When I first met Fred, it would be an understatement to say I was unimpressed. He was short, pudgy, big nerdy looking glasses, and wasn't into anything I seemed to be interested in. He was a music major, and so he spent long hours practicing his guitar and studying long since dead musicians. Fred also had several strange sayings. One of his favorites was "Over You!" He would utter this mysterious phrase on many and varying occasions. Later I would discover that the genesis of this phrase came from basketball (no, Fred was not a fan) when one player will dunk over another, hence "Over you!" I on the other hand had been a three sport athlete in highschool and thought of myself as being a "cool dude". I wasn't sure what I wanted to major in, but it was going to be something cool (and now I'm a pastor, clearly the coolest of all professions...God has a sense of humor). Most importantly I never said anything weird!
That first year of rooming with Fred was ok, and we got to know and understand one another better as the year went on. We had a pretty good system worked out, and although we spent much of our time doing our own things, the roommate situation worked. It worked so well as a matter of fact, that we decided to room together the next year. During that second year we spent even more time together, and began to watch some of the same shows and listen to some of the same music (including some of those long since dead musicians). When it came time to figure out housing for our third year of college, Fred and I again decided to room together in a townhouse with some mutual friends. By our fourth year, Fred and I rented an apartment together off campus. What had started as a forced housing situation turned into a lifelong friendship, but more importantly for me, our friendship began to change who I was.
It was somewhere around year two of rooming with Fred that I found myself uttering that mysterious phrase "Over You!" I would proclaim it while out with friends who didn't know Fred, and who clearly were as mystified by the meaning of the statement as I was. Yet I found myself shouting "Over You" in all sorts of situations and on all sorts of occasions. I began to notice other kinds of changes as well, like taste in music, television, and even attire.
What happened during my time with Fred in college is a very common human experience. The more time we spend with a person, the more we will tend to become like that person. This is exactly what is supposed to happen to Christians. This is the reason why the Apostle Paul can throw out all the rules and still expect us to live as if we were following those rules. As Christians we are called to be in relationship with the very real, very much alive person of Jesus Christ. The more we are in relationship with Jesus, the more like him we will become. But unlike my old college roommate, Jesus was perfect. That means the more we are around Jesus, the closer to perfection (without sin) we will grow.
There's one other neat thing about all of this. Not only are we called to be in relationship with Jesus, but we are called to be in relationship with one another. This means that as we spend more time with Christ, we will become more like Christ, and as we spend more time with other people, we will share that Christlikeness with them as well.
So if you find yourself saying "Over You!" you can thank Alfred Eberle Brown as well as me, but if you find yourself living like Jesus then you can thank your relationship with the living Christ as well as every other Christian you've ever encountered.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
This question still exists for contemporary Christians: "If it's not about rules and regulations, laws and rules, but about knowing Jesus, then why are we still expected to live a certain way (ie striving toward sinlessness/perfection)?" In order to answer this question I'll tell you about a friend of mine.
His name is Fred Brown. Alfred Eberle Brown to be exact. Fred was my roommate in college (all four years of my undergraduate studies). When I first met Fred, it would be an understatement to say I was unimpressed. He was short, pudgy, big nerdy looking glasses, and wasn't into anything I seemed to be interested in. He was a music major, and so he spent long hours practicing his guitar and studying long since dead musicians. Fred also had several strange sayings. One of his favorites was "Over You!" He would utter this mysterious phrase on many and varying occasions. Later I would discover that the genesis of this phrase came from basketball (no, Fred was not a fan) when one player will dunk over another, hence "Over you!" I on the other hand had been a three sport athlete in highschool and thought of myself as being a "cool dude". I wasn't sure what I wanted to major in, but it was going to be something cool (and now I'm a pastor, clearly the coolest of all professions...God has a sense of humor). Most importantly I never said anything weird!
That first year of rooming with Fred was ok, and we got to know and understand one another better as the year went on. We had a pretty good system worked out, and although we spent much of our time doing our own things, the roommate situation worked. It worked so well as a matter of fact, that we decided to room together the next year. During that second year we spent even more time together, and began to watch some of the same shows and listen to some of the same music (including some of those long since dead musicians). When it came time to figure out housing for our third year of college, Fred and I again decided to room together in a townhouse with some mutual friends. By our fourth year, Fred and I rented an apartment together off campus. What had started as a forced housing situation turned into a lifelong friendship, but more importantly for me, our friendship began to change who I was.
It was somewhere around year two of rooming with Fred that I found myself uttering that mysterious phrase "Over You!" I would proclaim it while out with friends who didn't know Fred, and who clearly were as mystified by the meaning of the statement as I was. Yet I found myself shouting "Over You" in all sorts of situations and on all sorts of occasions. I began to notice other kinds of changes as well, like taste in music, television, and even attire.
What happened during my time with Fred in college is a very common human experience. The more time we spend with a person, the more we will tend to become like that person. This is exactly what is supposed to happen to Christians. This is the reason why the Apostle Paul can throw out all the rules and still expect us to live as if we were following those rules. As Christians we are called to be in relationship with the very real, very much alive person of Jesus Christ. The more we are in relationship with Jesus, the more like him we will become. But unlike my old college roommate, Jesus was perfect. That means the more we are around Jesus, the closer to perfection (without sin) we will grow.
There's one other neat thing about all of this. Not only are we called to be in relationship with Jesus, but we are called to be in relationship with one another. This means that as we spend more time with Christ, we will become more like Christ, and as we spend more time with other people, we will share that Christlikeness with them as well.
So if you find yourself saying "Over You!" you can thank Alfred Eberle Brown as well as me, but if you find yourself living like Jesus then you can thank your relationship with the living Christ as well as every other Christian you've ever encountered.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Thursday, October 2, 2008
September 28th Sermon Capsule - Which One are You?
This Sunday we looked at the parable in Matthew 21:23-32. This was a parable talking about two sons. Both were asked to work in their father's vineyard. One replied "no" but later did the work, the other said "yes" but in fact did not work. In Matthew's passage Jesus asks those listening (the chief priests and elders) which son actually did his father's will. They replied that it was the son who initially said "no" but went ahead and did the work anyway.
I shared that as a young man, I always assumed Jesus was thinking about my own family, specifically my younger sister and me. In the summers our parents would leave us home alone with chores to do. Often the scene would play out with them asking my sister to do something, and her saying an emphatic "no". They would next come to me, give me a list of jobs to do, and then also entrust me with the responsibility of making sure my sister's jobs were completed as well. I would reply with a polite "yes". Inevitably the reality of the day would unfold much differently, with my sister not only doing her own work, but also mine. My parent's would come home pleased, and then be informed that the roles had been reversed, and that she was the responsible helpful one, while I was the lazy, insubordinate one.
It was at this point that I finished the passage from Matthew, and gave Jesus' application of the passage. Jesus finished his conversation with the chief priests and elders by pointing out that the prostitutes and tax collectors would enter the kingdom of God before them, because of their faithful reply to John's call for repentance. This parable was not really about my sister and I, nor was it really about children working for their parents, but in fact it is about our response to God's call in our lives. I suggested that this passage breaks down all of humanity into two types of people, those who talk the talk, and those who walk the walk. The chief priests and elders, who say the right things, and look the right way talk the talk, but Jesus states that the tax collectors and prostitutes, who don't seem to fit the part, actually walk the walk.
This reminded me of two friends I have. One's name is Ben. He's British, he's handsome, and he cleans up nice. Ben also smokes, drinks, lies, swears, can be mean, and worst of all, he gambles! I took Ben with me to church one Sunday, and he fit in perfectly! He was polite, said nice things, sang in tune, and even volunteered to read the Hebrew Bible Lesson. Everyone commented on what a nice young man Ben was. Upon leaving the service, once in my car, Ben remarked "fooled them." For Ben it was a game, merely an act. The person those people in church saw, was not really who he was. He talked the talk, with exceeding proficiency, but when it came time to walk the walk, he didn't even bother to try.
My other friend, Doug, is quite different from Ben. Doug's American (so no fancy accent), he has long scruffy looking hair, and doesn't really clean up nice. Doug's one of "those" people. You know the type. He's one of those people you see, and tell other people "we don't assosciate with 'those' people." If you don't think you do this, come to me and we'll talk, and I'll show you how you do (we all do it). Having said all this, Doug goes on mission trips yearly, raising all his own money, providing his own supplies, and then paying to have them transported. Doug sincerely lives his faith, reads his Bible, prays for his friends and enemies, and genuinely loves God. So I brought Doug with me to church. He didn't really fit in so well. He wore old jeans, a t-shirt with holes in it, and his hair looked as if he hadn't washed it in several days. His singing was rather poor and rather loud, and I think he might have nodded off during the sermon (or at least that's what I think it means when a person's head droops slightly and they begin to snore). People were not so impressed with Doug, and they didn't seem to want to see him come back any time soon. Doug is a perfect example of a person who can't really talk the talk, but who sure walks the walk!
It was at this point that I asked everyone which one they were. Which one are you? Are you the one who talks a good game, but can't really back it up? Are you the one who never seems to fit in, but is able to walk the walk? As I offer up these two options, I will suggest a third. We can be people who talk the talk, and walk the walk. Our "Sunday best" can also be our everyday regular. That is to say, that instead of thinking of Sunday as the time we act, dress, think our best and then things go back to normal the rest of the week, we can have the way we act and think on Sunday, be the way we act and think every day. There should be no difference between the you on Sunday and the you on Friday and Saturday. And that doesn't mean that the Sunday you should show up drunk, cursing, gambling, or rude, instead it means the you on every other day should be kind, polite, humble, and sober.
So I'll ask again (with the third option open), which one are you? Which one should you be?
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
I shared that as a young man, I always assumed Jesus was thinking about my own family, specifically my younger sister and me. In the summers our parents would leave us home alone with chores to do. Often the scene would play out with them asking my sister to do something, and her saying an emphatic "no". They would next come to me, give me a list of jobs to do, and then also entrust me with the responsibility of making sure my sister's jobs were completed as well. I would reply with a polite "yes". Inevitably the reality of the day would unfold much differently, with my sister not only doing her own work, but also mine. My parent's would come home pleased, and then be informed that the roles had been reversed, and that she was the responsible helpful one, while I was the lazy, insubordinate one.
It was at this point that I finished the passage from Matthew, and gave Jesus' application of the passage. Jesus finished his conversation with the chief priests and elders by pointing out that the prostitutes and tax collectors would enter the kingdom of God before them, because of their faithful reply to John's call for repentance. This parable was not really about my sister and I, nor was it really about children working for their parents, but in fact it is about our response to God's call in our lives. I suggested that this passage breaks down all of humanity into two types of people, those who talk the talk, and those who walk the walk. The chief priests and elders, who say the right things, and look the right way talk the talk, but Jesus states that the tax collectors and prostitutes, who don't seem to fit the part, actually walk the walk.
This reminded me of two friends I have. One's name is Ben. He's British, he's handsome, and he cleans up nice. Ben also smokes, drinks, lies, swears, can be mean, and worst of all, he gambles! I took Ben with me to church one Sunday, and he fit in perfectly! He was polite, said nice things, sang in tune, and even volunteered to read the Hebrew Bible Lesson. Everyone commented on what a nice young man Ben was. Upon leaving the service, once in my car, Ben remarked "fooled them." For Ben it was a game, merely an act. The person those people in church saw, was not really who he was. He talked the talk, with exceeding proficiency, but when it came time to walk the walk, he didn't even bother to try.
My other friend, Doug, is quite different from Ben. Doug's American (so no fancy accent), he has long scruffy looking hair, and doesn't really clean up nice. Doug's one of "those" people. You know the type. He's one of those people you see, and tell other people "we don't assosciate with 'those' people." If you don't think you do this, come to me and we'll talk, and I'll show you how you do (we all do it). Having said all this, Doug goes on mission trips yearly, raising all his own money, providing his own supplies, and then paying to have them transported. Doug sincerely lives his faith, reads his Bible, prays for his friends and enemies, and genuinely loves God. So I brought Doug with me to church. He didn't really fit in so well. He wore old jeans, a t-shirt with holes in it, and his hair looked as if he hadn't washed it in several days. His singing was rather poor and rather loud, and I think he might have nodded off during the sermon (or at least that's what I think it means when a person's head droops slightly and they begin to snore). People were not so impressed with Doug, and they didn't seem to want to see him come back any time soon. Doug is a perfect example of a person who can't really talk the talk, but who sure walks the walk!
It was at this point that I asked everyone which one they were. Which one are you? Are you the one who talks a good game, but can't really back it up? Are you the one who never seems to fit in, but is able to walk the walk? As I offer up these two options, I will suggest a third. We can be people who talk the talk, and walk the walk. Our "Sunday best" can also be our everyday regular. That is to say, that instead of thinking of Sunday as the time we act, dress, think our best and then things go back to normal the rest of the week, we can have the way we act and think on Sunday, be the way we act and think every day. There should be no difference between the you on Sunday and the you on Friday and Saturday. And that doesn't mean that the Sunday you should show up drunk, cursing, gambling, or rude, instead it means the you on every other day should be kind, polite, humble, and sober.
So I'll ask again (with the third option open), which one are you? Which one should you be?
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
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