Joy of Heaven To Earth, Come Down

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Joy of Heaven To Earth, Come Down
Dreaming God’s Dreams: Part 5
Sunday, November 20, 2022
Zephaniah 3:14-20; Malachi 3:1-6; Revelation 21:10

On that day, it will be said to Jerusalem:
Don’t fear, Zion.
Don’t let your hands fall.
The Lord your God is in your midst—a warrior bringing victory.
He will create calm with his love;
he will rejoice over you with singing.

Zephaniah 3:16-17

"Who can endure the day of his coming?  Who can withstand his appearance?  He is like the refiner’s fire or the cleaner’s soap.  He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver.  He will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.  They will belong to the Lord presenting a righteous offering.  The offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in ancient days and in former years..”

Malachi 3:2-4

Listen to this week’s sermon here:

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Sleigh bells ring and carols sing as Thanksgiving quickly fades into our rear-view mirror and we move into Advent next Sunday.  In all honesty, today’s scripture from Malachi often shows up in the traditional Advent readings. It's difficult for us to hear the challenging words of the prophets in a time when all we want to think about is the cute little baby in the manger. 

Nevertheless, we must prepare for such a joyful season of celebration, and we have done so this year by learning to dream God's dreams for ourselves and for our world.  Advent is all about the anticipation and preparation for the coming of Christ.  As we celebrate his first appearance some 2,000 years ago, so we await his second coming when all the world shall be restored and the Kingdom of God will be fully manifest on earth as it is in heaven.

Who among us would try to decorate our homes without first vacuuming, dusting, and straightening?  What joy would there be in sitting down that first night under the lights of the Christmas tree with a mess all around?  How many of us would gather around a holiday meal with all of the trimmings simply piled on top of a month's worth of bills, children's homework, or junk mail still laying on the table?

That's why the prophets are so crucial to our "holiday" celebrations.  They remind us that this season is not merely a temporary distraction from the ordinary darkness we experience throughout the rest of the year.  We don't just hide all of our sin and darkness and mess under the wreaths and candlelight.  We have to clean up, or rather, allow God to clean us up.  The fire of the Holy Spirit is not only a light unto our path, she is a refiner of our souls.

This is God's dream for creation: that we are faithful, that we do justice, that we work for peace, that we extend mercy, and that all of this moves us closer and closer to the complete restoration of Eden, the New Jerusalem, the full in-breaking of the Kingdom of Heaven!

As we move into this Advent Season, let us live and work and worship together under an Open Heaven, here and now and for all eternity.

Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done... on Earth... as it is in Heaven!

Depth of Mercy

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Depth of Mercy
Dreaming God’s Dreams: Part 4
Sunday, November 13, 2022
Jonah 3:10-4:11; Matthew 9:13; Romans 5:8

God saw what they were doing—that they had ceased their evil behavior. So God stopped planning to destroy them, and he didn’t do it.

But Jonah thought this was utterly wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord, “Come on, Lord! Wasn’t this precisely my point when I was back in my own land? This is why I fled to Tarshish earlier! I know that you are a merciful and compassionate God, very patient, full of faithful love, and willing not to destroy…

…"But the Lord said, “You ‘pitied’ the shrub, for which you didn’t work and which you didn’t raise; it grew in a night and perished in a night. Yet for my part, can’t I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than one hundred twenty thousand people who can’t tell their right hand from their left, and also many animals?”

Jonah 3:10-4:2, 4:10-11

Listen to this week’s sermon here:

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When I was a kid we used to play a game called "mercy."  I've also heard it called "uncle" and I'm sure it has gone by many other names in various places.  Basically two people interlock their hands and then try to twist each other's fingers until one person says "uncle" or "mercy", indicating that they can't take the pain any longer and they concede the match.  In some ways it's a simple test of strength like arm wrestling, except that it involves far more pain.

I haven't thought about that game in years, but as I consider the idea of mercy in our world, it speaks volumes.  Most often we are quick to want mercy for ourselves.  When life is tough, we pray the Lord might have mercy upon us, that he would put an end to our pain by whatever means necessary.  Sometimes we might even step in on behalf of a loved one who seems to have had more than his or her share of suffering and pray that they might find mercy.

"Blessed are the merciful," Jesus says, "for they will be shown mercy" (Matthew 5:7).

This idea is not dissimilar to the Lord's Prayer where we ask God to forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.  Show mercy upon us as we show mercy to others.

But that's where things get tricky.  What about those people who we feel don't deserve "mercy"?  What about the ones who brought suffering upon themselves?  What about the ones who are not merely innocent victims of circumstance?  What about the ones who would never show mercy to us if the roles were reversed?

This is where that whole, "Love your enemies" teaching comes into play.

But why?

It's not because they deserve it, because truth be told, we don't deserve mercy either.  Rather, we must extend mercy even to the least deserving because God created them in the Divine Image and God still loves them as God loves us.

The prophet Jonah never quite learns this lesson.  The people of Ninevah are evil. They are known for their brutality in war and they show no mercy to those they conquer.  They are the least deserving people in the world.  God should wipe them off the face of the earth without hesitation or warning.

Yet Jonah is sent to warn them.  He is certain they will not respond positively.  They are too far gone.

But to Jonah's surprise and dismay, the people of Ninevah do respond.  They repent of their evil ways and they cry out to God for mercy.

"Too late", Jonah thinks.  "Should have thought about that sooner."

But God's mercy is patient.  It's never our place to decide when it's too late.

And here is the great tragedy.  When we decide that someone else is undeserving of mercy, we become unable to receive God's mercy ourselves.  God has been as merciful to Jonah for his own rebellion as he was to the Ninevites, but  Jonah is never able to recognize it.  Instead he wallows in self-pity because somebody else got what he didn't think they deserved.

Perhaps this is one reason we are called to work for God's dream of extending mercy to all, for only in granting mercy to others can we receive mercy for ourselves.

When we don't get what we deserve
That's a real good thing, a real good thing
When we get what we don't deserve
That's a real good thing, a real good thing

- Newsboys, “Real Good Thing”, 1994

Swords Into Plowshares

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Swords Into Plowshares
Dreaming God’s Dreams: Part 3
Sunday, November 6, 2022
Micah 4:1-4; Romans 12:18-21

God will judge between the nations
and settle disputes of mighty nations,
which are far away.
They will beat their swords into iron plows
and their spears into pruning tools.
Nation will not take

Micah 4:3 (CEB)

Listen to this week’s sermon here:

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Veteran's Day is coming up later this week and we rightly honor those who have served in military service for the protection of liberty and justice throughout our world.  There is much debate in our world, however, about the role and reach of our military.  Some are against war and any cost and others seem to thrive on war both at international and even local or personal levels.  We have a knack as human beings to create enemies even where there are none, just so that we can have something to fight against.  The drive to fight or to make war seems to be in our blood.

It's also amazing how unifying war can be.  People rally together far more quickly against a common enemy than they do to work toward a common good.  When that common enemy is defeated, we all go our separate ways and ultimately begin making enemies of each other over different issues.  The same person we may have fought with side by side in one battle easily becomes our enemy in another.  We might agree, for example, on issues around healthcare or education but disagree on immigration or refugees.  Are we friends or enemies?  It's amazing how quickly we turn the tables on each other depending on which issue we are talking about.  I have seen this turning on one another in recent years as groups of pro-life supporters rally not just against abortion, but also against the death penalty.  Other pro-life groups support the death penalty, and so on that issue, allies quickly become enemies.

The truth is that nobody can agree on every issue, not even in our own households, let alone on a national or international stage.  Some say war is the inevitable result, and even throughout the history of our own country, the pulpit has been used to defend both sides of almost every war we have fought.  Well meaning preachers, for example, declared God's will for both the North and the South to win the Civil War while demonizing the other side, but the truth is that there were people who loved God and loved their neighbor on both sides of the battle lines.  Even more true is the fact that in every battle, no matter how "evil" the enemy may be, that "enemy" was still created by God and is loved by a God who was willing to sacrifice his only son for them as much as for us.  Jesus' shed his blood just as much for Bin Laden as for Billy Graham, just as much for Joe Biden as for Donald Trump, and on and on we could go.  In the end, war at any level breaks the heart of God as much as siblings who cannot reconcile their differences break the heart of their parents. 

When we look at the scriptures on peace, people often say that it paints an idealistic picture of heaven, when nations will no longer fight and swords will be turned into farming tools.  But in the meantime, we must fight to protect others or even ourselves.  While it may be true that we will not see an absolute end to all war and fighting within our lifetime, this is a poor excuse for us to become complacent or worse, speak in ways that escalate the violence.

If I tell my daughter to start cleaning her room and I will come in an hour to help her finish it up, there is an understanding that it will not be perfectly clean by the time I get there.  On the other hand, it would not be acceptable for her to spend that hour destroying her room even more because in the end, daddy will help her clean it all up.

Yet this is too often what we do in our world.  Who cares if we blow up the earth ten times over.  In the end, God will get rid of the bad guys and clean up all of our mess.

This should not be the attitude of a follower of Christ.  We are called to work for peace at every level.  Even if we serve in the military or in other public service positions that may require violence, those actions should never be taken lightly.  A person can be called upon to use deadly force to save the life of an innocent, for example, but their hearts should not be filled with hate and vengeance when carrying our that duty.  There are no easy answers to the degree to which violence may or may not be necessary in bringing about God's Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven, but it is clear that this is never God's primary means.

As a United Methodist Pastor, I will simply leave us with the official statement on war and military service from our Social Principles.  Regardless of our involvement or lack of involvement in the wars of our day, may we be unified in the prayer of the prophets, that all the world might forge our swords into plowshares and that we may not learn war anymore.

We deplore war and urge the peaceful settlement of all disputes among nations. From the beginning, the Christian conscience has struggled with the harsh realities of violence and war, for these evils clearly frustrate God’s loving purposes for humankind. We yearn for the day when there will be no more war and people will live together in peace and justice.

Some of us believe that war, and other acts of violence, are never acceptable to Christians. We also acknowledge that many Christians believe that, when peaceful alternatives have failed, the force of arms may regretfully be preferable to unchecked aggression, tyranny and genocide. We honor the witness of pacifists who will not allow us to become complacent about war and violence. We also respect those who support the use of force, but only in extreme situations and only when the need is clear beyond reasonable doubt, and through appropriate international organizations.

We urge the establishment of the rule of law in international affairs as a means of elimination of war, violence, and coercion in these affairs.

~ excerpt from the Social Principles of the United Methodist Book of Discipline - On the Military

Ten Thousand Charms

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Ten Thousand Charms
Dreaming God’s Dreams: Part 2
Sunday, October 30, 2022
Hosea 1:2, 2:14-23; James 4:4-10

Therefore, I will charm her, and bring her into the desert, and speak tenderly to her heart. From there I will give her vineyards, and make the Achor Valley a door of hope. There she will respond to me as in the days of her youth, like the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.

Hosea 2:14-15 (CEB)

Listen to this week’s sermon here:

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The movie "Fireproof" with Kirk Cameron tells the story of a couple whose marriage is falling apart. The divorce papers are on the table, but he is not willing to give up. The advice he follows comes from a journal called "The Love Dare", which is a valuable tool for strengthening marriages at any stage.

While I would recommend this movie and book to any couple, the image of Kirk Cameron's character working through the 40 daily challenges of the "Love Dare" call to mind the images of God's faithful covenant love.

In the book of Hosea, the prophet is called to marry a prostitute. God uses this sign act as a prophetic message to the people. They have prostituted themselves with other gods. In Hosea 2:8, God reminds us that she did not know that her husband had given her everything that she used for Baal. This is not to endorse the ancient marriage culture of male dominance and female subservience as normative. The point for us is not that she was exclusively dependent on her husband or that she should accept his dominance over her. Rather it is to show that unlike many earthly husbands, God does not merely shout or fight or even beat his lover into submission.

Yes, there are consequences in Gomer's life, and in the life of Israel. But even when she is unfaithful, God proves his faithfulness.

In 2:14, the Lord says he will bring her out into the desert, away from all of the allures of the world. If we’re not careful, we may interpret this as a form of abusive isolation. We don't take to kindly to a spouse telling us who we can or can't associate with or limiting our freedom to go where we choose. We must remember that God was not endorsing this culture but rather using the way things were to teach a much more important lesson.

Yes, he brought her out to the desert. Yes, he cut her off from the world of her lovers, as any husband in Old Testament times would have had the right to do. But the key difference is what God does during her exile. He does not abuse her. He does not shame her. He does not condemn her.

Instead, God courts her, as if they were a couple falling in love for the first time.

"I wills peak tenderly to her heart. From there I will give her vineyards and make the Achor Valley a door of hope. There she will respond to me as in the days of her youth, like the time when she came out of the land of Egypt."

I was talking recently with a recovering addict and she said that while the desire for the drug never really goes away, she has come to a place where her desire for God is greater.

That is the key to faithfulness.

The allure of the world is great. As Todd Agnew puts it, "If you wanted me to die to myself, why'd you make me fall so deeply in love with life?" (listen below)

It is said that the heart wants what the heart wants. God created us with the capacity for great passion, desire, and love, but often those gifts are misdirected.

Faithfulness isn't about rejecting all that is good and lovely in the world. It is about responding to God's unending passion, desire and love for us. It's about "seeking first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness" (Matthew 6:33). It's about desiring God more than anything Egypt or Baal or anyone or anything else could ever offer.

As the hymn writer says

[Let us] arise and go to Jesus
He will embrace us in his arms
And in the arms of our dear savior
Oh, there are ten thousand charms... ten thousand charms

Spend some time in your Saviors arms as you worship with the songs below.

Let us remain faithful to the one who is always faithful to us.

“If you Wanted Me” - Todd Agnew

“Come Ye Sinners” - Todd Agnew

What Does the Lord Require?

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What Does the Lord Require?
Dreaming God’s Dreams
Sunday, October 23, 2022
Micah 6:1-8, Amos 5:14-24

He has told you, O mortal, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?

Micah 6:8 (NRSV)

Listen to this week’s sermon here:

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We talk a lot about social justice these days, and indeed, we cannot truly call ourselves followers of Christ without working toward justice for all people.  The problem is that we tend to define justice in political terms rather than biblical terms.  What the "left" often calls "paying our fair share" so that everyone can have what they need, those on the "right" tend to say is stealing from their hard earned gains.  Just like the classic story of Robin Hood, justice becomes a matter of perspective.  Are Robin Hood and the poor people he is helping suffering from a systemic injustice fueled by the greed of the wealthy or are the rich being treated unjustly because Robin Hood is stealing what rightfully belongs to them?

So long as we talk about justice in such either-or terms, we may never agree on what kinds of policies will truly bring about "justice for all."

But what if justice is not our starting point, but the product or fruit of our life of faith?  Micah, Amos, Hosea, and countless other prophets, not to mention Jesus himself, emphasize that justice and righteousness are absolutely necessary in bringing about the Kingdom of God.  Micah specifically declares that God requires justice, faithful love, and humility, but what if these are not three separate characteristics of our lives?

What if instead, these characteristics actually represent the process of sanctification, or growing in grace, and perhaps even the process of our very salvation.

People can promote policies for social justice without embracing faithful love or demonstrating humility.  But the reverse cannot be true.  We cannot walk humbly with God without growing in faithful love and we cannot grow in love without that love manifesting itself through justice and righteousness.

Remember the classic children's book, Charlotte's Web?

Charlotte, the spider, is working to help save the life of a pig named Wilbur.  Fern, the farmer's daughter, thinks that slaughtering Wilbur just because he was the runt of the litter would be a horrendous act of injustice.

Charlotte proceeds to write descriptive words about Wilbur in her web to make the world take notice of just how special this pig is.  The last of those words was "humble."  Here is Charlotte's definition of humility.

Humble. Humble has two meanings: it means "not proud" and and it also means "near the ground." That's Wilbur all over.

Most of us don't view ourselves as proud, at least not in a negative or arrogant sense, but perhaps we should pay closer attention to the second meaning, "near to the ground."

For Wilbur, this was quite literal.  He is a pig, after all.

But what if God is calling us to live our lives "near to the ground" as well?  What if walking "humbly with our God" might require walking with the lowest of the low, or the "least of these" as Jesus says in Matthew 25?  What if it means taking notice of the little ordinary ways God is at work in our everyday lives and in the lives of others, even if we or they don't recognize it yet?  What if it means seeing everybody, even the "runts" of society, as people created in the image of a God who loves them as much as God loves us?

When we begin to live this way, our perspective shifts.  The Holy Spirit moves us with love and compassion for those who live on the margins of society.  It may not solve the problem of our political policies and social justice programs, but this perspective will motivate us to do justice for those individuals, families or groups God puts directly in our path.

We may not be able to end all poverty, but we might, for example, be able to help one person finish their education or find a job so that they can begin breaking the cycle of poverty in their family.

Walking humbly, or "near to the ground," is the first step.  It is only from this perspective that we can move past our stereotypes and notice people for who they are.

If humility is the seed, love is the tree and justice is the fruit we bear.

Let us  pray...

All those people goin' somewhere
Why have I never cared?

Give me Your eyes for just one second
Give me Your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me Your love for humanity
Give me Your arms for the broken-hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me Your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me Your eyes so I can see 

(Brandon Heath, Give Me Your Eyes)