13t Sunday after pentecost proper 17 Sermon

13th Sunday after Pentecost

Proper 17

Mark 7:1-8,14-15,21-23

"Am I a Religious or a Christian Person?"

7:1* ¶ Now when the Pharisees gathered together to him, with some of the scribes, who had come from Jerusalem,
2* they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands defiled, that is, unwashed.
3* (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they wash their hands, observing the tradition of the elders;
4* and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they purify themselves; and there are many other traditions which they observe, the washing of cups and pots and vessels of bronze.)
5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with hands defiled?”
6* And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;
7* in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’
8* You leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men.”

14* And he called the people to him again, and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand:
15 there is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile him; but the things which come out of a man are what defile him.”

21* For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery,
22* coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.
23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a man.”

Grace and peace to your from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus who is the Christ. Amen

One of my favorite plays of Fiddler on the Roof. In the opening scene, you hear that famous music and yo see a fiddler on a roof, then Tevye walks onto the stage, points to the fiddler and say: " A fiddle on the roof. Sounds crazy, no? But in our little village of Anatevka, you might say every one of us is a fiddler on the roof, trying to scratch out a pleasant,m simple tune without breaking his neck. It isn't easy. You may ask, why do we stay here it it's so dangerous? We stay because Anatevka is our home. And how do we keep out balance? That I can tell you in a word -- TRADITION ----. Because of our traditions, we've kept our balance, for many, many years. Here in Anatevka we have traditions for everything -- how we eat, how to wear clothes. For instance, we always keep our heads covered and always wear a little prayer shawl. This shows our constant devotion to God. You may ask, how did this traditions start? I'll tell you -- I don't know. But it's a tradition. Because or our traditions everyone knows who he is and what God expects him to do"

Then the whole village comes out and sing that haunting song, Tradition.

Traditions for Tevye was important even though he didn't know why or where the traditions came from. They were important. This fact is seen throughout the whole play. Tevye was a religious man in that he kept the traditions even when they did more harm than good.

I began this sermon talking about traditions and Tevye, because that is exactly what our gospel lesson is about this morning, keeping the traditions of the elders. As it says in our Gospel lesson: And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with hands defiled?”

Then Jesus goes on to point our to theses men there is a difference in traditions or religion. Jesus says that is what he came for. Jesus came to establish a relationship with Him, so one could worship the Father not the traditions of the past. Being religious means it is an end in itself. Christianity is a means to an end, a relationship with Jesus Christ. That is the difference between Jesus and the scribes and Pharisees. The Pharisees turned what was suppose to be worship of God into an end in and of itself. They were religious for religious sake.

But Jesus is saying worship of God is a means to an end, a relationship with Him plus a relationship with your fellow human beings. So the question can be asked of us. Am I a religious person, where religion is an end in and of itself. Or am I a Christian person where I am led by a relationship of Jesus and God and my neighbor.

Let us explore that question in the next few moments.

We must understand the Jewish law that they were working from. The law as given to the nation of Israel in the book of Deuteronomy and Leviticus. But it was given in broad principals so that the people might have some freedom in interpreting the law for themselves. But about 500 years before Jesus was born, a group of people emerged, the scribes, who were interested in upholding the letter of the law as they saw it. So they developed their own oral law, or the law of the elders, to put exactness into these broad principles. Over the course of time, the broad principles of the law became lost to the exact rules and regulations that were being poured out by these scribes.

For example, the hand washing law became something like this: Before one ate, one must pour 1 1/2 egg-shells of water over his hands, but not just in any manner, but in this prescribed manner. He must hold the hands with the finger-tips upwards and pour the water over them until it ran down his writs; he must then cleanse the palm of each hand with the fist of the other; he must then hold the hands with the fingertips pointing downwards and pour water on them from the wrists downwards so that ran off at the fingertips. This was not a matter of hygiene; it was a matter of ritual, even if the hands were spotless it must be done. To do it was to please God, to fail to do it was to sin.

Religion became to the scribes and the Pharisees an end to itself. Jesus says to the scribes and Pharisees "You leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men.”

Jesus saw that the law was being used to turn people away from God by being so exact, instead of it being used to bring people to God to see his love and mercy. Jesus goes on to say that it s not what is outside of a person that makes that person unclean, but it's what is in his/her heart that matters. He says: “Hear me, all of you, and understand:
15 there is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile him; but the things which come out of a man are what defile him.”

Jesus saw that religion was being used to escape the true religion, the worship of God. The religious leaders were using the law of men to gain respect, position and wealth over the people. They used the law to have power over people, instead of showing the people how the law can help them to find God in their lives. Jesus was freeing the people from the tyranny of the externals, and giving them a freedom to live with the law of love in their hearts.

Religion became an end into its self. And there are people today that turn religion into an end, not a relationship with Jesus.

As Pastor John Brokhoff says in his book Faith Alive, " the pietest are long on their rituals but short on their performance of what they claim to believe."

Many pieties can talk well, but as seen in this fable they don't perform.

"A man went to heaven and to his surprise saw a shelf covered with human tongues. The heavenly guide told him, 'These are the tongues of people who spoke sweet words without virtue, who said what was right but never did anything to follow their words. so their tongues heave come to heaven and the rest of them is somewhere else.'"

It is only a means in and of itself, you talk about what your are going to do and not follow through.

Like Tevye, many people don't know why they follow certain rituals. It is Tradition.

But Christianity, a Christian person has a religion that is not an end in itself. But it is a means to an end. It is service to God and human kind. A Christian is one who is not only a hearer but a doer of the word. Prayer must end in service. Worship leads to service. Laws are made to help and serve other.

Religion as practiced by Jesus meant for people to come into a relationship with Him. That relationship would lead to a stronger relationship with the Father. Religion as seen in the life of Jesus leads somewhere. It leads to Jesus. It leads to the Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts. Being a Christian is being as Dr. Martin Luther would like to say: "Christ-like in all areas of life. "

For example: " A downtown business man liked to have his shoes shined every day. he always had the same little do it. The shoe shine boy always did a good job. One day the man asked him, 'How come you are son conscientious about your work?'

The boy was quite pleased with the compliment. In answer to the question, he looked up and said, 'Mister, I'm a Christian and I try to shine every pair of shoes as if Jesus Christ were wearing them.'"

The little shoe shine boy knew of the special relationship he had with Jesus. He knew doing his best was following the love Jesus had for him. He knew of that special relationship he had with Jesus, relationship established on love not law.

He knew that Jesus puts each person in a special relationship with himself. For God enjoys, I think, the way each of us use the resources he has given us to worship him and to serve him through our neighbor. In some ways, this freedom to live in the principle of the law is more difficult that living by the letter of the law. Living by the letter of the law is easier because it is all spelled out in black and white. I don't have to take any responsibility for my own actions, if I follow the law I can say it is good law, if I cannot follow the law I can say it is a bad law.

But when I am given the freedom to express the principle of the law in my own way, then I have to take the full responsibility for my actions. I stand alone before God. I cannot blame anyone or anything for my failure to act, or for my failure for acting wrong. I have a greater responsibility, but I think it is in that very freedom to act and to fail that I am more confident of the grace of God in my life. For when I fail, I know his forgiveness is there for me. When I succeed, I know it is by the grace of God, the love that God has for me that has seen me through. I stand alone and naked by myself in the freedom of the law to worship God in my uniqueness. Then serve him by serving my neighbor. It is God and I in the world together.

Living by the principle of the law, means living by the love of Christ. I have freedom to risk, freedom to fail, freedom to live in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Love rules the relationship.

A closing story sums up what we have been trying to say;

Young Tommy was saying his bedtime prayers as his mother was listening, She heard him say."if I should die before I woke . . . If I should die . . .

"Wait a minute," said Tommy as he scrambled to his feet and ran downstairs. Within a short time he was back; dropping to his knees again, he continued the prayer where he had left off.

When Tommy was safely tucked into bed, his mother asked why he had to run downstairs. He said: 'Mom, I thought about what I was saying.

I had to stop and put all of Danny's wooden soldiers on their feet. I had turned them on their heads just to see how mad he'd be in the morning. If I should die before I wake, I wouldn't want him to find 'em like that. "

Amen

Written by Pastor Tim Zingale August 28, 2006

You may freely use this but please give credit. Not for commercial use.

12th Sunday after Pentecost Proper16 Sermon

12th Sunday after Pentecost

Proper 16

Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18

John 6:56-69

"but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

"Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life;"


24:1 ¶ Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God.

2 And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Your fathers lived of old beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods.

14 "Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.

15 ¶ And if you be unwilling to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

16 Then the people answered, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;

17 for it is the LORD our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, and who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed;

18 and the LORD drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land; therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God."

56 He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.

57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me.

58 This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever."

59 This he said in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.

60 ¶ Many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?"

61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at it, said to them, "Do you take offense at this?

62 Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending where he was before?

63 It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

64 But there are some of you that do not believe." For Jesus knew from the first who those were that did not believe, and who it was that would betray him.

65 And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father."

66 After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him.

67 Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?"

68 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life;

69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God."

Grace and Peace to you from Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus who is the Christ. Amen

"There was a man who lost every job he had, but one day he got a very simple job in an orange factory. He was told: "Just put the big oranges in this box, the medium- sized oranges in this box, and the smallest oranges in this box." But not long afterwards, he came up to his new boss and said, ''I quit'"' '

"But why?'! asked the boss in amazement.

''I cannot take it "he replied, "Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!'!"

Yes, decisions are part of life. Decisions are difficult, some are easy, some need to be made in a split second, some need to be made to protect life, some decisions to need to be made now or they will never be made.

All of the different kinds of decision, which we are called upon to make can be seen in the following story:

"On the rugged wave-beaten cliffs on the west coast of Scotland a man was once gathering the eggs of the sea birds which nested there. He had been let down from the top of the cliff by a rope to the ledge where the nests were, but, in a moment of carelessness had let the rope slip from his hand.

As it swung down and out and seaward, and then come swinging in again toward him, he knew that the first swing inward of the rope was his only chance, and that the next swing would be beyond his reach.

With all the powers of body and mind and soul tense and alert, he stood on the edge of the ledge waiting for the rope to come in toward him. Just as it reached the end of its swing, he stretched out his hand seized it and was saved."

He had one chance and he took it and was saved. In our first lesson and in the gospel lesson, people have a chance to be saved, to receive the salvation of God and they had to make a decision.

In the first lesson, the nation of Israel had just finished conquering the new land, Joshua was dying and he wanted to be sure who the people were going to follow. Would they believe in the God's of the Amorites, or would they follow the God of Abraham, Jacob and Moses, the God who had led them out of the land of slavery into this new land flowing with milk and honey.

Joshua had made a decision, he says, "But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!!

Who will you serve?"

In the gospel lesson, Jesus had offended the people by his talk of the Living Bread from heaven, that he was that bread and if anyone eats his flesh they would live.

As it says in the Augsburg sermon series "That is what offended the people.

They were willing to settle for some materialistic miracle. They wanted free bread. If Jesus could supply that they would believe. But when he talked about being the Bread of life and offering heaven to them, they walked away. The are offended at the idea that God would come down from heaven and crawl into OUR akin, die for us and rise again so that he could offer us the gift of eternal life, They are offended at the free offer of salvation."

So Jesus then asks the disciples "Do you also wish to go away?" And good old Simon Peter answers for them by saying,"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know that you are the Holy One of God.!!

Life is difficult. We ore called upon to make many decisions each day, but the most important one has to do with our relationship with Jesus Christ. Joshua asked his people whom they would follow, and Jesus asked the disciples whom they would follow; and both of these texts are asking you and I, who are we going to follow?? What is our life going to be about? What is life for us??

A poem in the book Girded With Truth written by an unknown author says:

''What is life? asked a little child as he romped on a golden day. Out of his life the answer came: Life is play! Life is play'

"What is life?" asked the sturdy man...As he toiled through the sun and rain... And the woe in his heart cried out aloud, 'Life is pain' ! Life is pain "

"What is life asked the old, old man as he gazed on the stars above,....And his wise, wise heart sang joyfully,.... "Life is Christ! Life is love"

Life is difficult because it challenges us with choices, especially the choice of whether Jesus is going to have any control, partial control, or whole control of our lives.

Some attempt to take the easy way of life, the path of least resistances, so to speak as seen in the following: "Once there was a little girl who met a hobo as he was walking in a park. Becoming fascinated with this strange man she asked, 'How do you decided which way to go?' With a twinkle in his eye and a grin on his face, the hobo replied,' I always travel with the wind to my back!"

He always took the easy way and many take the easy way when it comes to following Jesus. They simply stay with him when it is the socially accepted thing to do, or when at is convenient, or when they feel no challenge, but when it starts to become challenging, or demanding, or other things or people, or events are more exciting, then they turn their hacks to Jesus, and follow the easy wind of life.

They let the wind of life blow them around instead of letting the breath of God through His Holy spirit blow the love, the mercy and the forgiveness of Christ into their lives.

But not only do people pick the easy way, there are many who are just plain indifferent to life as seen in the following: "In his play A Thousand Clowns, Herb Gardner has a scene in which Arnold, the conformist who has sold his soul for $30,000 a year says of himself to his brother Murray, who hasn't sold out yet: "I'm willing to deal with the available world, and I do not choose to shake it up, but to live with it. There's the people who spill things and the people who get spilled upon. I do not choose to notice the stain, Murray."

In order words, Arnold wants nothing to do to with anyone or anything in life except for his $30,000 a year. The brokenness, the injustice, the unfairness, the cruelty of life has passed by him as water rolls off of a duck's back. Arnold is indifferent to life. As long as none of that stain falls on him, he is happy. He doesn't enjoy or get excited about life at all.

He doesn't partake of the living bread of heaven, he doesn't know of the love of Christ, or the joy of reaching out a hand to help a neighbor, or taking a risk to see that some measure of comfort, peace or fairness is brought into this stain filled life. He is plainly indifferent.

Then there is the one who is really fooling himself about the kind of life he thinks he is living, he is the one for one reason or another says to the Lord, "Yes, Lord, I am leaving, see you later, but I'll be back, but does he?" as a Pastor says "If your congregation is like mine it starts right after confirmation , it goes like this: He gets a part-time job that involves Sundays. First a few Sundays, then most Sundays. Then it is getting money for the car, then it is late night dates so it is convenient to sleep in on Sunday mornings. Then after high school graduation, its off to college or work. Then Sunday morning becomes the only day of the week with no so-called responsibilities, so he either sleeps in or sleeps just a little later, then finds other things to do, like the golf course, or fishing, or biking, or whatever. And finally the language to the Lord changes so subtly, now it is : "See you later, Lord " Yea, I want to leave you, too!! I am not coming back' ! !" This starts out so innocently, a few missed Sunday here, a few missed Sundays there' then a whole string of them,then other things, or people crowd for that Sunday morning time, then, then the Lord is lost, maybe to be found again one day, but maybe to be found never again.

The choice the decision was made so innocently to turn his back on the Lord, the promise was made so faithfully to come back. but it was never fulfilled for so many.

But Jesus as did Joshua calls his followers to take the difficult path, will you forsake me for the easy life, Jesus asks his disciples, will you forsake me for fame, for riches, for indifference.

Or will you follow me in a life which calls for sacrifice, service, love, involvement. A life which calls for a relationship, a friendship, a partnership with me in all areas. This difficult choice, this difficult decision can be seen in the following story which many have been involved in: "The boys are in the school yard choosing us sides for a ball game. The captains have been chosen and they ore in the process of selecting teams. One of the boys is on a spot; he must choose between his best friend and a much better player. All eyes are upon him as he looks the other boys in the face. If he picks his best friend, his team will suffer and may even lose. If he picks the best player, his friendship is in jeopardy. What shall he do?"

In many ways that is the dilemma which each of us face in our relationship with Jesus. Do we choose between winning, success, fame, fortune, being on top, or do we choose our best friend, Jesus Christ? Does our relationship with him come before everything else in life? Does our relationship with Jesus come before our material success, does it come before being the most popular, does it come before winning? Does our relationship with Jesus help us to be able to sacrifice, to say loud and clear I love Jesus more than all that the world tells me to love??

Joshua said "but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

Peter said, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life;"

What do you say today?


Amen

Written by Pastor Tim Zingale August 21, 2006

You may freely use this but please give credit. Not for commercial use.










"You can't always beat what is difficult in your life. Sometimes you have to let it win and shout hallelujah anyhow."
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11th Sunday after Pentecost Proper 15 Sermon

11th Sunday after Pentecost

Proper 15

John 6: 51-58

Proverbs 9:1-6

Wisdom = Being In Christ
John 6:51-58

51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh."

52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"

53 So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you;

54 he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

55 For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.

56 He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.

57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me.

58 This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever."

Proverbs 9:1-6

9:1 ¶ Wisdom has built her house, she has set up her seven pillars.

2 She has slaughtered her beasts, she has mixed her wine, she has also set her table.

3 She has sent out her maids to call from the highest places in the town,

4 "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!" To him who is without sense she says,

5 "Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed.

6 Leave simpleness, and live, and walk in the way of insight."RSV

Grace and Peace to you from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus who is the Christ. Amen

There is a verse from the first lesson and a verse from the gospel lesson which will be the focus of our attention this morning, from the first lesson: "Leave simpleness and live, and in the way of insight "

And from the gospel "Jesus said "I am the living bread which come down from heaven if any one eats of this bread he will live for ever, and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.

Putting these two verses together then means walking in wisdom or insight is being in Christ partaking of the living bread from heaven. That word insight in the first lesson means wisdom or the power of forming a sound judgment in any matter, or understanding. Being in Christ is the wisest way to walk in the world.

But how can one be in Christ? The first lesson says partake from his table, eat and drink from Christ the feast he has prepared for us.

Jesus says in the gospel lesson "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; so being in Christ means partaking of the Lord's supper.

From the book Girded with Truth, comes the following:

"One day a minister was walking along the ocean with his small son. The bay had been questioning his father about recent sermon about Christ dwelling in his people. The boy said , "Dad, I cannot understand how Christ can live in us and we live in him at the same time." As they walked further down the beach, the father noticed an empty bottle with a cork in it, Taking the bottle, he half filled it with water, re corked it and flung it far into the ocean.

Then he said, "Son the sea is in the bottle and the bottle is in the sea. As it bobs up and down in the sea, it is a picture of life and motion. life in Christ."

We are in Christ and Christ is in us and around us all at the same time. A wise person recognizes that reality of life and lives with and in it. But sadly, our culture sees wisdom as something else, as fame, as wealth, as glory as someone to look up to. Who are our heroes today? Rock stars, baseball players, football players, basketball players, movie stars, people with fame, with fortune, with wealth. The wise today are not seen for their insight, their intuition, their discerning knowledge of life. No the wise, the heroes, the ones the world looks up to are the wealthy, the famous in the sport world , not the peace advocate, not the Nobel prize winners, not the researcher looking for the cure to cancer.

The following shows how our culture so interested fame, wealth and has lost the truly meaningful way one should live life.

"A Legend says a man asked God,"What does a billion dollars mean to you who are all powerful?"

"Hardly a penny." God said.

Then the man asked God , "And what are a thousand centuries to you?"

God answered "Hardly a second!!"

Thinking he had God backed into a corner, the man then said, "Then if that's the case, O, Lord give me a penny !!"

"In a second. !!" God replied."

Wisdom isn't outsmarting God, wisdom is living in and with God. Wisdom is being in Christ and surrounded by Christ. Wisdom is eating and drinking from the feast which God has prepared for us with us turning in eating and drinking.

Wisdom to God is living in a relationship with God, being able to eat and drink from God's table. Being able to accept and rejoice in the forgiveness and new life was given each of us by the way of the cross.

Wisdom means being with God, turning into His house to take all that God has so freely given to us. Turning into his house in this day and age means coming to church so that we may stay in a relationship with God, that we may be wise, that we may be filled with God's wisdom.

But as Barbara Brokhoff says in her book, Faith Alive, "The Happy Hour for the Christian should be the hour of worship on Sunday morning, but how do you honestly feel when you are awakened by the alarm on the Lord's Day and you realize it is another "Church Day"? Can you hardly wait for the service time to roll around or do you roll over in bed, moan and groan and cover your head, and wish that once, once again maybe once more like last Sunday the one before, you would, or could sleep in and forget the whole boring, time consuming thing ?? Is the thought of worship agony or ecstasy? Think We are coming to meet God--not just any body, but God!! Shouldn't the delightful suspense of worship make our breath short and our hearts beat faster?"

As one of my professors said in seminary, "God is a God who is everywhere, but he has to be somewhere , and that somewhere is here in his house on Sunday morning." Being in Christ, having the true wisdom of Christ means participating in Christ and with Christ. That happens in the fullest extend in worship in God's house. Sure God can be found in nature, on the golf course, feeding the livestock but the fullest revelation, the fullest view, the best picture we see of God is here in His house Sunday after Sunday. As we hear his word and partake in his meal, as we witness through baptism the growth of his kingdom as join together in prayer in song in praise to God, we see God revealled to us.

The word liturgy, literally means work of the people. We come to church to do the work of praising God. But honestly, how many of us really work at praising God?? How many of us are here out of the true delight to praise God in work, in song, prayer and mediation upon his word read and preached?

Do we really work at worship and praise for God? Or do we let the wisdom of the world invade this hour with God also?? Are you setting here thinking about other things, maybe the new football plays the coach has taught you this week. How the roast is doing in the oven or how you are going to get that sick pig healthy, or how well the harvest will be? Are you thinking about next week and the work that has to be done. Or are you worshiping God with your entire being, your mind, your heart and your soul. Jesus says we are to love the Lord your God with all your soul, with all your mind with all your heart. Can't we even love him one hour a week with OUR whole being instead of being concerned whether the pastor is going to preach too long and we will get out of church two or three minutes later than usual??

Being in Christ, means being in the joy, the thrill, the ecstasy of his presence with no matter to all that other stuff of this world.

When you have found the joy and thrill of being in Christ, worship becomes more than a duty, it becomes a royal work, a praising and thanking God for all of the great gifts. Worship becomes not just standing doing nothing , but being involved with one's whole being, mind heart and soul. Coming to worship is a royal work of eating and drinking from the living bread and living water. Coming to worship is being totally in Christ .

And then when we are in Christ, we live for Christ. This act of being in Christ this act of worship then makes a difference in our daily lives. It gives a purpose, a direction , a guidance to life. As we live in Christ, we for Christ through our neighbor and that makes life rich and full, full of wisdom not in the worldly sense but in the sense that we are in a rich relationship with Christ day in and day out. Worship, being in Christ then sets the tone for the rest of the week as we live for Christ out in the world.

A pastor told the following:"Can you recognize the person in this vignette? For years this person goes to church, listens to the preacher, manages to pray now and then, and gives a dutiful offering. For years this person thinks his faith is a pretty good thing, because no one checks up on him/her, no one demands much time, and no one makes him/her strip away the masks to examine his/ her spiritual life. No one has challenged his/her own ideas of what religion and Christianity is all about. "

A certain amount of comfort comes along, now and then and this person feels better about this life.. Now and then certain needs arise within the church, ( Sunday School teachers) but, someone always steps up to fill the need. Once in a while the pastor says something that strikes raw nerve but long ago he/she labeled these raw nerve messages as "guilt trips" and he/she refuses to go on them anymore.. .

Finally, the person hears these words of Jesus: 'Eat my flesh and drink my blood, or die.' What Jesus said was to eat his flesh and drink his blood and LIVE, It only makes sense, though, when the negative is heard. Our person in this vignette begins to sense the seriousness of, worship,, the finality of this life, the wonder of purpose, magic of faith, the possibility and demands for service, and can admit, if only to him self/herself, "God I 'm hungry. I'm starving to. death. Feed me, Lord, lest I die. "

Are you being feed here so that you can go out into the world and be with Christ? Are you starving enough to admit to Christ you need his body and blood, you need his living bread from heaven? Are you starving enough to admit you need more than a superficial relationship with Christ where you only go through the motions but never really eat or drink from this living bread and water?? Are you starving enough that in this worship hour you sense you are truly in the presence of almighty God? And in that presence you stand condemned, sentenced to death and hell but because of His Son you have been freed from that sentence to live in and through Christ? Are you starving enough to return again next week to continue in that relationship with Christ? As you come to the Lord's table today, are you starving enough that you fully realize how great this meal really is? How starving are you???

A final, story about Old Ben Putinoff examine yourself to see if you and Old Ben aren't the same or hopefully you are different?

"Ben Putintoff was a member of the Lord's church. Morally, he was a good man. He didn't lie, curse, drink, beat his wife, or smoke.. Ha paid his income tax, came to Sunday School and worship services, paid his bills and gave a 'few left over bucks' to the Lord. He never opposed anything that was good.

One day old Ben Putinoff died and stood before the Righteous Judge. The Judge said, ' Ben you are charged with trying to close the church. Are you guilty or not guilty?

"Not guilty,' pleaded Ben Putintoff. 'I didn't do a thing'!!'

'Guilty as charged,' the Judge ruled. Then the Judge continued, ''Ben you have confessed to the most effective way ever devised of closing the church, the kingdom of God. You didn't do a thing. You didn't visit the sick. You didn't encourage the weak. You didn't feed the hungry. You didn't welcome the strangers among you. You didn't care for the well-being of those in your community of faith by praying for or with them. You didn't reach out to the lost with the Gospel. You didn't reach out to anyone. '

'But Judge, but almighty God,' Ben pleaded, 'I intended to do all those things, but I was too busy making a living and enjoying myself, my family, my friends, my way of life. I have just been putting it off."

Amen

Written by Pastor Tim Zingale August 14, 2006

You may freely use this but please give credit. Not for commercial use.




"You can't always beat what is difficult in your life. Sometimes you have to let it win and shout hallelujah anyhow."
Bebe More Campbell



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10th Sunday after Pentecost Proper 14 Sermon

10th Sunday after Pentecost

Proper 14

John 6:35, 41-51

Ephesians 4:25-5:2

The Living Bread = Jesus' Flesh



35* Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.
41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.”
42* They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
43 Jesus answered them, “Do not murmur among yourselves.
44* No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
45* It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Every one who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me.
46* Not that any one has seen the Father except him who is from God; he has seen the Father.
47* Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.
48* I am the bread of life.
49* Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.
50* This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die.
51* I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
Ephesians: 5

2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. RSV

Grace and Peace to you from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus who is the Christ. amen

There are verses from our gospel lesson and a verse from our epistle lesson from Ephesians that I would like to play close attention to this morning.

From Ephesians: 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

And from our gospel lesson: and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.

Now to get a feeling what these two verses mean, I would like to tell you a story from a book by Shel Silverstein The Giving Tree

" The tree gives the little boy her apples to pick and her branches to climb. The boy and the tree love each other and are happy in their life together. As the boy grows older, however, his interest in the tree becomes less. The tree is very lonely until one day the boy returns as a young man. The tree offers her apples and branches, but the boy claims that he is too old to climb and play. He is more interested in money.

'Can't you give me some money?' he asks the tree.

The tree has not money, but she does have apples. Why doesn't the boy pick the apples and sell them then he will be happy. The boy picks the apples and sells them, then he will be happy. The boy does this and the tree is happy. But then the boy stays away an even longer time and the tree is sad.

Years later the boy returns. The tree is overwhelmed with joy as she invite the boy to swing from her branches. But the boy is too busy to play. What he really wants is his own family and a house to keep him warm.

Can the tree give him a house? No, but the boy can cut her branches and build a house with them, suggests the tree; then he will be happy. The boy does this and the tree is happy.

Many years pass before the boy, now middle-aged returns. The tree, overjoyed, invites the boy to play. But now the boy is too old to play. all he wants is a boat which will take him far away. 'Can you give me a boat?' the tree invites the boy to cut down her trunk and make a boat so he can be happy. The boy does this, and the tree is happy--but not really, for now only a bare stump remains.

When, years late, the boy returns, he is hunched-over, old man. The tree apologizes for having nothing to offer any longer, no more apples to eat or branches to climb, only an old stump.

But the old man says his teeth are too weak for apples, and he is too old to climb. All he needs is a quiet place to sit and rest for he is very tired.

'Well,' says the tree, straightening herself up as much as she can, 'an old stump is good for sitting and resting. Come, boy sit down, sit down and rest.'

And the boy does. The tree is very happy."

Isn't that a neat story, but also a good illustration of how Jesus as the bread of life gave and gave of himself ,feed and feed the people with his body and blood from the tree of the cross so that all would be nourished.

The apple tree gave and gave, Jesus as the bread of life gives and gives of himself as he gives from the cross of Calvary as the text says:" and gave himself up for us as a fragrant suffering and sacrifice to God." Jesus this living bread from heaven gave of himself, from the cross, from in a sense from another giving tree, but instead of apples, he gave bread, living bread from heaven his own flesh. God used a tree, the cross of Calvary to give us the living broad so that all who eat from it, may have life. And this tree, the cross keeps on giving and giving as did that apple tree. The body and blood of Christ is still given and shed for us each time we come to his holy supper each time we come to this rail we come to the living bread from heaven which came to us by the way of a tree, the cross of Calvary.

I enjoy making bread in our bread machine. I love the smell of the bread baking at the end of the process, and it seems as if everyone is excited to come to the table that evening for supper to have that bread to eat.

Is there an excitement each time you come to the Lord's table to eat and drink? I hope so, for there at his table, we experience the bread of life, Jesus himself. The bread which was given on the cross for our lives.

In a church in the town of Exira they had a banner hanging in their church which said, "The crib and the Cross both were made of wood."

A tree was used to bring Christ, to bring this son of God into the world, and a tree, the cross of Calvary was used to give us life, the living bread, the bread of heaven, Christ' s own flesh..

And notice in the text Jesus says that anyone who eats of this bread will not die, but live because the cross, the giving tree of Christ is for you and I. It was not Christ's cross he died upon but my cross and your cross, so that if we eat of his flesh and drink of his blood we might have life and have life eternal.

There was a popular move and novel called Barabbas out many years ago. It was about Barabbas, the criminal who was turned loose and Jesus who died in his place. The day Barabbas was to die, he walks into the local bar and everyone is shocked to see him.

After a few rounds of drinks, the crowd along with Barabbas decide to go see this man who had been appointed to die in Barabbas' place. Barabbas pushes his way to the front of the crowd, he sees Jesus hanging there on the cross on that tree. Barabbas was so moved by the whole experience that he turns and grabs the arms of the person standing next to him and say, "Look you see that fellow hanging on that tree? He is dying on my cross, my tree That is my cross.."

Jesus didn't die on a cross, he died on your cross and my cross. He took our place on the cross, so that we might not have to be sacrificed to God for the sins we have committed, punished for our sins against God and our fellow human beings! Jesus took our punishment, our place, on our cross and in that place instead of death he gave us life, free life, the living bread of heaven.

Do you believe that? Do you believe that Jesus gave from that tree, life,that he gave you his body and blood so that you might live eternal? Do you believe that Jesus hung from a Giving tree and instead of giving branches, apples, and a trunk he gave his flesh and blood, so that you and I through the holy supper might partake of his body and blood, might eat of the living bread and drink of the living water?

Or are you like the skeptics at the beginning of this lesson who said, "Is not this Joseph's son, whose father an mother we know' How does he now say, "I have come down fro heaven?"

Is this all a hoax? Do you come Sunday after Sunday to participate in a hoax, or do you believe, and trust in the promises which are implied in this text and which are demonstrated throughout the whole Bible, that Jesus is indeed the living bread, the water of life, through the giving tree of the cross so that you and I might have eternal life?

We come here Sunday after Sunday to be renewed, to hear the promise of god's grace to eat of the bread of life and drink the blood of Christ so that we might be assured again and again this is not a hoax, but the real thing.

Salvation!!

We need to come to keep the coals of salvation warm in our hearts as seen in this closing story.

A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the pastor decided to visit him.

It was a chilly evening. The pastor found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for his pastor's visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a big chair near the fireplace and waited.

The pastor made himself comfortable but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplate the play of the flames around the burning logs. After some minutes, the pastor took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone.

Then he sat back in his chair, still silent.

The host watched all this in quiet fascination. As the one lone ember's flame diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and "dead as a doornail."

Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting.

Just before the pastor was ready to leave, he picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.

As the pastor reached the door to leave, his host said, "Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday."


Jesus said: I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh."


Amen

Written by Pastor Tim Zingale August 7, 2006

You may freely use this but please give credit. Not for commercial use.


"You can't always beat what is difficult in your life. Sometimes you have to let it win and shout hallelujah anyhow."
Bebe More Campbell



Home pages


http://www.dodgenet.com/~tzingale/SermonIllst.html
main sermon and illustration page

http://www.dodgenet.com/~tzingale/St_Olaf.html
St Olaf Lutheran Church Fort Dodge (where I am a member)


Join my yahoo group

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tzingalesermons