Monday, November 09, 2009
Saturday, November 07, 2009
Mark.12.38-44; Twenty Third Sunday after Pentecost; November 8, 2009
And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:38-44, ESV)
Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
This text is coming just a week early. Next Sunday is “budget” Sunday. We’ll gather in the fellowship hall and make plans for what we are going to spend next year. By that decision we are going to show what’s important to us and what’s not so important. We shouldn’t be surprised that God actually has something to say on this topic. We claim the Reformation idea of Sola Scriptura, that is Scripture alone determines how we live and act as a church. God’s Word tells us what is important and what is not. And here it is in black and white, plain simple language from the lips of God himself. A stewardship sermon!
As always God’s timing is perfect. The state is dropping jobs like raindrops. The government is threatening to take over health care requiring all of us to sacrifice more of our income in taxes. Our aging building seems to need more and more attention. It appears that time and talents will be stretched even more thinly than this year. But Jesus has a solution. Do what the widow did. Actually this fits with the advice you might receive from one stewardship consultant. When he is asked what portion of income we should give to the church, he points to this passage and says, “We should give it all.” By now you must be squirming. Well the truth is I’m squirming. Very few Christians don’t already struggle with the guilt of feeling that they don’t give enough to the church. And at the same time most of us feel that our neighbor could certainly give more than they do. And what about all those folks who belong here but don’t attend? Shouldn’t they still support the church? Well pastor, here’s a real good example of why we don’t want you to talk about money from the pulpit. Someone is going to be offended. Someone is going to think we only want money. Someone is going to quit giving the little bit they give and then we’ll be in trouble. So keep it simple pastor, just leave money out.
Well, that would be fine with me. You probably don’t realize how uncomfortable it is to have the food on your table dependant on the charity of a small group of people. You may not realize how humbling it is to be the biggest expenditure in a very limited budget. None the less the text is here to be heard. And Jesus tells us some very important things here. It isn’t just talking about giving to God’s Work in this congregation, he also teaches the proper perspective of living as God’s people.
Well, just look at the contrast here between the Scribes and the poor widow. These scribes are good looking on the outside. They were very respected by the people around them. They wore clothing that everyone recognized. They were shone respect on the street and in private parties. They got the best seats, they were asked to pray and, it seems, they were paid by the word. Everything they did was for the attention of others and, very likely, God himself. The place where Jesus sat there in the temple was a testament to this attitude. Rich folks didn’t give quietly and privately. They made a public spectacle of it all. Any day you could go to the temple and see it.
The widow is a different subject. Outwardly, she would most often be ignored. We would probably pass her by ourselves. And her gift is small. Take two pennies out of the offering plate and that’s a hundred times more than she gave. If you took those two small coins and put them on account at LCEF there would be no quarterly compound interest payment to the budget. Quite simply what she gave wouldn’t even buy a paper clip.
But that shows you exactly what’s going on in her heart. She faithfully gives. And Jesus calls it “more” than all the rich people gave. Her gift is more than the coins. She gives all she has. When she leaves the temple she doesn’t know where her next meal is coming from except that God will provide. She is actually giving of her whole self.
Those scribes are different. Their hearts are self focused. They crave the attention that their gifts bring. They give with a false pretense of humility. They give to get there names inscribed on those little plaques. They prefer that their money be spent on something that will out last them, stained glass windows and such. They give because they expect God to give back more than they give. They give to show other people how much God has given them. They give to show that they are better than people they don’t like. They give because they don’t want there name to be near the bottom of one of those lists that show how much people give in the church. They give because they want other people to judge them by what they give. Wait am I talking about those scribes or am I talking about us?
Oh that’s not very comforting is it? What did Jesus say about those attitudes? “Beware! Look out! They will receive greater condemnation.” We must confess our sin. We fail to give it all. It’s the commandment again. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind and all your money! We may want to be like the widow having our heart in the right place, having our checkbook in the right place but how often do we fail? How often do we place our own needs above the needs of others and the work of the church? How often do we rate each other with dollar signs?
Do you want to know what Jesus is really pointing to here? Notice what he says about the widow. She gave everything. Just a few verses before this text Jesus is asked, what is the most important commandment. Listen to his response:
Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31, ESV)
You can’t miss the picture here. She trusts God and gives her last thin dime for the sake of other people. Jesus points her out not for the sake of giving her credit, but for the sake of showing us himself. What she does is a picture of Jesus. He gives everything. He gives his life, his self sacrificing for the sake of others. During his earthly life he has compassion on people who need help. He heals, he teaches, he comforts. He gives his death, his sacrifice on the cross in payment for the punishment that we self centered, poor stewards should have. He gives his resurrection, his new life to us too. Our old sinful nature crucified, dead and buried, and our new nature that truly does want to give to God all that we have and are. We have been set free from our sin, our death and the power of Satan over us. Our sin is forgiven. We are washed clean in the blood of Christ. Our “greater condemnation” is hung on Jesus. Jesus shows true love by giving all he has for even me! For even you! In our baptism we get his life, death and resurrection, are new creations in Christ. We want to hear his word of forgiveness. We want to receive his forgiveness, spoken and in his meal at the altar. And we want to serve our neighbors with all that we have.
So how’s that for stewardship. We give because Jesus gives to us first. What you give is between you and him. What you give includes everything you have, the life you give to your family, your work, and… yes, the church budget, too. Amen.
The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Matthew 5:1-12; All Saints Day; November 1, 2009
Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:1-12, ESV)
Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
One of the most difficult things in preaching is to use a very familiar text. First of all, a familiar text is likely to float right by your ears without being heard. “Oh, I know this one. I’ve heard it before.” We say. Our brains turn off, “there is nothing new here, nothing I need to know about this text, and I’ve heard it all before.” It can be a real problem, as far a preaching is concerned. Secondly, since we’ve heard the text so much, since we’ve heard it preached so many times we “know” what it’s all about. We’ve already heard what this one means. I remember what Pastor so-and-so said about it. But, in spite of these ‘difficulties’ I’ve decided to preach on this text anyway. So let’s all put away our preconceived notions about these Beatitudes. Let’s forget that we’ve heard lots of sermons on what Jesus said here. Try to find something new, together…
Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them
Let’s picture this crowd, that Matthew describes to us. A few verses earlier he said,
So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them. (Matthew 4:24, ESV)
These are the people that are all around in the crowd. Some have traveled days to reach this very spot, just to catch a glimpse of the man who might heal them. Over there is a crippled man. He walks with a stick because each step causes him great pain. Over there is a woman with sores on her skin. The kind that never stop itching, never stop getting infected. Gathered together on the outskirts of the group, avoided by everyone are the Lepers, close enough to hear and see, and not far enough for the crowd. And there are the poor; children whose daily meal consists of a dry crusty piece of bread and a small portion of water. It is a very great crowd… they’re noisy, calling out to Jesus for help, pleading with those around them to take them to him. You can’t escape the smell of sweat, dirt, and sickness. But, they have all come; they have come because they have no where else to turn. They are in desperate need, alone and outcast, looking to Jesus for hope.
And what if you had come, too. What if you and made a day’s journey… or was it two. The time has all blended together, and you can’t rightly remember. The crowds have pressed in on you, and carried you along. So you couldn’t have gotten away, even if you wanted to. But you didn’t want to leave, because you too, have a need. It could be an illness that is bearing down on you, making life unbearable? … Taking away your freedom, your independence? … Causing you pain that you don’t understand? Maybe it’s wondering if you are really going to survive the economy. Will there be enough money to make a living? Will my family survive? Doubts and fears of what will happen to them, if you can’t provide. Or you are suffering over death. Pain that sears up inside you as you remember how it felt to be next to that loved one who is now gone… angry that you have to go on alone. Or you may be haunted by a sickening, painful feeling that won’t leave you alone. A remembrance of something dreadful, pain that you caused someone else or actions that shattered a friendship.
What ever you need, the feelings eat away at your sleep and they interrupt your daylight. You try to forget, but you can’t. And that is why you are here standing before Jesus, one of many in the midst of the crowd, looking to him in the hope, that He can do something about your pain.
Every eye is on Jesus, who has positioned himself to be seen. Every ear is open as silence falls over the crowd, waiting for his words to come. You watch him as his eyes drift from person to person, as he lovingly inspects them. The silence is deafening, and the anticipation grows… finally Jesus speaks:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3, ESV)
There is a long pause, as the words float through the crowd, placing themselves in each ear, and making their home in every mind. “Blessed… happy…. fortunate are those who know that they have no where to turn.” The words couldn’t have been better chosen. The crowd, and you, know instantly that Jesus is talking about you… and he has said that the kingdom of heaven belongs to you. You look around you, especially at the man who is leaning on his stick. His illness makes you feel like moving away, and yet Jesus words echo in your mind. “The kingdom of heaven is yours.” You wonder how it can possibly be… and Jesus continues.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. (Matthew 5:4, ESV)
Mourning you understand. The emptiness left by death… the alone-ness… the isolation. You have felt it many times as you gathered around the body of a loved one who has died. You know exactly how it feels. Death separates. And that’s what mourning is, separation. And yet Jesus says, you are blessed even though you mourn, because you will be comforted. As Jesus continues you realize that he is speaking as if something is now different than it has been before. … The meek inherit… righteousness is honored… people receive mercy…. and people who are pure in heart see God. These words don’t describe the world as you have known it. You have seen meek people, and they don’t inherit anything but dirt, righteousness is not honored, and mercy is seldom seen. Jesus must be speaking of a new kind of Kingdom. He is talking about a Kingdom of God. And, even more than that, he is speaking as if it is already here, right now... As if he is bringing it.
As the crowd dissipates, as everyone trails home, you wonder about all that you have heard. Especially how the Kingdom of God can be here, how all the things that Jesus said could be true, and yet, there is still insult, and evil, even against the people of God. Jesus had even backed up his words with actions. He went through the crowd and they had seen him heal; and heard him speak. And yet even as Jesus brought comfort, mercy and peace, there still had to be more. The suffering remains, but “great is your reward.”
Still, today we ponder the same realities as the crowd that stood before Jesus that day. We come to him, poor in spirit, with no where to turn. Our sins always before us, ever causing division between us, ever causing unintended pain. We plead to him, “Create in me a clean heart!” And we mourn. Look at the list of those who have gone before us… three pages long and growing. The separation, the loneliness, and the pain, caused by our sins and theirs. And the persecutions… we also see them. Today is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Our hearts and prayers go out on behalf of those who are suffering directly for their faith. More Christians have died for their faith in the last decade than the first 19 centuries of the church. Still, two thousand years later, and all that Jesus spoke about is still true, and yet he calls us blessed. At times it seems as if his death meant nothing at all.
But it is his death and resurrection that mean everything. Especially for us. Jesus did in fact bring with him the kingdom of God. He rules over it completely. And he rules over it for us. Especially for us, who are poor in spirit, especially when we realize that we have no where else to turn.
Because of his death, when we turn to him with our sins. And then he says, “I forgive you. I will cast your sins into the sea of forgetfulness, and remember them no more. If I have forgotten them they need not trouble you any more!” When we turn to him in our sickness, he says, “I love you. My death and resurrection mean that even as your illness drags you toward your death, I have taken away its victory. I have claimed you. You will not be given more than you can bear.” And when we turn to him in grief, he says, “Why do you seek the living among the dead! I’m alive. These my children will live again. Their separation from you will not last much longer. I am coming again soon. We will all be together again.” And when we cry out to him for those who suffer because they will not deny him, he says, “This evil will not stand long. I am coming soon!”
“Blessed are you.” Jesus says. “Because the Kingdom of God is yours. I have assured it, with my life. I have shown it to you by healing the sick, freeing the captives, and raising the dead. I have promised all this to you, and I seal my promise in my very own blood, given and shed for your forgiveness.”
It was on that hillside, in those words so familiar to us, that Jesus tells us what the kingdom of God is like. It was there that he told us that it had indeed come to us. And it was there that he pointed ahead to the time when he would come again and bring it in its fullest sense, forever. Amen.
The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Three Solas of the Reformation - Part 2, Sola Gratia
Sola Scriptura is Scripture Alone
Sola Gratia is Grace Alone
Sola Fide is Faith Alone
Sola Christus is Christ Alone
Romans 3:20-25
For by aworks of the law no human being will be bjustified in his sight, since through the law comes cknowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been dmanifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the erighteousness of God through ffaith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for gall have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are hjustified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a ipropitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to jshow God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. (Romans 3:20-25, ESV)
Friday, October 09, 2009
He's Baaaak! Dr. Uwe Siemon-Netto and The Center for Lutheran Theology and Public Life returns.
IRVINE, OCT. 1. The Center for Lutheran Theology and Public Life (CLTPL) has resumed business Thursday, three months after it was closed by the Board of Regents of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis for budgetary reasons, according to the Center’s director, Dr. Uwe Siemon-Netto. CLTPL is now operating out of Concordia University Irvine, Cal., and is legally a ministry of Faith Capistrano Lutheran Church at Capistrano Beach, Cal.
The Center’s mission is to reflect on secular issues from the confessional Lutheran perspective. A non-profit organization, CLTPL offers lectures, articles, broadcasts, videos, and conferences on topics such as the vocation of voters, journalists, politicians, lawyers, soldiers and parents. CLTPL is planning to establish regional chapters at several locations around the United States and abroad. “With our emphasis on the doctrine of calling we intend to propose a healthier alternative to the contemporary ‘Me’ culture in America,” Siemon-Netto said.
CLTPL’s first major event after moving to Irvine will be a lecture series by its director at the University of Calgary in Canada on the priestly roles of voters and journalists in the secular realm, and on “War, Piracy and the Media” at the University’s “Centre for Military and Strategic Studies” on Oct. 6-7. This will be followed by a presentation on the Global Significance of the Music of Johann Sebastian Bach at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Ind., on Nov. 2.
In the spring semester of 2010, the Center’s director, a longtime foreign corrrespondent and editor, will teach an advanced journalism course based on the ethics of the Lutheran doctrine of vocation at Concordia University Irvine.
CLTPL is supported by grants, donations and other offerings that are all tax-deductible. All contributions for The Center should be sent to “Faith Lutheran Church of Capistrano Beach” (FLC); ccontributions should be earmarked for “Center for Lutheran Theology and pulic life” in the memo portion of the checks. The mailing address is as follows: CLTPL c/o Faith Lutheran Church, 34381 Calle Portola Capistrano Beach, Cal., 92624.
The Center’s Concordia University address is: The Center for Lutheran Theology & Public Life, Old Admin Building, Room 312A, 1530 Concordia West, Irvine, CA 92612-3203, telephone 949-854-8002, extension 1335.Center