Three Ideas and a Prayer

Sunday, November 25, 2018

Kingdoms / Based on John 18:33-37 / Delivered to CCH on November 25, 2018

Hymns: Crown Him with Many Crowns, Love Divine All Loves Excelling, Joy to the World

John 18:33-37

18:33 Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?"

18:34 Jesus answered, "Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?"

18:35 Pilate replied, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?"

18:36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here."

18:37 Pilate asked him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."

Good morning and Happy Sunday to you. I am Darci Strutt McQuiston, one of the Lay Servants of the United Methodist Church which is just up the hill from here. It is my joy to be with you all here today. Today marks the final Sunday of the liturgical year! It is known as Christ the King Sunday or Reign of Christ Sunday. Happy New Year’s Eve!

The scripture from John is a great choice for a Sunday called Christ the King. Pilate is struggling to figure out just what kind of kingdom Jesus is king of.

My three ideas for today are:

Kingdom as a political system

Kingdom as a way to be

Kingdom as truth

Kingdom as a political system

Pilot has one question on his mind. Is Jesus a threat to the Roman Empire? He oversaw keeping the Jews complacent under Roman rule. He wasn’t concerned about how Jews treated each other but did get concerned about a possible uprising.

Jesus answered his question with a question.

18:33 Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?"

18:34 Jesus answered, "Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?"

18:35 Pilate replied, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?"

Jesus reply only prompted more questions.

On one hand Jesus has confirmed that he is not the head of an uprising against Rome. His followers weren’t about to fight to keep him safe. Still it would have concerned Pilot to hear him say he had a kingdom. He wasn’t understanding that this kingdom was different from a political structure. It wasn’t a place to be fought over. Membership in this kingdom was based on behavior.

Kingdom as a way to be

18:37a Pilate asked him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king.

Jesus is a servant leader. He is called King of kings and Lord of lords in John’s Revelation, but he doesn’t claim such titles here. “You say that I am a king.” is his reply to Pilot. It points to the fact Pilot is misunderstanding what Jesus impact is. His leadership isn’t limited to a plot of land. It covers the whole earth. There are no city walls, or an army needed to protect this kind of kingdom. Membership in the kingdom is through listening to Jesus teaching and following His example. There may be battles still but they are battles of thoughts not swords.

In Luke, Jesus teaches the kingdom is within us.

Luke 17:20 - 21

Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

When Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, he gave them the lines, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done.” I think those two lines are redundant. Doing God’s Will establishes the kingdom whether it is on earth or in heaven.

Kingdom as truth.

18:37b “For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."

It isn’t listed as part of the reading today, but Pilot responds to Jesus words on truth in verse 38 with, “What is truth?” Thinking of Kings and kingdom’s as earthly political systems made him cynical. All truth to him was relative. Justice was given out at the whim of the people in power.

To him there was no absolute truth. Jesus didn’t name himself as a king, but he did name himself as truth.

John 14:6 -12

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”

Jesus embodies truth. Therefore, everyone who belongs to the truth listens to His voice.

Christ the King Sunday started as a response to rising nationalism. People were becoming divided over country boundaries. Without even knowing the people of a different country, citizens deemed them less than themselves or even as an enemy. The commandment to love one another was lost. This Sunday is a reminder that above any rule of government our first allegiance is to God. Governments divide us. God’s truth, demonstrated by Jesus, is that we are all one.

Government isn’t limited to countries. Church government can sadly divide us as well. The church which was founded on love and God’s acceptance can also become a power that condemns and withholds love. I’m not saying that people who harm others shouldn’t be prevented from doing so. However, in most cases we withhold love because of difference in belief not because of a person causing another harm.

Jesus was crucified under the charge of treason against the Roman empire. We see his crucifixion as a sacrifice to atone for our sins. His death on the cross reconciled all of humanity with God. Atonement can be separated to be “at one ment”. We are joined to be one with God, and because we are one with God, we are one with each other. We each have that spark of God within us.

Poor Pilot! How could he have wrapped his head around a kingdom without a place? How could he wrap his head around truth being a person?

The challenge this brings to us is whether we can wrap our head around these ideas ourselves. God’s Kingdom is not a place we are going. It is a state of being obtained when we do God’s will.

In this place we worship together despite being from different denominations. I sometimes lead hymns at the Catholic service at my father-in-law’s senior living center. They know I’m not Catholic but offer communion to everyone there. I asked the volunteer about that once and he responded that he wished it was true everywhere.

Imagine a world filled with people that showed their love without bounds. Imagine a world filled with people focused on healing and helping each other. Sounds lovely doesn’t it?! That would be Jesus kingdom. That is the home he is calling us to. I don’t recall him withholding his love from anyone. His life from the beginning of his ministry to the very end was one of forgiveness and valuing others. I think in our scripture today he was attempting to teach Pilot about this sort of kingdom. He was tough on the Pharisee, but I still believe it was tough-love. He didn’t lump them into one group and hate them all. He attended dinner at a Pharisee’s home when he was invited. He answered questions when Nicodemus came to him at night, and it was that same Nicodemus that helped burry Jesus after his crucifixion.

If you want to lump a group of people all together then the best distinction to lump them into is as a Child of God worthy of Love with a capital L. We are all created with the spark of our creator within us. We are each called to listen to the truth Jesus taught and displayed through His life. We bring the kingdom of God to earth when we become so loving that we become love itself.

1 John 4:16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

We enter Advent next week and begin to prepare our hearts to welcome the child who is to be king of our hearts. King of kings and Lord of lords but not the political, earthly, kind. Instead Jesus is the one that is true. Love is the only truth.

It is my prayer that we can all bring Jesus kingdom to earth a little more often by loving each other. Love with a capital L.

Amen

Sunday, October 28, 2018

Three Different Views / Based on Mark 10:46-52 / Delivered on October 28, 2018 to CCH

Hymns: Open My Eyes That I May See, My Faith Looks Up to Thee, We Are Called

Mark 10:46-52

10:46 They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside.

10:47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

10:48 Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

10:49 Jesus stood still and said, "Call him here." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart; get up, he is calling you."

10:50 So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.

10:51 Then Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man said to him, "My teacher, let me see again."

10:52 Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

Good morning and Happy Sunday to you! My name is Darci Strutt McQuiston and I am one of the Lay Servants of the United Methodist Church up on the hill from here. It is my honor to be with you today.

I’m going to look at the scripture from Mark from three different views; the crowd, the blind man, and Jesus. I see a little different lesson looking at it from each of these angles.

The Crowd

The crowd seemed a bit two-faced. First, they were unsupportive.

10:48a Many sternly ordered him to be quiet

But then when Jesus asked them to call him they were encouraging to the man.

10:49 Jesus stood still and said, "Call him here." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart; get up, he is calling you."

The crowd would have been focused on Jesus, so the noisy begging blind man would have seemed to be a distraction from that focus. They wanted to hear what Jesus said and the shouting would make it harder to hear. The blind man wasn’t important. The moment was all about them connecting with Jesus.

Then Jesus asked them to call him. I can imagine they expected a miracle to be coming soon so they were excited. They loved watching miracles. They still may not have thought much about the blind man himself but being present during a miracle would have been something to talk about.

Jesus never rebukes the crowd for shushing the man. He doesn’t address their dialog with him at all. They have some positive traits we can emulate as well as some negative to learn from. Their focus on Jesus is a good thing. They were walking with him as he left Jericho. They immediately did what Jesus asked him to do – call the blind man to him. Their failing was in not recognizing the blind man, Bartimaeus, as a member of God’s kingdom and they hadn’t yet understood that to follow Jesus meant to do what he did. They needed to learn to look beyond themselves and accept the role of serving others like Jesus.

The Blind Man

Bartimaeus was persistent. When he was told to keep quiet he didn’t listen.

10:48b but he cried out even more loudly, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

He responded immediately when Jesus indicated he’d see him. He didn’t let his possessions hold him back.

10:50 So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.

The cloak may have been the only thing he owned. It’s probably what he put out on the road to catch the coins people threw to him as he begged. Throwing that off was showing his faith that it would no longer be needed. He was ready to leave his old life behind trusting that Jesus would make it new.

I used this scripture as an example in my last sermon on prayer. We need to be specific about what we pray for. Bartimaeus knew what he wanted from Jesus.

10:51 Then Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man said to him, "My teacher, let me see again."

Jesus could look inside him and see his faith. We see it when he demonstrated his faith by his healing.

10:52 Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

His faith in Jesus is also shown in his response. He becomes a follower. I’m going to assume that as he followed Jesus he was able to be more compassionate to others because of his personal experience as a blind beggar. He knew what it was like to be on the outside of the circle. He understood suffering.

Jesus

I don’t know if Jesus heard the man or just heard the crowd grumbling about how noisy he was, but he got the crowd involved in the situation. It was a teaching moment.

10:49 Jesus stood still and said, "Call him here."

Jesus felt the begging blind man was worth his time. He saw his need as worth attending to. Jesus didn’t guess at what the man wanted. He asked.

10:51 Then Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man said to him, "My teacher, let me see again."

Jesus saw the faith within the man. In a healing of a blind man earlier in Mark Jesus took active steps by putting clay on the man’s eyes twice before he could see clearly. In this case he knew that wasn’t needed.

10:52 Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well."

This scripture is the last healing miracle before Jesus travels into Jerusalem and toward the cross. We’re here in 2018 in the fall of the year approaching Advent and thinking about Christ’s birth, but this scripture is place right before his crucifixion. Jesus is about to leave his followers and end his in-the-flesh teaching. These final lessons would have felt very important.

The crowd demonstrates what spiritual blindness can look like. The blind man was in the way. He wasn’t important. This view would be an example of behavior that needs some changes and most likely feels familiar to us.

I can see a lot of that same blindness looking at our world today. We judge those we meet instead of loving them. We label them rich or poor and try to determine their status before we befriend them. We call them Republican or Democrat and either feel partnered or at war with them. We see behavior that we feel is sinful and feel they don’t deserve to be called by Jesus. We forget that each one is also a child of God and that they are very much loved.

Jesus taught the crowd by having them be part of calling Bartimaeus. He wants them to see where they are falling short. He wants them to understand that God doesn’t see the way they do. He desires them to be part of the work he is doing.

Bartimaeus demonstrates all the things we’ve learned about praying; be persistent, be clear about what you want, and believe. He called Jesus ‘Son of David’ which would have indicated belief he was the messiah. He called Jesus “teacher” which would have indicated he wanted to be a student. It’s no surprise he followed Jesus after his sight was restored. This view would be an example of behavior to emulate.

Not only does Jesus accept the Bartimaeus’ cry for mercy, Jesus gets the crowd involved in calling the man to him. I think that is what Jesus wants of us today. He wants us to be involved in the healing of God’s children. We can’t even see that they are God’s children in most cases, so we have some inner work to do. Sadder still to me is knowing some who cry out accept the shushing of the crowd and feel unworthy. They don’t know they themselves are God’s children.

We can see ourselves as part of the crowd and as a person in need of healing. As we ponder this lesson in scripture I hope we can also see ourselves in Jesus. We need to learn to see others as children of God, loved by God, and respond to them in love ourselves. We need to learn to see their faith instead of judging their other characteristics. It isn’t our job to judge them. It is our job to call them to Jesus. We are Jesus hands in this world, so it is also our call to love them and serve them in whatever way we can.

Like Bartimaeus, we need to feel worthy of crying out to God. We need to be willing to be persistent and have a strong faith. We also need to be willing to leave our old tools behind and follow where Jesus leads.

I’m working on seeing God in each person I see. Try it with me. As you look at each person in this room think about the fact they are God’s children. They are God’s creation. God is within them. When you say or do anything to or for them, God is there receiving with them. I also try to remember God is within me. Try that with me too. You are loved and worthy of God’s care because you are not separate from God. God is within you.

It is a different way of seeing the world and, when we remember to focus on this view before we interact with another, we act in a more loving way. Seeing as Jesus sees is to truly leave blindness behind.

Amen

Sunday, September 30, 2018

Pray / Based on James 5:13-20 / Delivered September 30, 2018 to CCH

Hymns: Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying

Incline Your Ear, O Lord, to Me

His Eye is on the Sparrow

James 5:13-20

5:13 Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise.

5:14 Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.

5:15 The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.

5:16 Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.

5:17 Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.

5:18 Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest.

5:19 My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another,

5:20 you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner's soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Happy Sunday to you! I am Darci Strutt McQuiston, one of the Lay Servants from the United Methodist Church up on the hill from here. It is my joy to be with you today.

The ideas I’m pulling from this scripture on prayer are:

We need to ask

We need to pray

We need to believe

We need to ask

5:14 Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.

I read a spiritual writing this week that just happened to talk about healing. It advised the person praying to not just pray for the healing they thought the person needed, but to ask the person directly what they felt they needed or wait for them to ask. The author said sometimes what we think needs to be healed may a lesson the person would grow from and taking it from them isn’t what they would choose. We shouldn’t put what we think is right on another person. Their healing is their choice.

I remembered Jesus had displayed that thinking.

Mark 10:48 - 52

And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" And Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart; rise, he is calling you." And throwing off his mantle he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" And the blind man said to him, "Master, let me receive my sight." And Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.

Wasn’t it obvious that the blind man would want his sight restored? Yet Jesus had him be specific about what type of healing he wanted. The sick came to him. He healed at the request of those who came. There were times when someone came to him on the behalf of someone they loved, but he waited to be asked.

Of course, there are also Jesus direct words in Matthew on asking.

Mat 7:7 -11

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

It is a reminder we need to ask and be specific about what we need. The need to ask forces us to be self-aware of what our needs are. That awareness can become the beginning to our healing.

We need to pray

5:15 The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.

5:16 Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.

We are a community of believers. The illness in our neighbor affects the community. Praying for one another helps us as a community to be healed. The Bible is clear about the need to care for each other as if we were caring for ourselves because we are. This scripture reminds us that such prayers are powerful and effective.

We have a prayer chain at our church. I’ve been a member since I moved to Hudson in ’89. Praying for members and friends of our congregation is a way I can strengthen my connection both to them and to God. Prayer always strengthens my relationship to God as well as to the person I’m praying for. It allows me to become a connection between the two with healing energy flowing from one end to the other. I have been on the receiving end of prayer and I remember it helping me feel less alone in my struggle. I saw those prayers as an act of love for me.

We need to believe

5:17 Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.

5:18 Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest.

Elijah laid it all on the line for God. He risked his reputation and, given that many in his shoes had been killed, he risked his life. He believed and acted on that belief with his prayers. His result wasn’t a quick one either. It was three years and six months before his faith saw results.

I pulled out a couple other scriptures that spoke to this.

Matthew 9:27 -30a

And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, "Have mercy on us, Son of David." When he entered the house, the blind men came to him; and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to him, "Yes, Lord." Then he touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith be it done to you." And their eyes were opened.

Mark 5:25 - 34

And there was a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, "If I touch even his garments, I shall be made well." And immediately the hemorrhage ceased; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone forth from him, immediately turned about in the crowd, and said, "Who touched my garments?" And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, 'Who touched me?'" And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had been done to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease."

This scripture from Mark strengthens my belief that prayer allows us to be a connection between the person with the need and God. Jesus felt healing power go through him to the woman. Her belief in his connection to God was so strong that she knew he didn’t need to focus on her at all. Just touching Jesus was enough for her.

It is hard when it feels prayer isn’t answered or isn’t answered in the way we wish it would be. Sometimes I think we need to step back and check in. Have we taken time to discern what we are asking for with prayer? Are we praying for what we think others need instead of letting them seek what they discern they need? Are our prayers in alignment with God’s being as we understand it through scripture?

The final verses of James feel somewhat out of place but if we remember these are the final lines of the book they make more sense. Their place in his book show their importance. Healing was physical but also spiritual and the healing of our relationship to God was the most important.

5:19 My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another,

5:20 you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner's soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Ultimately healing has to do with having a restored relationship with God. Jesus combined forgiveness of sins with healing. At times his healing was demonstrating his power to forgive sins. Prayer is our way of connecting to God either directly through our prayers or through intercessory prayer by members of the community.

Prayer is powerful. Communication is vital for relationship. The relationship between our community and God is strengthened by communication. Be clear about what you discern you need and bring those needs to your faith community. Your love for each other is strengthened as a result. Pray when you’re troubled and pray when you’re cheerful.

Just pray!

Amen

Sunday, August 26, 2018

Prayer is Our Weapon / Based on Ephesians 6:10-20 / Delivered on August 26, 2018 to CCH

Hymns: Onward Christian Soldiers, My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less, Jesus Loves Me

Ephesians 6:10-20

6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power.

6:11 Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

6:12 For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

6:13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

6:14 Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness.

6:15 As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.

6:16 With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

6:17 Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

6:18 Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.

6:19 Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,

6:20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.

Happy Sunday to you! I am Darci Strutt McQuiston, a Lay Servant of the United Methodist Church up on the hill from here. It is my joy to be with you all today.

The scripture for today could lend itself to a children’s skit with all of its armor metaphor. I can envision a child with armor too big struggling to stand firm. It is an image that can bring a smile, yet the truth of this scripture is much more serious.

The three ideas I’m pulling from the reading today are:

We are in a battle

We can’t face it without God

Prayer is our weapon

We are in a battle

Of course, the hymn “Onward Christian Soldiers” came to mind when I read this scripture. I envision a physical battle from the hymn with the cross at the head of the line and banners flying. Yet this passage reminds us that we are not fighting a human foe.

We are fighting a nonphysical unseen force. In scripture God is described as light. This battle is against a present darkness, which is the absence of God. Evil is fighting against what is good. The battle ground is within our heads and within our hearts.

It may be nonphysical, but it is a battle to be taken seriously. Some may not believe in the supernatural nature of spiritual forces named here. Maybe it would help to see it as those other nonhuman things that we need to battle against; addiction, prejudges, depression, apathy. Those things that keep us in unloving darkness. I see casualties as young lives are cut short because their life isn’t recognized as precious by another, or as depression gives way to believing a person’s own life is not worth living. The battle may be mental, but the results are quite physical.

Suicide is the 10^th leading cause of death in the US with nearly 45 thousand dying each year. For each suicide there are another 25 that attempt it. It is the 2^nd leading cause of death in Wisconsin for people between ages of 15 and 34. Losing a fight against addiction will ultimately kill. Drug overdose killed 72 thousand in 2017, and 88 thousand died in alcohol related causes. Murder is fewer with around 15.5 thousand reported in 2016, which is the most recent data I could find. This is the cost of not valuing life. The battle within our heads and hearts is deadly.

I see a battle ground as friends and family fight over beliefs that are leaving love cast aside as both struggle with what they feel is “right”. Life may not be lost in this case, but Jesus’ call to love one another feels like it is falling on deaf ears. How can we fight this unseen foe?

We can’t face it without God

6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power.

6:11 Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

6:14 Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness.

6:15 As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.

6:16 With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

6:17 Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

We don’t battle by killing. We walk through the battle field proclaiming the gospel of peace. When we feel hopeless we keep faith that God loves us. That is our shield. We remember this present time is just a passing moment because we have been given adoption through Christ into God’s salvation. The “you” in this passage is in plural form. We are to stand together in this world as we depend on God’s grace.

God’s truth, not our belief of truth, is the belt that holds the scabbard with the sword of the Spirit. The Spirit’s responsibility is to remind us of what Jesus taught as the truth of God.

Prayer is our weapon

Most of this armor is for defense. The only weapon described is a sword, the sword of the Spirit. The method of attack described was prayer.

6:18 Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.

6:19 Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,

6:20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.

The sword of the Spirit was called the word of God. The form of “word” used indicated the spoken word. Prayer for those sharing the good news Jesus taught was the way Paul told the Ephesians they could fight these unseen evils. People needed to hear this good news. They need to know they are loved and their life is precious in the sight of God. We need to see each other as God’s creation, God’s loved children, and revere all life as sacred. People aren’t born knowing this. They need to be taught.

We are not all gifted or called to be evangelists, but this scripture is a call to arms to support those that are gifted and called, with your prayers.

I don’t like to think about war or battles. I don’t like to think about fighting at all. It brings up images of planes hitting the twin towers of New York and many recent attacks for the sake of religion. Christianity has a dark history of killing for the sake of the Gospel. This is not the request of this passage. God seeks reconciliation with His children, not their death. Our love of God is demonstrated through our love shown to others.

The truth of the inner fight hit me as I worked on this message. I felt myself sinking into a sadness as I thought about family and friends that are part of those statistics. I have lost people to suicide. I have lost people both from drug overdose and alcohol overdose. I don’t like to think about war or battles but looking at the numbers of people who die after losing their private inner battles is a reminder that to love my neighbor means I need to recognize the strength of those inner forces. My sadness reminded me this passage is instruction for me.

Armor is effective only if it is put on before entering the battlefield. Our relationship with God must be strong in advance of the negative pull within our head or heart. We who are gathered here today have heard the good news. That needs to permeate our being. We are God’s children. We are loved. We are not going through this life alone. Our life is sacred. The life of the people around us is sacred.

To make a difference in the lives of those who have not yet heard this good news, we need to pray for the people that will bring the word of life to them. Some of you may already pray for those of us who volunteer to lead worship here. If you don’t, I humbly ask you to begin that practice. Pray for me. Pray for the person coming next week and the week after. Pray for the church leaders of Hudson who bring the message of God’s love each week to their congregation. Pray for this message to reach those that are fighting with feeling hopeless and unlovable.

The final hymn we’ll be singing today is one of simple love, “Jesus Loves Me”. Jesus loves you. God is love. God will never leave you or forsake you. When it is time to sing, sing it as one who knows this is the truth. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves you. Life is precious because it is a gift from God. I pray your shield may be strengthened.

Amen

Sunday, July 29, 2018

God’s Will / Based on John 6:1-21 / Delivered on July 29, 2018 to CCH in Hudson WI

Hymns 119 Make Me a Channel of Your Peace, 90 Trust and Obey , 102 We Are Called

John 6:1-21

6:1 After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias.

6:2 A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick.

6:3 Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples.

6:4 Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near.

6:5 When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?"

6:6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do.

6:7 Philip answered him, "Six months' wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little."
6:8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him,
6:9 "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?"
6:10 Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all.
6:11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted.
6:12 When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, "Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost."
6:13 So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets.
6:14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, "This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world."
6:15 When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
6:16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea,
6:17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.
6:18 The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing.
6:19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified.
6:20 But he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."
6:21 Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.

Good morning and happy Sunday to you. I am Darci Strutt McQuiston, one of the Lay Servants from the United Methodist Church up on the hill from here. It is my joy to be with you today.

There were many great scriptures to choose from the lectionary for this Sunday. I’m going to pull in the Old Testament reading from 2 Kings as well. It’s obviously selected for this Sunday as a companion for the Gospel lesson from John.

2 Kings 4:42-44

4:42 A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing food from the first fruits to the man of God: twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. Elisha said, "Give it to the people and let them eat."
4:43 But his servant said, "How can I set this before a hundred people?" So he repeated, "Give it to the people and let them eat, for thus says the LORD, 'They shall eat and have some left.'"
4:44 He set it before them, they ate, and had some left, according to the word of the LORD.

I don’t remember hearing that passage before so wanted to share it.

The three ideas I’ve chosen for today are:

The Importance of Hospitality

Keeping your eye on the destination
Following Jesus’ example

The Importance of Hospitality

Jesus wasn’t at home when the people came, but he knew they had come to visit with him. I believe their presence gave him the opportunity to teach a lesson about hospitality. Jesus knew as Elisha knew, “They shall eat and have some left.” God had taught the importance of hospitality throughout the Old Testament and Jesus continued to express the importance of both giving and receiving it throughout his ministry.

When he sent out his disciples by twos to travel and do God’s will he told them;

Luke 10:4-12

Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’ I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.

They were to see acts of hospitality as demonstrating respect for God’s work. It was showing they were willing to do God’s will.

Heb 13:2

Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

The Hebrews scripture may have been recalling Abraham’s visit with three strangers who turned out to be angels promising his wife Sarah would have a child.

It doesn’t say what nationality the 5,000 people were or what religion they followed. I’m going to go out on a limb and imagine they were very mixed. They were brought together because of what they heard.

6:2 A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick.

Jesus didn’t say to separate them in any way. He told them to have them sit down in the grass and wait. All of them were treated like Jesus’ guests equally. Providing hospitality was acting according to God’s will, and God’s love doesn’t judge between people.

Keeping your eye on the destination

The passage from John goes right into a second story. The people were so impressed by being all fed that they wanted Jesus to be king. He had just demonstrated he could provide for his people. Jesus knew that wasn’t the type of king God called him to be so he left.

His disciples went on ahead in the boat. I’m assuming they were accustomed to storms since many of them were fishermen. Their fear wasn’t about the weather this time. It was seeing Jesus walking to them. This was not normal accepted behavior!

6:18 The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing.

6:19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified.

They wanted him to be more normal so tried to get him into the boat, but instead Jesus just skipped them all forward to their destination.

6:21 Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.

Jesus didn’t attempt to meet their expectations. He focused instead on the destination.

Following Jesus’ example

As I sat with these lessons I pondered what they meant for my life. The teachings of hospitality came forward strongly. I’ve been experiencing more conflict around me in recent years. There is more separation of us and them. That separation has been one of race, politics, socioeconomic situation, education…you name it! It is a tension that has separated people that otherwise loved each other.

The feeding of the five thousand reminds me of the importance of seeing all who come into my life as worthy of my hospitality. I’ve heard this scripture before, and the lesson brought out was to be like the little boy and bring what you have to Jesus. This week as I meditated I felt the lesson was instead to be like Jesus and Elisha and respect the importance of hospitality. God gives to all. We are called to give to all. That means giving to people that disagree with me as well as those who agree with me. I don’t have to change my belief or stop working for my sense of what is right, but scripture is clear on this. It is God’s will to love and show hospitality to those that come to me.

Jesus had his eyes on the destination always. When the people tried to push him toward a different goal he shifted away from them. When the disciples wanted him to act more “normal” he just brought their destination to them. People, waves, wind, and even well-meaning disciples didn’t cause him to veer from his destination.

He focused on following God’s will despite all distractions. I believe he knew in detail what his life purpose was. I’m not quite as sure about the detail of my life but I know Jesus taught to live in love.

Mat 22:36-40

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Being able to love someone you disagree with isn’t an easy thing. The greater the emotion involved, and the more ways you differ, the harder it is to show love and hospitality. It isn’t an easy thing, but I think it is God’s will. We will soon pray “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We are called to care for each other in whatever ways we can. It would be great if being with me brought another person understanding to my way of viewing the world, but a far better goal is to have my companion see God’s way of viewing the world.

It may feel like any act of love or hospitality we can offer is small compared to the needs of our troubled world, but God does amazing things when we align with His will. Just five barley loaves and two fish were beyond enough for over five-thousand. We have a calling to be God’s people. I pray we each offer what we can.

Amen