The Answer is Yes

My Witnesses in Jerusalem

2011-06-14T14:27:00.002-04:00

Acts: My Witnesses in Jerusalem 6-12-11
John 4:21-24, Acts 2:1-14, 15-41

Today, is Pentecost, the Birthday of the church.

The church is made of believers in Jesus Christ, the Lord and Savior.
Jesus dies, rises, ascends. Before he ascends, he tells the disciples, you will be my witnesses.
In Jerusalem, in the Holy City
In Judea and Samaria, the surrounding villages and area
To the Ends of the Earth.

I remember reading that it is Seattle that is the farthest city in the world from Jerusalem. So the United States is really a fruition of the Lord’s promise that the gospel would go to the ends of the earth.

Before the ends of the earth, before the good news went to Judea & Samaria, it was in one city: Jerusalem.

Jerusalem had been the center of the Jewish faith. It was the home of the Temple, the dwelling place of God. Jesus came to Jerusalem, to die and to work the miracle of salvation. After he rose, he gathered with his disciples. As he ascended, he promised his disciples, that in a few days, the Holy Spirit would come.

Jesus had talked before his death and resurrection about the coming of the Holy Spirit, with the Samaritan Women at the well. He told this women, an outcast of society some amazing things about God.

A time is coming where one holy mountain won’t claim sole worship (the competition between Jerusalem and Samaria for the presence of God)

True worshippers will worship God the Father in spirit and in truth.

God the Father seeks worshippers in spirit and in truth, for God is Spirit and God is the truth.

Spirit: breath, an animating or vital principle held to give life
Christians believe in the Holy Spirit, God’s breath, God’s vital and animating life-giving force.

Spiritual: relating to sacred matters & matters that affect the spirit

After Jesus ascends, the disciples know that the coming of the Holy Spirit is near…they don’t know how it will look, or when it will come, but that it will come.

The Bible Starts in a Garden and ends in a city. Before the final Holy City, there was a major turning point in the story that happens in the city. The church is born in Jerusalem. God comes by Holy Spirit, powerful and unpredictable. People speak in tongues they have not known. People are asking: What is going on? For the Feast of Pentecost had gathered Jewish believers into Jerusalem from all over the world: Libya and Rome, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Before peoples from many nations, Peter stands up to say this is the Spirit promised by Jesus. This Spirit is here to empower us to proclaim the Lordship of Christ. This Spirit calls us to repent and believe the good news of the gospel. And this Spirit calls us together, to be witnesses in the world, for the world, by the power of God.

We are a long way from Jerusalem, but I hope we are not a long way from what happened in Jerusalem the day the church was born. Acts 2:42-47 describes some of the amazing things that happened to the church when it was close to the Spirit of Pentecost.

What Does It Mean to be Saved?

2011-06-14T14:26:00.000-04:00

What does it mean to be saved?
Isaiah 43:1-13, John 4:39-42, Titus 3:3-8

What does it mean to be saved?
I think I have bit off more than I can chew for this sermon.

Part of our answer is found in what PREPOSITION you use.

Saved:
for eternal life
from our sin and its effects
by the grace of God
in Christ
for good works
by the power of God
through the power of the Holy Spirit
among peoples from every race, tribe and nation

Is it an experience? Or is it a relationship? Or can it be both?

Can I be saved if I cannot point to a conversion experience. Yes--salvation belongs to God.

Must I be converted? Yes, but the Lord is the one who converts. And conversion doesn’t have to happen suddenly and drastically.

John: The Word Gets Out
because of the woman's testimony many believed
because of the words of Jesus teaching, many believed
the people believed because of the the testimony from the woman and by their own experience.
WHAT DID THEY BELIEVE?
After hearing and seeing Jesus, we know this man really is the Savior of the world.
The word “world”: from a samaritan point of view (exile)

Titus: Fleshing Out the Answer
What does it mean to be saved?
acknowledges that without God, we are foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved, and display malice, envy and hatred.

what does it mean to be saved?
the kindness and love of God our Savior appears, he saved us.
salvation is not the righteous acts we have done.
Salvation is the mercy of God.
Salvation is the washing of rebirth
salvation is the renewal by the Holy Spirit (poured out onto us through Christ our Savior)
salvation is being justified by God's grace
salvation is being called a heir of the hope of eternal life

What does it mean to be saved?
it means to be careful to devote yourselves to doing good: in response to that kindness of God.
it means that what is excellent and helpful and beneficial to everyone comes into the world.

Story of the Rich Young Man:
The Disciples asked: Who then can be saved?
For humanity this is impossible, but nothing is impossible with God

Isaiah: The God of all power and love
With us in troubles:
Fire, waters, floods, For I am God, Your Savior
With us, his chosen ones:
Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory whom I formed and made
Apart from God there is no Savior.

The Story of Scripture: Do I Have a Story for You!

2011-05-29T10:02:00.003-04:00

The Story of Scripture: Do I Have a Story for You! 5/27/11
II Peter 1:16-21, Matthew 13:1-23, Matthew 20:1-16

Rod Stewart sang that Every picture tells a story.
Stories are all around us.
--the shirt you have on your back has a story. It was made, it came from somewhere, the person that made it has a story, there was a story involved with you buying it…it might not be memorable, but there is a story.
--I went to a website called great stories.com. Admittedly, I am not sure if they were great stories or not, but I will read to the congregation one that I found interesting.

God says to us: Do I have a story for you!!!
God has a story for us: It is the gospel story: which means, Good news. The way the gospel story makes its way into our story is called the journey of discipleship. It is filled with grace.

We are a story ourselves: our lives tell a story. They are lived and interact alongside other stories.

We often tell stories, they capture the imagination.

There are true stories, and made up stories. Some stories are filled with intricate details, and in other stories, details are negotiable, and can be stretched.

Faith, though, is not a made up story and doesn’t need any details to be stretched. Peter writes, “When we told you about Jesus, we didn’t make up a clever story…we saw it ourselves…and we told it to you.

This story that he and the other disciples saw, he advises his readers: You will do well to pay attention to it! If you saw a light in a dark place, you would pay attention, right? If you saw a bright star on your journey in the black of night, you would pay attention!

In our year long story of Scripture, the Easter season marked the arrival of Jesus in the story. We have focused on him during the 7 weeks of Easter.
Jesus: Fully God and human, teacher, healer, miracle worker, story teller.

Matthew 20:1-16
We have all heard of the Roman Catholic idea of the 7 Deadly Sins:
Lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, pride
This story presents 7 Graceless Errors
Assumption: “they expected to receive more” v10
Complaint “When they received it they began to grumble” v11
Comparison “You have made them equal to us who have borne” v12
Forgetting one’s agreement “Friend, I am not being unfair to you” v13
Inappropriate Meddling “Don’t I have the right” v14
Jealousy “Are you envious because I am generous?” v15
Entitlement “So the last will be first and the first last” v16

Fascinating thing about stories: we identify with characters…when Jesus tells parables, it is to stretch our imaginations. We are not the worker hired in the first hour, we are 11th hour workers. In the prodigal son, we are not the elder son who has been diligent, we are the younger son who has wasted.

Matthew 13:1-23
In Jesus Christ, we have the image of the God of grace.

· The knowledge of the kingdom of heaven secrets has been given v11
· Whoever has will be given more (the context is knowledge) v12
· Left to ourselves, we are hearing, but not understanding, seeing, but not perceiving, hardened hearts, closed off to God v14-15
· We are blessed by God, for our eyes can see and our ears can hear the gospel v16
· Generations before Christ had longed to experience the Messiah, to see and know, and we that live after his coming, we can have eyes of faith and grace to know. V17
· TODAY: sown seed doesn’t have to fall on rocky soil, shallow soil, weed-filled soil. Our hearts today can be good soil. Crops 100, 60, 30 fold can grow. We can be fruitful.

All of these things speak to the grace of God. We don’t deserve them. With honor, dignity and integrity, we live before God and experience the grace that has been given to us.

Memorial Day Weekend
We are Christians, that is our most important title. We are also spouses, Fathers, mothers, siblings, nieces/nephews, friends and neighbors. These are incredibly important titles. This weekend, we also remember that another name we call ourselves is American.

In the midst of celebrations tomorrow, what can you do to honor the intent of Memorial day?
America:
Prayer for leadership
Peace with Neighbor
Priorities as citizens

God speaks to each one of us today, and proclaims, Do I have a story for you!
The question is: Am I open to being a character in that story?

Do You Believe in Miracles?

2011-05-24T14:57:00.002-04:00

The Story of Scripture: Do You Believe in Miracles? 5/22/11
II Kings 4:1-7, John 14:1-14, Hebrews 2:1-4

Last week, my daughter saw me heating up a hot cross bun in the microwave. What is that Daddy? She asked. When I told her what it was, she then shared that 'she didn't like that'. For the record, she had never seen a hot cross bun in her life.

Upon opening the microwave door, she decided that maybe the basic equivalent to a warm doughnut would be a likeable proposition. "Can I have one Daddy?", that was the next question.

Upon answering in the affirmative, I was invited to sit next to her on the dining room bench.

Ah, the miracle happened. I was invited into the inner circle.

This miracle provided me with great satisfaction. In life, I do not need miracles like the
parting waters, sun standing still, fire devouring false prophets, being rescued from lions...
but that is part of our story of faith.

the definition of a miracle: the extraordinary entering human history, with its laws & consequences, cause and effects.

Latin: marvelous event that causes wonder
An event that causes people to think beyond natural forces, to the supernatural, to a superhuman power.

The natural, ‘everyday miracles’, is really called the providence of God. These miracles, they are simply God’s goodness displayed. For believers, they are a daily reminder of the glory of God.

part of the story of Scripture:
Jesus as God/human, teacher, healer, miracle worker

what not to do with a miracle?
explain it: it is not natural or rational
justify it: only God has to answer for it, and God doesn’t answer to anyone
compare it: it is God’s answer to a particular event

what to do?
enjoy it. glory and amaze in it.

Hebrews: God’s gifts to the church
Passage: to pay careful attention to what we have heard, and to not drift away
Consequences of the Law, given by angels…how much more, so great a salvation

· Salvation, announced by the Lord, confirmed by his followers
· Signs
· Wonders
· Various miracles
· Gifts of the Holy Spirit, distributed according to God’s will

Do you believe in miracles?
(al Michaels, famous phrase)

Yes? no? Maybe? Not sure?

The answer doesn't matter.
It is more important, do you believe in the one who can do miracles?

John: Jesus is the Miracle
The one who is preparing a place: to not gloss over this, preparing a place for you, many rooms. We can be where Jesus is. That is a miracle.
The One who is the way: how do we get there? A universal question we wonder about, "follow me, I am the way", that we even have an answer, that is a miracle
The One who is the image of God: what I am doing, God the Father is doing, we are working together. Do you believe that I am in, and my father is in me? If you do, that is a miracle.
The One who showed the image of God to people: believe, and if you can't believe, at least look at the miracles. That deed accompanied word, that is a miracle.

The One who says 'ask anything'.

What would you ask of God?
Money, fame, other shallowness of requests.
How would you like to bring glory to God this day?

If you really need a miracle today, then ask for it. but statistically speaking, we probably don't. Yes, we might think we do,

Sophie: I wouldn't have thought to ask God for a great big laugh regarding a hot cross bun...it wasn't in my creative radar...but I am sure glad God thought of it...and that my friends, is a miracle.

Be Healed

2011-05-17T15:44:00.001-04:00

The Story of Scripture: Be Healed 5/15/11
Jeremiah 8:15-22, Mark 2:1-12, Mark 7:24-30

Healing is difficult topic:
1. There is a randomness to healing/not being healed.
2. God is God, and moves in his ways
3. In a purely human sense, all of us are mortal, and we go to the grave.
4. Technological advancements that blur quality of life dynamics.

Quadrant:
Great faith/receive requests Great faith/do not receive request

Little faith/receive requests Little faith/do not receive requests

Different Types of Healing
Physical Healing:
Mental Healing: peace of mind
Emotional Healing: from bitterness, anger
Relational Healing: from conflict, from distance
Spiritual Healing: with God, in one’s spirit

Jeremiah: Sometimes, there is no healing.
We had hoped for peace and healing, but it did not come
--the imminent judgment from Babylon
Isn’t the Lord in Zion? Is her king on the throne?
Summer is past, and we are not saved
Isn’t there a balm in Gilead? Why is there no healing for my people?

Mark 2: Sometimes, Jesus heals.
Give ourselves a moment to imagine this stunning scene
--the sounds of the men climbing on the roof
--ceiling falling around as they dug…people looking up
--Jesus must have had a smile on his face: What he was seeing from
the fully God/fully human perspective.
--did the people help the man on the mat as he was closer to ground?
--I don’t think the religious leaders lifted a finger.
--what was their look when Jesus read through their soul & thought?
--imagine the man, lying on the floor, helpless, when Jesus is discussing with the religious leaders: So that you might know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sin, I tell you…
--get up, take your mat, and go home…AND HE DID JUST THAT
--ultimately, Jesus is interested in the healing of spirit. For that is how we live forever.

Mark 7: Sometimes, we give reason for healing.
A shepherd to the lost sheep of Israel
Impressed by the logic and wisdom of the woman

Always wonder about the people who hear Jesus saying go, it is done. They have to leave, believing, they have to wonder as they go home, they have to have sweaty palms as they open the door to their home, to look at their loved one, to see if what this holy man had said came true.

Paul: II Corinthians 12: God’s strength is made complete in our dependence and weakness.

Jesus: Fully God/Fully Human
Teacher
Healer

Today, if we need healing, and we find it praise God.
If we need healing, and we do not find it, pray to God.
In all situations trust God.
In Jesus, we see the healer was also the teacher.
God is teaching the world through us about his grace. We are part of the story, therefore, let us never travel far from the master storyteller. He is the way, the truth, and the life.

Christ is Risen!
He has risen indeed!

2011-05-10T12:48:00.002-04:00

The Story of Scripture: Just Like I Said
Deuteronomy 6:1-9, I John 1:5-2:14, John 6:60-69

Parenting brings a completely new and different self-understanding regarding our relationship with God.

Sometimes, and possibly for some of you, I am conjecturing here, might say to yourself, when the screams are loud and the tears are flowing and the legs are kicking and the body is quivering over such audacious requests as ‘time to come to the table’ or ‘we’ll finish watching the tv show later’…in those moments, we might, just might, ask God…

Could we really be this stubborn? This self-focused? Could we really have this short of an attention span? This close to falling off the spiritual equivalent of steps and beds and couches?

At the same time, there are also multiple moments when we also look at children and think of God and wonder…

Could we really be this loved? Could we really bring this much joy and delight to God? Are we really this beautiful?

In short, the answer is yes.

Because we are fully loved by God, and because we can be clueless, we need Jesus to be our teacher. We need him to show us the way.

Jesus is fully God and fully human. He is perfectly qualified to be our teacher. He came to speak and live God’s righteousness and goodness.

In Christ, we find the a heaven-sent teacher, whose substance speaks to the very source of everlasting life.

Teaching the Greatest Commandment: Deuteronomy
In our first passage, Moses is preparing the people to finally enter the land that was promised a generation before. Remember, the people disobey God after the Exodus and have the equivalent of a 40 year time-out. But now they are ready. Moses has gathered them and gotten them ready for their new set of rules for their new home. These rules came from God, for the people. They are rules to be taught, for they are God’s commandments, to be applied in the nation’s daily life.

Why be taught?
--you, your children and grandchildren may fear the Lord God
by keeping the commandments
--and so that you may enjoy long life.

What is God’s commandment?
HEAR: Israel, God is One. Hear that. Listen and embrace that.
OBEY: be careful to obey. Don’t be stubborn, if you follow, there
is a lot of blessing to be had.
LOVE: the greatest commandment in the Bible: Love. Love God
with all your heart, soul and strength.

What do we do with the commandments?
IMPRESS: Impress them upon your children TALK: when you sit at home and walk along the road.

(If I may interject one thought for how this verse applies to our modern living, I would like to say this, which is my personal opinion. It is good to use your eating and travel time to talk together as a family. I know there are a plethora of entertainment options. I’m not saying it is wrong to have a special night where you eat pizza in front of the TV watching a family movie, or that you blare the radio while driving. But, there is a lot of time in meal and travel time that can be used for talk, and important talk, and, from a parental perspective, teaching talk. It is a discipline of time. It is an investment of time, energy and focus. But, it is also an investment with biblical support.)

TIE/BIND/WRITE: There were specific Jewish traditions that
emerge out of this verse. But there are also spiritual value in our day
to having a meaningful verse or saying near you, or displayed for
people to see what your values are.

Teaching the Difficult Commandment: John
This Easter season, we will focus on the Story of Scripture’s central figure: Jesus Christ. Last week, we learned of Jesus as fully God and fully human. This week, we are focusing on Jesus as teacher. The Gospels tell of Jesus’ first teaching: Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near. They also speak of Jesus gathering large crowds and amazing his audiences with wisdom, insight and his power of words. Today’s reading sheds light on a different side of Jesus’ teaching: his words can be difficult to hear and obey.

Jesus was giving a discourse on being the bread of God. The bread from God, not unlike human bread, was to be eaten, and digested.
Jesus told his disciples that ‘He is the body and blood of God, and
the one who wants to live must take his body and blood’

The reaction to this teaching is that many of the disciples grumble. There were more than 12 disciples who followed Jesus. At this point in his ministry, he was wildly popular, and many followed him. But upon hearing a difficult concept, one that stretched and challenged the hearers, the people react much like we might expect. The reaction to a difficult teaching is to recoil, for it challenges our comfortable standard of living we have created for ourselves. This is hard, who can accept this?

It is the end of the first week of training camp
It is the final few days of an extended business trip.
It is the third week of a diet.
This is hard, is it worth it? The disciples ask themselves.

In addition, Jesus hears the complaint, “Are you offended?”
It is Just as I said, “no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him..

What is the reaction? Many disciples leave. They turn their back on Jesus and no longer follow him.

What a tragic end to a story. This is more than giving up the corner office or fast track career, or benefits of club membership. This is being face to face with the One sent by God. This is eating and listening and working alongside the Son of God, and then saying, NO THANKS. This is a big deal.

Out of this shocking turn in the story, Jesus turns to the twelve. With an astounding confidence, devotion to his mission, and self-awareness, Jesus says: how about you? Are you in or are you out?

Peter, the one who often would put his foot in his mouth, he got it. Where else would we go? Seriously, there is no other place on earth that I’d rather be than the road that leads to heaven (SCC). Jesus, I’m in. You have the words of eternal life. They may be difficult, they may challenge every fiber of my being. But I can’t stay away. I can’t stay away from you.

We like to tame Jesus, keep him in a cage and bring him out at our convenience, showing him off like something we own. But the Scripture describes Jesus in a different light. Some descriptions include the Lion from Judah. He is the bread that gives eternal life. He is the bright morning star. He shines in darkness. I am the beginning and the end. I am A through Z. I am the great shepherd who kills the wolves that seek my sheep. I am the one who speaks to demons and commands them to be quiet. Jesus is our teacher. And he is God’s teacher, saying what God wanted to be said. Convenient or not.

Jesus is not neutral. His teachings are not neutral. Sometimes, his teachings are difficult. But they are always good and for our good, and they lead to everlasting life.

Teaching the New Commandment: I John
John, one of those twelve disciples, who would later write to the larger church, includes amazingly profound but simple sayings in his first letter to the church.

--God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all
--If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is
not in us
--If we walk in the light, we have fellowship with one another
--We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands
--Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

These are beautiful and true sayings. In our grey world, they sort of shock our system. There must be some wiggle room in these verses, we rationalize. But in many of John’s words, it is exactly what he says it is.

In the rules of interpretion, rule number one is that the plain and simple reading is correct.

There is a new commandment:

You can’t hate your brother (or sister)
When you love your brother (or sister), you live in the light, and nothing is going to make you stumble.

John includes a poem that has been open to some debate, especially when you look at the greek words that he used. In Koine Greek, there was often multiple ways to say what modern languages have one word for. But generally speaking, this is a poem that speaks to the life cycle, and to spiritual phases that we all go through.

If I may bring a scripture from another part of the Bible, the Apostle Paul is reviewing his life in his letter to Timothy, he tells his disciple: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (II Tim. 4:7)

Children:
--Your sins have been forgiven
--You have known the Father
FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT

Young Adults:
--You have overcome the evil one
--You are strong, and the word of God lives in you
RUN THE RACE

Parents:
--You have known him who is from the beginning
KEEP THE FAITH

Today, on Mother’s Day, we have a family stand up for baptism. In fact, a father and his son both receive the sacrament this day. This child's parents will learn to teach, to teach the truth and to teach what is just and right. And believe it or not, as he grows older, the child might question you. (I know, I know, this is shocking). But you stick to your message. You teach. You teach about one who is greater than you or I. And when he gets it, and when God stands by his promise, you get to say something very gratifying to your child: It is just like I said.

And the reason it is gratifying is not because you win in that moment. It is not because you have emerged for one moment, triumphant in the long game we call parenthood. It is because in that moment, we understand a little bit about what God is like: For God has taught us, and when we have listened, we look to God, like a child looks to his or her parent, looking for that approval, and God’s response is the same: Just like I said.

Today, let us be taught, let us teach, and let us learn from the One whose promise is good, whose performance is faithful and whose perfection brings us to glory.

Whoever claims to live in Christ must walk as Jesus did. And when you obey Christ’s word, God’s love is truly made complete in you.

Just as he said.

Christ is Risen.
He is risen indeed.

The Story of Scripture

2011-05-02T20:47:00.000-04:00

The Story of Scripture: Leaving It All With All You Have 5/1/11
Isaiah 9:6-7, John 1:1-18, Philippians 2:1-11

Once upon a time, there was a king who ruled the most successful kingdom in the whole wide world. He drank out of golden goblets, the finest chefs prepared the tastiest and healthiest meals imaginable, what he said was law, in fact, he was the law and the rule. He lived in the finest palace and was well liked by everyone. The people thought he could do no wrong, hard for a someone in government to accomplish. Oh yeah, did I mention the weather was always 70 degrees and sunny?

And one day, the king got up from his elaborate bedroom, ready for another day of policy-making and luxury living. He looked outside his palace and decided that he should give it all up. And he did. He got dressed, and walked out the door. He found a humble dwelling near the edge of town, and asked to stay there in exchange for his 12 hours a day of hard manual labor. The king went on to live like this for the next three decades, and then he died.

Quite a story, isn’t it?

It is a story not unlike the story of our King: The King of kings.

During Lent, we focused on the prophets, and their message of repentance and return to the Lord. During Easter, as part of our year long study of the story of Scripture, we will look at Jesus Christ.

Our focus will be on Jesus and the roles he filled during his time in Israel: Jesus was God and human, Teacher, healer, miracle worker, story teller, Lord and Savior.

What Jesus did was like an episode of Undercover Boss, only his reward was to bring the sons and daughters back into the presence of God and grant everlasting life. Jesus said, “Here I am, and the children God has given me”.

Jesus: Left it all
Jesus: with all he was, continued in God’s service.

Jesus becomes the mystery: God and human.

I was trying to think of a way for us to wrap our minds around this concept. And I think I found one in the ballpark. I’ll give you three clues to whom I am referencing:

1. Faster than a speeding bullet
2. more powerful than a locomotive
3. able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.

Is it a bird? A Plane? No, it’s Ubermensch!
Superman!!!

Superman:
Similarities:
Came from a far away place to earth (Kansas)
Taken in and raised by human parents
He was human and super-human (Clark Kent and Superman)
Strong morality for the purpose of bettering humanity
Man of Steel and Man of Tomorrow are nicknames that could fit Jesus.
Sought to right wrongs of the era’s they lived
Ubermensch is coined by Frederick Nietzsche, who envisioned a
perfect man beyond moral codes, where Superman and Jesus, live
within morality and culture.
Fought social injustice, tyranny, racism
Emerge out of Great Depressions as Hero’s to the masses
Yet as immigrants, they seek to balance living between two cultures
Men of Peace (original Superman wasn’t, but he takes a vow not to kill)
Superman’s Kryptonite name: Kal-El (Hebrew, voice of God)
Powers caused loneliness on earth
Die and later come back to life

Differences:
Superman a fictional character
Superman’s appearance is distinctive
Extraordinary feats of strength that break the laws of nature
Batman: admonished Superman for being too human
Kryptonite:
Commentary: “Only a man with superpowers can survive in this world”

No longer an American citizen, he joined citizen non-violent protestors in Iran, urging for a change in the government, the Iranian government viewed this as an act of war, and the United States National Security Advisor sits Superman down to talk, upon which Superman decides it is better to fight injustice from a global perspective.

(I’m not making this up—supermanhomepage.com)

Ultimately, Superman gets our imagination working, and our minds exercising, so that we can pursue a deeper knowledge of Jesus. But like all human examples, it does fall short. Scripture provides our best guide.

Isaiah
The Prophet Isaiah, 800 years before Christ is born, is predicting what the future Messiah will be. What does he say about the Messiah embracing deity and humanity?
Wonderful Counselor: with wisdom and knowledge straight from God
Mighty God: remember, the Jewish perception was the Messiah would be a human, and yet here, for the first time, is also referenced as deity
Everlasting Father: eternal
Prince of Peace over David’s Throne, ruling with justice and righteousness

John
With God, was God, was with God in the beginning
In the world, but the world didn’t recognize him
Word became flesh, and dwelt among us
Embodied grace and truth
God has made him known

Philippians
Being in the very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped
Made himself nothing, and took on the nature of a servant
Made in human likeness and appearance as a man

For you and I: we are called to follow this Christ with all of our heart, strength, soul, spirit and heart.

We are called to leave all that hinders us from Christ behind, and to follow the Lord with all we have.

We are not God, but Scripture does provide descriptions of how we should become: godly, Christ-like, Spirit-filled. We are not to be like the world, we are to leave that behind. We are to be like Christ, going after that with all of our might.

And we do not do this alone: alongside others we become like-minded, having one love, being one in spirit and purpose. We do not live out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but we take on humility. We consider others better than ourselves. We look out for other people and their interests. We take the attitude of Jesus Christ.

The end goal of being Christ-like is eternal life. In Christ is light, the light that shines before all. We all will bow, but it is better to bow with Christ’s life within us, rather than the forces of darkness.

God exalted Christ to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every other name. That at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven, and earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Christ is Risen! He has risen indeed.

Hurray! Jesus is here

2011-04-25T13:37:00.000-04:00

The Story of Scripture: Hurray! Jesus is Here
Genesis 2:15-17, Matthew 1:18-25, Matthew 28:1-10

It is a special day, one of the most cherished days on the church and world’s calendar, celebrated by hundreds of millions of people. It was a day that changed everything. The world was never the same because of the events that are celebrated. There is magic in the air centered around the joy and happiness people feel. The day inspires us to feel and act in a more caring and loving way. The spirit we feel is because of a miracle. And yes, the season also brings any grief we might feel to the surface, because the event brings us face to face with the solution to mortality. In the church, this day is so special that we take more than just one day to celebrate it. It is such a beautiful day because it reminds us of the reality that Jesus is here.

Of course, this special day I am talking about is…Christmas.

Yes, you heard me correctly.
Christmas.

Christmas? On Easter? What is going on?

When we mapped out our year long study of the Story of Scripture, God, in his great kindness, allowed our schedule of the end of the Hebrew Scriptures and the beginning of the Gospels to fall on today: Easter Sunday. How fantastic is that? For both Christmas and Easter have the same message for the bookends of birth and resurrection: Jesus is here!

Genesis 2:15-17

Reviewing our yearlong story of Scripture, we remember one of our early readings. The story of the Garden of Eden gave humanity its destiny. This destiny was from God, and it was for our good. It contained promise, permission and one prohibition.

Promise. Work the Garden and take care of it.
Permission. You are free to eat of any tree in the garden.
Prohibition. Do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Yet the people disobeyed the one command. And they got what they wanted. We can know. We can know good. We can know evil. Humanity brought upon itself blessing and curse. When we know evil, it separates people from their Holy God.

Matthew 1:18-25

Relying on the destiny of humankind, given by God, as one of promise, permission and prohibition, we continued on through the story of Scripture. We heard of Abraham and Israel, Joseph and Moses, slavery in Egypt and Let my people go. We heard of wilderness wandering and law for the covenant community. What was Israel’s job? To be God’s people in the world, and eventually give birth to a Messiah.

As the story goes on, the people do not always follow God, they demand earthly leadership, and turn to kings. The kings often do not bring people closer to God. Eventually the people forsake God and turn to idols, and are judged by world empires Assyria, Babylon and Persia. And finally, during the Persian Empire, the people are allowed to return to their land. Through all the ups and downs, prophets guide the people. We looked at some of these prophets during Lent.

The last prophet in Hebrew Scripture was someone named Malachi. He tells that one is coming who will announce the coming of the Messiah. 400 years later, John the Baptist announces Jesus Christ and his public ministry.

We were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. At just the right time, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of being children of God. Because you are God’s children, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Father, Father”. So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and since you are a son, God has made you an heir
--Galatians 4:4-6

But before Jesus became a public minister of his Heavenly Father, there was that miracle: Birth, as a baby. The Messiah would surely come in triumph and military power. He came as a baby, weak and dependant.

Mary took care of him. Mary had him inside her, and grew him and gave birth to him, and cared for him and raised him. And Joseph partnered with Mary, at first skeptical of this holy miracle, announced by an angel, Joseph seeks to be honorable. But honor was staying with Mary, and raising this child, who had come from the heavens.

Mary and Joseph, this child…you should name him Jesus, because he is the savior! He will rescue the people from their sins.

Do you remember the prophet Isaiah: He said long ago, that the virgin would be with child and that child would be Immanuel. God is with us!

It all seemed like a dream to Joseph, because, quite frankly, it was. But dreams do come true. And this one did. Not in a comfortable home, but in a barn, for there was no room at the inn. The sheep and cows joined God’s chosen parents, in welcoming a little child. This little child would grow up to be Savior. But in the beginning, I imagine Mary and Joseph only had one thought when they looked into that baby’s eyes:

Hurray! Jesus is here.

Matthew 28:1-10
Last Sunday we observed Palm Sunday, the story includes praise to the King, as Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem. The story ended well.

No, he died. You didn’t hear. The whole city knows about it. He died. Jesus died.

That is what is great about stories. There is a point when challenge questions a hopeful outcome, when it is dark, when it doesn’t look good. Jesus had died. What did the disciples talk about when they were locked up in their rooms, hiding out of fear of Roman authorities? Did doubt seep in?

After the Sabbath, the day where rest was commanded, but also the day after Jesus had died, and there was so much to do, as soon as Mary and Mary were able, they went to look at the tomb.

What were they looking for?

An earthquake violently erupts. And Angel of the LORD comes down from heaven. The angel goes to the tomb and Rolls back the stone…and sits on it. Upon seeing this angel, whose appearance was like lightning and bright like snow, the guards charged with keeping the tomb shook, almost dying.

Mary, the angel says. Don’t be afraid. I know you are looking for Jesus. He was crucified. But he is not here. He is not here in this gravesite. He has risen. Do you remember, that is what he said he was going to do! Go ahead, look inside. Look for yourselves. And after you do that, go quickly and tell those disciples (who aren’t here), he has risen from the dead. And he is going to Galilee. That is where you’ll get to see him.

And the angel said what the angel needed to say.

The women, they are so nervous, so filled with excitement and anxiety, they run. They run to get those disciples. And then Jesus met them.

Greetings, Jesus said.

There he was. There was Jesus. Right before the women. They fell down to worship. They held on. He was there. It was him.

And Jesus repeats the angel’s message: Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers, go to Galilee and we will see each other.

Hurray! Jesus is here.

The message of Christmas is the same message of Easter. Hurray! Jesus is here.

Christ is risen.

I Remember

2011-04-22T15:21:00.001-04:00

I Remember

Isaiah 52:13-53:12, the passion story

“As we face the cross, we can say to ourselves both ‘I did it, my sins sent him there’ and ‘he did it, his love took him there’” John Stott

I was reading this week about the golden era of the Greek Empire. It was an era in history where the written word was slowly replacing the spoken word as the way of preserving the past. Poets were the stars of the day. They had written down clever and helpful ways of telling the stories of the past, and these written ways were then dramatically proclaimed to the gathered crowd in the amphitheatre. Some ancient amphitheaters held up to 17,000 people at one time. And they were there to hear a story told and unfold. They were there to hear how their story mingled with the universal themes of being human. Their stories were of gods and men, fate and destiny, tragedy and triumph. Their stories spoke to the heart and captivated the mind. Their stories were told in community and were a reason to gather, they were an event.

In the story of the cross, humans encounter the most dramatic and shocking story ever told. It is a story of me, and how my sin caused God to leave the heavens. It is a story of God, and how his love caused him to come and rescue the sons and daughters of Adam.

Who was watching this divine drama as it actually happened?

Who were the people watching, and their reasons for doing so:
· The religious council of priests and teachers watched: watching every word of Jesus, hoping he would slip up, ready to pounce upon him
· Pilate watched, interrupted, being political
· Herod watched, looking for a magic show, and not getting one
· Simon the Cyrene watched, a visitor to town pausing to look at a procession passing before him, he is brought onto the stage
· The weeping women watched: shocked and saddened at the injustice of the whole situation
· Two criminals watched, they woke up that day to find it was the last day of their life. Did they know they would meet God before going to meet God?
· Soldiers watched, doing their job, making a difficult finish to those punished by the state. Were they able to see innocence as they looked upon the suffering Jesus?
· Creation: becoming dark, it was the only appropriate response
· Centurion: surely this was a righteous man. How did he say this? Was he angry at what he just saw? Did he realize the error of the situation part way through the crucifixion
· The gathered crowd SAW, beat their breasts and walked away. What else could one do?
· Those who knew him (and who had followed him), stood at a distance, WATCHING these things. Did eyes of faith know that the story was not finished? Or hope? Or pray?
· Joseph: he was waiting for the kingdom of God. Was his wait nearly finished? Or did it seem farther than ever after this event?
· The women preparing for burial: bringing dignity, tradition and honor to a difficult situation.
· Ultimately, God and heaven. A Father watched his only Son die. Heaven sees the eternal worshipped one meet an earthly end.

Surely the story wasn’t supposed to be like this. But it was. Once sin entered, this was the only solution. God’s love sent Jesus.

What did the people watch? And you and I, what do we watch through the reading and listening of this story? What do we do with this story? In a word, we “remember”.

We remember the human plea, the divine pleasure and the new promise.

We remember THE HUMAN PLEA

Jesus remember me: The thief says
Here is a wise man.
He understood his time had come.
He understood his just sentence.
He encounters someone who is innocent and defends him.
He sees by faith who this person was.

Jesus remember me: you and I say
We sing the words of the Scripture, and they act as a plea to the Holy
God of the universe.
We are more like the thief than we are like Jesus.
And so we ask for mercy from the one that we have come to know as
good and true, Jesus, remember me.

We remember THE DIVINE PLEASURE

Jesus remembers the thief: Today you will be with me in paradise.
This is an astonishing statement. Two men dying next to one another. This story was not going to end well. Jesus looks to this man, in the midst of a horrible situation, and says Today. Today, we are going to paradise.

Jesus remembers you and I:
Isaiah wrote, “After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light
of life and be satisfied.”
Jesus remembers you and I.
In his god-ness, he remembered you and I while suffering on a cross.

It pleases the Lord to save. That is why Jesus died, to save. To bring back the sons and daughters of Adam into the presence of God. When we come, it pleases God. It is another fulfillment toward the divine desire, the divine pleasure, that we might have eternal life, forgiven and freed.

God kicked humans out of the garden. If we would have eaten from the tree of life in our fallen states, we would live forever marred by sin.

God was pleased to send Jesus. Finding him, we find eternal life, one that triumphs over the enemies of sin, death and devil. An eternal life lived in the presence of God; pure beauty, abundant life, divine holiness, friendship with the living God. That is God’s pleasure.

We remember THE NEW PROMISE

The new promise we make: I remember Jesus:
Lent calls us to repentance. The Holy Week events bring us face to face with Jesus and his sacrificial work. We remember as we look to Jesus. We take part in the amphitheater of life, looking at the true and real divine tragedy, and we see Jesus. It is Jesus that we remember. I remember Jesus.

‘I remember’ Jesus says.
The punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. Proclaimed the prophet Isaiah.
Jesus won the victory. The resurrection was the proof that death could not bind the perfect Son of God. Resurrection validates the cross, but we get ahead of ourselves.

The cross is where Jesus remembered you and me.
Only God and his Son can say “I remember”, and do so perfectly.

Someone's Calling

2011-04-21T11:17:00.002-04:00

Someone’s Calling
Malachi 4, Matthew 3:1-13, Matthew 21:1-11

Someone’s Calling: The Story of Scripture
God: to creation: out of nothing, creation bursts forth
God: in the garden, to humankind, “Where are you?
God: to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
God: to Noah, “Go and build and Ark” (the scripture says up until that time it had not rained)
God: to Abraham, “I will make you into a great nation” (Abraham and Sarah were barren)
God: to Abraham, “I need your one and only son” That was everything to Abraham, but he acknowledged “God will provide”
God: to Jacob, who was aware, “Surely God was in this place and I did not know it”
God: to Jacob, “I am giving you a new name”
Pharaoh: to Joseph, prepare the land for a famine
God: to Moses, “Moses! Moses!” (by name), “I am your God”, “Go to Pharaoh and say, ‘Let my people go!’”
Moses: to the Israelites through law, “Thou shalt not have any gods before
the LORD.
God: To Joshua, Get ready to cross the Jordan and enter the land I promised you.
(Isaiah had said, when you pass through the deep waters, I will be with you)
God: To Samuel, “Go and Tell Eli” (a youth called to confront a powerful yet unjust priest)
God: To Elijah, “What are you doing here? There are 7000 that have not bowed the knee to false gods”
God: To Isaiah, Who shall go for me? Whom shall I send? Tell them…
God: To Jeremiah, “Before I formed you, I knew you”
God: to Habakkuk, “Write this down, you won’t believe it”
Nebuchadnezzar: to Daniel, “Come out from the den if God has rescued you”
Artaxerxes: To Nehemiah, Return to your land
Malachi: to the people, Revere the name of God, and the sun of righteousness will rise up with healing in its wings.
Tell the people; Elijah is coming, and he will announce the Lord’s coming. He’ll turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the children back to their fathers. Or else.

(the understanding that Elijah was going to return and announce the coming of the Messiah. Jesus states that if the people could accept it, John the Baptist was the Elijah to come)

John the Baptist: to the crowds
Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near.
Produce fruit in keeping with repentance
Don’t rely on your past merits and your titles
God will raise up children from these stones, don’t feel entitlement
I am baptizing with water, but one is coming after me, who will
baptize with the Holy Spirit.
The crowds: to Jesus
Praise the Lord. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Jesus: to the skeptics: If the people stay quiet, the stones will cry out.

Someone’s Calling: TO YOU & TO ME
Common Responses to Call:
Fear: fear of the unknown
Anxiety: change can be challenging
Wonder: the heart begins to expand
Adventure: we respond to the invitation
Getting to work: obey and follow Jesus.
Faith: what keeps us going.

Fear and Anxiety are the negative extreme. Wonder and adventure are the positive extreme. But much of life is lived in the middle. The middle and center of life is work, and faith.

The One Who calls is Faithful
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
(II Thessalonians 5:23-4)

Someone’s Calling: TODAY

We have journeyed through Lent.
We have arrived at Holy Week.

Our God speaks to us today through the events that we remember, and are about to remember. These events are shocking, were unexpected in their day, contrasted the way of the world. And yet they also brought resurrection from the dead, the answer to the problem of sin and death and the devil.

Someone is calling: That someone is God. God calls us to have faith. And faith works.

Daniel: On Being Different

2011-04-06T20:30:00.000-04:00

Daniel: On Being Different 4/3/11 Daniel 3 & 6, Matthew 5:13-16 I found a gift this past Wednesday Night, Listening to poetry I found delight. I opened my ears to the power of a word. Listening to Poet Ray Brown, beautiful images I heard. I realized that throughout history Words have allowed the imagination to see. And we have lost some depth to be When only picture images we see On a day when my sermon is about being different We are looking at the life of Daniel the prophet I have taken some time to rhyme. I’m not a poet, and I know it. But it will now become evident, that this sermon, if nothing else, is different. 3 Wise Men Let me tell a tale of three wise men, Who at first I sought to kill. For they did not listen then To follow and obey my will. I had made an idol of myself. It rose 90 feet to the sky. In full sight from the Plain of Dura To all who would pass by. All who stood before my image must bow Especially when the trumpet blare Or else to the furnace they would go I punish without a care. One day my wise men came to me, Ultimately to tattle tale On 3 foolish men who would not bow To my image large in scale. Furious with rage, get these men here To answer for their foolishness My friends is it not better to bow What god can save from furnace We do not need to defend ourselves If God wills, then he will save And if he does not, we still won’t serve An image you have made Upon these words my attitude changed My anger and furnace hotter seven fold Soldiers died taking these men To punishment for not bowing before the mold But wait my eyes play tricks on me. For there are four, and not just three. And the fourth I see looks like a son of the gods As he walks around the fire free Come out! Come here! I call into flames And to these men I demand That they approach me with an answer To my just reprimand The wise satraps gather around To hear the story of these men once warned they speak with hair that is not singed Nor are their robes scorned Praise be to your God You defied me but listened to him And would give your life Rather than bow to a false god on a whim This God be praised and honored By people of every nation And you, O Three Wise Men Have earned yourselves a promotion. Honor In One’s Word I Darius have ruled the land, 120 Satraps before me stand With 3 administrators lending hand. Daniel is one of those three He does his job diligently Without corruption, full of integrity The Satraps seek to accuse They use their power to abuse Through his God’s law, Daniel will lose May unchangeable law throughout the land be sown 30 Days of prayers to King Darius alone Or else to the lions one will be thrown Daniel reads the kings edict and sees Yet to his God he bows his knees And to this God alone offers thanks and pleas While Daniel is praying, his adversaries see O King Darius, did you not publish a decree This Daniel does not follow thee The Decree must be honored, no exceptions it withstands And did you know this Daniel is not from our land Though Darius is sad, the judgment he must hand Now the king had made his choice To let the rules of men be his voice Darius has one long joyless, restless night Because of his choice, his anxiety feels very tight. With the light of dawn Darius raises his voice without calm And asks God if he has played his saving song O King, Live forever, Daniel’s voice shouts without blame Throughout the night, God’s angel to me came O King, those false accusations are quite lame A new law is written to Daniel’s God all praise And to him alone my voice does raise God’s power is strong and from heaven God saves. Daniel prospered throughout the reign of Darius before his God Daniel’s life did bless Continuing on throughout the reign of King Cyrus On Being Different Jesus talked about being different. Different can be good, we come to find When thinking about being different, salt came to mind. What does salt do? In days of old Salt preserved food to eat, strengthening people to their feet That’s one thing salt can do, will you find strength in God’s food for you? In modern days and northern cities Salt melts away the snow so we can get where we need to go. That’s one thing salt can do, will you melt away what’s stopping you? In days of old and modern days, Salt adds flavor to food, delighting our meal and mood That’s one thing salt can do, will you let God’s flavor bring delight to you? Jesus talked about being different. Different can be good, we come to find. When talking about being different, cities came to mind What can cities do? Throughout time, Cities light up the sky for those who find themselves passing by. That’s one thing that cities do, will you be a light for travelers too? Especially in days of old, Cities welcomed those weary, those whose travels made them dreary That’s one thing that cities do, will you make the dreary new? In our days, Cities exude energy and life, calling people beyond their strife That’s one thing that cities do, will you be Christ for people to view? Jesus talked about being different. Different can be good, we come to find. When talking about being different, lamps came to mind What can lamps do? I often walk at dusk throughout our town, The streets are quiet as a mouse, yet light shines out from every house. That’s one thing that lamps do, in darkness they let light shine through In my life one thing I’ve learned And this I know, lamps don’t shine hidden under a bowl That’s one thing that lamps can’t do, I hope you don’t hide your light from view.

MLB 2011

2011-03-31T04:54:00.003-04:00

Yes folks, this morning starts a glorious day in the year: the baseball season. And because I cannot sleep, I will now make my baseball predictions for the year. As always, we will check in after the regular season to see how I did. And this year, if I am terribly wrong, i can blame the lack of sleep. The hot pick this year is some version of the Red Sox and Phillies, which happen to be the teams my wife and I, respectively, root for. I predicted them last year to meet, and it didn't happen, so I hope the hot picks are correct this year. As for me, last year I picked the Sox, because I thought they had the deeper pitching staff. But can you say "Cliff Lee"? National League East Phils 96-66, pitching wins despite the offense aging Braves 92-70, just a notch below Mets 81-81, I don't think they are as bad as others do Marlins 81-81, They should be better than this, just a hunch Nats 70-92, They shouldn't be better than this, just a hunch Central Reds 89-73, nice nucleus of talent Brewers 88-74, a little unsure of pitching, unlike many Cards 84-78, sure, why not? Cubs 83-79, like I need an exciting division race to watch Baseball Tonight? Astros 66-96, not feeling it Pirates 63-99, not feeling it, then add a "really" before the sentence West Giants 90-72, champs until dethroned Rockies 89-73, i hope to not see them in September Dodgers 79-81, too much drama Padres 77-85, too little drama D-backs 68-94, too little talent Playoffs: Giants over Braves (again) Phils over Reds (again) Phils over Giants (I wish I could write, again) American League East Boston 92-70, East is more balanced this year, Don't see the extremes in records Yanks 89-73, will trade for a pitcher before deadline. Rays 85-77, good, solid season, despite losing free agents Jay 82-80, little weak in pitching Orioles 77-85, improving under Showalter, but how do they break into top 3? Central Twins 90-72, always seem solid Tigers 90-72, why not another Tigers/Twins epic finish? Sox 81-81, I really don't know Royals, 66-96, the LA CLippers of baseball Indians 64-98, I don't see the talent West Rangers 83-79, win by default A's 81-81, I'm not as excited as everyone else Angels 80-82, a second year of Angels struggling? wow! M's 75-87, a second year of M's struggling? { } ( don't put wow! in { } ) Playoffs Sox beat the Tigers (in a battle of my two favorite American League teams) Twins beat the Rangers (finally get past the first round) Sox beat the Twins World Series Phils beat Sox in 7. Because the World Series and 7 games go perfect together. Enjoy!

Ezekiel: Seeing Things

2011-03-29T10:52:00.002-04:00

Ezekiel: Seeing Things Ezekiel 33:1-20, 37:1-14, Matthew 5:1-12 What do you see? I asked this of the congregation as we gathered on Sunday. There were a variety of interesting responses. It is an interesting question that can be intepreted a few different ways? What do you see? Ezekiel was the prophet whose ministry was one of seeing things for God. He was a Prophet and priest, the only prophet to have both offices. He prophesied in part during the exile He used 4 modes: oracles, visions, symbolic actions and prophesy His visions included: the Opening chariot scene, a trip to Jerusalem, the valley of dry bones, a restored temple Ezekiel is famous for his Symbolic actions: Eating the scroll, shaving his head The book is divided into three sections: Judgment Upon Israel 1-24 Ezekiel called The Day of the Lord God’s glory departs the temple Judgment and how it looks Judgment Upon the World 25-32 Restoration of Israel 33-48 Hope for Israel A New Temple There are several Paradoxes, as identified by Bullock in Old Testament Prophetic Books: God turns his face from his people, he will not hide his face anymore (7:22, 39:29) God’s glory leaves the temple, a new temple is described Land will be judged, land will be reclaimed by people Israel breaks covenant, an everlasting covenant established Bad shepherds/the Good Shepherd Judgment Upon Israel: found in 33:1-20 Two things that stand out in this passage are the demand of God's call upon the watchmen, and the warning to not rest on your laurels. Hope for Israel: 37:1-14 “Yet when they could hear and when the prophet could speak, the word of salvation was as graciously astonishing as the word of judgment had been terrifyingly devastating” They shall know that I am the Lord. Matthew: Shows us How People Know the Lord through Christ's teaching. What did Jesus see? the beatitudes Ezekiel’s Message for You & I We need to be careful and remember Ezekiel's words: Judgment upon Israel, world and hope for Israel. This message should not be ignored by believers today. Definition of judgment: a formal opinion by careful weighing of matters and testing of premises. The Bible warns us against judging others. The definition helps us in this warning. Why are we not to judge? Because we don't have all the information to test the premises. Judging is basically an uncareful weighing of matters without testing of premises. But God is able to judge justly and correctly, because God knows everything. He is holy, powerful, and careful (as well as caring). What do you see? Today, I hope you see justice, peace and love. And if you see injustice, chaos and hate, that you work to overcome it in the power of Jesus.

Jeremiah: the Weeping Prophet

2011-03-23T10:02:00.002-04:00

Jeremiah: The Weeping Prophet 3/20/11
1:4-19, Lamentations 3:13-33, John 3:1-17

We all know the power of words. A Prophet is one who speaks and proclaims the Word of God. Yes, they live and act out the parable of faith through their daily life, and their living becomes an illustration for the people of faith. But mostly, it is their words that are remembered. Their powerful words change us even today.

Story of Scripture:
Last week, the prophets and their books are introduced: there are 17 prophetic books. Isaiah: Works Back to the Future.
Jeremiah: The past gives birth to the present.

God’s Call:
--Chosen before created
--Set apart before birth
--Prophet to the Nations

Jeremiah’s Response:
--I do not know how to speak
--I am only a boy

God’s Answer:
--Don’t say “I am only a boy” (if your going to give God and excuse, at least come up with a good one)
--Go where I say and say what I command
--Don’t be afraid of people
--I will protect you

God’s Action:
--touches Jeremiah’s mouth: I am putting words into you
--You are in charge of nations
--Pull up, tear down, destroy, overthrow, build up and plant
God’s Picture:
--Almond Tree: a sign of spring, especially in the dark days of winter
--Boiling Water: as impending judgment

How Judgment Looks:
--foreign thrones established around the city
--walls, gates and cities torn down
--evil was turning away from God
--evil was offering sacrifices to other gods

End of the Conversation Brings Us Back to God’s Call

God’s Call:
1. Get Ready
2. Stand up and tell everything God says
3. Don’t be afraid of people (or God will make you afraid of people)
4. I will make you strong
5. You will stand before everyone
6. They will fight you but not defeat you
7. Because I am with you.

Is this not also our call?

Lamentations: A POEM OF POST-FALL JERUSALEM

--great faithfulness of God emerges out of great difficulty
--good to work out your salvation: quietly, diligently, alone at times, and with humility

John: What Would Jesus Say?
· New Birth for a New Kingdom
· New Birth is a spiritual act (of the Holy Spirit)
· Faith and believe for what: everlasting life
· Encounter the great love of God shown in Jesus Christ

Isaiah: Back to the Future

2011-03-15T10:02:00.002-04:00

Isaiah: Back to the Future
Isaiah 35, Isaiah 65:17-25, Matthew 4:12-17

America was witness to a prophetic voice and figure within its past fifty years: Martin Luther King. He spoke to the powers of the United States when there was momentum on his side (the Civil Rights movement), and after he had gotten power and leverage, gave it up to speak against the Vietnam War.

He believed so strongly that what he represented was right, that he believed those who opposed him, knew deep down, they were wrong. What power!

Story of Scripture: Israel called to birth the Messiah. Rescued from slavery in Egypt, cross through the Red Sea, wander wilderness, establish law and enter promised land. They want a king, when God does not want that for them. After a series of bad kings, and the people not turning from their ways to follow the Lord, the people are exiled, and then return to the Land 70 years later.

Today, we transition to highlight a religious office in Israel that held the powers that be in balance: The prophet.

Common perception of a prophet is a future-teller. And parts of the prophetic books of the Bible, do tell about the future, and about specific events that would unfold, such as the destruction of the Babylonian empire, or the suffering that would come upon the Messiah. But generally speaking, a prophet is a messenger of the Lord, called to speak the Word of God.

Prophets would speak to kings. Prophets would speak to the religious establishment. Prophets would speak to everyday people.

Prophets would talk about the past. Prophets would talk about the present. Prophets would talk about the future.

Prophets would speak God’s message. Prophets would act out God’s message, through living parables. Prophets would take on a way of life, to model God’s message.

Donald Leggett in Loving God and Disturbing Men
Prophets:
1. keep God as central
2. portray evil realistically
3. call for change
4. give a hope-filled perspective on history
5. are socially relevant (speak to social order)

A prophet wakes us up from our sleepy complacency so that we see the great and stunning drama that is our existence, and then pushes us onto the stage playing our parts whether we think we are ready or not.
–E. Pederson, Run with Horses

Isaiah: Back to the Future

730-681 BC, Northern Israel falls during his prophesying.
Isaiah encounters the presence of God: chapter 6

General themes of Isaiah’s teachings (Bullock)
--Ruin and rebirth
--Divine Judgment
--Oracles against the nations
--suffering and salvation
--faithfulness and unfaithfulness
--the wicked and the righteous

The future as the End.
Looking at the End through the eyes of faith.
In message of salvation, the future is the beginning.
Looking at the End (goal) as to move from where you are to where you should be or where you would like to be. In doing this, you work your way back to the future.

Isaiah’s picture words for how the future looks…
Chapter 35:
v.1 parched land and wildnerness blooming: JOY and GLADNESS
v.2 beautiful spots will see the glory of God.
v.3-6 broken body parts will work again with new life.
v. 7 water will gush in the desert, burning sands will become pools,
thirsty ground becomes bubbling springs.
v.8 a highway of holiness that is safe and purposeful
v.10 entrance into the holy city with everlasting joy crowning their
heads, singing. Sorrow and sighing fleeing away.

Chapter 65:
God’s promise: I will create new heavens and new earth.
The former not remembered, nor come to mind.
Be glad and rejoice forever in what God creates.

Life at length.
Houses enjoyed
Fruit eaten that is grown
Pleasure in work
The real animal kingdom
The Holy Mountain overlooking
The people will be a people blessed by the Lord.

Jesus: Coming Back for the Future
From the smallest areas comes the biggest light.
Jesus is aware of what the prophet had seen for the future.
Jesus is the light for a dark world.
The people will see this light.
The light will shine on the people.
Jesus’ message: repent, for the kingdom of heaven has arrived (or, is near)

Lent: Repenting
Listening to and obeying the Word of God.
Being close to God and Jesus

The Story of Scripture: Here is the Matter

2011-03-08T13:05:00.002-05:00

Here is the Matter
Proverbs 3, Ecclesiastes 12, John 6:60-69

The title of my sermon is “Here is the Matter”. But first, we must talk about a recent phenomenon of cosmic proportions. A force so omnipresent and powerful it has been part of us the past two weeks almost non-stop: What force is this?
Charlie Sheen:

I saw him on the Piers Morgan show, gave it 5 minutes of viewing time, because I had heard of recent struggles and tv postponement.

Then I heard of 2 other national TV appearances and I wondered to myself, why the campaign?

Then I saw an article on Yahoo which was entitled, very loosely, “Why all the sudden Charlie Sheen appearances”.

And then I read two things that interested me greatly in an article I read. First, the article stated that Charlie Sheen was living in his “L.A. manse”. I thought, wow, Charlie Sheen lives in a manse.
And then I saw that he joined twitter and got a million followers in 15 hours.

My personal opinion: the last time I saw him, he looked old. I hope for him to find his way and to find lasting happiness and fulfillment, deep joy and peace.

Old combined with folly is not a good combination.

As we get older, the ideal is that we will mature.

Today’s theme in the story of Scripture is Wisdom. There are books of the Bible called Wisdom books. They address universal human issues, not just Israel’s covenant with God. There is
Job: suffering
Proverbs: wisdom
Ecclesiastes: purpose and meaning (& meaninglessness)
Song of Solomon: Human sexuality and love

Wisdom is defined as the ability to discern inner qualities and relationships. It is insight, good sense and sound judgment.

Ecclesiastes: Here is the matter--Fear God and keep his commandments.

Ecclesiastes: Remember your Creator in the days of your youth. Because aging, and the physical struggles in the passage come to people. To have a foundation built upon God, that is the important matter.

Here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments. This is the conclusion of the individual history generally attributes as one of the smartest people ever.

Background of Ecclesiastes
Story line: The author starts with a statement, ‘meaningless, meaningless’, everything is meaningless. And then he starts to hash out the truth of this statement.
Wisdom, pleasure, folly, work, time, friendship, riches. They all at some point, feel empty.
The writer looks at the end of these endeavors, and sees a common destiny for all, and earthly end visits everyone.
But does that mean hopelessness?

The author in our morning passage has bookends to the chapter:
Remember your creator in the days of your youth.
Fear God and keep his commandments.

Proverbs: Here is the matter—Trust in the Lord’s wisdom.
Trust in the Lord and do not lean on your own understanding.
What does God require? Wisdom.

Background of proverbs
Proverbs are sayings, contrast and comparison statements, or questions on morality. In Biblical literature, they were mostly written by Solomon, though others authored the proverbs found in the scripture. There are over 3,000 proverbs in the Bible.

Two highlights from Proverbs 3 include:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge God, and he will make your paths straight.

and

Do not withhold good when it is in your power to act.

John: Here is the matter--Jesus had the words of eternal life.
Where would we go? You have the words of eternal life.
The verse before today’s passage begins: I am the bread that will let you live forever.

Today, at the Lord’s Table: we meet the same Jesus Christ.
--He is the bread of life that gives eternal life.
--He does challenge his followers with hard teachings.
--The one whose word is spirit and life.
--The One who has the audacity to say come to God through me.
--The One who doesn’t deny he is the holy one with the words of
life.

The Songbook of Faith

2011-03-01T13:21:00.002-05:00

The Story of Scripture: The Songbook of Faith
Psalm 42, Psalm 126, Matthew 27:32-50

Songs stay with us and become part of our story. How is it that you can go years without hearing a song, and then you hear it once, and you remember every word?

For me, some songs that have that type of power:

--Lee Andrews & the Hearts, bringing me back to returning in the family car from grandma's house, listening to WOGL, the Sunday night doo wop show.

--Grover Washington: Just the Two of Us, remembering the first concert my dad took me to.
And even when I hear the inferior Will Smith version, it points me back to the original.

--Just the Way You Are, if Aurie and I have a song, this would be it.

--I’ll Stand By You: Sophie loved this song when she was two, and would be the only song on the CD she would 'allow' to be played.

There are songs that tell of pain, songs that tell of triumph, there are songs that make the hands clap, the feet stomp, the fists pump, the body dance. And there are also songs that make the body sway, the eyes cry, the back slouch and the hands go over our mouths.

There is song and music for every emotion

Is this also true for the songs of our faith? In the Bible, the Psalms are the songbook of faith.
What is in the songbook of Faith?

Thinking about our first Psalm, Sad Songs (Say So Much), by Elton John, came into my mind. It led me down a 30 minute rabbit trail about other Elton John songs that describe the types of Psalms.

For example,
The Psalms about affliction: Don’t go breaking my heart
The Psalms that are Penitential: sorry seems to be the hardest word
And
The Psalms that are Imprecatory: Saturday Nights All right (for fighting)

There are other types of Psalms:
Didactic Historical Intercessional
Messianic Praise Prophetic
Thanksgiving Ascent (pilgrimage) Royal
Enthronement wisdom

These songs address the experience of being human. Like a romance, there are two faces that turn to each other to speak. In this songbook of faith, God speaks to us, and we speak to God. God’s words strengthen us. Past human words to God are shared by all on the journey of faith.

Psalm 42: SAD SONGS (THEY SAY SO MUCH)
Psalm 42: The heartfelt song for God
A modern example of a sad song would be “nobody knows the trouble’s I’ve seen”

Where can I go to meet with God?
--when taunts surround “men say all day where is your God”
--when tears abound “tears are my food”
--when life gets you down “Why are you downcast? Why are you
so disturbed within me?”

What comes from meeting with God?
--Remembering one’s joy “I used to go with the group, leading the
procession into the house of God. There were shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng”

--Affirming one’s goal “Put your hope in God for I will yet still
praise him”

--Observing from the heights “I will remember from the heights of hermon,
Mt. Mizar”

--The call of the deep “deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls, all your waves and breakers have swept over me”

--Day and night “The Lord directs his love by day and his
song is with me at night”

Psalm 126
Elton John would entitle this psalm: I’m Still Standing

A Song of Ascents: Approaching the Temple & God in worship.
If Psalm 42 was written in Exile, Psalm 126 is written on the other side.
It is written after the struggle was endured, and completed. We made it. And not only did we make it, we are thriving.

We have dreamed.
We have laughed.
We have sung song of joy.
We have born witness to the nations.
We have been restored.
We have sown and reaped with songs of joy.
We have gone out and returned carrying sheaves of joy.

We are still standing. All praise to God.

The Crucifixion: The Psalms Speak Throughout the Story

If the Exodus is the central event for the Israelites where God breaks into history and rescues a people, the Cross is that history-breaking event for the world. And Jesus, in the midst of his ultimate sacrifice, remembers the songbook of faith.

· I am worn out calling for help, my throat is parched. Ps 69:1
· They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst. Ps 69:21
· I can count all my bones Psalm 22:17
· They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing Psalm 22:18
· A band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. Ps 22:16
· All who see me mock me, they hurl insults, sharking their heads: ‘He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.’ Ps 22:7-8
· My God, My God, why have you forsaken me. Ps 22:1

The Songbook told God’s story to the people. Jesus lived the songbook. He lived the faith perfectly. And in doing so, has become the songbook of our faith.

What are we to do with the Songbook of faith?
1. Shape our worship. (the Psalter)
2. Help us identify our spiritual journey.
3. Help us connect with the larger family of God.

Sad songs say so much. The Songbook reminds us: We are still standing. And we stand because of our Lord Jesus Christ. He came to live and be the one whom we believe in. He is our song and our story.

The Story of Scripture: Where is God?

2011-02-22T13:04:00.001-05:00

Where is God? 2/20/11
Esther 2:12-17, Job 6:1-16, Matthew 5:43-48

How do we possibly answer the question: Where is God?

On the one side of the spectrum is our feelings. On the other side of the spectrum is the reality of God. In between is the murky, muddy land of “perception”.

Our feelings are real: we feel them. They are part of who we are. They don’t have to be accurate to be real. They are real precisely because we feel them.

God is real. If every human being stood together and screamed at the top of their lungs: God is not real. It wouldn’t make one iota difference. God is real, whether we choose to believe it or not.

So in between is the murk and mud. The problem is perception. Sometimes our perception is right, and sometimes it is not. It is said perception is reality, but even that statement is not entirely accurate. If everyone said my robe was orange, that wouldn’t make it orange.

Sometimes our perceptions are connected to reality, and sometimes they are not.

We feel our feelings, we are sometimes accurate in our assessment of reality, and God continues to exist. But sometimes, we still ask: Where is God?

Story of Scripture:
God’s destiny for humankind: promise, permission, prohibition.
Creation & Fall
Israel created to produce a Messiah.
Enslaved in Egypt, called out through God’s saving event: the Exodus.
Through wilderness, a law is given by God and people enter the promised land. Do not forget God, they are warned.
Prophets come when the people fall astray. And Israel wants to be like the other nations, having a king.
There are good kings and bad, and after a series of bad kings, Israel is taken out of its land, by the Babylonian Empire. For 70 years, the people live in Exile. Last week, we see that Persian overtakes Babylon, and some people make their way back. But at this point, not everyone returns to the promised land.

Including two key figures: Mordecai, and his cousin Esther. They stay and struggle and thrive in the Persian capital of Susa. And before them arises the greatest potential harm that they could imagine: annihilation.

Where is God?

Today’s theme in the story of Scripture highlights two different books that seek to answer the same question. Where is God?

Esther:
In our reading from the Book of Esther, the central idea that arises is this:”Who knows, perhaps for this reason you are here”

Have you ever wondered that about yourself? You look around you, you see the circumstances, the evidence, the opportunities, and you try to figure out how you related to what you see, and the answer that you dig deep and find for yourself is: Maybe that is why I am here.

Maybe I am supposed to listen to that person who wants my time.
Maybe I am supposed to offer my talents to that community group.
Maybe I am to tell that person I am praying for them.
Maybe I am supposed to fix this problem that is weighing us down.
Maybe I am supposed to share that idea that came to me.
Maybe I am part of the solution.

Let us look at the story of Esther to see how this question came into being.

One word missing in the book: God.
Where is God? Not in story of Esther. At least, not by name in Esther. But God is there, orchestrating justice and deliverance out of a very dark and harsh circumstance.

King Xerxes makes alliances with a man named Haman. When Haman is announced in the King’s presence, everyone bows. Everyone that is, except for one man: Mordecai. He was a Jew living in the capital, and Haman is furious that Mordecai does not show respect. A plan is put into place by Haman that Mordecai’s people must be eliminated. A day is determined by the casting of lots, announced, somehow tolerated and endorsed by the King, and sent out into the kingdom, which extended from Southern Egypt to India.

This announcement causes understandable panic among the Jews, and brings Mordecai to prayer and tears. But Mordecai has one hope: His cousin Esther. Mordecai had raised her after Esther’s parents had died, and in a series of providential events, Esther had become one of the favored Queens of King Xerxes. So Mordecai talks to Esther, by way of messengers. A Jew in sackcloth would not have been invited into the presence of royalty.

Esther’s first hesitation is that no one, not even the Queen may enter the King’s presence unannounced. The penalty would be death.

But the time is getting short. The day of extermination tolerated by the King is approaching. So Mordecai urges Esther to think bigger.

“You will not survive the King’s edict” Your family and you will perish. It won’t matter that you live in a palace. You will not escape this plan of genocide.”

Silence is not an option. Mordecai predicts that one way or another, that deliverance will come. But Esther, because of you, it doesn’t have to be ‘another’. You are the way. You are here. It is time for you to stand up and act boldly. In fact, perhaps that is exactly why you were made queen in the first place. Who knows?

When life was harsh, and darkness threatened survival, and the squirming for a solution produced little hope, people surely wondered: Where is God?

In this case, Esther accepts the call to action. She had Mordecai and the people pray and fast for her. And when she offers herself to find a solution, one comes. Mordecai had been helpful in a stopping an assassination attempt on the King. Esther says to the king: Did you ever honor that person who helped save your life? The King answers no. Haman, the King says, go and honor the person who had saved my life. And so Haman, leads a parade for Mordecai, the very person who would not bow to him. Haman is so furious, he plays his cards incorrectly, and is exposed before the King. The threat is identified, and a proclamation goes out that allows the Jewish people to protect themselves.

In the darkest moment, it was asked “Where is God?” The Book of Esther shows us, sometimes we might ask that question, and sometimes we might not know the answer. But by faith, we use our resources, and find a solution. Along the way, God will show himself in the details of the story.

It reminds me of the old Portuguese proverb I have shared with you: In the end, it will all be ok, so if it isn’t ok, then it isn’t the end yet.

Our second story is very different from Esther, but seeks to answer the same question.

Job: Where is God?

For Job, the question of where is God stems from an almost unbearable amount of tragedy that comes upon his life.

The story of Job is much older book, with references to the times of the patriarchs, like Abraham. It is not in chronological order because of the type of literature it is: it is called wisdom literature. Job’s problems become symposium on the problem of evil and suffering, and how it relates to a God who is good and caring.

The background of the story is that Job is a highly successful man: in business, friendship and family. He is a pillar of the community and incredibly religious. He would offer sacrifices after the family parties for each of his children, in case they might have done something wrong.

The story switches to the heavenly scene, in which God is challenged by Satan. Satan suggests that Job is a holy man because everything is good for him. Satan is then allowed by God to test Job, which results in Job losing all his possessions, farm animals, family members and health. Job loses everything.

Where is God?

Maybe you and I haven’t lost everything, but there may be events or days or seasons where it seems like it. Where is God we ask, in the midst of our struggle and test.

There are some phrases in the early parts of Job that have become familiar to the people of faith and culture:
· The Lord gives and the Lord takes away.
· Are you still holding on to your integrity?
· Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?
· Job cursed the day of his birth.

Job seeks to entrust himself to God after his suffering, not seeking to curse the name of God, and therefore sin.

Job is visited by three of his friends, who upon coming to Job, see a suffering so great they do not say anything for a week, but sit alongside of Job.

The majority of the book is a series of conversations between Job and his friends. The friends eventually start digging deep to find the reason for Job’s suffering. In fact, they find reason to blame Job. The Book of Job is interesting to read, but we have to be careful. Job is not a book that you can pick out a verse here or there to quote. Much of the content of the book is not theologically accurate: it contains the words of friends who ultimately lack in their answers for the question Where is God? Why do you suffer?

Job also is working out his understanding of why this has come to him. It contains many authentic feelings, such as the passage that was read this morning. You and I might have the same feelings that Job feels:

Job says:
If only my anguish could be weighted and my misery be placed on scales: it would be heavier than the sand on the seashores.

We might say:
Our burdens are too heavy to handle.

Job says:
The arrows of God are in me, and my spirit has drunk their poison. We might

We might say:
God is out to get me.

Job says:
Grant what I hope for, that God would be willing to crush me to let loose his hand and cut me off!

We might say:
Just take me God, it is too much.

Job says:
What strength do I have, that I should still hope? What prospects, that I should be patient? Do I have any power to help myself now that success has been driven from me?

We might say:
What do I have to live for? What is the purpose? How can I make it back to what I once had?

Job says;
My brothers are as undependable as intermittent streams that overflow when darkened by thawing ice.

We might say:
I feel all alone.

All of these questions and cries point to a common question: Where is God?

The story of Job has its climax in Job having an encounter with God. All throughout the book, Job states his questions, and God never answers them. But at the end of the book, God questions Job, and Job cannot answer the questions. Job bows before God and acknowledges that God alone is the Holy and Almighty. And that yes, he was there.

Sometimes it is hard to see. But there are signs. Jesus said that God causes the sun to shine on the just and unjust. God sends the rain on the just and the unjust. God is present. Though we cannot see him, we can believe in him. And our questions and doubts can be asked by faith. If God is not there, then why do we talk and why do some wrestle?

Where is God? The Scripture affirms God’s presence. What are some of the Biblical answers to the question, Where is God?

1. Everywhere.
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to heaven, you are there, and if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. --Psalm 139

2. In our neighbor
Whatever you have done to the least of these, you have done unto me --Matthew 25:40

3. In Jesus
For in Christ, all the fullness of the deity lives in bodily form
--Colossians 2:9

4. In the midst of worshippers
When two or three are gathered in my name, I am in the midst of them. --Matthew 18:20

5. When we go out to into the world in mission
Baptize in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and I will be with you always, even to the end of the age.
--Matthew 28:20

6. In bread, juice and water.
Take and eat, and drink, this is my body --Matthew 26:26

As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourself with Christ --Galatians 3:28

At times people going through tragedy, or looking at the world, will have despair, Where is God? It is asked. Look around. Where is God? What a mess.

People of faith: it is the same question and same answer. We also ask, Where is God? We also answer: Look around. But the answer means something very different.

With eyes of faith, let us behold the glory of the Lord.

Rebuilding: The Story of Scripture

2011-02-14T09:03:00.001-05:00

Rebuilding
Nehemiah 2:11-20, Nehemiah 6:1-16, John 2:12-25

The worst destruction I’ve ever witnessed: Katrina
The saddest destruction I’ve ever watched: Thailand, Haiti, when what little people had is destroyed.

Out of the ashes, hope rises.
Out of the broken wood and crushed concrete, new buildings and villages and new life will emerge.

Powerful stories occur when community is formed for the task of rebuilding. For example, the Amish and barn-raising.

The Story of Scripture:
Exile & Return are part of the Story of Scripture:
Genesis: Humanity’s destiny is found in Promise, Permission, Prohibition
We see God choosing a people, who will birth the Messiah. Very human figures, with seasons of great faith are part of the story: Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Samuel, Elijah. We have God’s saving event: the exodus. Called out of slavery, through the waters, through the wilderness, to embrace promised land. But once the people enter the promised land, they must remember the Lord their God. And if they don’t, God will not keep them in the land. Hence, exile. God’s second chance is found in return.

Today, we read from Nehemiah, which is a story about a man who had a vision from God planted in his heart. He loved Jerusalem, the city of God. And when he heard it was in ruins, he planned to rebuild the gates, the walls and the city itself. He was a re-former. What had been formed was broken. Now it was time for re-forming.

The passages today remind us that Nehemiah did not have smooth sailing. The vision was from God and therefore, justified. But the path toward completion had resistance. This resistance reminds us of God’s faithfulness.

When God Puts Something In Your Heart…
When God puts something in your heart, it is not unlike a basic model of building something: you need a blue print, the power to stay the course when problems arise, and tools.

The Blue Print: Nehemiah 2
Nehemiah 1: He hears the news that Jerusalem was broken. He weeps for many days. There should be some staying power when it comes to what God puts in our heart. Jesus said it was a fool who started a project before calculating the cost. Nehemiah’s focus is kept on his goal: rebuilding the city of God.

Nehemiah 2: Nehemiah goes before his ‘boss’, or ‘employer’, the King. With trepidation, he asks what he wants, because he had earned trust. He has a specific plan in place, which the King and Queen can visualize.

And as soon as the man with the plan arrives, there are antagonists; Sanballat, Tobiah, “very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites”.

11—At first, He kept plans close to his heart.
13--He explored with his own eyes the situation.
17—He announces the plan to those around him.
18—He gives the theology and background
18—His plan is affirmed by those ready to work
19—ridicule arise from the antagonists, with a serious charge (are you rebelling against the king?)
20—He answers with theological reality (God will give us success), stated certainty (we will start rebuilding) and historical rational (you have no claim or historic right to this city)

Resistance and the Games It Plays:
Demolition threats: Nehemiah 6
1. Game: Meetings for distraction Sake (2)
“come let us meet in one of the villages, in the plain of Ono”

Strategy for overcome: Consistent answer for staying on focus (3-4)
‘I have work to do. Why should it be interrupted?’
4 times they sent the message, “and each time I gave them the same answer”

2. Game: The Unsealed Letter and its contents (5-7)
Unsealed: disrespectful at the time
“and Geshem says its true”, so it must be?
Lies and fabrications

Strategy: State the truth (8) “Nothing like what you have said is true”

3. Game: Intimidation: (9)
Strategy: But I prayed, Now strengthen my hands (9)

4. Game: The last ditch effort: We are concerned for you (10)
Sounds caring and supportive
Could sound intimidating manipulative
Either way, it was forced, as the man was hired.

Strategy: Stand up and own your work (11)
The attempt to discredit had no weight.

The end result:
The job gets done (in 52 days)
The resistance were afraid and lost their self-confidence
Why? This work had been done with the help of God.

Tools for building or tearing down walls: Jesus Clears the Temple
1. Passion
2. Purity
3. Purpose

1. Passion (vs 13-16)
The idea of righteous anger.

2. Purity (vs 17)
Zeal consumed him.

3. Purpose (vs 18-25)
Jesus told the people his ultimate purpose of resurrection.
Jesus kept doing what God had sent him to do.
Jesus’ self-understanding “he did not need man’s testimony”

Rebuilding? Have a plan.
Stay the Course.
Use Your Tools and work together.

Exiled & Returned

2011-02-07T11:17:00.001-05:00

The Story of Scripture: Exiled & Returned 2/6/11
II Chronicles 36:11-23, Jeremiah 30:23-34, Matthew 5:13-20

The Story of Scripture is about home, and finding home again. And again implies that for a season, we were away: Being away might be by choice, wandering or in today’s story: having been kicked out. The theological word for that is “exile”.

Northern Tribe (Israel) exiled in 722BC by the Assyrians, whose practice was to take everyone out and put another conquered people in the land. This is done. The people who lived in the northern land after the people Israel are deported? The Samaritans. That explains a little bit of the jealousy and not getting along.

The Southern Tribe (Judah) exiled in 580’sBC by the Babylonians. There is a famous book by Edward Gibbons called, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Well here, we have the Decline and Fall of the Israelite kingdom. Why and how did it fall?

--political reasons: ironically, the kings of the day had made a political alliance with Egypt, which did not withstand the strength of the Babylonian Empire.

--moral reasons: Zedekiah did evil in the eyes of the Lord (12)
All of the leaders of the people became unfaithful,
following detestable practices of nations around them, defiling the temple. (14)

--spiritual reasons: Z. became stiff necked, and hardened his heart and
would not turn to the Lord (13). Stiff necked & repentance.

--choosing it: the Lord sends messengers again and again

The results of the fall include:

1. material loss (palaces destroyed)
2. aesthetic & historical loss (temple artifacts)
3. loss of life
4. taken away to a new land.

The Babylonian Captivity
--prophesied by Jeremiah
--most famous Babylonian ruler: Nebuchanezzar (Daniel)
--the land has its Sabbath rest.
--life not necessarily worse (Jeremiah had told people: settle down, make a living, raise your family, you ain’t going anywhere)
--synagogue

The RETURN
Persia supplants Babylon.
Cyrus king makes a proclamation
Ezra & Nehemiah: Israelite perspective on return
Persian perspective: Esther

Psalm 126

When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy.

Then it was said among the nations: The LORD has done great things for them. The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.

Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negev desert.

Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. The one going out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.

After 70 years, home again.

But, while they were away, the vision of Jeremiah the prophet kept them strong, it was an agreement: A vision shared by God for the future

One quick point about this faithful servant: sleep had finally been pleasant for the prophet.

What does God’s vision look like?
23: God’s promise of AGAIN. The people will once again use these words
23: blessing & greeting: The Lord bless you.
24: people, towns, farmers, flocks will be at peace (shalom)
25: those who are hurting will be helped (the weary, the faint)
27: certain: “the days are coming”
28: the faithful God with the people through all their difficulty will be there for the building and planting

29: no more the sins of the fathers visiting their children
31: LOOK: a new agreement
33: God’s teaching on the mind and heart,
I will be their God and they will be my people
No more need for teachers, for all will know.
I will forgive them and remember their sins no more

HOW WILL WE SEE THIS: JESUS CHRIST
13: Jesus was salt and light, and when we live for Jesus, we show salt and light to those around us.
17: Jesus fulfills the law: he is the only one who can do it perfectly.
18: living out God’s ways and preserving God’s path (not the smallest pen)
19: moving people toward the greatness of the kingdom of heaven
(Whoever practices these commands will be called great in the koh)
20: a new and demanding righteousness

Home: the search for home is a dominating story in our lives.
It is also our spiritual story.
Part of the story in Scripture was exile.
But part was return.
Through that process, God has made a new agreement.
For you and I, that agreement is found in Jesus Christ.

You are the light of the world. Because Jesus is the light of the world, and you, whether exiled or returned, belong to him.

Elijah & Elisha

2011-02-01T14:00:00.001-05:00

The Story of Scripture: Elijah & Elisha 1/30/11
I Kings 19:9-18, Micah 6:1-8, Mark 9:2-13

Imagining the story:
What if you could experience the best accomplishment of your life, but the cost would be two months of rejection immediately following the accomplishment? Would you go for it?

Whether he would have chosen it or not, this is what happens to the prophet Elijah.

Elijah triumphs over the false prophets of Baal.
· Ahab and Jezebel conspire and swear to find and kill the prophet.
· “Elijah was afraid and ran for his life”
· He went a day’s journey into the wilderness…to pray that he might die.
· He falls asleep, awoken by an angel with food and comfort and courage.
· Travels for forty days, where he finds a cave to rest for the night.
· “And the word of the LORD came to him: What are you doing here Elijah?” I wonder if Elijah knew the answer to that question.

Have you ever wondered the answer to that question?

Elijah states the case, which seems to have been stewing for 40 days within him.
--I have been zealous
--These people have rejected you, torn down the alters and killed the prophets
--and now they are looking for me…I’m the only one left.

To which God says: Go out and stand on the mountain, because I am going to pass by.

God is not in the great and powerful wind: which tears the mountain apart and shatters the rocks.

God is not in an earthquake or a fire.

God is in a gentle whisper. Elijah hears it, and stands at the mouth of the cave, with his face covered by a cloak.

What are you doing here Elijah?

Go and anoint a new king for Syria, Israel and a new prophet to succeed you.

Oh yeah, and Elijah…

There are 7,000 who have not bowed the knee to Baal.

Pressure, anxiety and heaviness make us look more closely, whether inward or around what we can see. But there is always more than meets the eye. There is always another part of the story. There is always others who serve the Lord of lords.

To another prophet, Micah, the Lord makes his case, wondering why the people have forgotten the faithfulness of God for his people. And when face to face with the history and case that God makes, Micah can only muster:
With what should I come before the Lord?

His litany of shortfalls includes a stunning awareness of his incapability to impress God.

At the end of the day, Micah understands the appropriate response to faith:
Do what is right (both in justice and in mercy) and walk humbly before God.

God owns everything. God is the all in all, the end all, the be all of the cosmos. And God doesn’t need from us. Yet we answer to God. We walk by faith and we show our faith by doing what is right and being humble.

When you are humble, and you stay close to Jesus, you can see great things.

The Transfiguration Story:

The three see Jesus in all his glory: clothed in dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And who was with Jesus, but Moses and Elijah. They were the 2 greatest heroes of the Israelite people: Moses was the law giver and Elijah the prophet. There before Jesus, the two greatest heroes talk.

Peter’s response is classic: We should stay here, hey, how about I build you guys a shelter.

And then the voice of God comes to the mountain: This is my son, whom I love, listen to him!

Peter, when thinking about this incident toward the end of his life, writes these words:
“I think it is right to refresh your memory, as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things. We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses to his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic glory saying, “this is my son, whom I love, with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves hard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. And we have the world of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scriptures came about by the prophet’s own interpretation, For prophesy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

The story today reminds us of the humanity of Elijah: he felt lost and alone. He felt worthless. He considered and prayed to have his life taken. And yet God was using him to destroy idols and anoint kings. His work was worthy. Though he might not have felt it in those intense moments.

Elijah goes on to anoint Elisha. And the Bible never records Elijah’s death. It says a chariot came from heaven and took him away. And the Hebrew theologians felt that Elijah would return one day to announce the coming of the Messiah. He did, alongside Moses. And the work of his coming was also carried out through the ministry of John the Baptist, about whom Jesus said: If you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah that was to come.

The past two weeks, we talked about Kings, as part of our year long study of the story of Scripture. Kings can be seen and heard. We can record their doings, comings and goings. Their decisions have real affect upon their citizens, who can alter the lives of those they interact with. But God wanted to be Israel’s king, and so while he allows the kings to exist, despite his wishes, he keeps them accountable. He sends prophets to announce his will and to inform kings when they become wayward.

And so in the book of Kings, we read of many kings, and also of great prophets: like Elijah and Elisha. For all the idolatry in the land, God reserved 7000 who would not bow the knee and kiss the hand of anything or anyone less than God.

So, there are times when you will feel alone. You might even have some alone time to steam and hee and haw about what is bugging you. But pay attention: God is going to come, sometimes in the form of a gentle whisper.

And when God comes to us, we quickly and clearly see our place. There is only one response to God and his judgments: to do what is right and to walk humbly before God. Nothing else will do. Only faith and its responses will work.

And when you open yourself to it, and you spend enough time with Jesus, you’ll see his glory, you’ll recognize God’s affirmation of his beloved Son. You will see his glory, and you will end your days with a keen awareness that your days have been walked near and alongside God. And that is the best ending.

Live alongside the kings of this world. Listen to prophets when they speak the will of God. But most of all, love God. For he has shown us what his will is, and he is there to ask: What are you doing here?

Kings & More Kings

2011-01-27T15:26:00.002-05:00

The Story of Scripture: Kings & More Kings 1/23/11
I Kings 15:1-8, II Kings 18:1-8, Luke 4:14-30

You may have heard the phrase: Jumping Jehosaphat. Have any of you used that phrase before? Euphemism for Jehovah and a way to avoid taking the Lord's name in vain. It is one of the American colloquialism's similar to egad (o God, and Jeez, for Jesus). Jumping is found in American literature in 1850’s.

But Jehosaphat was a real person, one of the Kings of Israel. Last week, we talked about the first three kings: Saul, David and Solomon. They are the most famous, and the most is written about them in the Bible.

It seems clear from the Bible that God never wanted Israel to have a king. God wanted to be their king…so that they could be provided for, and be a blessing for the world.

A King, by definition, would have his interests, as well as his people’s protection in mind. The king wouldn’t be concerned with the world, but rather, his land and his people.

But God had brought about the existence of Israel for a whole other reason: By you all nations of the world will be blessed. In the nation of Israel, there were twelve tribes, and one of them was the tribe of priests who would pray and sacrifice on behalf of the whole nation. Well, the nation of Israel was to be, from God’s perspective, priests for the whole world. They were to bring blessing and honor the name of God, so that all nations might walk in light. Having a king was a direct contradiction to what God had wanted.

Today, we highlight that the nation of Israel has other kings in addition to the main three we highlighted last week. In fact, there are kings for about 700 hundred years before the world empires such as the Greeks and the Romans rule Israel.
During those hundreds of years, there are good kings and bad kings. And there are prophets who confront kings when their behavior is bad. In our Bibles, prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Joel confront kings for their wrongdoing. So much of the literature of the Hebrew Scripture was written about and during the era of the kings.

Our two readings today provide an example of a good and bad king. The structure of the records is pretty common to the Bible. There are four books that highlight the kings after Solomon: I & II Kings and I & II Chronicles. Each Kings important contributions are recorded in the annals of the Kings of Judah or the annals of the kings of Israel. For after Solomon, Israel has a civil war, and breaks into the north (called Israel) and south (called Judah).

In our readings about Abijah and Hezekiah, we see how large a figure King David was. Generations after David had died, he is still the measuring stick for all the other kings.

Abijah provides a good example of what happens during many of the reigns.
--He continues the sins of his father
--His heart is not devoted to God.
--God is patient during the wicked reigns because of his promise to David.
--that kings reign in the midst of forces beyond their control.
--you can’t reign forever.

Hezekiah provides a good example of how a reign can bring hope and help.
--he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.
--he remembered what David had done.
--he removed idols from the land.
--he even parted with something significant in Israel’s history that had started to have a negative life of its own: the bronze snake.
--he trusted in the Lord.
--he keeps on the right path and does not give up.
--he keeps the commands of the law, given to Moses.
--he does not bow to other kings but bows to his king, the Lord.

And for the ways he honored God,
--his name is remembered and honored among the generations
--the Lord was with him.
--and he was successful in all that he undertook.

Jesus: God’s Good Reign

Deep reverence in worship and respect for tradition
The Spirit of the Lord, and being anointed by the Spirit for service
The preaching of good news (for the poor)
The proclamation of liberty (for the imprisoned)
The recovery of sight (for the blind)
The release of oppression
The proclamation of the year of the Lord’s favor.

The surprise element in the message of Jesus:
Bold to proclaim: I am he.
Reminding Israel, the chosen people, that ultimately God is the one choosing, and he will surprise the comfortable in his choices.
Wanting to throw him off a cliff, he walks through them, and scorns their little perception of power.

God’s surprise and judgment is always directed at those who thought they were on the inside.
Are we insiders today: familiar with the message, comfortable with our perception.

Our call is to do the work of Jesus in this world. We are to be a blessing to the nations. The blessing we share is the message of Jesus. The message will surprise the world, and surprise those who proclaim the message.

To whom do we bring the message of Jesus: the poor, the prisoner, the blind, the oppressed.

When we listen to that: is that someone else? Or is it me?

Because Jesus said that is who he was coming for. And I want to be someone Jesus comes for.

In Jesus Christ, God has announced to the world that his favor will rest on humankind.

Those who oppose that message will ultimately be silenced. Even if it’s a bunch of kings. And to those ‘foolish’ enough to accept God’s kingdom, they will someday reign, as sons and daughters of the living God.

The Three (Wise) Guys

2011-01-20T13:07:00.002-05:00

The Story of Scripture: The Three (Wise) Guys 1/16/11
I Samuel 8, II Samuel 7:1-17, Luke 11:29-32

Let me get this straight:
God’s covenant (agreement) was that:
· A land would be given to you
· You would live in cities that you did not build
· You would eat from vineyards and olive groves
· The people would have life and prosperity.
· The people would increase in number.
· God would be Israel’s king
· God would lead Israel to victory when battle occurred.
· Joshua testified that every promise given by God had been fulfilled.

Yet the people wanted a human king.

Samuel tells them what would happen:
· The king will take the sons and make them serve in the armies, on the front lines.
· The king will make other plow the kings ground and reap his harvest.
· The king will make others manufacture weapons and chariots for the king.
· The king will put everyone to work.
· The king will take 10% of the grain harvested (remember another 10% was already committed to keeping the priesthood provided for)
· The king will take the best of the fields, vineyards and olive groves and give it to his workers.
· The king will take the best of the servants, cattle and donkey for his own use.
· The king will take 10% of your flocks.
· You will become the king’s slaves
· When you cry about it, God will not answer you.

You are willing to accept these conditions because you want to be like the other nations around you…even though God has promised to make you better and more prosperous than the other nations and you would be his treasured possession from throughout the earth.

What exactly am I missing here?

The Story of Scripture:
Genesis: the creation of Israel
Exodus: the redemption of Israel
Lev-Deuteronomy: the sanctification of Israel
Joshua: taking up God’s promise
Judges: falling away from order.
Samuel: a special prophet for unique times.

God would be their King. The Law was given for their society and order was to be provided by the priests.

And the people wanted a king.

Today, in our year long story of Scripture: the people get what they want.
And sometimes, once you open the door, you can’t reverse your decision.
We look at the big three, the first three kings of Israel: Saul, David and Solomon.

(I thought about going down the road that I perceive a parallel with first 3 U.S. Presidents. Saul and Washington were Generals, David and Adams were diplomats, and Solomon and Jefferson were thinkers/philosophers.)

Oh, the books that we could fill with Israel’s first kings…and generally speaking, they were the good ones.

Saul:
In a sentence: Impressive in appearance but generally speaking, a psychopath.

General story line: respectful and humble before the prophet Samuel when they meet, he is secretly anointed King. He experiences a conversion shortly afterwards and is seen partaking in a procession of prophets. When Samuel is ready to publicaly anoint him King, Saul is hiding. He comes out to the cry of the people: Long live the king. His reign lasted 42 years, and was (mostly) successful as a military leader against the Philistines, but gains God’s anger and rejection for not following commands against the Amalekites. God declares that he is grieved that Saul was made king.
After David is anointed by Samuel, Saul lives the rest of his time as King incredibly insecure and angry. He is troubled in his spirit and actively seeks to kill David (several attempts). He is infuriated when a song compares him unfavorably to David. He ultimately commits suicide rather than fall at the hands of the Philistines.

Relationship to the (real) King:
Mixed. A good start with a bad finish. God changed Saul’s heart. Saul danced when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him in public celebration. Saul sought comfort in the music of the Lord by a young musician named David. But Saul also ignored God’s commands. He sought mediums instead of God. His anger and insecurity drove him from God.

David:
In a sentence: Israel’s golden standard.

General story line: You want murder, intrigue, close calls, adultery…the story of David has it all. There really should be a motion picture made of this guys life…it would be rated R. And yet the contributions of David as King and poet are remembered forever. Perhaps you have heard the words: The Lord is my Shepherd.

David is close friends with Saul’s son Jonathon. David is one of the few people that Scripture records “Loved his neighbor as he loved himself”, a wonderful spiritual legacy. He is anointed king by Samuel despite being in the fields as a shepherd and the youngest of his brothers. He attempts great things for the cause of God, including slaying Goliath. David’s youth is spent being on the run from Saul. Yet after Saul dies, David is grieved in his spirit. While running from Saul, He ends us making partnerships with radical fringe groups and enemies of Saul, having multiple wives. He becomes king and secures his kingship through assassination of his political threats. He becomes successful in his military endeavors and is promised that his throne will be established forever by God. Yet because he is a warrior, he would not build a temple for God. David succumbs to his power in the story of Bathsheba, which includes assassinating his friend Uriah. Eventually David’s sons seek to take the throne from him and seek to take his life. After more running, he eventually returns to Jerusalem to end his days, and, in an intense moment toward the end of his life, anoints his son Solomon as heir to the throne. By the way, Solomon is the son of Bathsheba.

Relationship to the (real) King:
Do you like Roller coasters? Then you’d enjoy David’s spiritual life. The lasting contributions include about half of the Psalms that we have today. David is the central figure in the heritage of Jesus Christ. His name endures forever as a historic figure in faith and Israel’s heritage. Some pretty amazing statements are made about David, including the “he loved his neighbor as himself line”. David reminds us that our pride creates obstacles to our relationship with God, but that God’s forgiveness and grace allows us to have quite a story. At the end of the day, David loved God.

Solomon:
In a sentence: most world renown King of Israel.

General story line: Solomon is made king hastily before David’s death. David gives him the plans and charge to build a temple for God. Solomon, in an encounter with God where God offers one wish to Solomon, asks for wisdom. We see this wisdom in the famous ruling of the two mothers claiming a child as their own, and in the Queen of Sheba visiting Solomon for his wisdom. Solomon obtains political and economic partnerships and builds multiple palaces as well as the temple. (See Solomon’s splendor 10:14-29). His sons rebel against him in an attempt to dethrone him and after 40 years of reign, he died.

Relationship to the (real) King:
Do you remember the story of the tortoise and the hare? Good starts don’t always lead to good finishes.

“Solomon showed his love for the LORD by walking according to the statutes of his father David except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.” (I Ki 3:3)

Because of his political alliances, Solomon has over a 1000 wives, and the idols of the nations that he had partnership with.

Yet he also wrote Song of Solomon, Proverbs and a list of other important historical documents for Israel. And he was wise because of the blessing of God.

What does this mean for us:

1. The People always looked for a King.
2. They had one if only they recognized it.
3. The struggle between Divine fulfillment and human legacy.
4. The pursuit of a good life is filled with obstacles of our own making.
5. Our main story line is commitment to God as King, the kingdom of
God.

The benefits of the kingdom of God are the easiest and toughest sell in the world.
We have met one greater than the Solomon.

Called to Service

2011-01-12T14:46:00.002-05:00

The Story of Scripture: Called to Service 1/9/11
I Samuel 3, Matthew 3:12-4:11, Acts 10:34-48

Today is baptism of the Lord Sunday, a day we remember Jesus being called to service. We read three stories about call, each with a different twist.
The uniqueness of Samuel and Jesus’ call stories, the Call of the Gentiles

Yet, the true uniqueness is that there are as many call stories as people who follow. The commonality is the one who calls. God the Creator creating call stories.

My friends, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before God. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” --I Corinthians 1:26-30

Samuel is about being: Called Before We Knew It

Jesus: Living Out the Theme of Scripture

This story revisits the 3 P's as identified by Brueggeman.
Promise: We do not live by bread alone, but by the Word of God
Prohibition: Do not put the Lord your God to the test
Permission: Worship the Lord your God and serve him only

The Acts story is about the inclusion of the Nations into the people of faith.
The Gentiles: Called Even When Others Didn’t Think So

A Generation That Did Not Know God

2011-01-12T14:44:00.003-05:00

A Generation That Did Not Know God 1/2/11
Judges 2:6-23, Isaiah 60:1-9, Matthew 2

Whenever we talk about the downfall of society, I think about these quotes that were attributed to those of long ago...

Attibuted to Socrates, by PlatoThe children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. Theycontradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers

Attributed to Peter the Hermit, 1274 ADThe world is passing through troublous times. The young people of today think of nothing but themselves. They have no reverence for parents or old age. They are impatient of all restraint. They talk as if they knew everything, and what passes for wisdom with us isfoolishness with them. As for the girls, they are forward, immodest and unladylike in speech, behavior and dress

G. K. Chesterton: "I believe what really happens in history is this: the old man is always wrong; and the young people are always wrong about what is wrong with him. The practical form it takes is this: that, while theold man may stand by some stupid custom, the young man always attacks it with some theory that turns out to be equally stupid."

Today, we talk about a generation that did not know God. This quote is taken from the Book of Judges, a unique time in the history of Israel.

The Story of Scripture: 2010 Review
September/October: Genesis
(Creation, Fall, Dysfunction Spreads, Noah, Abraham &
Covenant, Isaac the child of promise, Jacob, Joseph)
November: Exodus
(slavery, the birth of Moses, salvation, wilderness)
December: Leviticus-Joshua:
(Law & Order, Entering the Land, Joshua as Moses’ successor)

In short, a nation is created (Genesis), redeemed (Exodus) and sanctified (Leviticus-Joshua). God is their king and has given them the land to live in, find God’s blessing and keep its covenant. Unfortunately, the nation ultimately chooses another direction.

Israel’s Encyclical Behavior:
Sin, Judgment, Deliverance
The people fall from God, receiving the previously promised judgment from God for falling, which leads to cries for deliverance, which God sends by way of Judges.

Judges should not be perceived in the same role we have today. They were, rather, warrior/kings, and in the case of Deborah, warrior/queen.

After the death of the leader, the people revert back to their ways and repeat the cycle.

Forgetting the Covenant From God:
The Covenant was that Israel would be God’s people and God would be Israel’s God, with which came the benefits of protection and provision.

There was also land, the blessings of it, and the relationship with the Creator. God would be their God and King. The people did not need to look to political leadership.

But the people looked around them, and wanted what everyone else had.

REALITY VISION Pt. A to Pt. B.
Judges Isaiah Matthew

Reality: Judges
--A generation that did not know God.
--Everyone did what was right in their own eyes

Judges is about A Nation Falling Apart: (G. Campbell Morgan)
1. Religious Apostasy (leading to blindness)
2. Political disorganization (leading to folly)
3. Social Chaos (leading to immorality)

Vision: Isaiah
The sons and daughters return. The wealth of nations comes. Israel does receive its promise, eventually.

Pt. A to Pt. B: Matthew
· the light of the star gives joy as we follow it.
· Gifts come to the home, sometimes in surprising ways.
· Sometimes you hear a voice sent from above.
· Sometimes you have to get up and go.
· Sometimes you have to wait and live in an unfamiliar place.
· Sometimes we see the madness and horror of godlessness.
· Sometimes you get to come home.
· Sometimes you have to make a decision.

Spiritual formation occurs in the midst of these life circumstances, not apart from it.

One More Thing:
Ruth, is a book during the time of the Judges, out of which the Messianic Line is traced.

Epiphany:
A little bit early, actually the 13th day after Xmas. Today is the 9th day of Xmas.
See the light of Jesus Christ for your soul.
Be the light of Jesus Christ for the world.

The Day the Sun Stood Still

2011-01-12T14:31:00.004-05:00

The Day the Sun Stood Still
Joshua 10:1-15, John 1:1-18, Colossians 3:12-17

Part of my year long the Story of Scripture sermon series

The movie Magnolia is about 9 stories woven together, all of whom have quirkly and struggling lives. Toward the end of the movie, there is a scene where frogs start falling from the sky: thousands and thousands of frogs. The scene leaves your head scratching, until a picture on the wall appears of the Exodus, with the words: But it did happen. But it did happen answers the thought process that most viewers were experiencing, “But that can’t happen”. But it did happen.

Today’s story of Joshua offers doubters and believers the ultimate chance to spar.

Traditional theories espoused by biblical commentators…
Don Stewart offers the following possibilities for what happened in the Joshua story of commanding the sun to stand still. What Happened? 1. The passage is poetical and not to be understood literally. 2. The sun "standing still" refers to an eclipse of the sun. 3. The earth actually stopped its rotation around the sun for almost twenty-four hours per Joshuas request. 4. The earths rotation was slowed down, not stopped. This lengthened the day by almost twenty-four hours. 5. The sun and moon appeared to be out of their regular place by a supernaturally given mirage. 6. Rather than the day being prolonged, God prolonged the previous night.

Interestingly enough, there are
Similar myths throughout other cultures throughout world, though differing time periods.

At the end of the day: I don’t know, and I’m not sure I need to care.

The best evidence would be the accounts from the people who saw it: the story of Scripture, and that is what we have.

Whether it happened or not, it was told to have happened, and in that sense, it is important.

Why this story today, the day after Christmas? Why read today about the story of Joshua commanding the sun to stand still?

1. Part of the Story of Scripture passed down to us, for our faith.
2. continues the idea that God had promised the land to Israel, and now Israel was taking the land.
3. That God is on the side of Israel in reaching this goal.
4. That God’s hand accompanies the humanness of taking the land.
5. Miracles are a part of our faith.
6. Wanting to know is not faithless.
7. Because Christmas, the original story of Christ’s birth, that is another miracle story

We had a miracle story this week in the life of our congregation: Gracie. Gracie is the family dog of one of our members, and after being lost for several days, returned home this week! Was there a rational explanation of where Gracie was during this time? Of course, if we were privvy to that information. But that doesn't take away for to us, a miracle.

our understanding of miracles in everyday life, and trying to explain them, could be placed into one of 4 quadrants:
No data or faith no faith, but yes to data
Yes to faith and data yes to faith, no to data.

Christmas is about the greatest miracle: God in human flesh.

--Jesus, full of grace and truth. God’s picture of data and faith.
--to all who believed in this miracle, this person, this baby and child, would be given the right to become children of God.

How do we respond to the Miraculous God, who invaded human history with hailstorms, and ultimately, through Jesus?

--we who have believed have received one blessing after another.
(grace in the place of grace)
How do we respond? By living out Paul’s words to the Colossians:
And Mary wrapped the baby who was lying in the manger.
And we wrap ourselves with Christ’s clothing:
Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, love, peace, thankfulness.

Paul also encourages us to have the Word of Christ dwelling in us.
The WORD: John, the Logos, the Word. God spoke, and Jesus was the Word we could see and hear and understand and believe in. He was full of grace and truth.

There is a tremendous liberty in following the Colossian words. They provide a new template for living life.
Whatever you do, whether word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

And if you do that, who knows, even the sun might stand still for you.

NFL Playoffs

2011-01-03T11:34:00.003-05:00

Predictions to laugh at come February:

Wild Card Weekend
Saints 20, Seahawks 17
Colts 34, Jets 21
Ravens 20, Chiefs 14
Eagles 38, Packers 34

Divisional Weekend
Patriots 38, Ravens 14
Saints 17, Falcons 13
Eagles 28, Bears 21
Steelers 13, Colts 10

Championships Weekend
Eagles 31, Saints 27
Patriots 34, Steelers 28

SuperBowl
Patriots 24, Eagles 21

Its 2004 all over again.

2010 NFL in Review

2011-01-03T11:14:00.003-05:00

A review of my 2010 NFL regular season predictions:

TEAM Predicted Record Final Record Off By:
AFC EAST
Jets 9-7 11-5 2
Patriots 9-7 14-2 5
Dolphins 9-7 7-9 2
Bills 6-10 4-12 2

AFC NORTH
Ravens 10-6 12-4 2
Bengals 9-7 4-12 5
Steelers 8-8 12-4 4
Browns 7-9 5-11 2

AFC SOUTH
Colts 11-5 10-6 1
Titans 9-7 6-10 3
Texans 8-8 6-10 2
Jaguars 5-11 8-8 3

AFC WEST
Chargers 10-6 9-7 1
Chiefs 8-8 10-6 2
Raiders 8-8 8-8 0
Broncos 6-10 4-12 2

NFC EAST
Cowboys 10-6 6-10 4
Eagles 9-7 10-6 1
Giants 8-8 10-6 2
Redskins 8-8 6-10 2

NFC NORTH
Packers 10-6 10-6 0
Vikings 9-7 6-10 3
Lions 7-9 6-10 1
Bears 5-11 11-5 6

NFC SOUTH
Saints 10-6 11-5 1
Panthers 8-8 2-14 6
Falcons 7-9 13-3 4
Buccaneers 4-12 10-6 6

NFC WEST
49ers 10-6 6-10 4
Seahawks 8-8 7-9 1
Cardinals 8-8 5-11 3
Rams 3-13 7-9 4

Well, there you have it. Within Divisions, I was collectively off by...
AFC East 11 games
AFC North 13 games
AFC South 9 games
AFC West 5 games

NFC East 9 games
NFC North 10 games
NFC South 17 games
NFC West 12 games

So, basically, I had some sense of the AFC west, where I picked the most parity related records.

A Whole Bunch of Numbers

2010-12-07T11:24:00.002-05:00

A Whole Bunch of Numbers
Numbers 1:1-4, 17-21, Isaiah 11:1-9, Matthew 3:1-12

A heated and passionate argument occurred the last quarter of the year in the world of Major League Baseball. It was an argument between Sabermatricians and Traditionalists. Sabermatricians have a new set of statistics to evaluate the performance of players.

The debate centered around pitcher Felix Hernandez, with a record of 13-12, the fewest number of wins by a Cy Young winner. He also didn't pitch in the heat of a playoff race. But the award traditionally goes to the best pitcher.

Debates centered around numbers are always fascinating.

In our year long focus on the Story of Scripture, our last month has focused us on the Story of Israel: Exodus, Wilderness, Law & Order and then more order: the numbering of society

I want to offer three points today: You are a number. You are a number of things. You are not a number.

You are a number.
We read today of the numbering of adult males in early Hebrew society. This had several purposes...
Army development, census purposes, creating of community, marching alignment as they move toward the promised land.

We don't like to think of ourselves as a number. But if I were to give you a certain number, you might identify it: for example, 15 digits is your drivers licence, 16 is your credit card, 10 is your phone number and 4 is your atm code. In part, we are a number.

You are a number of things.
In the Gospel of Matthew, John the Baptist shows us how diverse we are as individuals. What are some of things we are called in this passage?
Sinner (repent)
Recipient of a Kingdom Invitation (its near)
Baptized in water (clothed in Christ)
Fruit producer (in keeping with repentance)
Not a merit based inheritance (we have abe as our father)
Baptized by the Holy Spirit (By Christ)
Wheat gathered into a barn (saved)

You are not just a number.
The Isaiah passage invites us to a whole new realm. In Christ, we have been invited into a new life, a new relationship, a new role in this world.

--Where New life with its fruit emerges from a lifeless stump.

--Where the Spirit of God with wisdom, understanding, counsel, power, knowledge and fear of the Lord is resting.

--Where judgment occurs not only because of what we can see and hear.

--Where righteousness and justice help the needy and poor of the earth.

--where a wolf lies down with a lamb (leopard/goat, calf/lion/yearling, cow/bear, lion/ox

--and a little child shall lead them

The prophet describes wonderful images of traditionally relationships of enmity: the infant/cobra, young child/vipers nest

This vision of a coming kingdom is rooted in our readings final words. How can all of these things come to be? Because:

no harm or destruction on my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord.

Order opens us to freedom, and the best form of freedom is spiritual freedom.

Today, if you find yourself as a number, don't be a single digit: be part of the community where the Spirit is alive.

Today, if you find yourself as a number of things, be those things for the glory of God.

Today, if you find yourself as not just a number, always remember Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, and coming King.

Law and (Priestly) Order

2010-12-01T11:28:00.001-05:00

Law & (Priestly) Order
Exodus 20:1-21, Matthew 24:36-43, Romans 13:8-14

In the Exodus story, we have the joy of salvation from slavery, the provision by God as the Israelites get on their feet, and, in today’s reading the ordering of society by God.

What is the Law?
The Law as 10 commandments
The law as 613 laws for a society

Who Kept Order?
Israel was, in its earliest wishes from God, to not have a king. God would be the King.
--the laws would be interpreted by judges
--the priests would provide order and meaning by way of ritual, sacrifice and religious observances.

Law would define and priests would provide order.

Today’s Story Brings Us Back to the Beginning of Genesis. The Garden story is so perfectly defined by Walter Brueggeman as one of
Promise, permission, prohibition

Promise: Matthew
· The Son of Man will come again to restore order and rule in a fallen world.
· That is what Advent really is all about: the anticipation of Christ’s coming
· The promise is to be remembered by followers (even when the ‘data’ doesn’t suggest an
imminent return).
· Negative illustration: if a house owner would know when a robber was to come, they would
be prepared. How much more if we know a king of Glory is to come?

God’s promises are not often expected by people of faith, but it doesn’t take away from their reality.

Permission: Romans
There are commandments, (many of which are in negative form), that are summarized by a very freeing and positive commandment: love your neighbor as yourself.

Love doesn’t harm.

Love is the fulfillment of the law.

That is a liberating permission given by God. Love your neighbor.
Wake up from your spiritual slumber.

Clothing yourself with Christ (clothing in the garden was shame-based). Here is the image of Christ being our identity, esteem, clothing ourselves in the beauty and image of the Lord.

Prohibition: Exodus
Have you ever heard the saying that ‘Religion is a bunch of thou shall not’s.’.

When I was younger, I used to defend against this. But in a sense, it is true.

But, there are prohibitions. In the garden: thou shall not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
We did, and now we know evil, as well as good.

So “No’s” help us not know evil.
As an American, many have become foundational in our legal system.
As a Christian, they are acts that displease God, so we shouldn’t seek them.

No other gods. No idols or images for God. No taking God’s name in vain. No murder. No adultery. No stealing. No false witness. No coveting.

The thing is, to the extent that you follow these commandments, your life is probably better. So ‘yes’, the bunch of thou shall not’s are part of the story. Sorry. But when we follow Christ, we say yes to God’s promises, and our faith becomes more than just the prohibitions.

I think following Christ is more about Yes than No.
As surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not ‘yes’ and ‘no’. For the Son of God Jesus Christ was not ‘yes’ and ‘no’ but in him it has always been ‘yes’. For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘yes’ in Christ.
--II Corinthians 1:18-19

Prohibitions shape our permission. And our permission is built on the promise of God.

The Fear of God
God’s voice thundered the day the 10 commandments were spoken. The people, when they encountered God, had fear. They pleaded with Moses, don’t have God speak, or we will die.

Christians have seen the sacrifice of Jesus be the act that makes us able to be in God’s presence. The holiness of God is satisfied when we clothe ourselves with Christ. God looks at us through the lens of his son, and sees beauty. We can love God.

But let us be aware of losing fear. “the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning”.

After Moses teaches the people, he goes back to be with God…
“he approached the thick darkness where God was”.

That too is part of the story. Faith sometimes seems clouded, it seems confusing. It seems that God is elsewhere. That God is not approachable.

We are called to have eyes of faith. Faith honors the prohibitions. Faith captures the permission. Faith holds onto the promise.

Clothe yourself with Christ. He is our law. He is our order.

Wilderness

2010-12-01T11:26:00.002-05:00

The Story of Scripture: Wilderness
Exodus 16, Colossians 1:15-20, Luke 23:32-42

Have you ever been to a sporting event where there was so much anticipation and excitement that even before the game starts, the spectators are cheering and jeering, clapping and fist pumping, going nuts…and if on broad and pattison, sometimes waving towels in the air?

Perhaps you have been to a game where the Cheers at a football game were quickly quieted

Today’s story of God providing for his people in the wilderness can be seen through the lens of preparing for a football game.

1-4 The grim reality
--45th day of desert travel (what is the longest time of travel that
you have experienced?)
--slavery: all we did was sit around pots of food and eat all we
Wanted

Football analogy: sometimes the other team scores first.

4-8 the game plan
--Gather enough for one day says the Lord
--see if they can follow my instructions (the idea of test)
--honoring the Sabbath
--morning will show you God’s glory and evening will teach
you that God has rescued you from the land of Egypt.
--you will know God’s provision
--grumbling is to be taken directly to God

Football analogy: Sunday’s game happens because coaches homework

9-16 communicating the game plan
--Aaron, God’s mouthpiece, speaks to the community
--God starts to make himself known
--God lets Israel know that he heard their grumbling
--Then Israel will know the Lord is God.
--the food appears
--What is it? The people wonder.
--They take what they need.

Football analogy: coaches coach and players play.

17-18 the result
--Israel does what it is told
--Some gather much…and some little
--those who had much—not too much
--those who had little—not too little
--Each one gathered as much as they needed.

Football analogy: sometimes the coaches know what they are talking about.

19-20 the fumble
--the warning: don’t keep it until morning
--and some do not listen

Football analogy: takes the life/momentum out of team.

21-26 Driving down the field
--people adjust and do what is required
--gather each morning, twice as much for Sabbath

Football analogy: most of the time, you score because of sustained drives

27-29 another fumble
--don’t listen about Sabbath portion
--fool me once shame on you.
--God addresses the problem: How long will you refuse to
listen to my commands?

Football analogy: you might get benched if you repeat your mistakes

30-32 touchdown
--the people find rest
--the people become comfortable with God’s provision
--the people appreciate where they have arrived, and come
from

football analogy: the whole team celebrates when you reach the endzone.
Handing the ball back to ref or a touchdown dance, everyone is
happy.

33-34 reviewing the game
--keep some of God’s provision as a testimony to God.

Football analogy: gametape helps you take pleasure in victories and learn
from defeats.

35-36 the rest of the season
--ate this for 40 years as they traveled through the wilderness
and prepared to enter the promised land.

Football analogy: whether victorious or defeated, it is only one game. You
move on to next week’s challenge.
Christ the King Sunday:
The last week of the Church calendar. Next week is Advent, the Christian new year. The church calendar teaches followers about the life of Christ, and the final act of Christ is his reign as resurrected and ascended King.

--This Sunday is actually a recent addition to the church calendar: 1925 by Pope Pius.

--It does complete the idea of life, baptism, ministry, death, resurrection, ascension, reign

--realm has started to replace reign. Stemming from a faulty misunderstanding of reign: because kings can present negative images, we shouldn’t call upon Christ as King.

Colossians
Who is this King of Glory? Jesus Christ.
The image of the invisible God: the invisible God made visible.
Firstborn over all creation
Creator of all things
Before all things and all things held together in him.
Head of body, the church, firstborn from the dead
Supreme in everything
God pleased to have all his fullness in Christ
Reconciler of all things through the cross and peace by his blood.

Luke:
The majority of the references to Jesus as King in the bible occur in the Passion Week narratives. Christ is seen as king not because of policy or proclamation, but by giving himself on the cross.

Looking at the Cross Story through the lens of King:
Christ led to cross by the humanity he came to save.
Taking on sin and its shame: between two criminals
Offering prayers of forgiveness for humanity
Being mocked, despite his infinite goodness
Being given earthly accolades of kingship, even if as form of mockery.
The situation troubles one of the criminals, but out of the Lord’s rule, even when dying, came salvation.
The king knows where he is going.

Wilderness

Wilderness is the model for this world: it is wilderness, rough and tough, beautiful and trying, lacking resources and life all around. You can’t escape it, and avoiding it moves you further from everlasting life. So you have to embrace it and plow through it on the way to the reward. The reward of surviving wilderness is promised land. For the Hebrews, this meant the land of Israel. For followers of Christ, this means the kingdom of God.

Salvation Belongs to God

2010-12-01T11:24:00.000-05:00

The Story of Scripture: Salvation Belongs to God
Exodus 14:10-31, Luke 21:5-19, Revelation 7:7-19

Superbowls belong to the Steelers.
Cheesesteaks belong to Pat’s.
Cars belong to Ford.
Soft drinks belong to Pepsi.
Big box stores belong to Walmart.

Or is it that
Superbowls belong to the 49ers.
Cheesesteaks belong to Geno’s.
Cars belong to Chevy.
Soft drinks belong to Coca Cola.
Big Box stores belong to Target.

Make no mistake: Salvation belongs to God. And there is no second choice. There is no competition.

Story of Scripture so far: creation, prohibition ignored, family dysfunction, start over in Noah, Abraham given covenant. Isaac son of promise, Jacob and Esau more dysfunction, Joseph’s providential care, the Hebrews in Egypt, Moses’ miraculous birth.

This week: some of the things I’ve been thinking about include:
· A church directory from 1991 in which Kirk Bingamen’s pastors article talked about the sacred being attacked by the secular. But Salvation does belong to God.

· In our study of World Religions during Friday Bible Study:
Hinduism: oppression of the caste system and the karma:
But Salvation Belongs to God.

· In preparation of this sermon: Egypt acts as the oppressor and enacts slavery upon the Hebrew people. But salvation belongs to God.

· Watching television, I caught the last episode of God in America: Exodus was the inspiration for MLK, and how one time they prayed, and then walked through the cops without harm.
Salvation belongs to God.

Exodus: Salvation Belongs to God.
Exodus is the salvation event of the Hebrew Story.

The Exodus is the central part of the story of God’s saving the Hebrew people:
Promised land. Slavery. Promised Deliverence. Wilderness. Promised land.

The Exodus becomes a model of salvation we find in Christ,
Promises of God. Freedom from slavery. Salvation by Christ. Journey through wilderness, kingdom of God.

· The darkness of the dilemma: v 10-12
· The vision from Moses 13-14
· God’s command and plan 15-18 (also note: Why are you crying out to me?)
· The cloud of God’s protection 19-20
· The waters divide, the people cross and the Egyptians are overcome 21-28
· The testimony 29-31

Salvation belongs to God.

Luke: Salvation Belongs to God, not the ways of the world
The beauty and majesty of human achievement does not save. 5-6
The false promises of teachers does not save. 8-9
The skewed plans of the nations do not save 10-11
The plans of evil men will not save 12

In the midst of these things, God will save. We live in the world answering to the name of our God (12). We witness about this God to the world (13). We know this God throughout difficult seasons (14). We find wisdom from this God to navigate difficult decisions (15). Some might even give the ultimate sacrifice for this God (16). You might be hated and disregarded because of this God (17). But in this God, not a hair of your head will perish (18). And standing firm upon this God leads to everlasting life (19). Salvation belongs to God.

Revelation: Salvation Belongs to God in Christ

The diversity of the saved in their new home (9)
The song of the saved (10)
The connection to redeemed creation (11)
The song of the cosmos (12)
Remembering what we have been rescued from (13-14)
What salvation means (15-17)
· Before God’s throne
· Service day and night forever
· No more…hunger, thirst, heat
· With the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ
· Led to springs of living water
· Every tear wiped away.

Martin Luther King's I have a dream speech was originally entitled “Normalcy, never again”. This is a great description of the life we are called to live for the Lord.
Salvation belongs to God. He will see it through. It is real. It is coming. There is no competition. There is no second choice.

Called In, Called Out

2010-12-01T11:21:00.002-05:00

The Story of Scripture: Called Out, Called In
Exodus 1-2:10, John 3:1-17

Called Out: of Egypt, of slavery

Last week, we left off with the story of Joseph and his 11 brothers. Joseph, through a series of providential circumstances, Joseph finds himself second in command to Pharaoh in the Egyptian kingdom. He brings his 11 brothers and their families to live in Egypt during a severe famine.

Over time, we read that there was not acclamation into society. The Hebrews become slaves in Egypt. Several reasons are given: Hebrews were different than Egyptians, their population grows at a rapid rate, and the perception of a possible political/war alliance against Egypt poses as threat. The result is that life is made difficult for the Hebrews.

The Scripture says that it was more than difficult. The Egyptians were ruthless in the way they treated people. Ruth is compassion for the misery of another. Ruthlessness is to be merciless and cruel.

Way back in the story: God had said: This is the land I will give you. Egypt was not that land. Canaan, which would later be named Israel, was that land. And for whatever reason, they were not in Canaan in this point in the story. They were in Egypt. And that is part of the reason life is hard. The initial move provided for Joseph and his family, but then after his death, when “one who did not know Joseph” came to power, the Hebrews became slaves.

Would they get out of Egypt? If so, how would you even begin?
The process of being called out starts with the birth of a baby…and the sovereign-laden unfolding of the details. God was in these details.

The world is a harsh place.
When threatened by growth, the pharaoh institutes an evil genocide of the baby male population. He commands the midwives to participate in his murderous ways.

At this point, it is important to think about our world. Our world can also be a harsh place for millions and millions of people. Cries against injustice go up to God. Pleas for mercy extend from one suffering person to their fellow citizens. In our country, we have so much, but there is nonetheless a different kind of harshness. Our harshness is borne, not out of poverty, but out of abundance. As people of faith, we live amidst harshness, but are called to answer it with the way of the Lord.

God’s servants are strategically planted in a harsh world.
The midwives, however feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do, they let the boys live.
This is an amazing act of faith on the part of the midwives, even to the point of risking their personal safety when they have to answer to Pharaoh. “What happened?” asks the Pharaoh, to which the midwives respond, those Hebrews deliver their babies quite quickly. What can you say to that?

When Moses is born, his mother is able to protect him and keep him under the radar for three months, but then she must make a decision that is unfathomable. But she entrusts a little baby to a big river, and asks God that the river will guide this little one to safety. Moses’ sister walks along the river as the basket flows, adding her prayers and watchful anticipation.

Pharaoh’s daughter and Miriam, Moses’ sister
The river leads this baby to the daughter of Pharaoh, she has compassion within her heart, and will see that the baby is taken care of. “This is one of the Hebrew babies” she says. She could have followed that statement by demanding that her father’s decision be honored. Instead, she looks down and sees a little girl, who kindly offers, would you like me to find someone to nurse the boy. The little girl was Moses’ sister, and conveniently enough, she knew of someone who could nurse Moses.

And so a mother, who out of desperation, casts her baby into the wild unknown to preserve his life, find that life preserved and indeed, finds her baby back in her arms, at least for a few more years.

Next week, we will focus what Moses does when he grows up. But today, if no one else, Moses’ mother and sister must have known how special he was. What is the first step toward overcoming a struggle? Hope. And the struggle of the enslavement of a people: still hope. And whatever mountains and obstacles and struggles and barriers we face today: hope. Hope. One day, one hour at a time: Hope.

For the Hebrews were ultimately to be called out of slavery, and out of the land of Egypt. This story from history becomes a model in the Bible for all the people of faith. The Hebrews were called out of slavery, out of Egypt, into a promised land. Today, we live by the same model, we are called out of slavery to sin, out of the world, and into the promised land. This promised land is gained through Christ.

Called in: through Christ

What direction are you looking in?
We are to look in many directions throughout our faith:
Down in humility
Around with compassion
But primarily, You and I are called to look up
We are to look up to Jesus this day.

Nicodemus and his Encounter with Jesus
Nicodemus helps seekers throughout the generations meet the one who gives eternal life.
Nicodemus comes at night, when he wouldn’t be seen. He comes as a teacher of Israel, who should not have associated himself with this radical Jesus, who was challenging the religious establishment. He comes with questions. He comes not fully understanding what Jesus was saying. But yet, at the end of the day, he comes. And in doing so, he speaks to us, saying, you should come. You should look to Jesus.

· Looking to Jesus is a spiritual, not a physical birth.
Like birth, there is struggle, but looking to Jesus will create a spiritual
birth in our hearts. Spiritual birth is about the birth of the heart, the birth of our spirit
into a new relationship with the Holy Spirit of God.
· Looking to Jesus involves Trust.
Faith is like the wind: you don’t know when it comes or goes, you can’t predict it. It is
difficult to explain.

· Looking to Jesus is about the object of our faith: in this case, a person.

· Looking to Jesus is about eternal life.

· God is interested in his people finding eternal life. Not to condemn, but to bring eternal life to all who believe.

Moses reference: provides a way for disobedient nation to be forgiven their sins, requires them to look up and not around. The story involves the grumbling people of Israel who had seen God provide for them, but after a while, the provision was taken for granted. The people became comfortable in their abundance. And so they complained to their leader and they complained about God. God sent snakes to bite the people, and some of them lost their life. But the snakes cause a little urgency, and the people ask Moses to pray for them. God tells Moses, here is how they will find healing: put a bronze snake on a pole and have the people look up. If they have enough sense to just look up, they will be healed.

A bronze snake put the people face to face with their problem. They had to look at their problem. And when they did, they found the answer.

It is easy for most people to run from the problem. To avoid it. It takes a certain amount of faith to look at the problem. But just as Moses lifted up a snake in the wilderness, Jesus was lifted up on a cross. And people had to look at the problem, the problem of sin. And all that do, even if it hurts at first, it points us to the one who overcame sin: Jesus Christ. And when we come to him, and look at him, and believe in him, we will live forever.

A Man Named Joe

2010-12-01T11:18:00.002-05:00

A Man Named Joe
Genesis 50:15-21, Luke 19:1-10, II Thessalonians 1:1-4

Joseph looks at his brothers and says: You intended to harm me, but God intended for good to accomplish what it is now doing.

Now that is a line that reality tv shows search for. 19 Kids & Counting, Kate Plus Eight. The Jackson family…they got nothing on this bible verse.

The Story of Scripture…So Far:
A promise given, believed and seen
Promise given by God. Believed by people and seen in the world.
Creation as good
Humanity violating prohibition
Family furthering dysfunction
Noah: God’s new beginning
Abraham and a promise
Abraham believes the promise
Isaac: a child of promise
Jacob & Esau: blessing & curses

Today, Joseph, who I will call Joe. Do you remember Joe the plumber, the famous player in the 2008 presidential election? Well, we have another Joe today. A man named Joe.

Genesis: A Man Named Joe
If you like soap opera’s, then this family tree is something you will love.

Today’s Scripture reading is near the end of Joe’s story. The plot of the reading is that brothers are fearful that Joe will punish them now that their father Jacob has passed.

Background:
· Jacob (who is renamed Israel) sees the woman of his dreams: Rachel. He negotiates 7
years of labor for his Uncle Laban for her hand in marriage.
· Jacob is deceived by his Uncle into marrying Leah, then works for Leah’s sister Rachel.
· Jacob has 12 sons, by four different women: Leah (first 4), Rachel’s Maidservant Bilhah
(2), Leah’s maidservant Zilpah (2), Leah again (2, 6 overall) and Rachel (2).
· Rachel’s oldest Son is Joseph.
· Joseph was the honored son in Jacob’s eyes (33:3: in rear with Rachel as he meets Esau)
· Rachel dies in giving birth to Joseph’s brother, Benjamin

One point of all this: these 12 tribes, with different, competitive, insecure backgrounds, bring their family story into the mix.

Joseph
· 37:4: When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they
hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.
· his dreams: sheaves of wheat, stars and sun/moon.
· the plot to kill Joseph, the cistern alternative/sell to the merchants and fake his death
· Joseph is sold by merchants to Potipher a leader in Egypt
· Joseph and Potipher’s wife, he is thrown in jail, gains trust of warden
· the dream of the cupbearer and the baker (cupbearer forgets Joe)
· 2 years pass, Pharaoh has a dream “Today I am reminded of my shortcomings” the
cupbearer says)
· Joe speaks to Pharaoh about a coming drought/famine and advice for overcoming it,
pharaoh acknowledges wisdom, puts him in charge of palace and the land of Egypt
· Joseph leads wisely and navigates the people through the famine
· people from throughout the world visit Egypt, includes the 10 sons of Israel, looking for
food (Benjamin was kept at home the first time)
· a series of stories in which Joseph {teaches his brothers a lesson}
· Joseph reveals himself to his brothers
· the sons return to the land to get Jacob and all of the families, surviving the famine (and
ironically, setting up slavery)
· Jacob blesses Joseph’s sons as he is dying then Jacob blesses his sons
· Jacob dies, leading to the story today

At the end of the day, this is a really incredible story, with unbelievable ups and downs. But it is also a very human story, universal in its appeal.

Emotions/Situations that You and Joe have in common
--do you feel disliked?
--do you feel betrayed?
--do you feel unsafe?
--do you feel snubbed?
--do you feel forgotten?

Ways to you and Joe can honor God
*integrity when tempted (literal running away when necessary)
*waiting patiently when things are down
*speaking to those in power, even if with trepidation
*having wisdom to navigate difficult situations
*the courage to show who you are and resolve differences
*trust in the sovereignty of God (God meant it for good)
*the desire to have your loved ones blessed.

Luke: Jesus Names and Renames Zacchaeus
Salvation comes to an unexpecting house.
A wealthy man (by shady and culturally rejected means) is interested in Jesus as he comes through town. Goes to humble means to see him (climbing the tree). Jesus says come down: I’m staying with you.
What would you do in order to see Jesus?

The presence of Jesus, and that encounter, changes Zacchaeus for the good. He rights his wrongs. And through Jesus, salvation comes to him and his house.
What would you say to Jesus

Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. We are named and called by Jesus. And when we respond, are given our titles we had lost or misplaced: children of the living God, children of the king, sons and daughters of the living God.

II Thessalonians: Men and Women Named…
If Joseph is a story that speaks to all of us, and Zaccheus is given back his true name of Son of Abraham, then what about us? What are the religious titles that we bear? Paul’s words give us a few clues.
· A church
· Followers of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
· people of peace and grace
· people of a growing faith
· people of an increasing love
· people of a persevering hope

Today, is Reformation Sunday. Tomorrow is All Saints Day
The story of the church is that a bunch of men and women with everyday names like Joe who have changed the world. The world is changed for good when we remember the core of our faith, (as the reformers did five hundred years ago): Scripture Alone, Faith Alone, Grace Alone. We remember the saints who have gone into the presence of God.

Today, faith, hope and love
Tomorrow: a gift given by God
Forever: held in the arms of the Almighty

Abraham, the Early Years

2010-12-01T11:14:00.002-05:00

The Story of Scripture: Abraham, the Early Years
Chapter 5: the Early Years

Today, we celebrate World Communion Sunday, which is a reminder that the family of Christ extends throughout the world. Today in our year long story of Scripture, we learn of Abraham, by whom the promise that God’s blessing will reach to the ends of the earth

So far in the story of Scripture: Creation, Fall, Cain, Flood.
Today, the story turns. We move from nations to nation. From humanity to a chosen people.
The tower of babel, and its attempts to throw off the power of God, are replaced by the hopes of one family and its faith.

Genesis 12:1-9
The Promise: I will make you into a great nation.
The problem with the promise: 11:30, “now Sarai was barren; she had no children”
There is humor in my title: The early years: we meet Abram when he was 75.

The Story of Scripture and the Story of Abram and Sarai are really the same story: the story of a promise from God. The promise requires faith.
Will God keep it? Will they believe it?

The promise: FROM GOD
I will make you into a great nation
I will bless you
I will make your name great
I will bless those who bless youI will curse those who curse you

Walter Brueggeman writes,
The promise of land is to a landless people
The promise of an heir is made to a barren, hopeless couple.

How do you make a future when there is no foreseeable options?
For this question, we must turn to our Seinfeld friend, George Costanza.
KRAMER (moves over and sits next to George): Do you ever yearn?
GEORGE: Yearn? Do I yearn?
KRAMER: I yearn.
GEORGE: You yearn.
KRAMER: Oh, yes. Yes, I yearn. Often, I...I sit...and yearn. Have you yearned?
GEORGE: Well, not recently. I craved. I crave all the time, constant craving...but I haven't yearned.
KRAMER (in disgust): Look at you.
GEORGE: Aw, Kramer, don't start...
KRAMER (moving back to the othe side of the booth): You're wasting your life.
GEORGE: I am not! What you call wasting, I call living! I'm living my life!
KRAMER: O.K., like what? No, tell me! Do you have a job?
GEORGE: No.
KRAMER: You got money?
GEORGE: No.
KRAMER: Do you have a woman?
GEORGE: No.
KRAMER: Do you have any prospects?
GEORGE: No.
KRAMER: You got anything on the horizon?
GEORGE: Uh...no.
KRAMER: Do you have any action at all?
GEORGE: No.
KRAMER: Do you have any conceivable reason for even getting up in the morning?
GEORGE: I like to get the Daily News!

Like George, Abraham's data in his story did not look well. That is, if we forget the main character of the story> God is the main character.
In the midst of the dry land comes life giving water. In the midst of the barrenness comes hope.
God does his work apart from the human perspective, and human means of accomplishment.
“to stay in safety is to remain barren; to leave in risk is to have hope.” (B, 118)
And so Abram and his family get up and go.
Ironically,
Abraham intermingles with nations in the narrative: Egypt, Melchizadek, Moab, Ammon.
(just like the promise said).

12:9-20
And then, very quickly: “unfaith”
The promised land becomes famine land. And Abraham and family go to Egypt.
Between the characters and their speeches, comes the entrance of God.
At first, it seems unfair.
“Abraham’s shabby actions does bring curse” (Brueggeman, 129)
(just as the promise said)

Romans 4:13-25
Remember, it is God.
“God giving life to the dead and calling things that are not as though they were.”
“Against all hope, Abraham had hope in God.”
“He did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God.”
“Being fully persuaded that God had the power to do what he had promised”

Luke 16:19-31
Abraham emerges as one of the most influential characters in the Bible.
Jesus uses the image of Father of many nations, in a story about the afterlife.
Abraham shares to the rich man: that if you do not believe the words of God, you would not believe the works of God.
(just like Abraham did)

Conclusion
What is the choice?
“The story of Abraham and Sarah put a crisis before humanity. It is the crisis of deciding to live either for the promise, and so disengaging from the present barren way of things, or to live against the promise, holding on grimly to the present ordering of life.” (Brueggeman, 113)
What are we to do today?
Seeing the promise. And,
Live By faith

post season predictions

2010-10-03T19:59:00.002-04:00

My predictions for the upcoming season.

Based upon my pre-season predictions, I picked 3 out of the four NL participants, not seeing the emergence of the Reds. In the AL, I predicted 2 out of the four, suprised by the Rays and Rangers. Really, if the Sox hadn't been hit by the worst injury outbreak that I have ever witnessed, they probably would still be playing.

Phils over reds in three.
Giants over braves in four.

Phils over Giants in five.

Twins over Yanks in five.
Rays over Rangers in five.

Rays over Twins in six.

Phils over Rays in five.

This year, I actually have some sense of reason for being a homer.

Baseball Regular Season Predictions

2010-10-03T18:48:00.004-04:00

Well, as promised, a followup to my regular season predictions. I'll keep my original predicted order, original predictions, final results, (final order), and games I was off by.

NL EAST

Phillies, 91-71, 97-65, six

Braves 89-73, 91-71, two

Marlins 84-78, 80-82, four

Mets 81-81, 79-83, two

Nats 71-91, 69-93, two

.NL CENTRAL

Cards 90-72, 86-76 (2nd place), four

Cubs 85-77, 75-87 (5th place), ten

Brewers 84-78, 77-85, seven

Reds 78-84, 91-71 (1st place), thirteen

Astros 77-85, 76-86 (4th place), one

Pirates 63-99, 57-105, six

NL WEST

Giants 87-75, 92-70 (1st), five

Rockies 86-76, 83-79 (3rd), three

Dodgers 85-77, 80-82 (4th), five

Diamondbacks 74-88, 65-97, (5th), eleven

Padres 71-91, 90-72 (2nd), nineteen

AL EAST

Sox 95-67, 89-73 (3rd place), six

Yanks 94-68, 95-67, one

Rays 85- 77, 96-66 (1st place), nine

O's 70-92, 66-96 (5th place), four

Jays 68-94,85-77 (4th place), seventeen

AL CENTRAL

Twins 88-74, 94-68, six

Tigers 86-76, 81-81 (3rd), five

W. Sox 82-80, 88-74 (2nd), six

Royals 71-91, 67-95 (5th), four

Indians 66-96, 69-93 (4th), three

AL WEST

Angels 85-77, 80-82, (3rd), five

M's 83-79, 61-101, (4th), twenty-two

Rangers 81-81, 90-72 (1st), nine

A's 79-83, 81-81 (2nd), two

Fuve Biggest Swings and Misses:

Mariners, 22 off, signings didn't pan out, no offense.

Padres, 19, wow. good for them. good pitching. Maybe they will build on it.

blue Jays, 17. Good for them. Especially in a tough AL east

Reds, 13. They proved me wrong. Good job!

Diamondbacks, 11. Who cares.

My next post will be postseason predictions. I have to give it about 45 seconds of deep thought.

The Story of Scripture: Out of the Flood

2010-09-30T15:22:00.002-04:00

The Story of Scripture: Out of the Flood
Chapter 4: the Flood

Genesis 6:5-22, Genesis 9:7-17, Luke 24:1-12

In various religious and cultural literature, there are multiple accounts of a major flood that filled the earth. But today’s story is not about history, rather, its value is as a story about God. What do we learn about God in this story?

The tragedy of the flood
--tragic because of the expansion of wickedness
--Tragic because the Lord was grieved that he had made man, and his heart was
filled with pain.
--tragic that this event God said needed to happen. (6:7, 6:13)
--hopeful and holy in that God will fulfill his purposes for creation.

The Flood is not the end of the story. What comes out of the flood?
Out of the Flood: A new beginning. New life. A new humanity. New respect for human life. A New covenant. A new promise never to leave.

This idea of God declaring in new ways his faithfulness to humankind helps us understand some earlier references in the story of Scripture.
In the Garden of Eden; humans were placed out of the presence of the Lord.
In the story of Cain: he is cast out of the presence of the Lord.
Post-flood, we no longer hear or read of stories of people out of the presence of God. The template for God's patience and dealings with humankind are summed up by the biblical promise:
Never will I leave you. Never will I forsake you.
Another example, comes to us in Paul's Romans 8 passage, where we are reminded that things like angels, demons, heights and depths do not have the power to separate us from the love of God.

Our stories today focus us on two people: Noah and Peter:
“It is ironic that at the moment of passion and impending death, embodied faith first appears in the world” (Walter Brueggeman, pg. 80). Noah, in a time of extreme darkness, becomes a light that God sees. Peter, when the moments are darkest for the disciples, wonders about the news the women tell him and his fellow disciples.

These two stories tell of a New humanity that emerges out of judged humanity.

Noah: I’m sure he must have wondered as he built his boat.
Peter: he wondered too. Later in his life, he wrote some letters.

Noah in the New Testament: speaks to
Resurrection
Baptism I Peter 3:13-22
Second Coming II Peter 2:4-10, 3:3-15

God’s ultimate expression of never leaving us was through Jesus coming to us, being God in human flesh. And after sacrifice for sin, the new life of Christ.

Resurrection: another type of never again.
In the Resurrection story, we find: new life, new humanity, God’s care for all life, communion as the new cup and bread.

What do you do when the whole world has changed before your eyes?
--you come before God.
--you come to see what was promised.
--a rainbow
--a promise of never again.
--a promise for you and for those around you.
--a promise for those around you and for all creation.

Chaos is not the last word. God has the last word. And what is that word: the power, faithfulness, kindness and grace of the Lord. In the middle of the flood story, we read in 8:1: "And God remembered Noah."
Out of the flood, we find grace and mercy. Praise be to God.

The Story of Scripture: Family Systems

2010-09-22T12:52:00.002-04:00

The Story of Scripture
Chapter 3: Family Systems: Cain & Abel

Has something ever come out of your mouth, and you think to yourself, "Did I just say that?".
This also happened to the people in Scripture.

Did I Say That?
1. Peter: I will never deny you Lord.
2. Disciples: Which One of Us is the Greatest?
3. Mother of James and John: I’d like my one son to rule at your right hand.
4. Sarah: I did not laugh.
5. Am I My Brother’s Keeper?

We continue of Story of Scripture. So far we have learned about
Creation: God said it was good.
Fall: The purpose and permission for humanity is compromised.

Today, we see some dynamics from the 'first family.' The human family expands, as do the problems for humanity.

In the story of Cain and Abel, we see the
Randomness of offerings: the rejection by God of Cain's offering. Why was this offering rejected?
Cain’s choice: anger or righteousness (James 1)
The power of sin: Lurking, desiring.
You must rule over it is a command, while some see it as a promise.
Original intent: rule over creation
Post-fall: rule over sin

When God first approaches Cain after his murder, two things happen.
Lies: I don’t know
Misdirection: Am I my brother's keeper?

The short answer for humanity is 'yes', we are called to care for our brother. Each person is an individual, but we are connected as children of God.

The power of judgment:
More toil, fruitless
Restlessness, wandering
Hidden from God’s presence
Death and vengeance
Mark: Protected, and exemplified. Shame and security Walter Brueggeman writes about Cain, “He is protected, but far from home and without the promise of homecoming.”

Matthew 5:21-26 is a passage where Jesus picks up on this theme of the murder of brother/or sister.

In today's Gospel Parable
Peter feels the power to forgive 7 times is generous: Jesus expands that greatly, by saying that 77 times where one forgives is the new standard.
The parable is about God's kingdom: A kingdom where God demands justice, righteousness, neighborliness, forgiveness and mercy

Cain Interpreted: I John

How do we know we are right? Love that flows from faith
What is love?
Jesus Christ laid down his life. And we do the same.
Possessions
Pity
Actions and truth more than words

Walter Brueggeman writes:
Most days we would choose {anything} rather than face the brother. But the gospel is uncompromising. The promises are linked to the brother and will be had no other way. It is a mystery that the gift of new life is so close at hand, present in the neighbor. So close at hand but so resisted. We do not readily embrace such a mystery. Perhaps that is the reason sin waits so eagerly.

To Be Fair

2010-09-14T14:18:00.002-04:00

I realized that in my last two posts, I did not give appropriate reference to the enjoyable commentary I am reading.

Walter Brueggeman, Genesis: The Interpretation Series, John Knox Press, 1982.

This is a very enjoyable commentary. I find the whole Intepretation Series a beneficial read. It is a nice balance of scholarly, pastoral and informative reading.

Thanks for your patience in this matter.

Kean students, sorry folks, despite my mistake, you will need to source your research for your papers appropriately!

The Story of Scripture: The Fall

2010-09-14T14:05:00.002-04:00

The Story of Scripture
Chapter 2: The Fall

Genesis 2 and 3, John 3:16-21, Romans 5:12-21

Today's story is about the Tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil. We still live with a fair amount of uncertainty when it comes to what we must know in this world.

On the one hand, they say, Ignorance is bliss.
But on the other, Knowledge is power.
Is there a middle way for the people of faith?
Trust is our calling.
Trust knows and knows when it doesn’t know.
Trust in the Lord is our calling.

Genesis:
Brueggeman (40):
Delightful creation is finished. Sabbath is celebrated as a sign of new life. Now human destiny in that world must be faced. The destiny of the human creature is to live in God’s world, not a world of his/her own making. The human creation is to live with God’s other creatures, some of which are dangerous, but all of which are to be ruled and cared for. The destiny of the human creation is to live in God’s world, with God’s other creatures, on God’s terms.

Last week: we began our series on the Story of Scripture. We read of creation and God's reaction to the creation: it was good, it was very good. And it was so.
This week: The story of beginnings continues. Both good and bad.
Interesting enough, when it comes to Evil: The narrative gives no explanation for evil. The OT is not concerned with origins, but with faithful responses and effective coping. (Brueggeman, 41)
The anxiety of life

Brueggeman’s 4 Dramas
1. man in the garden
2. the formation of a helper
3. the disruption in the garden
4. judgment and expulsion

2:15-17
Purpose: take care of the garden
Permission eat from the fruit
Prohibition don’t eat from the tree of knowledge of good/evil

The succumbing to the serpent:
Loses purpose, abuses permission and violates the prohibition.
The result of which is sin, death and an anxiety-filled life.

Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (no other place in Scripture)
Be careful what you wish for.
“They now know more than they could have wanted to know, and there is no place to run” (49)

5 Questions That I Have
1. Why do we add to God’s words 3:3?

2. Why do we blame 3:12?

3. Why is God making clothes 3:21?

4. Who is God talking to 3:22?

5. Why is living forever bad in 3: 22?
Because we were marred by sin. And sin cannot dwell in the presence of God. It reminds me of the series finale of the TV show Alias. The bad guy (Sloan) had been searching for the formula to everlasting life, and he found it. The good guy (Jack), is trying to get the formula away from his maddened friend. Sloan takes the formula, and will now live forever. But Sloan had been doing evil. So Jack throws an explosive into the cave in which cave in which Sloan is, and the boulders come crashing around him. Sloan got what he wanted: to live forever, but at what price? And was there a better way?

John: Jesus Answers for Us
We learn in the gospel that God has a plan for us to live forever, in Christ-like bodies. We learn that we are not to perish. We learn that God does not desire to condemn

God loves the world, despite its state of fallenness. The perfection that he places upon fallen creatures is his perfection.

Romans: The Two Man Group.
The first man is Adam, the prototype of humanity.
1 man + 1 sin=death in this world (for all have sinned)
The second man is Jesus, God’s desire for humanity.
1 man + 1 free gift=life (for all justified by faith)

There was a fall. But God will get us up. It is called salvation. It is resurrection to new life.

The Story of Scripture: Creation

2010-09-09T10:27:00.003-04:00

The Story of Scripture: It’s All Good
Chapter 1: Creation

Genesis 1:1-2:3, Mark 4:35-41, II Corinthians 5:16-21

Every story has a beginning.

As I was preparing to write my sermon about the Creation, my eyes moved toward the latest news on my webpage. In bold lettering, in the corner of the screen was the headline:

Hawking Says God Did Not Create Universe.

Boy, I am glad that I read that before sitting down to write my sermon.

First of all, the article wasn’t that bad. Hawking is not denying the existence of God, but rather, if God is needed for creation to occur. But the interesting part was reading some of the comments in response to the article.

You know posted comments are like potato chips. You can’t eat just one. And you can’t read just one.

Well, these posts had it all. People were sending Mr. Hawking to hell (as if that is in their power). Others were mocking religion. There were bible quotes from Revelation about the end of time. I could have spent hours.

We have a story that captivates our attention, in addition to provoking debates and chat room name calling. In part, the story is so captivating because of its simplicity. But the world we live in today is not that simple.

There is a reason that in these chat rooms believers are feeling overly defensive and self-described rational beings are mocking faith as a viable explanation of how things came to be.

In the Medieval world, theology was the Queen of the Sciences. Now by sciences, we mean intellectual fields of study, or disciplines. Scholars considered theology as the umbrella which covered all human learning and where all other fields of learning found their place.

In the Modern world, and now in the post-modern world, Science and Mathematics are the Queen of the Sciences. And this is because in the last 300 years, humans have moved toward wanted to define determine and describe. Knowledge is king. And those who know yield the power.

And those who know demand that the words of Genesis 1 cannot describe how the beginning came to be. Meanwhile, believers want to defend Genesis 1 as a viable way, and have tried to force the story into something it is not.

Science.

Now please understand. I do not believe science and faith are enemies. But the story before us today is a beautiful beginning to a majestic book. It is not the first page of a “How to Build a Car Engine” manual. It is not technical language, but an invitation to see Creator, watching creating, be creation. Have you ever opened a book, and then it loses you within the first page or two. You don’t want to read it because you are lost shortly upon beginning the story. What if the Bible were to do this?

Problems arise when people force this story to be something it is not, and in doing so, ruin the original beauty of the story. Growing up, I was a huge Star Wars fan. I watched the movies, played with the action figures, the whole nine yards. But then the original three movies weren’t enough for the Star Wars enterprise. And the idea of a “prequel” came to be. “Let’s make a movie about the time and events that happened before the first movie”. And one of the horrible outcomes of this idea was a character named Jar-Jar Binks. I shudder to even mention the name. But folks, the truth is SOMETIMES, you can’t improve on the original. And when you force something onto the original, it can get ugly…fast. I wonder about forcing science into a story that had other purposes. Let us let it be, and stand for what it is worth.

So really, those chat rooms are a larger question about Scripture and Science (science being, human fields of learning). Can they work together? If so, how?

Well, I’m glad you came today, because I want to tell you four possible combinations that I believe are incorrect. And then I’ll present the correct relationship to you.

1. Scripture alone, with no regard for other fields
2. Other fields, with no regard for Scripture
3. Scripture and other fields as equals, as if there is no difference to any of them.

4. Scripture and other fields competing against each other.

I believe all fields of learning tell truth. And all truth belongs to God. How do we balance Faith and fields of human learning? Scripture and Science? Other fields interpret and support the premise of Scripture. That is, God is King, Theology is the Queen and mystery is our spirit.

We remember God. God is. God is attested to in Scripture, and Scripture is interpreted by knowledge of sciences. In short, we have a faith that seeks understanding.

As Stanley Hauerwas declares, Where the theology is true and the science is accurate, there is no discontinuity between the two.

So I would respectfully disagree with Stephen Hawking: God did create the universe. I would also affirm Mr. Hawkings contributions and attempts to help people understand how that might have happened.

In this story, which is the first of our year long pursuit of understanding the Story of Scripture, we quickly and clearly see God established in the story, a God who was, and is, and is to come. We see purpose and a plan for human beings, readers and hearers and participants of this story. We see the Creator. We see the Creator creating. We see the creation.

Why did the writer write Genesis 1?
1. It is a memory devise. This story was written in a world with no kindles and no Gideons. The story is one to be repeated and remembered. Days 4-6 mirror and complete Days 1-3.
2. To identify who is the most important character in this story
3. All creation bows to one more superior (and the idea of humans subduing the earth is a pre-fall call)
4. Male and female are made in image of God (though God is not made in our image, that is idolatry)
5. God’s intent for the creation: Be fruitful and multiply.
6. To show that God liked the original creation (in fact, there is more than liking, there is delight)
7. God’s work and God’s rest is a pattern for us
As Walter Brueggeman writes, “The creator did not spend his six days of work in coercion but in faithful invitation. God does not spend the seventh day in exhaustion but in serenity and peace.”

What is God trying to say to us in Genesis 1 and today’s scriptures?
1. Sin is not the ultimate definition of who we are. God is.
2. The earth around us is not our enemy, but rather a partner in the worship and service of God
3. There is a divide between the first chapter, and the other 1100 chapters of the Bible…this is the way it was supposed to be (One of the more clever book titles was a theological book on sin by an author named Plantinga: Not the Way it was Supposed to be)
4. If the world isn’t the way it was supposed to be: then how do we get back to what is right? (This is where the passage of II Corinthians comes in. God reconciles the world to himself through Christ.)
5. Jesus modeled God to us: he was surprised when the disciples did not believe in him as the authority over the waves. (Jesus also shows us the closeness and distance between Creator and Created)
6. The creation is moving toward new creation.
7. Little new creations (you and I) bear witness to the big new creation.

At the end of the Day: It is as simple as three words.
Creator creates creation.

We believe in God, the Maker of heaven and earth.
We affirm the goodness of creating.
We are creatures who answer to the Creator.

Amen.

My Fantasy Football Team

2010-08-31T21:22:00.005-04:00

Well folks, the winning team was just drafted. Unfortunately, I also was drafting in his league. The system is you get $260 fake dollars to bid on players.

Here is my team, with valuable football related comments.

QB: Matt Schaub, will throw crazy numbers for the best 8-8 team
in the NFL.
RB: LeSean McCoy, the reason I always do "pretty good" is that
I get 4-5 backs that are all "pretty good", instead of 1 or 2 studs.
RB: Jon Stewart, teams with Stephen Colbert for the best
(and funniest) backfield in football.
WR: Marques Colsten, Hofstra stud
WR: Calvin Johnson, the first and last names of the best 20th
century democratic presidents (minus Kennedy, Truman, and
perhaps Clinton...and Roosevelt, and Wilson, well, you get the picture)*
WR: Roddy White, got stuck with him trying to make someone else
overpay. Will probably be my best player
TE: Vernon Davis, I think Mike Singletary is a great coach.
D: Philadelphia Eagles, really didn't want them, but their special teams should be good.
K: Nate Kaeding, he stinks in the playoffs, but fantasy is about the regular season.

Bench:
QB: Joe Flacco: Go Delaware Joe!
RB: Fred Jackson, really enjoy tough players like him
RB: Thomas Jones, really enjoy tough players like him
RB: Clinton Portis, see democratic comment above
WR: Wes Welker, should put up good numbers
WR: Dwayne Bowe, KC has some really good offensive players
TE: Brent Celek. I have the best tight end duo in the league. GO IT'S ALL GOOD!

So, all in all, I am pretty happy with my team. I had $13 left over to bid on a kicker, which no one ever pays more than a $1 for. But that is ok. It's All Good should finish with a solid 11-5 season. If only the Eagles could do that good!

*by the way, Calvin Coolidge was a republican. And don't tell me you knew that. You didn't know that.

Tom Napatano, I'm pulling for you

2010-08-31T15:34:00.004-04:00

One of my students last semester was a proud Jets fan. And I was very happy for him when the Jets went to the championship game. Tom had enjoyed my baseball predictions (which I will review at seasons end) and I told him that I also would make football predictions (which I will also review at season's end).

AFC EAST

Jets 9-7, I'm not sold on Sanchez yet.

Patriots 9-7, Will the defense be there?

Dolphins 9-7, Heading in the right direction.

Bills 6-10, I wish they were heading in the right direction*

AFC NORTH

Ravens 10-6, Better offensive team than defensive?

Bengals 9-7, hot pick, but like the Reds this past spring, prove it (which they are!)

Steelers 8-8, I think Ben's 4 game suspension hurts them.

Browns 7-9, I think they are getting better.

AFC SOUTH

Colts 11-5, should be fine.

Titans 9-7, Vince Young does win. We'll see.

Texans 8-8, should be .500, again

Jaguars 5-11. Probably will win the super bowl.

AFC WEST

Chargers 10-6, Leader in talent and crazy troubles.

Chiefs 8-8, getting better.

Raiders 8-8, getter better.

Broncos 6-10, not getting better.

*I used to live in Western NY and know how important the Bills are to that region. I hope I am wrong. Every year there is at least one or two suprise teams.

Playoffs:

1. Colts 2. Chargers 3. Ravens 4. Jets 5. Bengals 6. Patriots

Ravens crush Patriots. Again.

Jets crush Bengals. Again.

Chargers beat the Ravens 13-12.

Colts beat the Jets, 31-28.

Chargers beat the Colts. 38-31.

NFC EAST

Cowboys 10-6. Can't honestly pick my Eagles above them.

Eagles 9-7. I liked McNabb. But I am also ready for Kolb.

Giants 8-8. Could be better...can't look at them objectively.

Redskins 8-8 McNabb helps, but they need another year.

NFC NORTH

Packers 10-6. Heading in right direction.

Vikings 9-7. Favre misses 4 games to injury.

Lions 7-9. heading in right direction.

Bears 5-11, see Broncos.

NFC SOUTH

Saints 10-6, won't be as good, but won't be bad either.

Panthers 8-8, they are good every other year, just like the jints.

Falcons 7-9, see Bengals.

Buccaneers 4-12 who knows? Literally, who is on this team?

NFC WEST

49ers 10-6, I like Mike. Singletary.

Seahawks 8-8, I don't know.

Cardinals 8-8. I don't know.

Rams 3-13. I know.

1. Saints 2. Packers 3. Cowboys. 4. 49ers 5. Vikings 6. Eagles

Eagles pull the upset (Look for a Cowboys win in playoffs the following year)

49ers get payback for crazy favre throw last year.

Eagles get creamed by the Saints. 31-14

49ers lose to Pack, my wife cries. 21-20

Saints beat the Pack in a thriller, 37-34

Superbowl: Chargers over the Saints 27-24.

I think that the NFL is so unpredictable. In fact, sometimes I really get annoyed with the NFL because of that. But I'll go a little safe this year, nothing crazy.

So don't be suprised when the Jaguars beat the Redskins 42-28 to win the Superbowl.

I Love That Story

2010-08-31T15:22:00.003-04:00

I Love That Story
I Samuel 1:3-20, John 8:1-11, Acts 20:7-12

Who is the best story teller that you know?

I am grateful for two family members...
My Uncle David used to gather my three cousins and I when we were young and tell wonderful stories. They often would include some bathroom reference about my cousin Ryan, which, when you are seven years old, is very funny.

My dad was the story teller of the Indian Guides tribe I was apart of growing up. I would imagine he must have gained that job because he missed an organizational meeting or something like that, but I am grateful that he did the job.

Starting in the Fall, we are going to focus on story telling:
During our Friday Bible Study: We will learn the stories of the world's major religions, and how they relate. or are different from Christianity.

During our monthly LIGHT House gatherings, we will focus on the stories of our upbringing, while looking at the Family life cycles of leaving home, becoming married, raising children and living alone.

During Sunday Worship, my sermon series this year (from Sept. to July) will be the Story of Scripture, the most important story of all.
Story of Scripture

I picked three stories for today’s sermon: admittedly random selections. Until I saw the theme that binds them together, that of the ultimate story teller: God.

Samuel: Belonging to God
John: Forgiven and set free
Acts: Go and serve

In Samuel we have the story of the birth of the prophet, and of his strong and couragous mother Hannah: out of great struggle, an answer to prayer, which was promised in a very random way, Samuel was born.

The great good that came out of this story. Hannah learned what we all need to learn: we belong to God. As Scripture reminds us again and again: you are not your own. You belong to God.

In John, we see the woman caught in a sinful act who encounters the forgiveness of Jesus. We see religion combined with selfishness is sick. Jesus offers a different way. And with Jesus, once you meet him, it can’t be back to normal. Forgiveness sets free with new life, Christ’s life.

In Acts, we read a crazy story of a man falling down 3 flights of house after listening to Paul go "on and on and on" during a late night teaching with the believers of Ephesus. I was thinking about how boring Paul must have been to this young kid who fell asleep in the window sill. But whether or not something like this happened to us (my money is on it not having happened to you or I), the point of acts is that the Gospel story is so compelling it drives those who embrace and believe it. Paul taught because he believed. He went to serve because of his faith, a faith that had transformed him.

Ultimately, God is the story teller: of history, of the cosmos, and also of our lives.
God is the beginning.
God is sovereign: present and working for the world.
God takes the end and gives it a new beginning.

Today, we belong to God. Today is a chance to be forgiven and set free. Today’s call is to go and serve.

Seeking What is Good

2010-07-20T15:50:00.002-04:00

a summary of sermon on Colossians 3:1-17, using Micah 6:6-8 and Luke 10:38-42 as additional passages.

What are you seeking?

People seek all different types and sorts of things, feelings and experiences.
We have spiritual seeking of simplicity, joy and peace.
We seek more money, better employment and other mundane matters.
People seek items on Ebay.
Others seek my help in building farms and fighting the mafia on their facebook games---I have no idea what that is about.

All types of people seek many different types of things.

Today, we read the story of Martha and Mary, one working, one worshipping. Martha begs Jesus, "Tell her to help me". But Jesus sees that worship should not be forsaken in the midst of pressing work.

Ultimately, Martha doing her work as a worship experience would be the best combination. We worship God...and then we stay close to God in our daily responsibilities, whether that be workplace, daily chores, or other commitments that we make.

In Paul's Letter to the Colossians, he writes to his readers about what they should seek.

3:1-4, seek Heaven, not earth.
3:5-8, seek Good, not evil.
3:9-11, seek new life, not old life.

What is the new life that we are to seek? Christ's life.
This includes, a life of character, forgiveness, love, peace (as a body), gratitude and praise through song.

Let us be people who seek God. For God is good. And God has filled the earth with his goodness. By seeking what is good, we can pursue a thousand lifetimes of experiences and endeavors. Seek good. Seek God.

Not My King

2010-07-08T10:51:00.003-04:00

Yes, I am a minister.

Yes, I teach a college course on our CIVIL society.

But if Lebron James stands up tonight in his made for tv announcement, and embarrasses the fans of Cleveland, then what little respect I have for him now will be completely gone. And it will not come back.

Shame on him.

The only way this thing works tonight is if it turns into a celebration of Cleveland. Otherwise it is empty and far worse, harmful and hurtful.

Someone good enough to earn millions of dollars should have the sense not to be so hurtful.

I'm glad I serve a good King.

Christ is Supreme

2010-06-29T13:21:00.003-04:00

II Kings 2:1-18, Luke 9:52-61, Colossians 1:15-23

The second in a summer sermon series on Paul's Letter to the Colossians.

You know the situation.
--The moral ambiguity of the surrounding culture
--Competing Voices for the allegiance of the people
--Questionable leadership, if not downright bad and evil leadership
--Cries of injustice raised by citizens
--Uncertainty and fear among citizens
--Military extending its power over civilians
--High tension with bordering nations
--Religious Establishment compromising its authenticity, ethics and spiritual life
--There is a major leadership change about to occur.

I am not talking about modern American society when I describe this situation, but rather, the life of the nation of Israel during the 840’s…BC.

In Scripture, Elijah was called THE Man of God. Emphasis on THE. But his ministry is coming to an end, and his successor had already been named. Elisha. The problem was Elisha was young and inexperienced, and the people weren’t quite sure that they wanted him being the head prophet.

But Elisha embodied Elijah’s lifestyle and message. They both affirmed that there was only One God, the LORD. They both confronted kings and religious leaders with their fiery temperaments. They both performed miracles to an unbelieving nation. They both appoint new kings. They both suffer rejection and rejection. They both have a deep reverence for history, especially God’s story. And at times, they both felt alone as they set out to do God’s will.

And as the world around them worshipped the god Baal, the storm God, it is Elijah who is taken up to heaven by the Almighty, who uses the storms for his purposes. Before Elijah goes up Elisha asks for double his power. After Elijah is lifted away (there is legend that Elijah never dies),, and Elisha is angry about it, so angry that he asks: Where is God now?, he strikes the water with the cloak, just like his predecessor had done, and the waters part, just like they did for Elijah. With Elisha taking over,

The people receive continuity, a fresh water in times of uncertainty.
The people have a spiritual leader, in times when earthly powers were colliding.
The people are invited to the same relationship with the One True God.

And after 800 years of history for Israel, with its constant ups and downs, God comes to earth. Jesus is born, grows up, and is ordained to public ministry. The Son of God witnesses to the truth, speaking to a rapidly changing culture with its moral ambiguity, competing voices, Questionable leadership, if not downright bad and evil leadership, Cries of injustice, Uncertainty and fear, Military powers, High tension and Compromised Religious Establishment. And just like the unpopular Elijah and Elisha, who in the midst of all of that chaos demanded the people stay true to the One God, so does Jesus.

He has some shocking and seemingly harsh words.
Like cold water they shock the body.
Like unexpected news, they shake the comfortable
Like a front page headline, they challenge the status quo.
But also,
Like a nutrition bar, they energize the body.
Like life changing news, they stir the soul.

Jesus looks at excuses. He stares at them, deeply. And then he answers them by putting them in their place.

Ironically, the third interaction resembles when Elijah met a young, up and coming prophet named Elisha. Elijah calls him to follow. Elisha requests “First let me go and kiss my family goodbye”.

Fred Craddock writes “the radicality of Jesus’ words lies in his claim to priority over the best, not the worst, of human relationships. The remarkable thing is that those who have done so have been freed from possession and worship of family and have found the distance necessary to love them.”

The words of Jesus are hard. But all good things are worth sacrifice. And the best things are worth the greatest sacrifices.

This brings us to Paul, writing to the church in Colosse. This week’s portion of the letter brings us face to face with that Jesus. Paul, writing 20-30 years after the death and resurrection of Christ, has time to place him in his historical importance. Teaching the Colossians, Jesus is…

• An image of the invisible God
• The firstborn of all creation
• The creator of all things (in heaven, earth, visible, invisible, thrones, powers, authorities)
• The One who IS before all things
• The One who holds all things together.
• Head of the body, the church
• The beginning and firstborn from the dead
• The supreme One
• The fullness of God in human flesh
• The reconciler of all things (earth, heaven, by making peace, through blood on the cross)

Christ is Supreme.

He is the reality of the changing world, with its moral ambiguity, competing voices, Questionable leadership, if not downright bad and evil leadership, Cries of injustice, Uncertainty and fear, Military powers, High tension and Compromised Religious Establishment.

He is the one, and there really is no other.

So like Elisha, we have a message to preach regardless of how it is received.
Like the people who approached Jesus, we have to hear what is really important and follow, and not look back.
Like the Colossians, we have to remember the story…

We were alienated from God.
We were enemies with God because we were evil.
We have been reconciled to God by Christ and his physical death and resurrection
We are now holy in his sight, without blemish, free from accusation….IF

IF we continue in faith,
IF we are not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.

The gospel has been proclaimed to every creature in heaven and earth.
Are you looking back? Or are you looking to Jesus Christ, the Supreme One.

We'll Sing in the Sunshine

2010-06-24T11:03:00.003-04:00

Yes you can sing in the sunshine
You can laugh everyday
You can sing in the sunshine
And you can find your way
--Gale Garnett

The scene was the beautiful Woolverton Inn, in Stockton NJ. The event: Stockton Elementary School Graduation. Congratulations to our four graduates as they continue their studies at South Hunterdon High School.

As part of the quaint celebration, the teachers, board of Ed, PTO, Parents of Graduates, Students and finally all gathered, each sing a verse of an adaptation of "We'll Sing in the Sunshine".

To sit together with the beautiful grounds around us, for a common purpose, howling this good old song, was quite a beautiful experience. I'm proud to be a part of the Stockton Elementary School community.

Wednesday Worship in July

2010-06-22T16:15:00.004-04:00

One of the most beautiful spots in all the world is located a mile from our house: the riverview at the Wing Dam, at Prallsville Mills.

Each Wednesday in July, we will gather at 7:30 at the river view for Wednesday Worship: Down By the Riverside. The worship service will be an informal and brief service that allows us to connect with God our Creator.

If traveling by car, you can take route 29 north past the town of Stockton, and you will see a "Prallsville Mills, Stockton Visitor Center" parking lot on your left. If you are walking the towpath from town, turn left right past the new Prallsville Mill Office.

If it is raining, don't come...or at least don't come looking for a service. Unofficially, I would encourage you never to be afraid of getting a little wet. Officially, we will not have a service if raining.

peace.

In All the World

2010-06-22T16:02:00.003-04:00

In All the World
I Kings 19:1-8, Matthew 10:32-42, Colossians 1:1-14

This is the first in a summer sermon series on Paul's Letter to the Colossians. When I proclaim the sermons during Sunday worship, I will be using a more expository method, opening up the Bible together and talking about the verses...So this sermon works better in person. Hint. Hint. Stockton Presbyterian worship starts at 11am.

In his introductory statements, Paul greets the Colossian church with
THANKSGIVING (verses 3-8)
Among other things, he is grateful for the update he hears about his readers:
We HEARD ABOUT your faith in Christ and love for all people
Faith and love SPRINGS from Hope.

Just like I Corinthians, here is that ethical trinity again> Faith. Hope. Love. When we live lives of faith, hope and love, they speak a story. This story is heard by others. Your faith, hope and love make a difference in this world.

Paul is also grateful for the truth: we have hope because of heaven. We have hope because of the truth of the gospel. Hope is growing all throughout the world. For example, Samaritan's Purse recently told the story of delivering over 200,000 Christmas Boxes to the people of Afghanistan, where there are no official churches. They were delivering hope, even when of great personal sacrifice.

Paul is also grateful for Ephaphras: a Loved, faithful, connectional servant, who saw the Holy Spirit at work in the lives of the believers in Colosse.

After sharing his reasons for gratitude, Paul then offers his prayer for the church.
PRAYER (verses 9-11)
--Know what God want.
--Great wisdom and understanding so that we will live an honorable life and one that pleases God.

What is a life pleasing to God?

There are a mulitude of examples, but Paul provides four ways...

Producing fruit in every good work.
Growing in the knowledge of God.
Not giving up when trouble comes (because you have God’s strength)
Giving Thanks. (Why not take the time to tell God 10 things you are thankful for each day?)

After offering blessing and prayer, Paul lays the foundation for our faith: WHAT GOD HAS DONE (verses 12-14)
--Qualified us to share in the people of light’s inheritance
--Rescued and freed us from darkness
--Brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.
--Christ paid for our sins
--Christ has forgiven us.

Sometimes we are like Elijah, We feel down, deserted, doubtful. We all need to look to Christ,
Who asks complete allegiance (because he can), who demands our all, who warns us about looking at earth before heaven.

Colossians teaches us about the good news growing in all the world.
Be a part of the good news. Be it. Live it. Believe it.

Wicked Awesome

2010-06-16T18:35:00.003-04:00

This past Monday, my wife and I celebrated seven years of marriage. She is the most beautiful woman in the world, and I am deeply honored to parent alongside her.

Our anniversary turned into "Anniversary Weekend Festivities" thanks to Aurie's mom.

We were able to spend a fun day in New Hope, the quaint local town across the river which whenever we drive through, we say to one another that we have to mosey throughout. Well, we did, and it was great.

We were able to spend a night at the Woolverton Inn, a delightful Inn in Stockton. Many props to Carolyn for her fine work as innkeeper. It is a wonderful place...one of those places in life where you feel God's Spirit dwell because of the unique beauty that dwells in that space.

And then up to Bean town. We were able to see a Phils/Red Sox game, which was fun. This was after a tour of Fenway Park (in which I was able to touch the Green Monstah), and a fun time at the park's outdoor pregame celebrations.

We were also able to walk around downtown for several hours. Our hotel was downtown, and that was a really great experience. We both really love Boston.

During our last night in town, we were sitting at an outdoor tavern waiting for our dinner, when who walks by but Brian Schubmehl, an old friend from Western New York. I only know about 5 people who live in Boston, but one of them walks by when we are having dinner. How delightful is that?

So all in all, Boston is a great place to explore in God's great world. A cradle of liberty in our nation's history, wonderful architecture and great site-seeing, plus the Sox. I highly recommend Boston for everyone to visit. And since they have added the big dig, (route 93, underground through town), even the traffic wasn't bad...

well, I shouldn't get too carried away.

Thanks to Elder Dan Serlenga from Lambertville, who led worship and allowed me the peace of knowing the worship service was in good hands.

The Ordinary

2010-06-08T10:36:00.002-04:00

The Ordinary
Psalm 19:14, Luke 15:11-30, Colossians 3:12-17

We've come to the second half of "Ordinary Time" on the church calendar. We will remain in Ordinary Time until the last week of the year: Christ the King Sunday.

Some people struggle with the idea of Ordinary time, after all, shouldn't each day be special and all of life celebrated? But much of life is ordinary, and the calendar speaks to us about faithfulness in the midst of common life. In fact, our spiritual pulse might best be reflected in how we live the ordinary stuff of life, rather than how great we feel when things are well or how down we are when things are struggling.

Today, we read the classic story of the Prodigal Son. In the parable: we are all three characters at different points in our lives. We identify with the Father whenever we are looking out for someone else. We identify with the younger son in the moments when we feel our sinfulness.
Let’s look at the elder son--is He the one most of us identify with in our ordinary lives?

What does the parable say about the behavior of the son?

Anger immediately limited the elder son’s ability to see and empathize.
The elder sons anger keeps him out of the celebration.
The older son distracted the father from the celebration.
The older son was faithful, obedient and reliable in his work and ethic.
The older son was wrong to be jealous of the younger son’s waywardness. The younger son who squandered his life, his story ended well, but he did not live well.
The older son was always in the presence and heart of the father.
Everything that belonged to the Father belonged to the older son.
The Father had to celebrate the return from death and lost-ness of the younger son.

What does the older son model to us about ordinary life?

It is better to be faithful and content than faithful and angry.
It is good to be faithful and do what is required of us, better than going off to squander life.
The entire human spectrum, from wayward to righteous, is in our lives.
The ordinary is a gift to us. Most of life is the ordinary. (life is not one big party)
The ordinary is in close proximity to the extraordinary (surprise and celebration are not far away when we live faithfully and well.)
Before we think too highly of ourselves, the teaching is directed entirely to the older son.
Don’t shut yourself out of the celebration.

Offering ourselves to God

Instead of shutting ourselves out of the celebration of God's reign, we should offer ourselves to God.

Psalm 19:14 teaches us to offer our words and thoughts.

Colossians 3 teaches us to offer our words and deeds to the glory of God.

Colossians 3 in light of the Parable:

How does Paul teach his readers to behave?
Compassion
Kindness
Humility
Gentleness
Patience
Forgiveness
Love
Peace of Christ
Thankful
God’s word dwelling in you
Sing praise to God

Did the older son display these attributes? He hadn't seen his brother in years, and didn't even go to greet him. He speaks ill of his brother, even though the Father already knows the things the older son says. He was proud and insecure, styfling celebration.

One commentary I read identified a profound thought:
We all need the third son in the parable, the teacher, the Son of God.

Jesus displayed the perfect moral life, unlike the younger son. Jesus displayed perfect grace, unlike the elder son. Jesus Christ is full of grace and truth.

When we follow Jesus, we have all the adventure that the younger son was seeking, and all the stability the elder son lived.

Jesus allows us to live extraordinary lives in ordinary time.

Holy X's 3

2010-06-01T11:16:00.002-04:00

Isaiah 6, John 16:12-15, Romans 5:-15 5/30

Isaiah 6: Image of the glory of God

Today you entered into a sanctuary, a holy place, to pray. You have been here before, many times before. You have taken part in priestly duties. This place has been your spiritual home, where you sing, cry, laugh, wonder, believe, dream, listen and grow.

Today you walked into this holy place, and you see something magnificent. Something majestic. Pens cannot create words to do justice to what you see. The building is filled with a long train of a robe, Hundreds and hundreds of feet of robe. It is the most beautiful robe you have ever seen, one that must be worn by a king.

Then you look up above the sanctuary and you see God. Your faith has taught you that if you see God, you will die. No one must see God and live. But you see God, the Lord, the Almighty One, high above this holy place, exalted above the earth, seated on a throne.

As you look up to God, you see that you and God are not alone. Heavenly angels with six wings fly above God, covering themselves out of reverence for of the holiness of God. They are not worthy to look, but as they fly to sing, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD Almighty, the whole earth is full of his glory”.

The song is so loud that the doorpost and doorsill shake. Smoke fills the holy place where you stand.

And you are in trouble. You’ve seen God, Your human eyes have seen perfection. “Woe is me”, you cry. I am done. I’m finished. I’m ruined. Because I am unclean, and the people all around me are unclean, the whole nation is unclean. My lips are unclean and I have seen God.

But just then, one of the angels from above God flies down, and looks around the sanctuary, and finds the coal that is used for the sacrifices. The angel takes a tong from the altar, picks up the fiery coal and places it on your lips. “Your guilt is now taken away and your sin is atoned for”. Relief. Forgiveness. Mercy. All is right again.

Before you become too comfortable, you hear the voice of God who sits on the throne. “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” Us?

Having your sin atoned for, your guilt taken away, your good standing with God restored, you offer to go. “Here I am God, send me.” Surely, a good assignment is now coming, you rationalize. I will go tell good news. People will gather around me to hear about my experience, and we will all change our ways. We will return to what is good and right. I get to bring good news to the people.

And then the voice responds: Go and tell this people

“This people”, you think. Uh, oh.
You’ll be hearing, but you won’t get it.
You’ll be seeing, but you won’t understand.
Your hearts will be hard. Your ears will be dull. Your eyes will be closed. Because otherwise, you might actually see and hear and understand and turn and be healed.

Ouch., you think to yourself. But God has healed you. And you have said you will go. And you must do what you say you will do.

For how long, Lord?

Until the cities lie in ruins and no one lives there. Until houses and fields have been deserted. Until I have sent everyone away and the land is utterly forsaken, until only a tenth remains of what did exist. Trees that have been cut down have left stumps. But out of a stump will my holy seed grow.

Israel, during Isaiah’s time as a prophet, is taken away in judgment by the Assyrian empire. The hopes and dreams of the people interrupted. They had not turned to be healed. They did not want to see or hear or understand.

We often will read the first part of the story, because this story in its beginning reminds us of the holiness of God. It is harder to swallow that sometimes, God calls his people to speak a more difficult message. God’s holiness demands that sin and evil be accounted for. A just God cannot and will not let evil be victorious. Isaiah had to go and speak to the people. You and I are called to go and serve the Lord. Often with good news, other times with realistic news. But even our delivery of realistic news is shared with people to bring glory to God.

Today is Trinity Sunday. It is a reminder of the majesty and mystery of God. It is a day to pause and consider that we serve a Holy God. Angels and saints and heavenly creatures, whenever they are before God, are always crying out, or singing out (with loud voices) Holy, Holy, Holy!

Trinity Sunday reminds Christians that we have a mystery at the core of our faith: One God in three persons. Not three gods. Not one person. One God in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Our faith should be like Isaiah in that we understand our sinfulness, and cry for help. Our faith should be like the angels who proclaim the truth: God is holy, holy, holy. The whole earth is full of his glory.

The Gospel of John: How we know
The gospel of John passage speaks to how we know God. We do not know God because of our own attempts, but rather, God’s spirit coming to us and revealing God. Jesus taught us that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth: guides into all truth, speaks for Almighty God, brings glory to God by showing us God.

There might be days of cloudiness, days of darkness, but the trajectory of our life is that the Spirit is revealing God to us. We are not without a testimony to God’s presence. The Spirit lives within us, both in our hearts and in our community.

Romans: Finding Peace with God

Paul’s letter teaches us about how we encounter God.
Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.

No angel has come down and placed a burning coal on your lips to clean your guilty self. But rather, faith in Christ has made you whole. Faith in Christ has placed you right with God. We have taken Christ’s name and identity. We belong to God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

For every departure from God’s ways is guilt, there is no intermediate neutral position with regard to the demand of the will of God. At all times we stand either in the grace of God or under judgment.
The reality is that Christ’s grace has given us peace with God. We have…

A peace and a freedom which are independent of outward success or failure.
--Otto Kaiser, Isaiah 1-12, Old Testament Library

What is our response to the Holy Trinity? There is an ethical trinity as well. Paul identifies it in the Romans passage.
Faith in Jesus Christ
Hope in the glory of God
Love in our hearts by the Holy Spirit
(Three things endure: faith hope and love.)

Isaiah’s story is important, because of Jesus Christ, someday, we will see God. We will live and dwell in God’s presence. But the way we encounter God this day is not necessarily by vision, but rather faith. We believe.

We believe in One God. Almighty God, his Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. The Spirit moves us toward truth.

A Perfect Halladay Weekend

2010-06-01T11:13:00.002-04:00

This is a title I heard after Roy Halladay pitched his perfect game on Saturday. I was able to catch the game from the 5th inning on, and it was a pleasure to watch.

Not that I am complaining or anything, but I was so excited after watching that game, that it took me a few hours to fall asleep. But I suppose you can always sleep later.

That was really fun to watch. Baseball is such a symbol of life...you just never know what a day will bring.

On the Community Garden front, we had 10 volunteers work on Saturday. The garden is about 2/3 full of plants and seeds, and is a delight to watch. I'm so proud of everyone's efforts, and the hard work they put in.

Additional examples of the Greatness of Baseball

2010-05-11T13:35:00.003-04:00

Three examples of why Baseball is the greatest of sports gifts...

1. Dallas Braden, perfect game.
For only the 19th time in baseball history, a perfect game was thrown. Basically, every 5 years, a perfect game is thrown...pretty unique when compared to how many games are played.

2. Jamie Moyer, Hall of Famer???.
Upon returning from the Trenton Thunder game on Friday, I turned on the TV to see that 47 year old Jamie Moyer threw a 2 hit shut out, becoming the oldest player ever to throw a shutout. He keeps on keeping on. I've said it before, it will be interesting if Jamie Moyer makes the Hall of Fame. Technically, he is below caliber, that is, he has been good for a long time, but great for only a season or two. But, 300 games is the magic number, and if he hangs on (and with the Phillies scoring 9 runs a game, why not?), he would get in. He also should be considered for being the first pitcher (besides Satchell Paige) to throw this late in life at a professional level...generations from now, when technology allows a 50 year old to be common among the players, they will look back at old Jamie Moyer.

3. Trenton Thunder moment.
A passed ball bounced off the backstop and rolled directly back to the pitcher...didn't have to move a step. How many millions of pitches have I seen in my life...and never saw that! That is what I love about baseball.

School Boards and Community Gardens

2010-05-11T13:26:00.003-04:00

An update on my endeavors in the world of "state" as opposed to church...

My semester finished up at Kean. As always, the students were a pleasure, and I had a wonderful experience. I am looking forward to a change in the routine and the summer break. By August, I'll be excited to get back into the return of the semester.

I was elected to the Stockton Board of Education on April 20th. I ran uncontested, but every citizen is so angry with any type of authority or government spending, I am kind of suprised I was voted in at all.

It was Locke who reminded the people to overthrow the government which was not working...but calm down people...I just started :)

The first meeting of the Board was fine. Yes, we had to trim some money off of the defeated budget, but all in all, Stockton School does a fine job of spending its money, and doesn't waste it. The meeting, which beforehand I was warned could last well into the night, was done by 9:50. Not too bad. We were almost done by 8:55, but the last line on the docket always gets ya.

And in my role in rounding up volunteers for the Community Garden, we are planting summer crops this Saturday at 10am. Pretty cool!!! We already have cool crops like beets, lettuce, okra, peas and kale in the ground (and the seeds are coming up). This Saturday, we'll plant the good tasting vegetables.

I think the garden is going to be successful. I know that one of the Elementary School classes is going to help out. Some pretty neat partnerships are going to form. Gardening is one of the great gifts of life. And in this culture, people are looking for life-giving endeavors and networks to associate with. The Garden is Growing!!!

Come and Stay With Me

2010-05-11T13:16:00.003-04:00

This sermon title, thanks to Norah Jones, was in my head all week long. The Idea of Coming (and going) and Staying was woven throughout the lectionary passages of this Sunday's worship.

Psalm 67, John 14:23-29, Acts 16:9-15

In the Psalm, the people ask God to come and stay with them: they ask for God's grace, blessing, face to shine upon them, and for salvation. The people should praise God. We are at our best when God is invited to come and stay in our lives.

In the Gospel, there is a profound image that God and his Son will come and make their home in all those who follow and obey the works of God. As will the Holy Spirit, the advocate or counselor, who will come to guide, teach and help us remember the word of God.

In the gospel, peace is also invited to come and stay with us. "My peace I leave with you, I do not give to you as the world gives". Jesus goes back to stay with his Father, so that we can go with him, and stay with God. "And we shall dwell with God."

The Acts passage also speaks of coming and staying. Paul dreams of a Man from Macedonia, who begs Paul to come and help. Paul's response to this dream is to go and stay. Upon arriving at his destination, Paul and travelers go down to the River, where people of faith without a synogogue would gather to pray. These believers come to the river to meet God.

Lydia is one of those believers. God's message comes to her heart. Lydia then extends hospitality to Paul and his group. What does she say? Come and stay with me.

Today, coming and staying together (whether we refer to our relationship with God, or to our neighborly love, or to our congregational life) is about relationship and hospitality. The relationships connected to God invite us to "come". The Hospitality that shines forth from God's invitation say to others, "Stay".

Larger Than Life

2010-05-03T08:51:00.002-04:00

Psalm 148, Acts 11:1-18, John 13:31-35

The story of the Abora III is a story of a team looking to find and make history. A reed ship was constructed with the attempt to go against the wind and travel from North America to Europe, proving that travelers from long ago would be able to make the return trip to Europe.

It is amazing to find people willing to be adventurous, and journey toward the great and large opportunities of life. Anxiety is a threat to our creativity, closing us up and making us smaller. God wants us to look and live in this large world.

As we think about a "larger than life" life, the image of a wedding invitation comes to mind. When invited to an event, there is the invitation, the announcement of the event and the Response.

The invitation comes to us in Psalm 148. Consider all that are invited to worship God. Heavens, heights, heavenly hosts, waters, earth, sea creatures, ocean depths, lightning, hail, sun, clouds, stormy winds, mountains, hills, fruit trees, cedar trees, wild animals, small creatures, flying birds, AND kings, nations, princes, rulers, men and women, old and young.

The invitation is to the cosmos to encounter, worship and serve the Almighty One.

The event is the salvation of God. In the story of Acts, we have the story of salvation extending from just the covenant people of Israel, to the other nations (gentiles) of the world. At first, this inclusive extension is met with scepticism. But Peter convinces the early church that God is in this invitation. God has accomplished the story of salvation. God has extended the invitation to you and I. We can be part of the event, involved in the story.

With a response card, there is a chance to share whether you will or will not be able to attend. Some cards have "regrets only". The larger than life following of Christ is really about having no regrets. The response to the invitation is a life of love, for God, neighbor and ultimately, everyone. "By your love for one another, the world will know that you are my disciples".

Ryan Howard and the Pittsburgh Pirates

2010-04-27T19:06:00.003-04:00

I want to join the many Philly Phans that are thrilled to have Ryan Howard connected to the team for the next 5-6 years. He is the man. Yes, he strikes out a lot. Yes, first baseman often break down in their mid-thirties. But who cares when someone is hitting 45 homers and driving in 135 runs. I mean, who does that year after year? Literally no one has each year for the past four years.

People have said that he stinks compared to Albert Pujols. Yes, I would say that Albert is the best overall player in the majors...but he is going to stay in St. Louis. (By the way, I love when guys, even Yankees, stay with one team for their whole career.)

And at the end of the day, if Pujols makes $30 million a season, and Howard makes $25 million, and Howard hits more homers and rbi's, but Pujols has better average and slugging percentage, I'm happy with Howard. Plus, $30 million for Pujols will be about 30% of the Cardinal's payroll, while Howard's pay is 16% of the Phillies. Are Howard's stats twice as bad as Pujols? If not, he is a great deal. And his deal allows the team to have a premier slugger and build a supporting cast.

My heart goes out to the Pittsburgh Pirates. I don't know how you turn it around. They have such a great city and a great stadium. I wish they could field a better team. I mean, Milwaulkee is crushing them. It isn't even close. How do you break cycles of dysfunction?

Grazing, Raising and Rising

2010-04-27T15:10:00.002-04:00

For the rest of the Easter Season, I will be using the lectionary readings as the basis of my sermons. The lectionary is a three year cycle of Scripture readings that allow the church to read through most of the Bible.

For April 25th, the Scripture readings were Psalm 23, John 9:22-30 and Acts 16:36-43.

Psalm 23 speaks to us about sheep grazing. One of the images of God's followers is sheep, with God being the Great Shepherd. A question that emerges from Psalm 23 is What is your spiritual diet? Psalm 23 declares that the Great Shepherd will be with us, through the green pastures and the valley of the shadow of death. Through it all, goodness and mercy shall follow us. In our spiritual lives, we need to graze upon goodness and mercy.

The passage in John is the words of Jesus in response to the religious leaders of his day. The leaders were raising the question about the authenticity of Jesus. Jesus said, "my sheep will know my voice". There are many competing voices in this world. And the loudest most pressing voice is not always the one to follow. Do you follow the voice of the Great SShepherd? The promise of Christ to his sheep is that in the midst of the varied seasons of life, we will not be snatched out of God's hand.

The Acts passage, which describes a disciple named Dorcas rising from the dead, is one of the reasons why the lectionary is so valuable: it makes us read the meaningful and the challenging passages of scripture. Most of us will never see a miracle like this, and it can even hurt us as we read it, for we wonder why a miracle like this could not have happened to someone we loved who has died.

the Easter Season is about celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christ's followers become living illustrations to the world. Just as Christ died and rose to new life, we are called to die to our sins, and to be transformed by Christ's new life. How do we model the resurrection power of Jesus Christ?

Celebrations

2010-04-15T10:02:00.002-04:00

During this Easter season, the Good's have had several exciting events and moments unfold. I'd like to celebrate them today.

As a followup to my Good Friday post, over 60 people came out to the Sunrise service, that was fantastic. It is great to get the four congregations together to celebrate.

One of the parishioners has been accepted in the PhD program at Duke, so I would officially like to recant my "Boring" comment of them winning a national championship.

That also got me thinking about making a list of all the colleges and universities that people connected to the churches I have served have attended while I was in their midst.

The church had the Good News Ringers and Singers from the Good News Home for Women in Flemington come to offer their gift of music last Sunday. It was great to have them.

This Sunday, we will be baptizing Kate, a delightful 3 year old in the congregation, and our daughter Isabelle. I cannot thank God enough for our two children, they bring a smile to my face everyday.

The Church will be hosting a gospel group called the Skyline Boys this Sunday. I'm really excited about this event for everyone, but especially for a man named Jason who had the vision to bring them to Stockton.

Last week, we hosted a local poet named Ray Brown for a poetry reading night. I'm always interested in trying something at least once. I hoped we would get at least a handful of people to support Ray, a decorated poet from Frenchtown. We had 25 people attend the event, with a nice mix of church folk, Ray's following and town visitors. What a great night! I'm thinking that for next National Poetry month, the church should hold a poetry Festival. Comment below with your thoughts!

I had a great conversation with our neighbor Roger, whom I learned is a kindred spirit when it comes to small town living, town design and what it takes to grow community.

Had a delightful time with the Kean students yesterday, who 'sacrificed their break' in order to get out early. They celebrated, but admittedly, I also enjoyed arriving home earlier. Both sections of the class have been great this semester.

Dad was generous the other night and picked up the tab during the visit to Lowe's. We got the girl's playground area looking sharp. And as my semi-annual physical workout, it felt good. Mom stopped by during dinner and it was fun to sit around and eat together.

The community garden is coming together in neat ways. 7 people showed up to clean up the ground last Saturday. We will be planting cool crops soon. And the school is climbing on board to be partakers of the community garden experience. The garden is growing, literally, and symbolically!

This morning, Sophie played in the sandbox and the playground area, and it was amazing to watch her play. I also planted a cherry tree. I look forward to watching it grow, as a symbol of the beautiful gift of life in Stockton that has been given to us.

Deep Emotions: Pure Joy and Love

2010-04-13T15:18:00.002-04:00

A summary of my last two sermons:

Throughout Lent, we have talked about deep emotions within the human spirit. These emotions are universal to the experience. On the other side of Lent, during the Easter season, we will continue looking at these emotions.

Joy, or pure joy, came to believers on that day when Christ resurrected from the dead. Triumphing over the great enemy of death, Jesus delivered a transformative event in history and for the spiritual life. The act of Jesus rising gives hope to all people, and allows us to experience eternal life. When we experience the power of resurrection, there is pure joy.

Last week, we talked briefly about love. We read from the passages of Song of Solomon 8:6-8, I Corinthians 13 and John 13:34-35.

A few weeks ago, there was a mention of Corinthians in an episode of 30 Rock. Liz, in an attempt to confront an ex-boyfriends fiance, gets roped into a spot in the wedding. She laments, "Somehow, I'm doing a reading from Corinthians". Go Corinthians! The passage of Corinthians 13 is the classic passage on love. Love is patient, love is kind...Three remain, faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love.

Love calls us to expand our circle. If the circle of people we love and interact with is small, then love calls us to widen that circle just a little. If our circle is larger, love calls us to widen it even more.

The two loves that Scripture emphasizes is a love for God and love for neighbor. Does the Bible talk about the love of marriage, or love of family? Yes, a little, but not nearly as much as how we love God and neighbor.

During these past two weeks of sermons, our worship experiences have been quite wonderful. On Easter morning, over 6o of us gathered at Dilts Farm Park to observe a sun rise service. It was good to be together as neighboring congregations. At Stockton on Easter Sunday, the sanctuary was full of flowers, with young ones doing Easter egg hunts and people of all ages gathered together.

Last week, on the 2nd Sunday of Easter, we were honored to have the Good News Home for Women Ringers and Singers share their gift of music. What a wonderful group that joined us for worship. You can learn more about this group at www.goodnewshome.org/

We also had a Poetry Reading Night that had 25 people in attendance. I was really surprised by the response. And that is what the new life brought forth by the resurrection season is all about: Being open to being surprised by the power of God's Spirit.

Praise to God

2010-04-07T12:24:00.002-04:00

For the record, Duke beat West Virginia, and Butler. Oh well, we caught a glimpse of the upside world of the kingdom, but alas, it was not to be. Duke is the champ. BORING.

About 11 years ago now, I interviewed for a job 5 minutes from the Duke campus. From time to time, I think about how life would have been different had I taken that path.

Which brings me to the brief point I would like to make today. I have really been blessed the last few weeks. I can't put my finger on all the reasons why, but I wanted to blog how grateful I am. To God, from whom comes every good and perfect gift. To Aurie, for her and our two beautiful children. To Aurie, for getting us organized: we have seen some very tangible blessings lately because we leapfrogged some organizational issues and have remained ahead of the curve.

I know that being organized is not an eternal promise, but we have enjoyed the benefits. And I know that blessings aren't always promised, or if we come to assume they are ours by right, will set ourselves up for the fall. But when they are present, it feels good.

All glory to God this beautiful spring day.

Congrats to Butler

2010-04-03T20:32:00.003-04:00

I always enjoyed the movie Hoosiers, filmed on the campus of Butler University. Butler just won its game to advance to the National Championship Game. They will be playing this game in their home city. What a story! I'm watching the coach give an interview, he looks like he is 23 years old. And now a player, who looks about 15. When did I get so old???

Where art thou, O Kentucky? Kansas, where are you?
Hip Hip hooray for the little school called Butler U.
In a world of giants, sometimes a magical season comes.
Take on the giants, and be victorious, O little ones.

Hey, I never said I was a poet. You know it!

Go Butler. Now I will root for West Virginia, who has a player with the last name of Butler. Butler v. Butler. Lawyers everywhere would be proud must also be cheering for this matchup.

But I will not be awake for the next game, or at least, I hope I won't. I have to save my strength for Josh Beckett and the Sox to take on the Evil Empire tomorrow.

Good Friday Thoughts

2010-04-03T20:06:00.002-04:00

This year, my wife's birthday and Good Friday were the same day, providing for a unique balancing of emotions.

Lately, I have been grateful as I have contemplated the cross. The mystery of God bringing salvation and showing love through the ultimate sacrifice. I have not wanted to be assuming as I look at the cross, nor have not wanted to be a spoiled brat, "knowing" that Jesus died for me. I have wanted to be grateful, acknowledging my personal unworthiness, sinfulness, need for righteousness and inability to be right with God just by doing it myself. We need Christ's love. The cross is hard to consider, but we need it. And I am grateful that God acted upon our need.

Today, errands and commitments have taken me to and fro, forgetting that yesterday was a day remembering a cross, and not thinking too far ahead about resurrection.

I think one of the things that we miss the longer we are Christians is the total surprise of the resurrection. Today, we observe Good Friday, and we leave a service or prayer knowing we will go and remember the resurrection hours later. It wasn't like that the first time around.

On Friday, I talked about the great exchange. Christ's life for our sins. Christ's death for our life. Our life for eternal life. Good Friday also reminds me that Great is the mystery of our faith.

Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.

We will affirm that classic creed tomorrow during Resurrection Sunday. A growing number of us will meet at Dilts Farm Park at 6:30. It is a gathering of 4 different congregations, and there was a wonderful sense of community last year, my first celebration with the group. We will then gather with the Stocktonites at 11am. I am grateful for such a loving congregation. They give witness to the grace and glory of Christ, and provide a wonderful model of a people trying to be the body of Christ.

God has sent a few surprises to our family lately. We were blessed before these surprises, but the surprises have reinforced God's goodness to us. I look forward to seeing the surprise of resurrection tomorrow and throughout the 7 weeks of Easter.

2010 Baseball Predictions

2010-03-29T15:16:00.008-04:00

I think there should be a website that holds prenosticators accountable. How well do the expert's predictions do each year? Do we just go on reading and listening to them, season after season without knowing if they have ever correctly predicted winners prior to the season?

Well, I'm starting with me. After the World Series, we will look back at this post to see how bad I did.

oh, I'm not an expert either. Just a fan.

NL EAST

Phillies, 91-71, 3 pennants for NL team since WW2 Cards?

Braves 89-73, good pitching...surprise.

Marlins 84-78, young talent...surprise.

Mets 81-81, Manuel takes fall...surprise.

Nats 71-91, Strasburg, 11 wins.

NL CENTRAL

Cards 90-72, good pitching wins.

Cubs 85-77, good until final week of season.

Brewers 84-78, good hitting gets you 3rd place.

Reds 78-84, I'll believe it when I see it.

Astros 77-85, nothing to report

Pirates 63-99, great city and ballpark

NL WEST

Giants 87-75, great starters

Rockies 86-76, everyone's pick

Dodgers 85-77, pitching?

Diamondbacks 74-88, a stadium acronym of BOB...really?

Padres 71-91, we miss you Tony Gwynn

AL EAST

Sox 95-67 best rotation

Yanks 94-68 com' mon Rays

Rays 85- 77, I can't put them ahead of Yanks

O's 70-92, getting better?

Jays 68-94, getting worse?

AL CENTRAL

Twins 88-74, solid all around

Tigers 86-76, hope they are successful

W. Sox 82-80, who knows?

Royals 71-91, Where have you gone George Brett?

Indians 66-96, trading away best players, traditionally not good strategy

AL WEST

Angels 85-77, kings until dethroned

M's 83-79, getting better

Rangers 81-81, believe it when I see it

A's 79-83, no passion, I mean me...for this team

Phils over Giants in 5: nailbiting

Braves over Cards in 4: last one for Bobby

Phils over Braves in 6: its 1993 all over again

Sox over Angels in 3: again

Yanks over Twins in 5: again

Sox over Yanks in 7: again. sorry hon, its going to be stressful.

Sox over Phils in 7: deeper rotation wins.

love to hear you predictions. see you in November.

oh, and who said anything about an east coast bias...Georgia is west of here, isn't it?

One Winning Team

2010-03-29T14:47:00.003-04:00

Well folks, in the interest of full disclosure. Here is my fantasy Baseball team for the 2010 season. I am in an ESPN auction league, which gives you $260 dollars (fake, of course), to bid on players against 9 other competitors.

I always shy away from spending too much on any one player, which usually makes my teams lack excitement, but also usually puts me in the top third of the league. Does the past guarantee the future? Absolutely not. But that is why we play the game, or in the world of fantasy, that is why other, better athletically equipped real people play the game for us.

Infielders
C Miguel Montero, Ari C, don't know anything about him, had a few extra bucks for a catcher.
1B Kendry Morales, LAA 1B He helped me out last year, and hence, can do so this year.
2B Jose Lopez, Sea 2B solid, not spectacular.
3B Kevin Youkilis, Bos 3B, 1B For my wife, of course, and for me, hopefully .310, 30 and 105
SS Stephen Drew, Ari SS solid, not spectacular
2B/SS Jason Bartlett, TB SS solid, not spectacular. For 2B/SS, if not Utley, then it isn't worth it.
1B/3B Derrek Lee, ChC 1B I tried to get someone to overpay, and ending up being me.

Outfielders
Jayson Werth, Phi OF He's worth it.
Adam Lind, Tor OF, DH He's also worth it, though most don't know him.
Bobby Abreu, LAA OF Got stuck with him, but an old favorite. Emphasis on the old.
Nelson Cruz, Tex OF Numbers last year were real good. Expect a big downfall.
Shane Victorino, Phi OF Hopefully, he'll be flyin' to 40 stolen bases.
UTIL Billy Butler, KC 1B Don't know him, but numbers were good last year.

Starting Pitchers
Cliff Lee, Sea SP Of course, the news broke moments after drafting him that he is on DL.
Ubaldo Jimenez, Col SP a rockies pitcher??? We are living in a post-humidor world.
Cole Hamels, Phi SP Am I a sucker? Yeah.
Wandy Rodriguez, Hou SP last year was real good.
Ted Lilly, ChC SP I was running out of money, so sue me.
John Lackey, Bos SP best 3 starter in mlb.
Ben Sheets, Oak SP had a dollar left, and a dream.

Relievers
Joakim Soria, KC RP stud.
Andrew Bailey, Oak RP second year dud?
Rafael Soriano, TB RP is Tampa Bay in the mud?
Trevor Hoffman, Mil RP old as crud.*
Carlos Marmol, ChC RP worse than Elmer Fudd.

So all in all, I'm happy with my team. My prediction, a solid 2nd place, 6 points behind the winner.

*Have I mentioned that I am now at the age when announcers call players old and slowing down...AND THEY ARE USUALLY ABOUT MY AGE?

Play ball.

Balancing Deep Emotions

2010-03-29T14:31:00.004-04:00

Today, we celebrate Palm Sunday. We read the story of Jesus entering Jerusalem, with the crowds waving palm branches, placing their cloaks as a red carpet while shouting "Hosanna!".

Jesus descended into the city from the Mt. of Olives riding a donkey. A donkey was an animal used by kings during times of peace, as opposed to riding a horse in times of war. Hosanna was a cheer that meant, "Save us". This story points to a crowd believing that their promised Messiah was entering the city to enter in an era of triumph over the Roman Empire.

Yet we know that this story ends with the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Holy Week is an intense week of balancing the extreme emotions of life. Joy, Triumph, sadness, shock, abandonment, resurrection.

The Scripture readings we used in Sunday's service included Zechariah 9:9-10, Luke 19:28-40 and II Corinthians 4:7-12.

Paul, in his letter to the Corinthian church identifies some paradoxes which help us in our pursuit of balancing emotions. He described himself as "hard-pressed, but not crushed, perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed".

A good sports coach will guide his or her team throughout a season, reminding them that their not as good as their best victory nor as bad as their worst defeat. It is tempting to think that you will be a champion because you played a game where everything went right, or to think that you have no chance when your team gets beat badly. But the dynamics of competition are such that the truth is somewhere in the middle.

As we balance our emotions, this model of sports is helpful. Each day has its moments of triumph and struggle, hope and despair. We are not as great as our most triumphant moments, nor as bad as our worst moments. We are to balance our emotions, and by faith, keep focused on the goal.

We move forward by faith. If we live purely by our emotions, life will be like a never-ending roller coaster, with high peaks and low valleys. We are so fragile as human beings, with our emotions changing like the coming and going of the wind. Faith shapes our self-understanding.

Faith is forging ahead

fighting against injustice, not fleeing problems
embracing challenge, and encountering strength to endure them
seeing our plans, in light of God's plans
today, with a hopeful future in mind
remembering the past, not living in it
strengthened by the vision of new reality
when sad, not hopeless
when afraid, fearing God alone
when joyful, because of God's promises

If we try to be totally happy all the time, we will actually decieve ourselves, because it is impossible to be happy all the time. Perhaps the best route to take when balancing our emotions is to identify what emotion is at work within us, and acknowledge that emotion before God. For God is able to guide us through our valleys and also help us move mountains.

May each of us draw close to Jesus Christ this Holy Week.

Day Trips From Las Vegas

2010-03-21T19:48:00.004-04:00

Continuing my comments on our recent trip to Las Vegas...

We took two day trips that were outstanding: The Hoover Dam and the Valley of Fire State Park.

The Hoover Dam was a chance to tour the Depression's biggest public works project. Paying four dollars an hour to workers, with a ton of concrete being poured every 75 seconds. It was said that without the metal cooling sheets placed in between each pour, that the Hoover Dam would take 100 years to cool down. How crazy is that? The tour is fascinating, and the site of the Dam outside is breathtaking. There is even a tour in the original visitor center that had a model of the 7 western states and how the Colorado River has influenced development.

There is a bridge being built in front of the Dam that will connect traffic between Arizona and Nevada. The current traffic pattern was quite intense, as it winds its way up the mountain and over the Dam.

Our second trip was to the Valley of Fire State Park, 50 miles north of Las Vegas. This park is a stunning view and interaction with rock formations and mountains. We had a great time climbing the red rocks. The vastness is incredible with the mountains surrounding this Valley of Red Rocks. Simply beautiful.

Most people go to Vegas to gamble. But for Aurie and I, the sites of the strip were a distant third to the Hoover Dam and Valley of Fire State Park.

We saw a man checking out of the resort and the topic of the Hoover Dam came up. "Oh, I wish I had had time to see that". I kind of got the feeling that he probably did have time, but had used it on the strip. To each his own, but the reality is that he missed out.

If you have the chance, don't miss out on two beautiful, worthwhile and enjoyable experiences. You won't be throwing your money away!

Las Vegas, The City Where I Sleep

2010-03-21T16:17:00.006-04:00

I'd like to thank two very important people. Make that three!

First, to my wife, who suprised me with a Trip to Las Vegas for my Christmas Gift.
Second, to our friend John B. who generously gave his us his timeshare for the week.
Third, to my mom, who moved into our home to stay with our two girls. Actually, two human girls, two canine girls and one male cat. During a flood, GO MOM!

I want to provide a few thoughts on the week. I have not been reimbursed by the Nevada Tourism Commission for these thoughts. And the way business is going, they don't need me to.

We had a delightful time in Las Vegas. I think everyone should go to Vegas at least once in their life. If it is indeed America's playground, you should see how many American's play. Remember, people watching is still the greatest free entertainment going.

I found it interesting that the airport is in the middle of the city, and I believe that is due to the vast expansion experienced in recent decades.

Vegas is a city that is surrounded by mountains. It is simply beautiful to look around the strip and see these mountains.

The casinos are a unique experience. Each one having thousands of gaming machines, with millions of dollars placed into those machines. Each casino also having a theme, with most having a mix of free exhibits along with paid attractions. Two experiences that were definitely worth their money were the gondola ride at the Venetian and the Shark Reef exhibit at Mandalay Bay.

My five favorite casinos were

New York, New York. The view from the outside is stunning, and the inside streets with shops was really cool.
the Venetian. I loved the canals and the architecture.
Mandalay Bay, a stunning monstrosity of a place.
The Belagio, with its world famous fountains.
Paris Las Vegas, with its half sized Eiffel Tower and beautiful architecture.

The only casino I found disappointing was the Excalibur. A middle ages theme was a great idea, but they did not continue the theme inside the building to the extent that they could have.

The first casino we went in was the Tropicana. Compared to the others, it wasn't as elaborate, but it was definitely the feel or picture that most people have of a casino. Perhaps, casino classic?

We loved people watching, walking the strip, taking pictures, seeing what was next on the Strip, shopping, site-seeing and having a good time.

We gambled about $14. I was shocked that I didn't come home a millionaire. What happened, Vegas?

I have two final thoughts on this post.

We stayed on the south end of the strip, at the Grandview, which was a beautiful place to stay. They built the South Bay casino next to it. The southern end of the strip seems to be the next big thing. I want to go back in 20 years to see how much it develops. It was really fun to be in Las Vegas during March Madness. There must have been 500 people watching basketball in South Bay, cheering and groaning during the games. What a fun time.

Second, we have completely adopted our children's schedules. We were up at 6am and in bed by 8 or 9 each night, so we did most of our site seeing during the day, followed by quiet dinners and post-dinner walks on the south end of town. We woke up at 3:30 am to catch our plane, and driving down Las Vegas Boulevard, we saw the city skyline lit up in its nightly glory for the first time on our trip. Boring? No, we had a great time. To me, New York will always be the city that never sleeps. Las Vegas, a great place to vacation, and when a young parent, see sites AND get some rest.

Thanks Aurie, John and Mom!

My next post will comment on our day trips outside Las Vegas to the beautiful Valley of Fire State Park and Hoover Dam.

Deep Emotions: Sadness

2010-03-21T15:47:00.004-04:00

For years, I have floated back and forth between writing manuscripts and using outline notes. When I first started blogging, I tried once again to write my sermons so that I would have content to post.

A lightbulb just went off in my head (yes, it does happen once in a while). On weeks that I do not have a written manuscript, why not blog the summary of the sermon? Better than nothing, right?

During Lent, we have been focusing on deep emotions. Today, we discussed the idea of sadness.

The Scriptures used were Psalm 42, John 11:1-37 and Revelation 7:7-19.

Webster's defines Sadness as "affected by or expressions of grief and unhappiness".

The author of Psalm 42 identified some common reasons why people feel sad.

being mocked, or made fun of
having memories of better days
feeling alone
suffering of the body

The good news of the gospel does not promise that we will always be happy, or that we will never be sad. The good news of the gospel is that we might have eternal life that transcends life as we now know it. Jesus came as a human, fully experiencing the whole spectrum of emotion that we feel. Jesus, have lived as human, was then able to sacrifice, resurrect, ascend to his Father in heaven and justify the children of God, granting eternal life. Good news is good because of its ultimate promise, not its immediate effects.

We see the humanness of Jesus in the story of Lazarus, Mary and Martha. Scripture declares that Jesus loved these three, and after the death of Lazarus, it is said that Jesus was deeply troubled in his spirit...and that Jesus wept.

Individually, Mary and Martha said the same thing to Jesus, "If you had been here, my brother would not have died". Isn't this a universal thought we have toward God? "If only you had been there, then..."

In the Revelation passage, we receive a promise from God, "And God will wipe away every tear" These words come to those faithful who had endured great trial and tribulation. In the passage, those who had endured were in the presence of God, and were filled with joy and peace. The difficulties were done. Eternal life had begun.

To close the sermon, I differentiated between the two ways that sadness takes shape: over grief and unhappiness. Grief is a process, without a timeline and essential to any healing process. Depression is a sustained experience of sadness, with added mental aspects and dynamics. But sadness is a universal feeling, it can be experienced over something simple, and can come and go rather quickly.

I suggest that when we are sad for reasons of unhappiness (as opposed to grief), that perhaps what is most needed is a reconnection with a purpose greater than ourselves. Sadness is replaced by happiness when we remember what is important. I'm open to hearing comments as to the veracity of this last statement. Am I onto something, or am I missing the point?

Ultimately, sadness is one of the deep emotions we all feel. It is best to be honest before God when we are experiencing it. Tears are one physical way we can deal with our sadness. We are not always promised happiness in this life, but we are promised a God who knows when we are sad, and will one day wipe away our tears.

Stockton Elementary School Board

2010-03-02T21:09:00.003-05:00

Well, I've handed in my petition to run for the local elementary school board.

If elected, the end of my term with coincide with the beginning of my daughter's scholastic journey. I look forward to helping and supporting the school that will help and support our daughters.

I try to encourage my students at Kean and the parishioners of Stockton to be involved in their community. So here is one attempt at combining belief with action.

We'll see how it works out. If nothing else, there will be some blogging opportunities!

Community Garden

2010-03-02T20:41:00.004-05:00

Tolkien described the Hobbits as people who 'liked things that grow'.

Not that I am claiming to be a hobbit, but that description resonates with me. I want to be part of things that are growing. I want to see new life burst and spring forth around me.

This year, Stockton residents will be gathering at the Prallsville Mill grounds to grow our first Community Garden!

The Mill will be hosting the garden, with longtime Stockton historian and resident Karl Cathers acting as Master Gardener. The Environmental Commission will be networking volunteers who love gardening, or are ready to start loving to garden.

If anyone grows their own plants from seed, we would welcome vegetables and herbs come planting time. In April, we will coordinate a schedule for planting and maintaining the garden.

Thanks in advance for your excitement and participation!

Deep Emotions: Jealousy

2010-03-02T14:16:00.003-05:00

The second in my 2010 Lent sermon series on Deep Emotions. This sermon was delivered to the Stockton Presbyterian Church on 2/28/10. Scriptures used for the sermon were Exodus 20:4-6, Mark 9:33-37, I Corinthians 3 .

We like to have our conversations about The Greatest. The Best. These are the discussions that fascinate us. We make our lists and debate the data. Our discussions about the greatest include...

The 27 Yankees or the Big Red Machine?
The Beatles or the Rolling Stones?
Washington or Lincoln?
The Great Gasby or Ulysses (These are books, for those who don't know)
Casablanca or Citizen Kane (These are movies, for those who don't know)
Muhammad Ali…well, I guess if your nickname is the greatest that hinders discussion.

The Gospel of Mark tells us about a who is the greatest discussion that was not beneficial or fruitful.
“The disciples did not answer him because they were talking about which of them was the greatest.”
To which Jesus answers: oh, that is an easy question to answer: none of you are. He brings a child to them and reframes greatness.

Unlike many of our 'greatest' discussions, the disciples argument about which one of them was the greatest was rooted in jealousy. Jealousy is defined as
Mental uneasiness from suspicion or fear of rivalry or unfaithfulness
The secondary definition is
Vigilance in maintaining or guarding something.

Jealousy can be confused with its synonym Envy.
Envy has to do with possession. HAVING what someone else has.
Jealousy is about resentment. It is rooted in insecurity and anger.

I think I am oversimplifying it, but generally speaking, envy has to do with things, and jealousy with people.

The Apostle Paul, in his words to the church in Corinth, reminds people that they are to be about the Lord, not about one follower of Jesus over another. There should be no camps or teams in the Christian faith. The following 5 principles are taken from I Corinthians 3.

WHY JEALOUSY DOES NOT WORK

1. Produces worldliness, not godliness (3:3)
While God calls us to have love for people and creation, a basic generic understanding of the world, we are also commanded not to become like the world. That is, we are to become godly, like God. God is saying, “follow me”. Jealousy makes us want to become like other people. God is saying, "become like me".

2. Not based on reality, but self (ish) perception (3:4-7)
I do not feel that all self-perception is selfish. But jealousy does grow our selfish perception. God is real. The twisted perceptions that grow when we allow jealousy to take root within us are not real. We can overcome jealousy be rooting ourselves in what is real. God is real, and God's kingdom is real. Let us work for that kingdom. We do not work alone. By working together: a common purpose guides you.

3. It destroys, not build up (3:10-17)
Our jealousy burns, God’s judgment refines. Paul uses the image of fire to show that what is not building up God's kingdom is something not built upon a solid foundation, and will be burnt away. Our jealousy burns within us when we do not put it out. God's fire, rather than destroying, acts as a refining agent. The common illustration is that of gold, where fire burns away remnants in order for the gold to be made pure.

4. It is foolish, not wise (3:18-20)

5. You already have everything you need. (3:21-23)

Jealousy decieves into thinking we need something, or someone else. But God has already provided for us. In that sense, if we have Christ, we have everything that we need.

Today, our thoughts end with a different idea about jealousy, one which we have not often considered. But one of the names for God in Hebrew Scripture is Jealous. Our initial reaction is we might not know what to do with this name? Is God immature? Has God not developed emotional tolerance? Is God like a little child who cries when he doesn't get what he wants?

Perhaps our second definition of jealousy is helpful here: Vigilance in maintaining or guarding something. Isn’t that what God is trying to do for us? His jealousy is all the things ours is not.

God’s jealousy is: holy, real, building up, wise, offering all things
Our jealousy is: worldly, perceived, destroying, foolish, nothing

Like anger, jealousy is rooted in passion. Our understanding of God is that God is passionate, loving us, wanting us to love him, not bowing to idols that lead to an empty way of life. Protecting us from that which destroys us, maintaining health in our spiritual life.

Let us free ourselves from jealousy. Let God be jealous, God is the only one who knows how to do that with righteousness. We are called to love: God and neighbor. That effort can take a lifetime of energy and devotion.

Deep Emotions: Anger

2010-03-02T13:50:00.002-05:00

Deep Emotions: Anger

The first in my 2010 Lent sermon series on Deep Emotions. This sermon was delivered to the Stockton Presbyterian Church on 2/21/10. Scriptures used for the sermon were the book of Jonah and Matthew 12:38-45

And there's always a place for the angry young man,
With his fist in the air and his head in the sand.
And he's never been able to learn from mistakes,
He can't understand why his heart always breaks.
His honor is pure and his courage as well
--William Joel, poet, The Angry Young Man

Today, we start a series of sermons on deep emotions. The purpose of these sermons is to name some common emotions that we all feel, identify some dynamics involved with them and then look at these emotions from a biblical perspective. The purpose of these sermons is not really to become overly introspective. We are talking about these emotions during LENT because, it is a season of reflection. And all reflection should point us toward God and good.

The definition of Anger, according to Webster's Dictionary:
Noun: strong feeling of displeasure aroused by a wrong
Verb: to arouse strong feelings of displeasure
Our current word is rooted in the 12th century, meaning to grieve, anguish or have sorrow

This past week, I received an email forward about a man asking the nation to vote out every current congressman because they raised their salary in the midst of economic uncertainty. It was an angry email.

Now, did this email writer, just figure out that congress gives themselves pay raises, or perhaps, the real issue is that something in his life changed to put him over the edge, and he is looking to blame someone/thing for the problem. And he found it.

The problem in our society right now is that we could have picked any number of issues that make people angry. It is almost too easy to do.

So regardless of what makes people angry, we certainly see and know the physical effects of anger…

Blood pressure rising
Ready to defend or attack
Teeth grinding
Face turning red
Adrenaline kicking in
The Vein growing out of the forehead

Whenever we are angry, there are also some things going on internally:

Our emotional reasoning is not working
We find ourselves experiencing a low frustration tolerance
We have unreasonable expectations
We label people, keeping them in their packages

We become angry because of real or perceived threats, past experiences, learned behaviors, our personality and our lack of problem solving skills.

Anger is in this world because something is wrong. And humans like to assign blame to what is wrong. Sometimes, humans also identify a problem and then seek to solve the problem. That is anger at its best, to identify a wrong, contemplate a solution that is helpful to all parties, and then make the change.

There is wrong in self, surroundings and society.
The wrong in self is dysfunction. Something is not functioning within us. Often, we will flee these types of wrong, in order to protect ourselves from changing.

The wrong in surroundings usually cause us to fight. This is because we are protecting ourselves against attack of our well being or comfort.

The wrong in society is injustice. The system is in dysfunction, not just the individual.

What do some of the verses in the Bible say about anger?

In your anger, do not sin (ephesians 4:26)
Anger does not produce the righteous lifestyle that God wants (James 1:20)
There are multiple verses which site God as angry, and the more I think about that, it is ok. We work so hard to make God not look angry. But what about our definition? Anger is displeasure at what is wrong. Doesn't God's holiness justify anger...if someone is wrong, shouldn't we want God to move the world toward what is right?
Jesus said anyone angry with his brother will be subject to judgment (Matthew 5:22)
An angry man stirs up dissension and a hot tempered one commits many sins (Proverbs 15:1)
A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control. (Proverbs 29:11)

Then there is the Story of Jonah, which for our blog readers, I highly suggest you read in its entirety. It takes about 8 minutes to read and is a fascinating story. For our purposes, anger is revealed and grows in Jonah's life because...

Ran away from what God had said (whole problem could have been averted)
He is dishonest with crew members (stemming from his personal dysfunction)
Jonah is greatly displeased that God’s plan is different from his expectations.
He then displays faulty emotional reasoning: "I knew you would be nice to them"
which strikes me as speaking irrationally and internal dysfunction is exposed.
He cannot answer truthfully God’s questions: Do you have any right to be angry?
This is followed by the story of the vine, and Jonah's anger at a gift given/taken
The story ends with God’s concerns being identified, which lead to salvation.

I had a humorous incident occur when preparing this sermon. A book I had needed was not on my shelf. My immediate reaction was to blame. "Someone must have taken it", I rationalized to myself (as if people had nothing better to do with their lives than come and misplace the book they thought I might need for a sermon that week). Rather than taking a step back, and thinking about other options, I saw myself start to blame, and the seeds of anger were growing. I caught myself before the anger grew too powerful, and laughed at the absurdity of my thinking when the book was in the next room, right where I had left it. Putting the anger aside, and using creativity to think of an alternative solution allowed that solution to present itself.

A problem arose, I wasn’t able to solve it, I blamed others, however irrational that was, and then took a step back, came up with a solution, and solved the problem.

This leads me to Good’s Guide to Putting Anger in its place…
1. Take a breath and a step back.
2. Ask yourself, Is my anger based upon imagination or reality?
3. If it is reality, will I internalize or address the anger?
4. If I choose to address the anger, is my solution a positive action.

I think it is appropriate to mention that internalizing does have its place. We are so quick to reject the idea of internalizing anger. Yet, are we better off saying everything that comes to our mind? I do not think so.

The problem is that if we nurture our anger long enough, we end up as the man Joel describes at the end his song, “well, he’ll go to the grave an angry old man”.

Anger is rooted in passion.
Anger is justified against evil. But be careful, for we are not judges of the human heart.

Perhaps love, a passion for the good, should replace anger in our lives.
Perhaps being concerned with what God is concerned about is what we should be doing and being.

“You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. But Ninevah has more than a 120,000 people and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?”

Kean University Students

2010-02-27T14:24:00.003-05:00

Hello Fellow Historians,

Thank you for visiting my blog. All of the lecture notes (which includes material for potential exam questions) are found in blogs posted in February 2010. You do not have to go anywhere else in the blog to find History 1000 material.

This is my personal blog, and includes a variety a material, some of which is not representative of a state university curriculum. I will not use class time to talk about anything found in this blog other than the lecture material.

In my journey, I am fascinated by both history and faith. And I also strongly affirm the seperation of Church and state. This blog helps me explore and communicate the things that interest me to a diversity of people that my path intersects with.

Thank you for taking my class at Kean. I love teaching at Kean and I hope your time at Kean is one of growth and much learning.

Survey of the American Economy

2010-02-23T21:19:00.000-05:00

bold font denotes information you should know for the final exam.

700 BC, Native American cultivation of squash and corn. Crops move throughout geographic regions based upon tribal relocation, expansion and trading networks.
1492 CE With the arrival of Columbus , European diet and lifestyle is expanded in Europe .
1608 Glass Factory set up in Jamestown , first manufacturing. Tobacco cultivated in Jamestown by 1612.
1643 Ironworks begins in Massachussetts, by 1750 Parliament passes Iron Act, where raw iron must be shipped back to Great Britain .
1693 Rice cultivation begins in South Carolina
1712 The first sperm whale captured by Nantucket fishermen. Whale Oil causes radical increase in hunting.
1750 Wheat replaces tobacco as ultimate cash crop in Virginia . One third of Great Britain ’s fleet is built by colonies.
1765 Fishing Industry in New England is over 10,000 men and 665 ships.

1781 Robert Morris first superintendent of Finance, develops charter for National Bank, The charter obtains loans from Holland and France to create new currency and meet war debt repayments.

1785 Continental Congress makes dollar the official currency.
1790 Slater’s Mill, RI, spins cotton based on textile design that Slater memorized in England—who had wanted it kept secret.
1791 Alexander Hamilton charters first national bank. National Debt is 75,463,000.
1792 US Mint begins making coins out of silver and gold.
1793 Eli Whitney invents cotton gin.
1811 Charter for National Bank not renewed.
1816 Charter for 2nd National Bank with support of anti-federalists. The Tariff of 1816, the first protective tariff passed (25%).

Tariffs will protect manufacturing jobs in US, encourage industry and provide profit.

1817 NY Stock Exchange established.
1819 Bank panic #1, six year depression following inflation, western land expansion and contraction of credit.
1825 Erie Canal changes the agricultural center from the Mississippi Valley to the midwest.
1828 South protests increased tariffs, which ultimately help New England more than southern states.
1832 South Carolina refuses to collect federal tariffs. President Jackson refuses to renew charter of the 2nd national bank and transfers funds to state banks, causing banking crisis., panic, and loan calls by banks. Recession results.
1836 British call for American loans, 6 year depression results. President Jackson: Hard currency, rather than paper, will be required for purchase of western lands.
1857 Depression occurs because of panic selling..
1859 Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company founded, eventually becomes first great chain store.
1862 Legal Tender Act empowers federal government to print paper money.
1863 National bank Act prohibits state banks from printing paper money.
1864 2 cent coins are minted with phrase In God we Trust. 1955, this phrase is mandatory on all coins. 1866 first 5 cent piece made of nickel.
1868 Federal employees in labor and mechanics are provided 8 hour day by congressional act.
1869 First Black Friday. Knights of Labor formed in Philadelphia , first influential labor union (eventually advocate child labor laws). John Rockefeller creates Standard Oil Company out of several smaller oil companies.
1870 National Debt is 2,436,453,000.
1873 failure of Jay Cooke and CO. bank leads to 5 year depression. Andrew Carnegie becomes steel giant, gives away $350 million in profits.
1890 Sherman Anti-Trust Act attempts to break up monopolies. 1900 US manufactures 1/3 of the world’s goods.
1901 Carnegie Steel Company first billion dollar company. Discovery of oil in Texas replaces ranching and farming as leading state economy.
1913 Ford Motor Company uses mass production technique and assembly line. Federal Reserve System becomes (3rd) National Bank.
1914 Henry Ford pays $4 a day to workers, other auto workers receive $2.15 per day.
1928 Clarence Birdseye uses quick freeze process for common foods, takes lead in frozen food industry.
1929 Stock Market crash causes Great Depression.
1933 FDR’s election starts with the New Deal, including legislation for Federal Deposit Insurance Corporations, Civilian Conservation Coprs, Emergency Farm Mortgage Act, Home Owners’ Loan Corporation, separates commercial and investment banking, took nation off gold standard.
1938 Fair labor Standards Act creates minimum wage and 40 hour work week.
1953 General Motors first company to report billion dollar annual profits.
1956 Soil bank established to pay farmers to not grow crops.
1965 LBJ war on poverty increases social programs (most since new deal), uses budget surplus to initiate programs.
1968 Car manufacturing must comply with government safety standards.
1973 Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries prices soar with Arab oil embargo. Americans wait in long lines for gasoline.
1977 Trade deficit exceeds $29 billion.
During 80-90’s, annual deficits of $100 billion per year.
1980 US produces 20% of automobiles in world. In 1960, it was half.

1981 Reagan revises tax codes, cutting corporate and personal taxes. Reagan advocates Supply-Side economics (smaller government spending during ailing economy) first time since New Deal Keynesian economics not predominant (government spending fuels economy).

1985 US is a debtor nation, with $220 billion trade deficit.. National Debt is 1,945,900,000,000.
1987 Stock Market crashes, infusion from Federal Reserve lessen impact.
1998 First national government budget surplus since 1960.
2000 Microsoft found to have violated anti-trust laws.
2001 10 year, 1.35 trillion in tax break passed by congress.
2002 Enron, energy company largest bankruptcy case in history.
2002 National Debt is 6,228,200,000,000

Survey of America and Religion

2010-02-23T21:17:00.000-05:00

Bold and 20 point font bullet points signifies potential test-questions.

1620 Pilgrims arrive in North America
1634 Lord Baltimore settles Maryland as a haven for R. Catholics

1647 Rhode Island drafts civil code including a separation of church and state.

1654 First Jewish immigrants arrive in New Amsterdam
1660 Celebrating Christmas in Massachusetts is illegal, and people were fined 5 schillings.
1683 Mennonites from Germany arrive, strong separation of church and state, simple lifestyle and pacificism.
1692 Salem Witch Trials
1707 Baptists organize first inter-colony organization 1730 First synagogue built
1730’s the Great Awakening-first wave of religious revival (Jonathan Edwards)
1757 Philadelphia Quakers ban slaveholding among its members
1771 Francis Asbury introduces circuit riding as a preaching method, serving 30-40 communities.
1776 9 of 13 original colonies have established religions.
1780 Philadelphia Quakers admit African Americans as members.

1786 Thomas Jefferson-Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom, defeats idea of states established religion, includes the phrase, “wall of separation around church and state”. Example: Patrick Henry wanted taxes to sponsor a state religion.

1790’s 2nd Great Awakening (movement from Calvinist theology to free will)—second wave of revivalism

1791, Bill of Rights ratified, first amendment includes the freedom of religion.

1808 Elizabeth Bayley Seton finds Sisters of Carity of St. Joseph in Baltimore (1975 first US saint)
1824 Reformed Society of Israelites, forerunner of Reformed Judaism, founded in South Carolina . Advocates, shorter sermons (in English), and mixed seating of men and women.
1830 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints founded in Fayette , NY by Joseph Smith.
1844 South and Northern Baptists split over issue of slavery. The south forms the Southern Baptist Convention (1990—largest protestant church body)
1847 Large pockets of Morman population move from Missouri to Salt Lake City under the leadership of Brigham Young.
1866 Mary Baker Eddy begins Christian Science church, emphasizing faith healing.
1880 Salvation Army begins
1880’s growth of parochial schools in Maryland , protecting immigrant’s children from secular schools.
1890’s third wave of revivalism (Billy Sunday, opposed Darwinism, embraced prohibition, ends with Scopes Monkey Trial verdict) personal holiness and complete surrender to God is a key theme.
1901 Pentecostal faith is born in Kansas at a gathering at a Bible College , students start speaking in tongues. The Social Gospel movement grows, applying Christ’s teachings to social problems.
1909 Fundamentalism grows in popularity with the Schofield reference Bible, teaching Dispensationalism.
1916 Stephen Wise, Reform rabbi, organized American Jewish Congress, lobbying for more liberal immigration policies in light of the first world war.
1918 Aimee Semple McPherson begins a religious broadcast.
1926 Father Charles Coughlin begins radio show in Detroit . By 1930, has an audience of 40 million people. But is eventually silenced by the Bishop of Detroit for anti-Semitic and anti-government sermons.
1930, The Black Muslims group is formed in Detroit . (eventually becomes Nation of Islam)
1940 Supreme Court rules that Jehovah’s Witnesses right to religion is protected by first amendment like other religions would be.
1950 The National Council of Churches is formed.
1950’s fourth wave of revivalism, Billy Graham, puts evangelicals in political conversation.
1954 Dwight Eisenhower adds “under God” to the pledge of Allegience.

1955 Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. leads Montgomery bus boycott, the first encounter of the modern civil rights movement.

1962 Supreme Court bans mandated prayer in public schools as unconstitutional.
1960’s-70’s, woman become ordained in many mainline denominations and Reformed Judaism.
1974 Jim Baker creates PTL: Praise the Lord ministry, which becomes multi-million dollar organization.
1979 Moral Majority founded by Jerry Falwell, reaching an audience of 20 million listeners.
1980’s More Christians are evangelical than protestant.

Survey of America and Achievement

2010-02-23T21:13:00.000-05:00

AMERICA AND ACHIEVEMENT: Education, Literature, Music and Theatre

Bullet points in Bold signifies material that could appear on final exam.

1636 Harvard College founded to train puritan ministers
1693 William & Mary becomes nation’s second college.
1732 Ben Franklin publishes Poor Richard’s Almanack
1744 Moravian community established Collegium Museaum for non-religious chamber music
1776 Phi Beta Kappa founded at W& M as a social club.
1780’s American’s establish their own playing companies
1783 Noah Webster publishes the American Spelling Book
1787 The Young Ladies Academy in Philadelphia opens, seeking to train wives and mothers in the new republic
1789 UNC is chartered at the first state university
1793 GWashington accepts architectural design for Washington DC
1800 Library of Congress established
1814 Star-Spangled Banner written, becoming official national anthem in 1831
1818 Boston establishes public elementary schools
1821 First high school in Boston established
1822 Philadelphia establishes first public school for blacks.
1824 The first public school for girls opens in Massachusetts.
1824 Dartmouth College admits first black students
1826 US Capitol construction complete
1827 Every town with 500 or more families is required to have a high school
1830’s: first wave of American literature: (Poe, Melville, Dickinson, Hawthorne, Thoreau, Whitman, Emerson
1833 Oberlin College first co-educational university.
1842 New York Philharmonic is founded
1845 The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
1852 Uncle Tom’s Cabin sells 300,000 thousand copies within first six months.
1861 The first PhD is awarded at Yale.
1862 Morrill Land Grant Acts set aside public lands for state colleges.
1867 Howard University founded to educate newly emancipated slaves.
1870 563 Colleges and women make up 21% of student population
1873 Chautauqua Movement seeks to provide adult education
1880’s golden age of theatre, growth of broadway.
1881 Boston Symphony founded
1883 Home Insurance Building first skyscraper with metal skeleton.
1884 Mark Twain writes Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
1890 4% of 14-17 year olds are enrolled in high school, 40% of colleges are co-educational
1897 Mississippi Rag first ragtime music
1900 6,000 high schools in US, up from 160 in 1870
1903 Babes in Toyland, first American operetta. Silent film Great Train Robbery is 12 minutes long
1910 1000 colleges, women are 40% of student population
1916, Bureau of Education reports southern states spend $10.32 for white students and $2.89 for black students.
1916 Norman Rockwell paints first of 300 covers for Sat. Evening Post.
1917 Livery stable Blues first Dixieland jazz band recording
1920 Harrison Frazee sells Babe Ruth to Yankees to finance No, No Nanette production.
1920’s 2nd wave of American Lit: Fitzgerald, Hemingway, William Faulkner, T.S. eliot), height of the silent movie popularity.
1924 Lincoln Memorial statue is installed.

1925 Scopes Monkey Trial. Scopes arrested for teaching evolution (after answering ad from ACLU)

1926 Louis Armstrong brings national face to jazz scene.
1928 Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse makes debut in Steamboat Willie.
1930 Ansel Adams publishes Tao Pueblo
1930’s Jazz moves north to cities.
1932 Men at Work, photography series shows construction of Empire State building.
1934 Benny Goodman popularizes swing music
1934 School of American ballat is founded
1935 10 southern states spend $49 on white students and $17 on each black student.
1937 Count Basie Orchestra organizes popular swing bands. Walt Disney’s first full feature film, Snow White.
1940 Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger give folk voice
1942 Bing Crosby sings “White Christmas”
1944 GI Bill provides money for war veterans to go to school, within 10 years, 10 million veterans go back to school.
1946 NYC Ballet, second major classical dance company founded

1947 “Zeal for Democracy” campaign implemented nationwide (yet does not last, US is only industrial nation not to have a national curriculum)

1947 Movie popularity reaches height, before intro of television.
1950’s Off-Broadway movement grows.
1950 Jackson Pollock shocks the world with Abstract expressionism.

1954 Brown V. Board of Education has public schools desegregated.

1954 Alan Freed coins term Rock and roll
1956 Elvis Presley becomes famous
1957 Troops sent by Eisenhower to Arkansas to make sure schools desegregated.
1960 To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee.
1960’s folk music grows with Joan Baez, Boby Dylan, Peter Paul and Mary
1962 Andy Warhol paints pop art Campbell’s Soup Can
1965 Lyndon Johnson starts Job Corps and Head Start
1965 National Endowment for the Arts established by congress
1967 Monterey Pop Festival first major rock festival, followed by 1969 Woodstock
1968 Sesame Street starts
1969 Vassar College admits males.
1971 Supreme Court rules that busing is appropriate means to achieve racial balance. One year later, Nixon orders moratorium.
1974 Mikhail Baryshnikov defects to the US from Russia.
1977, Star Wars released, revolutionizes movies with idea of prequel and sequels.
1981 “Video Killed the radio Star by the Buggles is the first music video played on MTV
1990, 80 years later, National Cathedral completed.
1994 Independent films grow in popularity
1997 Concert Halls open in Newark, Seattle, Houston and Forth Worth
1997 Paul Getty Center, costliest art center built (1 billion dollars)

Survey of International Relationships

2010-02-23T21:09:00.000-05:00

Bullet points in Bold are eligible for exam questions.

foreign affairs the responsibility of congress and the president. President is responsible as commander in chief, negotiating treaties which are confirmed by senate, to appoint ambassadors and receive emissaries. Congress approves defense funding, support army and navy, regulate foreign trade and to declare war.
1781 By Treaty of Paris , ending revolutionary war, US establishes relationships with France , Great Britain , Spain , the Netherlands and Russia
1789 Thomas Jefferson is appointed first secretary of state.
1793 first Foreign affairs challenge. Great Britain and France are at war and Washington declares neutrality and seeks trade with both nations. (1st wave of neutrality) ?What were the benefits of the first president declaring neutrality?
1807 Trading becomes increasingly difficult, Jefferson signs Embargo At, which makes all importing/exporting with Europe forbidden. A year later this is overturned after it hurts US more than Great Britain .
1817 JQ Adams, secretary of state signs Rush-Bagot Treaty, which takes military presence out of Great Lakes region, and ultimately Canadian border.

1823 Monroe Doctrine created, affirming US will defend against colonization attempts in America , and will refrain from European affairs. Dominates thinking until WW I.

1824 Monrovia made capital of Liberia , where American Colonization society brought freed slaves starting in 1822
1853 Matthew Perry opens Japan and US Trade
1855 William Walker leads group to Nicaragua and declares himself dictator. President Pierce recognizes government. Loses attempts by 1857
Post Civil war: 2nd wave of Foreign Affair neutrality
1889 James Blaine calls for first hemisphere wide conference, the Pan-American conference.
1899 Open Door Policy proposed in Asia, which suggests all nations have equal trading rights in China , American attempt at non-colony presence in Asia .

1904 Roosevelt Corollary, which declares US right to intervene in Latin American internal affairs when those nations are experiencing political or fiscal instability “however relunctantly”

1905 Taft breaks Open Door Policy by building railroads in China , which begins tension with Japan (reaching climax in WW2)
1917 Jones Act grants political autonomy to Puerto Rico and grants US citizenship to residents
1919 Treaty of Versailles ends WWI. President Wilson presents 14 Points for post-war world. “The principle of justice to all peoples and nationalities, and their right to live on equal terms of liberty and safety with one another whether they be weak or strong.” The Points identify common historical problems that result from war:
annexing disputed lands
secret covenants
use of the high sea
colonial claims.
asks for
open treaties among nations of world
the right of neutrality
freedom of high seas
free trade among nations
reduced arms and armies
self-determination for all nations
mediation of colony claims.
The 14th point is the League of Nations . The League is established by 1920 in Europe, but the senate opposes US membership.
1920 third wave of foreign affair neutrality
1941 Atlantic Charter negotiated by Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin.
Renounces territorial aggrandizement
affirms the rights of people to choose their own form of government
equal access to trade for all nations
collaborative efforts in economic advancement
to live in freedom
1944 International Monetary Fund and International bank for Reconstruction and Development are created as plans for post-2nd world war are created.
1945 Germany is divided into 4 quadrants following war. Each zone led by France, US, Great Britain and Russia .
1945 formations of United Nations. 5 member security council: France , China , G. Britain, USSR , US. General Assembly. Today, US funds over 25% of budget and supplies, as well as troops. 189 Nations are currently members.
1946 Bipartisan support against communism, and development of Iron Curtain in western Europe. Birth of Cold War: ideological, economic differences and arms race

1947 Truman Doctrine offers military and economic aid to nations that resist communist aggression. This resistance to aggression is called “containment”
and 12.5 billion dollars given by 1950. First significant foreign aid by US. Truman also creates Central Intelligence Agency.

1948 Unification of Germany opposed by USSR . US and Britain send in air supply of food and fuel until blockade by USSR around Berlin abandoned.
1949 NATO formed, North Atlantic Treaty Organization. China/US relations cool with Communist form of government installed.
1954 SEATO formed, Southeast Asian Treaty Organization, but does not include India and Indonesia , thus not as influential as NATO.
1961 USSR builds Berlin Wall because of large exodus from East German zone.
1968 115 nations sign Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
1969 Nixon Doctrine attempting to reduce role as world’s policemen “We will help where it makes a difference in our national interest. America cannot and will not conceive all the plans, design all the programs execute all the decisions and undertake all the defenses of the nations of the world”. Support includes anti-democratic Shah of Iran, Marcos in Philippines and white government of South Africa .
1972 Nixon travels to China creating breakthrough in US/China relations. Sells $1 billion in wheat to USSR .
1979 Carter Doctrine. United States interested and will protect interests in the Middle East
1979 Shah is ousted in Iran . Result of revolution, 53 Americans are taken hostage for 444 days in Iran .
1985 Mikhail Gorbachev comes to power in USSR , tensions relax over time with US.
1989 Communist Block in eastern Europe breaks down. Elections in Poland , Hungary , Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia . Berlin Wall comes down.
1990’s: Post Cold War intervention by Bush and Clinton includes Nicaragua , Kuwait , Bosnia , Haiti , Somalia and Kosovo.
1993 North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico .
2000 Full Trading partner status with China .

2001: Bush Doctrine: nations of world are divided into those who support US anti-terrorist efforts and those who do not.

Less than 1% of federal budget goes to foreign aid. (not including war costs)

Survey of Community

2010-02-23T21:04:00.000-05:00

Community: Looking at Transportation and Communication

Bullet points in Bold are potential questions for final exam.

1639 First Colonial Printing Press used at Harvard
1685 Maps of colonies printed
1734 John Peter Zenger arrested for libel, because of New York Weekly articles, acquitted, leads to idea of freedom of the press
1756 Philadelphia and NYC develop stagecoach line
1787 John Fitch launches first steamboat on Delaware river after buying exclusive rights to build and operate steamboats on the waterways of NJ, PA, NY, Delaware and VA
1795 Robert Fulton patents first power shovel for digging canals. First toll road opens between Philly and Lancaster
1800 Robert Fulton creates first economically viable steamboat, traveling the Hudson river .
1817 construction of Erie Canal begins.
1821 Saturday Evening Post is first published (by 1855, 90,000 circulation, by 1908, 2 million)
1823 The first macadam (paved road) in Maryland
1825 the first steam locomotive
1826 the first railroads, originally powered by horses, sails or cables
1829 the Encyclopedia Americana first published in Philly. William Burt invents prototype of typewriter.
1830 the first viable steam locomotive tested against horse, loses.
1832 NYC, the first streetcar operated, the first penny daily newspaper
1837 Samuel Morse patents Morse Code.
1839 Charles Goodyear makes rubber resistant to heat and cold
1843 Morse receives federal funds to build telegraph line from Baltimore and DC
NY News Agency founded (becomes Associated Press)
1852 Baltimore and Ohio begins operating (connects Chicago )
1858 Cyrus Fields builds first undersea telegraph cable between US and Europe
1860 Pony Express begins from Missouri to California
1862 Congress grants 100 million acres of public lands to railroad companies
1864 George Pullman builds first sleeping rail car, 1866 first refrigerated railroad car
1867 first subway system in NY, hidden from politicians until 1912, forgotten tunnel was then used in current system
1868 typewriter invented
1869 first successful telegraph cable from US to Europe
1870 first asphalt paved road in US is created in Newark
1872 first mail-order house: Montgomery Ward & Co
1873 free mail delivery in cities established
1874 T. Edison develops telegraph system with four simultaneous messages
1876 Alexander Graham Bell patents the telephone.
1877 first phone purchased
1877 In Newark , first electric streetlight
1878 T.E. shows phonograph (Mary had a little lamb)
1879 George Selden patents gasoline motor driven vehicle
1880 George Eastman process photographic dry plates (do not require immediate development) 1883 T. Edison devises trolley that runs off electric third rail (still used by NYC subways)
1885 American Telephone and Telegraph formed for long distance phone network
1888 Herman Hollerith devises first successful computer, (tabulating 1890 census). Eastman invents box camera (roll film)
1893 Edison patents kinetoscopic camera, taking moving pictures
1894 edison Labortatories builds film studio in West Orange .
1896 Henry Ford constructs his first gasoline powered car.
1897 Boston has first subway
1897 More than 300 Norman Rockwell paintings on covers of Sat. Evening Post
1900 1 million miles of telephone line in US
1902 AAA founded
1903 Kitty Hawk NC, Orville and Wilbur Wright make first sustained manned flight in gas-powered aircraft, 852 feet

1903 US/Panama Treaty, purchase land for Panama Canal , $10 million, plus $230,000 per year for 99 years.

1903 Harley Davidson motorcycle, first license plates in MA, Ford founds Ford Motor Company
1905 first movie theater in Pittsburgh , charging 5 cents, called Nickelodeon. AT&T introduces rotary dial
1906 construction of Panama canal costs $300 million
1907 first taxis imported from Paris
1908 Model T Ford introduces. Cadilla Auto Company introduces interchangeable parts for cars.
1908 Glenn Curtis first American flight over 1 mile. Mutt and Jeff first daily comic strip with same characters
1911 cell system created for animation. C. Kettering electric self-starter for cars so they don’t have to be cranked.
1912 Howell invents continuous printer for copying motion pictures
1913 Ford Co builds 9 thousand cars a day.
1914 first red/green/yellow traffic lights in Cleveland .
1915 1 millionth car made by Ford
1917 invention of design for AM radios.
1923 Hertz Drive Ur self system created. Pan American Airways purchases seven float planes from navy. Iconoscope patented (early prototype of TV)
1924 Computing-Tabulating-Recording CO renamed International Business Machines. Metro-Goldwyn Mayer formed.
1926 Byrd and Bennett make first flight over North Pole. National Enquirer begins publishing (400 million weekly circulation by 1975)

1927 Lindbergh completes first non-stop solo transatlantic flight.

1927 Jazz Singer, first motion picture with sound is released.
1928 Schenectady , General Electric broadcasts first regularly scheduled television program
1932 first walk-talkie made by US Army Corps and Motorola. Amelia Earhart, first woman to make solo flight across Atlantic .
1933 Edwin Armstrong refines Frequency modulation radio (FM). First World’s Fair in Chicago
1935 George Gallup finds American Institute of Public Opinion
1938 Chester Carlson invents xerography. Haloid Company purchases rights to invention in 1947 and named….?
1947 Television overtakes movie theaters in popularity. (movie theaters were mostly in cities)
1948 MIT builds first chess playing computer

1949 Department of Justice breaks up AT&T charging monopoly

1950 NYC Port Authority opens, as world’s largest bus terminal first transcontinental tv broadcast
1952 the first videotape invented. CBS uses UNIVAC computer to predict results of the presidential election
1954 RCA produces first color television set and first video recorder.
1958 National Aeronautics and Space Administration is formed, and first satellite launched.
1961 Alan Shepard Jr. makes first American manned space voyage.
1962 Congress forms private company Communications Satellite Corporation (COMSAT), to formulate role of US in worldwide satellite communication.
1963 Touch-tone service begins
1964 BASIC invented, becoming the main programming language for personal computers.
1965 Ralph Nader writes Unsafe at Any Speed, the result is new congressional safety regulations for automobiles.
1966 Freedom of Information Act is passed.

1969 Neil Armstrong becomes first human to walk on the moon.

1969 Cigarette advertising eliminated from TV and radio over 3 years.
1970 Floppy disk invented.
1971 the Picture Phone invented by Bell Telephone.
1974 Nationwide speed limit of 55 established.
1975 Sony markets the Betamax Video Cassette Recorder (VCR).
1977 RCA introduces Video Home System (VHS).
1981 AT&T develops cellular phones (by 1981 national use)
1982 Compact Discs introduced
1985 Bell laboratories transmits 300,000 simultaneous phone calls over single fiber optic .
1997 IBM supercomputer Deep Blue defeats Garry Kasparov in chess.
2000 Y2K bug does not live up to expectations
2001 wireless telephones reach 100 million in US

Survey of Rural & Urban U.S. Demographics

2010-02-23T21:02:00.001-05:00

Bullet Points in BOLD are eligible for final exam.

1524 Verrazzano sails into rugged forest on island, which becomes Manhattan
1630 Massachusetts Bay Co. establishes Boston , “a city on a hill”, within first year, wooden chimney burns down city, which leads to the first building code.
1653 New Amsterdam colonists fear native American attacks and construct defensive wall in Manhattan (what is now known as wall street)
Early look of new communities: Spanish built missions surrounded by vineyards and orchards. French built Trading Posts with church and government in center. Dutch built farming villages and towns with narrow windy streets, English built forts. New England had urban planning, individual lots connected to a common (publicly owned land), each family had share of corporation. Washington DC is designed using grids with intersections, diagonal avenues, town squares.
1682 First attempt at grid planning found in Philadelphia.
1713 Boston begins grading streets for water drainage.
1751 First police force, Philadelphia
1754 Tallest building in North America: Christ Church, Philadelphia , 200 ft.
1790 in first census, there are 24 cities (2500 people or more).
1793 Yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia causes 4000 deaths. Lack of Sanitary conditions a major concern, leads to first public water supply system.
1818 Public Elementary schools established in Boston.
1820’s ½ of urban population lives in either NY, Baltimore , Philadelphia and Boston , yet only 6% of populations lives in cities.
1822 Lowell MA becomes first designed manufacturing city, including dormitories at factories for young girls.
1825 Erie Canal opens
1827 Baltimore & Ohio railroad opens
1831 NYC, Gramercy Park , first planned neighborhood, where residents have keys to gated community.
1837 Buildings and paved streets make up 16% of Manhattan . Atlanta (first called Terminus) established at end of rail line.
1860 20% of US population lives in cities
1870 first elevated US railroad opens in NYC
1873 Cable cars begin in San Francisco
1877 Museum of Natural History opens in NYC
1882 NYC lit by electricity, 2 years later a law requires that wire be placed underground
1883 Brooklyn Bridge opens, Homes Insurance Building in Chicago is first skyscraper

1889 First electric elevators, Jane Addams opens Hull-House, first settlement house.

1890 NYC population is 2.5 million, 700 people per acre.
1893 Louisville creates field houses for kids to play in bad weather
1900 40% of citizens live in urban areas. 20 Thousand miles of street railroads.
1901 Andrew Carnegie donates 5.2 million dollars for NYC to build 65 public libraries. Today, there are more than 10,000 public libraries in the US
1905 one of the first suburbs, Shaker Heights , outside of Cleveland . Connected by rail line.
1909 Dan Burnham, architect, calls for city master plans. “Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood”
1913 Pipeline carries 26 million gallons of water a day to LA from Sierra Nevada
1916 NYC passes first Urban zoning plan, requiring separation between houses and factories. Aqueduct provides NYC with 260 million gallons from Catskills.
1921 Federal Highway Act proposes all US cities be connected by highway.
1927 Holland Tunnel opens
1929 Stock Market Crash 1930 23 million cars are registered by US Population (123 million)
1931 GW Bridge and Empire State Building open (longest suspension bridge, tallest building at time)
1933 Federal Home Owners Loan Corporation, covers 1 million mortgages, lowers down payment from 50% to 10%.
1942 Emergency Price Control Act provides rent control

1947 William Levitt, completes first Levittown (Hempstead, Long Island), 17000 homes

1950’s suburban land value increases, white flight starts.
1959 Congress passes $650 million for slum clearance and rehab.
1975 NYC receives federal loan to avoid bankruptcy.
70-80’s height of homelessness in US
From WW2 to 1980, 75% of gov’t spending on transportation goes to building highways, 1% to public transportation.
2000 80% of population lives in urban areas.

Survey of American Politics

2010-02-23T20:59:00.000-05:00

Bullet points in bold are eligible for final exam.

1619 Jamestown , VA , first western representative government, House of Burgesses (which leads to VA General Assembly)
1647 Rhode Island, Code of Laws mentions Freedom of Conscience, “otherwise what is herein forbidden, all men may walk as their conscience persuade them, everyone in the name of his god”

1776 Continental Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence, defining natural rights.

1776 Virginia adopts Declaration of Rights, which includes freedom of religion. This declaration becomes foundation for the Bill of Rights.

1777 Continental Congress adopts Articles of Confederation: loose union of states and weak central government

1787 Congress seeks to revise Articles, new Constitution is written, strengthens role of central government. Federalists (Alexander Hamilton) support constitution.

1788 Constitution ratified by 9 states.

1789 George Washington becomes first president. Congress adopts the Bill of Rights (1st 10 amendments to Constitution). Madison authors the Bill of Rights. Three Federal Departments are the State, War and Treasury. Washington meets with these three heads, and it is the first cabinet. Congress takes on responsibility for creation of new departments.

1790 Congress meets in Philadelphia and votes for a new capital along the Potomac.
1791 First national bank, responsible for regulating state banks.
1792 The Democratic-Republican party, led by Jefferson , opposes the federalists. D-R has strong belief in state rights.
1794 Federal Gov’t uses force during Whiskey Rebellion (farmers not wanting to pay tax on whiskey)
1798 Kentucky and VA Resolutions argue that Alien and Sedition Acts are unconstitutional, present Doctrine of Nullification---where states can nullify actions of US congress.
1800 first election with two parties. Jefferson (D-R) defeats John Adams, Federalist.
1804 12th Amendment requires separate election of president and vice president.
1818 Connecticut abolishes property ownership as requirement to vote.
1824 5 different factions of Democratic-Republican party run for President. Jackson wins popular vote, but not electoral vote. J. Quincy Adams elected by House of Representatives.
1828 Andrew Jackson elected as Democrat, after disillusionment with D-R party.
1840 William Henry Harrison, a Whig, is elected.
1865 13th Amendment ratified, prohibiting slavery
1866 1st Civil Rights Act: all persons born in the US are citizens (except Native Americans)

1868 Andrew Johnson impeached by Senate for violation of the Tenure in Office Act. Wins acquittal by one vote.

1872 People’s Party Ticket: Victoria Woodhull is first woman presidential candidate. Frederick Douglass the VP candidate.
1876 Samuel Tilden wins the popular vote, but not electoral vote.
1886 Presidential Succession Act approved, (revised in 1947)
1894 congress passes the first federal income tax.
1895 Supreme Court declares unconstitutional 1908 Bureau of Investigation established.
1913 16th Amendment, Federal Income Tax
1918 Eugene Debs, Socialist Party leader, jailed for espionage, receives one million votes while in jail.
1920 19th Amendment, Women receive right to vote.
1932 Hyatt Caraway elected first woman to senate.
1933 Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal, legislation designed to overcome great depression.
1937 “FDR’s Court Packing Scheme”
1951 22nd Amendment, limiting presidents to 2 terms.
1965 Voting Rights Act
1967 Thurgood Marshall becomes first black supreme court justice.
1971 26th Amendment lowers voting age to 18
1973 VP Spiro Agnew resigns, Gerald Ford becomes first VP to not be elected.
1974 President Nixon becomes first to resign the office of presidency
1981 Sandra Day O’Conner becomes first woman Supreme Court justice