All Saints Sermon

All Saints Sunday

John 11:32-44

Revelation 21: 1-6

"Past, Present, Future"


21:1* ¶ Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
2* And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband;
3* and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them;
4* he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.”
5* And he who sat upon the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
6* And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. RSV

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

A couple of weeks ago, we were driving in the car as it was raining. Sara watched the rain fall on the front windshield and watched as the force of the wind drove the rain drops together, then forcing them up to the top of the windshield. She hoped the drops would make it to the top before the wipers could swish them off. These drops joined together to form larger drops, and they in turn formed together to make even larger ones, and before we knew it, there was a little river running up the window. But there were other drops which remained apart from these larger ones, and there were other drops which formed their own smaller rivers. At one time we saw the drops of rain coming together to form a river, then for some reason, they parted again forming even smaller rivers. It was fascinating to watch the different patterns of rain on the windshield. Try it some time when you aren't doing the driving.

Those rain drops joining together to form larger ones and even small rivers are a lot like the saints of God. You and I who are believers in God, for that is what a saint is join others to form a small river, a community in Christ. We journey together for awhile, but then some leave because of illness, moving away or death. But others join this community in Christ, this bond of saints continue their journey until the second coming of Christ when all will join with him in the heavenly home.

This morning we are going to look at these saints, saints we have journeyed with in the past, saints we journey with now in the present moment, and then the hope all the saints have for the future.

First the saints of our past. The saints we recall in our past, the ones who have found their eternal rest. We remember their faith and the fact that our fellowship is a communion of eternal life. The members of this community remain part of it, even after death. It is from these saints that our heritage of faith has been past on. It is from these saints the time honored values are past on are brought to present. It is from these saints we can draw courage and strength as we remember their lives, their actions, their relationship with us. As we reflect back over our lives, we recall many saints, even loved ones, who though they are now resting in another land,still keep a relationship alive within us. Maybe it is a husband's memory' or a child's memory, or a father's memory, or a grandparent's memory which on this day tugs at the heart strings of our lives. Whatever it is, it is good to ponder to reflect, to relive those special moments.

As I think back over my years of being a pastor, many saints flash through the pictures in my mind's eye. Each one holds a special memory, a special picture which influence my life today. And from my personal history, the images of my father and two grandmas and one grandpa flashes across the screen of memory. Some of these images influenced my present moment. From Grandpa Spachtholz I have learned and will always cherish the green thumb which I received from him. Grandpa loved flowers and gardens. As a little boy in Germany, he worked in a greenhouse, and when he came to America he enjoyed planting gardens and flowers. I would always enjoy going over to his house to look at his flowers and gardens. He would then pass on some of his knowledge, some of his secrets and I eagerly accepted them. Today because of those moments, I do enjoy flowers and gardening. And many times as I tend the flowers, thoughts of grandpa would come to the surface, pleasant thoughts, thoughts of the friendship, the companionship we had together.

On this All Saints day it is good to allow those special thoughts of a loved one to surface, to be relived, to be cherished once again. As we confess in the creed, " I believe in the communion of saints" there is a relationship with the past saints which affect our present in a good and healthy way. The writer to the Hebrews says we are surrounded by a great cloud of witness as we worship the Lord. The lives of those past saints do affect us today. It is good to recall their influence, their friendship, the bonds that link us to them and to the past.

Helen Stiener Rice has a poem entitled The Golden Chain of Friendship which speaks about our friends as links on a golden chain. Those friends now in the present moment and I think to, those friends who no longer are here in the present, but none the less are part of that chain in the memories we hold dear. Helen Stiener Rice says:"Friendship is a Golden Chain,....The links are friends so dear,.... And like a rare and precious jewel,. ...It's treasured more each year.. . . . .It's clasped together firmly... ..with a love that's deep and true, And it's rich with happy memories......And fond recollections, too.....Time can't destroy its beauty....For as long as memory lives,.....Years can't ease the pleasure.....That the joy of friendship gives,.. .For friendship is a priceless gift....That can't be bought or sold,....But to have an understanding friends....Is worth far more than gold.....And the Golden CHAIN OF FRIENDSHIP...Is a strong and blessed tie...Binding kindred hearts together...As the years go passing by."

The friendships of the post saints lead us into the relationships we have now in the present moment. For the present moment is also made up of the community of the faithful believers who share with one another their trust, their belief, their acceptance of Jesus Christ as the Lord of their lives. And in this present moment, Christ comes to each of us to give us the power, the courage, the strength, the confidence, the Holy Spirit to continue our journey faithfully in Him and in service to our neighbor. Saints on the faith journey today can be a faithful witness to their faith and belief in Christ for other brothers and sisters. We gather together in a community of faithful believers because it is from our mutual witness that our faith remains strong and alive. We draw courage and faith, confidence and trust, strength and fortitude from each other and the Lord to allow us to be His witnesses in this world for the faithful and non faithful.

For example: a pastor describes some saints who are faithful in his church: "The faithful saints are: the husband or wife who singlehandedly tries to bring their children to worship while having no support from a spouse : the poor, elderly person who is the first to give an extra gift when the church asks:the paralyzed member who hears and reads of the church's work and has hopes for it and prays for it: the worshipers whose frail body makes it difficult to come to worship, but comes anyway to add voice and body to the event of Christ's body:....the troubled partner in the middle of a marriage crisis who comes to be held and renewed by the Good Word of forgiveness and the healing power of the body and blood of Christ Jesus;....the teenager who comes to worship because he/she wants to praise and thank the Lord;the voice who sings off-key and doesn't hesitate because he would just rather be making his joyful noise;....the office worker who says he would rather not be part of the cheating and wrong practices of the firm-and quits;.....the retired gentleman who faithfully waters, mows 'and plants flowers around the church to beautify it for the Lord;....

The list could go on and on, but you get the point. We need each other in this present community to give us the strength and the assurance that our faith can be strong inspire of the many challenges to that faith from the world and these around us who don't understand our faith

The famous Beatitudes of our lord which is our gospel lesson this morning are a clear description of the faithful as they live in this world. Notice these descriptions turn the world ways upside down. They describe people who are not victors but who are victims of this life however because of Christ, victory has been achieved.

For example take the second beatitude Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted,"There are many meanings for this one but one which describes the love, the faithfulness of the community of believers says; Blessed or happy is the person who identifies with the sorrows of the world. Blessed are they that voluntarily share their neighbor's pain. Blessed are those who walk with another as they face the brokeness in their lives. Blessed are those who walk with another to give support, encouragement, strength and the comfort of God's word. Blessed are those who allow another to feel the pain and heartache of life without pretending that somehow all will be ok.

Can you see that being in community with another, being a witness, being a saint for another saint is what the body of Christ, the church, is all about. Being able to be and walk with another down their path without wanting to direct or lead that person is our calling in the body of Christ. Being able to share with another their burdens without making it your own, being able to comfort another with our witness of action as well as the word is what the priesthood of saints is all about. The present moment as we celebrate this All Saints Day is a time for each of us to turn to our brother and sister in Christ to give them strength, courage, comfort and confidence as they walk their journey of faith.

As our journey in faith continues, this all Saints Day reminds us again that each step we take toward the future is another step closer to our death, and the eternal life which God has promised all who believe in His Son. Our hope and promise for the future is that there is life beyond this one. Jesus says; "I am the Resurrection and the life, he who believes in me shall never die." We hold onto that promise each day we live not knowing whether tomorrow will come for us. Each day we live, we live in the joy and the hope of eternal life. As saints, those who have been redeemed by the blood of the lamb of God end his broken body, we live with the conviction, the assurance and the hope that there is life for us after this one. So each day is lived for the Lord and in the Lord because we don't know where we will be tomorrow. As we journey with the past saints in our memories and the present saints besides us, we live in Christ and for Christ so that tomorrow we might be in Christ and resting in our heavenly home if the sting of death should take us away from this journey.

An ancient Greek wrote about Christians: "If any righteous persona among the Christians passes from this world, they rejoice and offer thanks to God,as they escort that body with songs and thanksgiving, as if the person were setting off from one place and going to some other near by place. "

The slants of old give us courage as we relieve their past memories as we continue to walk with the present saints who walk step by step with us toward the time when we will join all the heavenly saints in praise and thanksgiving to God and His Son for the redemption which is our.

Amen

Written by Pastor Tim Zingale October 30, 2006
You may freely use this but please give credit. Not for commercial use.

Reformation Sermon

Reformation Sunday

John 8:31- 36

"Freedom"


31 ¶ Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples,

32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

33 They answered him, "We are descendants of Abraham, and have never been in bondage to any one. How is it that you say, 'You will be made free'?"

34 Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, every one who commits sin is a slave to sin.

35 The slave does not continue in the house for ever; the son continues for ever.

36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

37 I know that you are descendants of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me, because my word finds no place in you.

38 ¶ I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father."RSV

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

Since this is reformation Sunday, the Sunday we celebrate the reforms of the church and honor the life of Martin Luther, I think it is appropriate and right that I begin my sermon this morning with a quote from Luther.

Luther says in his little book, "Christian Liberty" the following: "A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all."

Luther is saying we are free and at the same time we are slaves. How can that be???

Maybe the following stories might help shed some light on this confusing subject..

" A man who didn't believe in God was giving a lecture telling of his reasons why he thought Christians were weak people who were dependent on God and used him as a crutch in life. The man went on and on about how he didn't need anyone but himself and he was making a pretty good living doing just that relying on himself. After his speech, he asked anyone who had questions to come up front to the platform. After a short while, a man who had been well known as the town drunk came forward. He had just had a conversion experience and had completely changed his life. He came forward, reached into his pocket and pulled out an orange and coolly and slowly began to peel it.

The lecturer became impatient with this man, and asked him to ask the question he came forward to ask. But without saying anything, the former town drunk finished peeling the orange and began to eat it right there in front of everyone. When he had eaten the last of the orange, he turned to the lecturer and asked him, "Was the orange I ate sweet or sour?''

Angrily, the lecturer shouted, " Idiot, how can I know whether it was sweet or sour when I never tasted it?''

To this the former drunk replied, "And how can you know anything about Christ if you have not tried Him?"

Or, there was a pastor who was riding with a coachman one day. He turned to the coachman and asked, "Friend, if your team were running away with you, after you had done your best to stop them what would you do if you suddenly learned that a person sitting beside you knew exactly how to control your team and save you from disaster!. "

The coachman reified, "I'd instantly hand over the reins to him!!"

Then replied the pastor' "Why haven't you handed over the reins of your life to Christ, since he is the one who can save you' from eternal disaster."

Do you see what Luther is trying to say. Yes, we are free because of the freedom we have in Christ, but at the same time we are slaves, slaves to Christ and to the people we serve in Christ's name.

In our gospel lesson this morning Jesus is talking about this same subject. He says we are slaves to sin, but at the same time he is telling us we can he free in and through him.

Luther's famous saying that we are saint and sinner at the same time comes to mind here. We are saints, believers in Christ because of Christ's action in our lives through Baptism. But at the same time we are sinners, never having fully arrived at our sainthood until we come into the glorious presence of Christ at the gates of heaven.

Our lives are an ongoing process of becoming what Christ wants us to he. He is constantly molding, shaping, forming, developing, guiding us so that we can be free in Him to serve Him and our neighbor.

So there is a paradox to the Christian life. I am tree in Christ to become what God truly created me for in His image, but at the same time I am a slave to sin, because that nature is always with me until through Christ at the gates of heaven it is finally removed.

Paul says in Romans. 7:19 "For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin which dwells within me."

But he goes on to says in Romans. 8:1,2 1 " There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death."

Maybe the following story will help us to understand this paradox to Christian living.

" A man named John Elliott was caught in a blizzard high in the Rocky mountains. He became lost, and finally he saw a cabin and crawling to the door with his last ounce of strength, he found it to be unlocked and he crawled in. But being dazed and near exhaustion, he didn't light a fire or take off his wet clothing. He laid on the floor sinking into oblivion, paralyzed by the pleasure of the storm's icy caress. Suddenly, his St. Bernard dog came into the cabin, for he too had become loss from his master. He saw his master lying on the floor, and became to arouse John from his near comatose state. The ranger said later, that the dog saved his life.

John said,"When you're freezing to death you actually feel warm all over, and don't wake up because it feels too good. "

Some people are like that in their spiritual lives. They actually don't realize the state of sin they are in, because everything seems so good. They don't see their need for Christ because they feel they are really handling their salvation pretty good by themselves. But as Paul says, it is only through Christ Jesus that we can be free from sin death and the power of the devil.

As Luther says not my work but the work of Christ in me that sets me free.

Or as Jesus says in our gospel lesson, '"So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed."

As we continue to surrender our sinful selves to Christ, we will become free in Him to live the kind of life he has called us to live. There is that daily surrender, that daily drowning of my sinful self in the waters of my baptism and then letting Christ raise me as a new and cleansed person.

There is for us a conscious decision of asking for Christ to drown my sins daily and letting raise up a new me. You and I can and should participate in this figurative daily baptism.

I can and am born again each day in Christ. I have an active part to play in that process. I need to bring to Christ, I need to surrender to Christ those sins, those things that separate me from Him and from those around me.

But it seems to me, we Lutheran have not taken as seriously this part of our understanding of Baptism. We don't see the daily consequence of Baptism for our pilgrimage on this earth. It is not an act with no consequence for the future, yes it is an act that happens once, but we live in the consequence of it each day.

Each day I surrender my sinful to Christ, he grabs me, pushed me down into the water of my Baptism, cleanses me, and raises me to a new life so that I might serve Him and my neighbor. I must surrender to Him daily. I must acknowledge my sinful self daily

But I think a lot of us like to straddle the fence on this one. We don't really see that daily we need to do this, or we don't like to admit to ourselves that we are really sinners in daily need of Christ's forgiveness.

So we are like a little boy who wanted to ride a horse, but seeing that the horse was bigger close up than he thought, he decided to proceed cautiously. He climbed a wooden fence where the horse was standing and mounted him from there. With one foot on the left side of the top fence rail, he threw the other leg over the horse who was on the right side.

Immediately the horse began to walk slowly away from the fence. The boy hadn't planned on that and he needed to make a hasty decision. He wanted to both ride the horse and to hold on to the security of the fence. Needless to say, after his legs had stretched as far as they would go, he fell face down on the ground.

We like to straddle the fence of admitting to ourselves that daily we need to return to the waters of our Baptism and drown our sinful self and allow Christ to raise up a new me.

Yes, there is freedom in Christ, but at the same time, a struggle to remain captive by Christ. True freedom in life only comes when we are captive by Christ, when we are as Luther says, "A Christians a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all."

Subject to all, subject to Christ and subject to our neighbor. There is freedom and life in our willingness to be captive by Christ and in being captive by Christ, we have a freedom to live, a freedom to risk, a freedom to be and use all the potential God created in us.

We are like the butterfly in the following story.

A woman was awakened one morning by a strange sound. She went to the window and saw a butterfly flying inside the window pane in great fright; outside a sparrow was pecking at the pane and trying to reach the butterfly. The butterfly did not see the glass pane and expected every minute to be caught. The sparrow did not see the glass and expected every minute to catch the butterfly. All the while the butterfly was safe because the glass was between it and the sparrow. While the butterfly was being captive by the glass it was safe.

As you and I are captive by Christ, he protects, saves and gives us life. Yes, make me a captive Lord, so then I will be free to live.

Amen

Written by Pastor Tim Zingale October 23, 2006
You may freely use this but please give credit. Not for commercial use.

20th Sunday after Pentecost Proper 24 Sermon

20th Sunday after Pentecost

Proper 24

Mark 10:35-45

"Your Eyes, God's Eyes"


35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him, and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you."

36 And he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?"

37 And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory."

38 But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?"

39 And they said to him, "We are able." And Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized;

40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared."

41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John.

42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, "You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them.

43 But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant,

44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.

45 For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."RSV

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

Clarence was always very particular, even as a fledging only just out of the nest. He happened to have been born with an especially large and beautifully radiant white bib, which he probably wouldn't have noticed if the large snowy owl, who kept a weather-eye on all the young birds, hadn't remarked to Clarence's mother, "Oh my! What a bootiful bib! You'll have some trouble keeping that clean with a young chick like that! But he'll sooon get into mischief, so it won't be white for long."

From that day, Clarence had vowed never to get into mischief, and to make sure his "bootiful" bib stayed as white and as special as it was from the very first minute. He wanted to be the only tree creeper who stayed as pure white as the owl himself. Consequently he was an exceptional good little bird - and was often taunted by his brothers and sisters for being so self-righteous.

It was quite difficult for Clarence, since unlike owls, tree creepers instinctively creep round trees, whether they want to or not. Owls merely perch on convenient branches, turning their necks at extremely odd angles in order to survey all the world around them. Therefore their snowy white feathers generally remain clean. But tree creepers are much closer to the bark of trees, hanging on with their tiny claws and pecking madly with their tiny beaks, which means that their white bibs are often very close to rough and dirty tree barks.

Clarence was so determined to keep his bib white and bootiful, that he decided never to creep around the trunks of the trees. Instead, he would flutter gently up to the branches and perch just like the snowy owls. But try as he would, again and again Clarence found himself clinging to the tree trunks and gently creeping round, pecking at the bark just like all his brothers and sisters. He didn't know why he acted in this way, and he didn't want to act in such a way, but he simply couldn't help himself.

Clarence became a very unhappy tree creeper. He wanted so much to do what he thought was right, but he couldn't. He became very dejected and sad, and after a while, hardly went out at all.

When the snowy owl next came to visit, poor little Clarence tried to hide away, he was so ashamed of himself. But the owl spotted him and hooted. Clarence cringed. He knew exactly what the owl would say. But to his surprise he heard the owl admiring his radiant white breast.

"It can't be," muttered Clarence to his mother. "I must be filthy after all that creeping around trees. My white bib is surely grey and grimy by now."

But his mother just laughed. "You're a tree creeper, silly! No-one can change that! And you can't go against your own nature! But the trees won't make you dirty - they protect you and enable you to feed and keep strong. And the healthier you are, the whiter your bib will remain. That's the way God made you - and he made you into a beautiful tree creeper. So I think it's now time to put all those silly ideas behind you, and thank God for the way you are."

So Clarence did just that. He gave up trying to change himself and instead, put himself into God's hands. And he soon discovered that not only did he always have a bootiful white bib, but also he was the happiest tree creeper that ever lived. 1

Clarence saw the world through his eyes, he wanted to have the world's best white bib. He wanted to be proud of himself and the sacrifice he could make to keep his bib white.

But inside of Clarence was God's nature, and that nature saw that Clarence would be a creeper, getting close to the trunks of trees, getting himself dirty, but when he did that he became healthy and his bib became even whiter.

James and John in our gospel lesson where a lot like Clarence. they wanted something for themselves, they wanted power, they wanted honor, they wanted to be set apart. They wanted to sit on the right and left hand of Jesus. They wanted to be in power when Jesus came into his glory.

So, Jesus asks them if they can drink the cup which he has to drink. He says: Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?"

And they answer they are, they say: "We are able."

And then Jesus says: "The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized;

But did James and John know what they were getting themselves into. Jesus is foreshadowing his death on the cross and predicting that these two, James and John will die for their faith.

James was, in fact, martyred by Herod Agrippa -- "killed with the sword" rather than crucified (Acts 12:2) We don't know for sure what happened to John.

James and John saw God's kingdom through human eyes. They saw that Jesus did have power, authority, and greatness and they wanted to be apart of it. They wanted glory.

But Jesus says his kingdom his different that what is seen through human eyes. He says: "but whoever would be great among you must be your servant,44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Jesus turns the disciples eyes from the eyes of the world to the eyes of God. Jesus sees things differently in his kingdom. He sees service, helping others, sacrifice rather than power, might and glory.

Jesus sees his kingdom as one of the cross, not glory, but servant hood. Jesus sees his kingdom through God's eyes and those eyes see people in God's kingdom helping, sacrificing, serving others.

James and John saw God's kingdom through the eyes of human beings and they saw power, majesty, glory and wealth.

Jesus sees the kingdom of God with different eyes. He sees sacrifice, giving, commitment and servant hood.

There is a story that was told by Soren Kierkegaard as he says:

"Once upon a time there was a fire in a small town. The fire brigade rushed to the scene, but the fireman were unable to get through to the burning building. The problem was the crowd of people who had gathered not to watch but to help put out the fire. They all knew the fire chief well - their children had climbed over his fire engines during excursions to the fire station, and the friendliness of the fire chief was legendary. So when a fire broke out the people rushed out to help their beloved fire chief.

Unfortunately the townsfolk were seeking to extinguish this raging inferno with water pistols! They'd all stand there, from time to time squirting their pistol into the fire while making casual conversation.

The fire chief couldn't contain himself. He started screaming at the townsfolk. "What do you think you're doing? What on earth do you think you're going to achieve with those water pistols?!"

The people realized the urgency of the situation. How they wanted to help the fire chief. So they started squirting more. "Come on" they encouraged each other, "We can all do better, can't we?" Squirt, squirt, squirt, squirt.

Exasperated the fire chief yells again. "Get out of here. Your achieving nothing except hindering us from doing what needs to be done. We need fireman who are ready to give everything they've got to put out this fire, people willing even to lay their lives on the line. This is not the place for token contributions"

Jesus says the kingdom of God is not squirt, squirt, squirt, but it is those who are willing to lay down their lives of another. Jesus says the kingdom of God is not squirt, squirt, squirt, but it is those who are willing to make sacrifices for others, to give for another. Jesus says the kingdom of God is not squirt, squirt, squirt, but it is rather seeing the world through God's eyes, not humans.

How do you see God's kingdom? Are you looking at this world through human eyes, or God's eyes? Do you see the world as Clarence did and want to play it safe? Do you see the world as those people with the squirt guns only giving a partial commitment to God? Do you squirt, squirt squirt, or do you come with a hose and whole lot of water?

With whose eyes do you see the kingdom of God?

In the following story, with whose eyes did boys see the world?

In Brooklyn, New York, Chush is a school that caters to learning-disabled children. At a Chush fund-raising dinner, the father of a Chush child delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he cried out, "Where is the perfection in my son Shaya? Everything that God does is done with perfection. But my child cannot understand things as other children do. My child cannot remember facts and figures as other children do. Where is God's perfection?" The audience was shocked by the question, pained by the father's anguish and stilled by his piercing query.

"I believe," the father answered, "that when God brings a child like this into the world, the perfection that He seeks is in the way people react to this child."

He then told the following story about his son Shaya.

Shaya attends Chush throughout the week and regular Torah school on Sundays. One Sunday afternoon, Shaya and his father came to Torah school as his classmates were playing baseball. The game was in progress and as Shaya and his father made their way towards the ballfield, Shaya said, "Do you think you could get me into the game?"

Shaya's father knew his son was not at all athletic, and that most boys would not want him on their team. But Shaya's father understood that if his son was chosen in, it would give him a comfortable sense of belonging.

Shaya's father approached one of the boys in the field and asked, "Do you think my Shaya could get into the game?"

The boy looked around for guidance from his team-mates. Getting none, he took matters into his own hands and said, "We are losing by six runs and the game is already in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him up to bat in the ninth inning."

Shaya's father was ecstatic as Shaya smiled broadly. Shaya was told to put on a glove and go out to play short center field, a position that exists only in softball. There were no protests from the opposing team, which would now be hitting with an extra man in the outfield.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shaya's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shaya's team scored again and now with two outs and the bases loaded and the potential winning runs on base, Shaya was scheduled to be up. Would the team actually let Shaya bat at this juncture and give away their chance to win the game?

Surprisingly, Shaya was told to take a bat and try to get a hit. Everyone knew that it was all but impossible, for Shaya didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, let alone hit with it. However as Shaya stepped up to the plate, the pitcher moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so that Shaya should at least be able to make contact.

The first pitch came in and Shaya swung clumsily and missed. One of Shaya's teammates came up to Shaya and together they held the bat and faced the pitcher waiting for the next pitch. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shaya.

As the next pitch came in, Shaya and his teammate swung the bat and together they hit a slow ground ball to the pitcher. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could easily have thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shaya would have been out and that would have ended the game.

Instead, the pitcher took the ball and threw it on a high arc to right field, far and wide beyond the first baseman's reach. Everyone started yelling, "Shaya, run to first! Shaya, run to first!" Never in his life had Shaya run to first.

He scampered down the baseline wide eyed and startled. By the time he reached first base, the right fielder had the ball. He could have thrown the ball to the second baseman who would tag out Shaya, who was still running. But the rightfielder understood what the pitcher's intentions were, so he threw the ball high and far over the third baseman's head, as everyone yelled, "Shaya, run to second! Shaya, run to second."

Shaya ran towards second base as the runners ahead of him deliriously circled the bases towards home. As Shaya reached second base, the opposing shortstop ran towards him, turned him towards the direction of third base and shouted "Shaya, run to third!"

As Shaya rounded third, the boys from both teams ran behind him screaming, "Shaya, run home! Shaya, run home!"

Shaya ran home, stepped on home plate and all 18 boys lifted him on their shoulders and made him the hero, as he had just hit the "grand slam" and won the game for his team.

"That day," said the father who now had tears rolling down his face, "those 18 boys reached their level of perfection. They showed that it is not only those who are talented that should be recognized, but also those who have less talent. They too are human beings, they too have feelings and emotions, they too are people, they too want to feel important."2

Can you see the world in the same way?

Amen

Written by Pastor Tim Zingale October 16, 2006


1 Revd. Janice Scott http://www.sermons-stories.org/

2 from http://www.ozsermonillustrations.com/


"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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19th Sunday after Pentecost Proper 23 Sermon

19th Sunday after Pentecost

Proper 23

Mark 10:17-31

"Your Choice"


17 ¶ And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

18 And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.

19 You know the commandments: 'Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.'"

20 And he said to him, "Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth."

21 And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."

22 At that saying his countenance fell, and he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.

23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"

24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!

25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, "Then who can be saved?"

27 Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God."

28 Peter began to say to him, "Lo, we have left everything and followed you."

29 Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel,

30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.

31 But many that are first will be last, and the last first."RSV

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

For those of you who can remember Jack Benny, I would like to share with you one of his classic stories. For those of you who don't know Jack, he was a comic of the old school. His main interest was money. He liked money and never wanted to spend any of it. Do you remember the old classic joke: A hold-up man approaches Benny and demands: "Your money or your life." After a pause that seem. like a lifetime, Jack Benny pleads, "I'm thinking .... I 'm thinking . "

Benny had a choice to make. What was it going to be. Choices in life are always difficult to make. Some choices have only a limited consequence for the moment, like what am going to eat, or what am I going to wear today. Other choices involve consequence that can alter life, what am I going to do with myself, how am I going to live, and then other choices involve not only life now, but life for eternity. Do I believe Jesus is my Lord and my savior who has given me the gift of eternal life?

Our gospel lesson this morning can be seen from many different levels, one that is usually used is stewardship. This text is usually used as a stewardship text, how do we use what God has given us? But I would like us to see this text in more than the light of stewardship, I would like to have us zero in on the choice this man had to make, the decision he had to make about his life, because on one level this text for me is a text that can help us to see where you and I place our values of life.

This man approaches Jesus. Notice Mark doesn't call him the rich young ruler, but only a man. A man, a human being, someone like you and I. This man approaches Jesus with the age old question what must I do to inherit eternal life.? Or to put in another way: "Lord, there is something missing in my life, there is so much that I have been looking for, help me to find it? " This man sensed that something was lacking in his life. His life didn't seem complete, there was a strange emptiness, there was no feeling of self sanctification, a feeling of self-worth in his life. So he goes to Jesus asking him to help him find the missing piece, to find fulfillment.

Jesus then asks him if he has been a respectable man. If he has lived the right kind of life. And the man answers that he has. He is your typical middle class man. He doesn't 't really do anything really wrong, but neither is he happy with the way things are going. Then Jesus hits the nail on the head, Jesus finds the missing link, he sees into this man's heart and finds that yes, he hasn't done anything wrong in the way he has lived life, but neither has he done anything. He has not dared to risk. He has lived the safe life. He hasn't done anything for anyone.

So Jesus tells him to risk, to sell all that he has give it to the poor. Jesus asks him to risk himself for Jesus and others. Jesus asks him to make a choice, to give up comfort, to give up security, to give up respectability for Christianity.

Respectability consists of not doing things, but Christianity also consists in doing things. Jesus is telling this man that yes you have lived a respectable life, a good life, but you haven't committed yourself to anything but yourself. You have taken all of this time to dwell on yourself, your own respectability, but what have you done for someone else. What have you done to improve the life of someone around you? What have you committed your life to? Jesus saw this man needed to make a decision concerning his life. Jesus asked him to commit himself to something other than himself, to give of himself, to risk himself, to put his being on the line for something, or someone else besides himself. Jesus is asking him to live for Jesus through his neighbor.

Notice, Jesus asks him to do this not because it is a new law, but because Jesus loved him, had compassion on him. Jesus wanted him to find the fullness of life. The text says: "And Jesus looking upon him loved him". Jesus comes to him with the good news of the gospel message, the good news that lets him live life outside of himself, to live life for Jesus and others. Jesus comes to him with a message of freedom, a message of liberation. Jesus gives him a way out of his frustrations with life, but the man has to decide whether he will take it or not. He has to decide whether he will heed this message of freedom or ignore it and go about living as usual playing it safe, living for himself instead of others.

I would like to suggest to you that the story in this text is but an example of how Jesus comes to each of us with the message of his gospel that demands that we make a choice about how we are going to life our lives. Our choice doesn't necessarily involve our possession, but it may be how we will use our lives for Jesus. But the point being, I think Jesus asks each of us to make some hard choices in life concerning those things which are of value to us and to him.

Maybe it is not how we use of resources, but how we use our person hood in relationship to others. Or how we see ourselves in relationship to our families, or our loved ones. Or maybe it is how we make a choice about how we will use our life in this world for others.

I don't know what your questions are in your life? I don't know where each of your empty feelings are. I don't know where each of your longings are. I don't know where each of your searching questions lie, but I would like you to be aware that Jesus does come to those areas of your life with some answers. He asks you to decide what you will do with the answers he gives.

I would like to share with you a poem written by a teenage girl who has felt the pain of not knowing what life was all about, the pain of searching for answers. As I listen to her words, and feel her struggles, I can see these words and feel these struggles on countless of faces all through the decades of time.

Listen:

"When there is no place to go,
How do you get there?
When there's nothing to say,
Who do you talk to?
When you've nothing to do,
When do you find the time?
When there's nothing left,
With whom do you share?
When you don't know where it hurts,
How do you find the cure?"
If this is your search, if this is your struggle, if this is your quest, may I suggest you come to the one who will help you find the answers. May I suggest you come to the one who will love you, who will look with compassion on you, who will show you the answers you are looking for. May I suggest you come to Jesus. May I suggest you come but come knowing he will give you a choice. He will give you an answer, then you will need to decide if you will follow him, or keep on searching. You will need to decide if you will heed, or keep on searching. For when we come to Him, when we fall on our knees before him with our search for fulfillment know and believe there will be no easy answers. But here will be the choice of commitment, commitment to him and his way, or commitment to keep on searching, to keep on struggling, to keep on looking.

Someone said:

Commitment is a relationship with Christ that enables you in the midst of life's greatest comforts, to be willing to die, and in the midst of life's greatest trials, to be willing to live.
Commitment to Jesus does mean living with him in all aspects of life, the good and the bad.

As you search for the meaning of life, what will you do? Play it safe, or take a leap of faith and allow Jesus to give meaning and purpose to your life?

Amen

Written by Pastor Tim Zingale, October 9, 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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18th Sunday after Pentecost Proper 22 Sermon

18th Sunday after Pentecost

Proper 22

Mark 10:2-16

"Marriage"



2 And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?"

3 He answered them, "What did Moses command you?"

4 They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to put her away."

5 But Jesus said to them, "For your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment.

6 But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female.'

7 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,

8 and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two but one flesh.

9 What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder."

10 And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter.

11 And he said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her;

12 and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."

13 ¶ And they were bringing children to him, that he might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them.

14 But when Jesus saw it he was indignant, and said to them, "Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God.

15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it."

16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands upon them.RSV

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

Our lesson from Mark this morning is a lesson which makes me and other pastors shudder. It is a passage about marriage, divorce, and adultery.

I think we can look at this passage with two different eyes. One eye of grace and the other eye of law.

The eye of the law sees this passage as one where we can feel self righteous about ourselves as we see those in our midst who have been divorced. We can point to verses 11 and 12 and say very loudly that those who divorce and remarry are committing adultery. And we can say that Jesus said this so it is true.

We can pounce on people and make them feel guilty about their broken lives. We can cast blame, we can feel morally superior, we can talk about them behind their backs. We can do all sorts of things to make ourselves feel great, them feel bad.

Or, or we can look with the eye of grace. Grace which says that though God wanted us to remain together as one, God knew of our sinfulness and knew that divorce would eventually happen. And when it does, we are to forgive, comfort and have compassion for those who have experienced this kind of brokenness in their lives.

Jesus knew that our sinful selves are not always equipped to follow through on the commitments we make.

So he says in verse 5 But Jesus said to them, "For your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment.

The hardness of your hearts--looking to your low moral state, and your inability to endure the strictness of the original law, the sinfulness in which we live brought this law about.

To put away your wives--tolerated a relaxation of the strictness of the marriage bond--not as approving of it, but to prevent still greater evils. Jesus said that Moses allowed divorce because it would prevent even greater ill, maybe the murder of the wife or husband.

As we look at these verses through the eye of grace we see that Jesus and God really wanted for us to be in a committed relationship, but at the same time they knew that because of our fallen state that was not always possible.

Anyway, to put it in simple terms, we have divorce laws because of human sinfulness. If human beings were perfect, we wouldn't need divorce laws --we wouldn't need any laws. We would instinctively know and follow God's will in all that we do.

But I think Jesus is also saying in this passage as we look at it through the eyes of grace, that marriage is something that is not easy, we need to work at it. We need to make a commitment to it.

Mignon McLaughlin says "A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person."

Marriage is not something that just happens at the altar the day you get married, but marriage happens daily. We need to work at it. We need to nourish it.

There is a book by Herbert Anderson and Robert Cotton Fite, entitled "Becoming Married." I had Herbert Anderson as a professor at Seminary. He taught us about counseling.The title and the theme of the book is that "marriage"doesn't instantly happen with the ceremony or the signing of the license.

The becoming one begins before the ceremony and needs to continue progressing to become one for the rest of their lives.

There is a favorite song of mine by Kenny Rogers that speaks about the commitment we have in marriage. And about how the partners help each other grow.

The song is entitled "Through the Years" Listen to the lyrics.

I can't remember when you weren't there
When I didn't care for anyone but you
I swear we've been through everything there is
Can't imagine anything we've missed
Can't imagine anything the two of us can't do

Through the year, you've never let me down
You turned my life around, the sweetest days I've found
I've found with you ... through the years
I've never been afraid, I've loved the life we've made
And I'm so glad I've stayed, right here with you
Through the years

I can't remember what I used to do
Who I trusted whom, I listened to before
I swear you've taught me everything I know
Can't imagine needing someone so
But through the years it seems to me
I need you more and more

Through the years, through all the good and bad
I know how much we had, I've always been so glad
To be with you ... through the years
It's better everyday, you've kissed my tears away
As long as it's okay, I'll stay with you
Through the years

Through the years, when everything went wrong
Together we were strong, I know that I belonged
Right here with you ... through the years
I never had a doubt, we'd always work things out
I've learned what life's about, by loving you
Through the years

Through the years, you've never let me down
You've turned my life around, the sweetest days I've found
I've found with you ... through the years
It's better everyday, you've kissed my tears away
As long as it's okay, I'll stay with you
Through the years!

As you listened to those lyrics, can you see the love in that relationship. Through the good and through the bad they relied on each other to get through the years. And that is what Jesus is talking about.

We need to work at marriage.

I get many e-mails from different groups and in one e-mail came these bill boards that people saw.

This one said: Loved the wedding, invite me to the marriage. -God

Isn't that true. We talk about God at the wedding then in the marriage He is forgotten about. For a marriage to work, God needs to be present along with our willingness to work at the marriage.

Someone wrote:

Some marriages are made in heaven, but they ALL have to be maintained on earth.

Another thought says:

A good marriage is the union of two forgivers.
It is maintaining that is very important. Working, struggling, forgiving, loving, upholding, putting another first are all the ways of maintaining a marriage. As Kenny Rogers says in that song: "It's better everyday". We can go through our rough times in a marriage, but it is the strength of the marriage that can look back over those times and see that indeed each day was better. Each day the couple grew closer and stronger.

A funny closing story sums up this idea of working at a marriage.

There was once a man and woman who had been married for more than 60 years. They had shared everything. They had talked about everything. They had kept no secrets from each other except that the little old woman had a shoe box in the top of her closet that she had cautioned him never to open or ask her about.
For all of these years, he had never thought about box, but one day, the little old woman got very sick and the doctor said she would not recover. In trying to sort out their affairs, the little old man took down the shoe box and took it to his wife's bedside. She agreed that it was time that he should know what was in the box.

When he opened it, he found two crocheted doilies and a stack of money totaling $25,000. He asked her about the contents. "When we were to be married," she said, "my grandmother told me the secret of marriage was to never argue. She told me that if I ever got angry with you I should just keep quiet and crochet a doily."

The little old man was so moved, he had to fight back tears. Only two precious doilies were in the box. She had only been angry with him two times in all those years of living and loving. He almost burst with happiness. "Honey," he said, "that explains the doilies, but what about all of this money? Where did it come from?"

"Oh," she said, " that's the money I made from selling the doilies."1

She had her own way of making that marriage work!

Jesus said: 'God made them male and female.'

'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,

and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two but one flesh.

What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder."

Amen

Written by Pastor Tim Zingale October 2, 2006
You may freely use this but please give credit. Not for commercial use.

1from Grac*e-mail


"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

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