Faith – Page 62 – Pocket Sized Pastor*

A Reflection on Lamentations

Our First Reading is Lamentations 1:1-5.

What does mourning sound like? That’s not an easy question to answer. Each time a person experiences loss, we respond to that loss in a unique way. Some of us shed tears while others focus on their jobs or hobbies. Some of us spend much of our days in sadness while others will be surprised when moments of sadness show up suddenly an unexpectedly. We each mourn in our own way and that’s okay. The book of Lamentations is a book of mourning centered on the fall of Jerusalem.

This book is a collection of 5 poems, each 22 lines long. The writer (traditionally identified as Jeremiah) believes that God used the Babylonians to destroy Jerusalem. The writers knows that God can work “good and bad.” But the writer is surprised at one aspect of God: God’s silence. When God’s Temple, God’s Home, was under siege, why was God silent? The writer of Lamentations cries out for the pain to stop and for their suffering to end. The poem ends without an answer on whether God will do that or not.

“To us, lament often sounds like despair, the opposite of faith” (Lutheran Study Bible, 2009) but cries are not the opposite of faith. Crying out to God is a prayer. The very act itself trusts that we will be heard. And we will be heard because it is in the places where we would least expect God (in suffering, pain, catastrophe, and in the cross) where God is clearly present. “Lamentations shows us that in the most difficult of times and places, God is present and hears our desperate cries for help.”

Each week, I write a reflection on one of our scripture readings for the week. This is from Christ Lutheran Church’s Worship Bulletin for 8/28/2016.

Let’s Hear It For Love: a sermon on Jesus, love, and being vulnerable.

On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely.

When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” He said also to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Luke 14:1,7-14

My sermon from the 12th Sunday After Pentecost (August 28, 2016) on Luke 14:1,7-14.

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So when we’re in our cars, who picks the music that we hear? The rule, in my household, is that whoever’s driving picks the music we’re listening too. It’s a system that usually works but I’ll admit that, when I pick the music, my habits can annoy the other passengers in the car. I’m not the type of person who just hits play and let the music flow. I’m the type of person who skips around. Even when I put on my playlist labeled “all-time favorites,” I can’t just hit “play.” I have to search for the music that is speaking to me today – and that sometimes means listening to the first 3 seconds of 20 songs before I find the one I want to hear. And one song I keep wanting to hear lately is from the an older pop-punk band called the Smoking Popes. They’re from Chicago, they still tour, and they mix the power and energy of punk music with the crooning vocal style of a Tony Bennett or Frank Sinatra. And the song I keep searching for is from 1993 and is called “Let’s Hear It For Love.” That’s an uplifting title for a song. That’s that a title that seems to celebrate the bliss and passion and positive experiences love can bring. But, once the vocalist starts singing, we hear a song centered on the other side of love. It begins with the lines “Let’s hear it for heartache. Let’s hear it for pain.” And after we hear the chorus a couple of times, the main there for the entire song comes through: “Let’s hear it for letting someone totally ruin your life. Let’s hear it for love.” That’s a bit depressing. But I value this song because it points to something that is necessary for love: it points to vulnerability. It’s impossible to truly love unless we risk that this relationship might leave us with a broken heart.

And that, I think, is at the center of Jesus’ words today. Jesus is at a dinner party. He walks through the front door and everyone, immediately looks at him. Now when I walk into a room and everyone stares at me, that makes me feel pretty uncomfortable. But not Jesus. He, instead, stares right back. He watches as people where they are going to sit. He notices that some are picking seats next to their friends so they would have some to talk too. Others don’t really care where they sit as long as they don’t sit next to that one person they can’t really stand. And some are picking, what I would call, the “cool kids” spots and others are elsewhere, sitting at the 1st century version of the kids table. The people at this dinner party might not know everyone’s name but they know where everyone is supposed to sit. It’s basically like…high school…with a social dynamic that still matters in our lives even if high school happened to us years ago. This dinner party is more than just a few friends hanging out. It’s a place where people network, where they talk, and where the cool kids know everyone will be sucking up to them for some kind of favor or influence. And those uncool kids, well, they know they’re going to be asked to do something to prove why they should be there. This party is a social engagement where everyone is trying to figure out just what they can get from each other.

And then there’s Jesus… who doesn’t seem to follow the rules. He leans over to his friend, to the one who invited him, and tells him a very un-high school thing to do: When hosting a dinner party, don’t just invite your friends. Don’t invite someone special. Don’t invite anyone who could ever invite you to a dinner party of their own. Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Invite those who might never have a room to host a party in or extra food to share. Invite those who no one expects to be there – those who can never give you anything – because that’s what the kingdom of God looks like.

The more I sat with this text…the more the word “invite” got to me. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has invited people to events knowing, or secretly praying, that they wouldn’t come. The word ‘invite’ can, in some ways, get us off the hook because the people we ‘invite’ can always say no. But Jesus isn’t saying just invite the poor – he’s saying they’ll come. They’ll be there. And when they come, don’t expect they’ll know all the rules we know. They might not know where to sit, they might not know which fork to use, and they might talk about things they’re not supposed to. They might share stories or experiences that don’t match our own or challenge everything we believe. And if they are differently abled or injured or incapacitated in some way, they might not eat the foods we want to serve. They might not even be able to chew at all. But we promised them a dinner party – so that’s what we do. A dinner party for those who can’t give us anything is a dinner party for the vulnerable. And the only way we can throw that kind of party is if we become vulnerable too.

God’s kingdom isn’t a kingdom centered on what we can get. It’s center on what we can give. When we sit at the table with someone who is different from us, we’re invited to have a relationship with them. We’re called to get to know them, to understand their fears, their struggles, their joys, and what makes them who they are. And that knowing only works if we take a risk and let this other person, this vulnerable person, make us vulnerable too. At this kind of table, there is nothing that we can get. There is nothing this other person can give us that will improve our social capital, our standing among our peers, or make us look good in the eyes of our friends. At this table, our expectations aren’t enough to set the rules because we’re sitting with the unexpected. For that relationship to fully matter, we have to take the risk of being vulnerable.

And that’s God’s table. God’s table is a table of vulnerability. It’s a table where risk happens and where love…well…where love doesn’t run away from heartache. It’s a table where love doesn’t hide when it’s confronted by pain and where love doesn’t stop when someone ruins our life. Love, at God’s table, just keeps loving because that’s who God is. God is love which means God takes risks. God doesn’t run away from vulnerability. God sits, at that same table, risking pain, risking heartache, risking ruin. And we know this because when Jesus invited his friends around that one table for his last supper, he didn’t only invite the good, the solid, and the most faithful ones. He ate with the one who would betray him. He shared bread with the ones who would abandon him. And he had a drink with the ones who would doubt Mary when she told them what she saw. God’s table isn’t for the strong; it’s for the vulnerable. God’s dinner party isn’t for the perfect; it’s for all. We are not here to limit the possibilities of God’s kingdom but to see how God’s kingdom show us all of what’s possible with God. So let’s take a risk. Let’s be vulnerable. And in everything we do, everything we say, and in everything we share – let’s do that one hard thing – and that’s love.

Amen.

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Keep Saying: a sermon on Jesus, the Sabbath, and what matters.

Now[Jesus] was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day.” But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?” When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.

Luke 13:10-17

My sermon from the 11th Sunday After Pentecost (August 21, 2016) on Luke 13:10-17.

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One of my favorite clothing trends is fun socks. It wasn’t that long ago when my sock options were limited to white athletic socks or black dress socks. It didn’t matter what kind of shoe I was wearing – my sock options were plain and boring. But that’s all changed. I’ve got argyle socks, red socks, blue socks, socks with foxes on them, chihuahuas riding surfboards, and even my Lutheran socks which have “Here I stand” written on the side. So today, in honor of Sunday, our sabbath day, I’m wearing my Sunday Socks. Sunday Socks is literally what it says on the ankle – and right below those words is an image of a tv set with the words “Football!” inside. For a fan like myself, they’re basically perfect with footballs, referees, and athletic stripes are all over them. My only critique is that, sadly, they don’t come in the orange and blue of my beloved Denver Broncos. But that’s okay because they’re still fun, they’re still cool, and they still make me smile because, along with the footballs, the tv sets, and the stripes is a simple phrase, written on the side that claims, when it comes to Sunday, “nothing else matters.”

Now, that’s a pretty bold claim for a pair of socks to make. I tend to chose my socks based on the bold statement they make about me rather than the bold statement written on them. But there’s an irony here that makes me laugh because these socks point to a question: what makes a holy day a holy day? And that question is at the center of our story about Jesus today.

Our story starts with Jesus making a pit stop during his long journey from Galilee to Jerusalem. As he passes through many different villages and town, he gravitates towards the centers of faith at the heart of each community. So, it’s not surprising to find him in a synagogue on the sabbath. As a Jewish teacher, that’s where he should be. In my mind, I imagine this synagogue to be one giant room, filled with disciples and the locals competing for places to sit and stand so they can listen to what Jesus has to say. And it’s in the middle of this very full space, that Jesus sees her. Now, this woman is a bit of a mystery to us. We don’t know her name, why she came to see Jesus, or even where she’s from. But there’s a sense in the text that this woman was someone this community knew. She’s one of the locals. For 18 years, she’s been unable to stand straight. For 18 years, she’s been bent over. In a crowd full of people standing to see Jesus, I wonder if she could see him. But before she can ask for healing, before she can reach out to touch his robe, before she can do all the others things we hear in the other healing stories – Jesus sees her. He makes a promise. And then, after placing his hands on her, her back straightens out. This woman who couldn’t stand straight, who couldn’t see over the crowd, is now standing like she’s one of the crowd – like she really is a part of this community – a community she’s always been a part of.

And that’s when the grumbling starts. Someone isn’t happy with what just happened. The text points to Jesus’ cure being the issue but the words that come out shifts the blame elsewhere. The leader doesn’t turn to Jesus to object to what happened but, instead, he turns to the crowd. He looks at those who might need healing and asks them to just…wait one more day. They’ve already been suffering for months or years – what could be one more day? This religious teacher has an expectation, an understanding, of what the sabbath is. This day, set apart by God, is a day for complete rest. God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh – so that’s what we’re called to do too. No food shall be cooked or fire set to warm the house on the sabbath day. The sabbath is a day of no work – and he just saw Jesus work. And since Jesus took the initiative to see this woman who needs healing, the leader tries to convince the crowd to stay away – to stay back – so Jesus won’t feel obligated to cure someone else.

And Jesus won’t have that because the sabbath isn’t a day centered for rest. It isn’t a day defined by the absence of work. The sabbath isn’t that one day of the week when we get to not set our alarm, sleep in, and wear our pjs until noon. The sabbath is about giving life so that Monday, and Tuesday, and all the other days of the week are life giving not just for ourselves, but for the people right there, in front of us, suffering, hurting, and needing healing. The sabbath is for giving life to everyone in the community. The woman in our story didn’t become part of the community after she was healed. She had been part of the community since the day she was born. She’s a daughter of Abraham before she’s healed and she’s a daughter of Abraham after. Her identity was never limited by her ailment and her identification with the community should never have been limited either. Jesus shouldn’t have had to see her first. The community should have brought her forward, not because they wanted to change her but just because they loved her – Just because they wanted her to, in all things and through all things, have all she needs for life.

And that’s the sabbath. Sabbath is more than just a day during our two day weekend. It’s a day originally set apart in a world where no one had rest. Farmers had to work or starve. Servants and slaves had to do whatever they were told. God didn’t just tell the rich or the middle class or the poor to have the day off – everyone, men, women, children, servants, slaves, and even the animals took that day off. People worked, voluntarily or involuntarily, because they couldn’t imagine any other way of existence. But being grounded down, week after week, month after month, year after year, isn’t living. And without a sabbath, without an interruption to our pattern of existence, we can’t do what Jesus did. We can’t stop, look into the crowd, and notice the one who isn’t being seen. We can’t ask the questions about what life should look like not just for us but for the people around us. Without a sabbath, there’s no way to take a breath and ask how we can give life to those around us. The sabbath, is a break in our pattern of living. The sabbath is God’s gift to recharge us, refocus us, refresh us so that we can face each day of the week as alive as we possibly can. And without a sabbath, we let others, even a pair of fun socks, make bold claims about what should define us and give us our meaning. To live in the sabbath is to do more than just rest. It’s an opportunity to reconnect, to reassert that we are more than just our job, more than just our abilities, more than just what our communities around us say we are. We are sons, we are daughters of a living God who wants us to have life and to give nothing less.

Amen.

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A Reflection on Jeremiah 32

Our First Reading is Jeremiah Jeremiah 32:1-2,6-15.

Jerusalem is under siege. The armies of Babylon have surrounded the city. The prophet Jeremiah is imprisoned by the King of Judah because Jeremiah keeps saying “Jerusalem is going to fall.” The king questions Jeremiah, and he responds with the story in our reading today. Jeremiah’s cousin needs to sell a piece of property. He comes to Jeremiah with an offer. Jeremiah, as a member of this extended family, has the opportunity to buy the land first. If he buys it, the land stays within the family. Jeremiah buys the property, and he goes into detail on how he legally makes the sale happen. The deeds are stored in a jar so that it will last a long time. In the middle of a war, with Babylon storming the gates, Jeremiah buys a piece of land. The Kingdom of Judah and all its laws about property rights are about to fall, yet Jeremiah buys a piece of land. Judah’s way of life is over and, yet, Jeremiah buys a piece of land. The future looks bleak but Jeremiah doesn’t let fear rule him. He knows the kingdom will fall but he trusts God’s promises more.

Jeremiah is not a beloved prophet. The kings of Judah do not like this man of God who says that the Kingdom is going to fall. But every promise of destruction is met by the promise of God’s future. Babylon might destroy God’s temple but they cannot destroy God’s promises to God’s people. The inhabitants will be sent into wile but God’s relationship with them will not end. God will go into Exile with the people. God will be with them, no matter what. And, as the wheels of time move and the world changes and grows, God will rework God’s people to bring them into a future where injustice, pain and tears are no more. And that’s why Jeremiah buys a piece of land. He’s doubling down on God’s promise even if he doesn’t see the promise fulfilled in his lifetime.

Each week, I write a reflection on one of our scripture readings for the week. This is from Christ Lutheran Church’s Worship Bulletin for 8/21/2016.

Division: a sermon on the Olympics, expectations, and Jesus.

[Jesus said:] “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; they will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, ‘It is going to rain’; and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat’; and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?”

Luke 12:49-56

My sermon from the 10th Sunday After Pentecost (August 14, 2016) on Luke 12:49-56.

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[manuscript was lost at some point.]

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A Reflection on Jeremiah

Our First Reading is Jeremiah 1:4-10.

There are very few “kind” passages from the book of Jeremiah which is full of the words attributed to that prophet. He was only a “boy” when God called him to be a prophet, around the year 626 BCE (BC). This was a very chaotic time for the kingdom of Judah. War was everywhere. Political powers such as Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon battled for supremacy, installing puppet kings in Judah and throughout the area. By the year 605, Babylon defeated Egypt and Assyria in battle. Babylon was left as the supreme military and political authority in the Near East. In 597 BC, the first exile of leaders from Jerusalem took place. That was followed by a much larger exile 10 years later after Jerusalem rebelled against Babylonian authority. Jeremiah died the following year.

In such a violent and vicious time, it would be surprising to find may words of comfort from God’s prophet. However, even in the first chapter, the ground for hope is laid. God comes to a little boy, appointing him as a prophet for Jerusalem and all the nations of the world. We tend to romanticize our view of children, viewing them as special, precious, and innocent. And they are. But in Jeremiah’s time, childhood wasn’t romanticized. Children had few legal rights, many died before the age of five, and they worked in the field as soon as they were able. Children were powerless and it’s a child that God calls to bring God’s word to kings. God promises to give Jeremiah the words he needs. Jeremiah will preach a word to all those in power and authority, showing them their shortcomings and bringing God’s call for justice. God’s word will pull injustice down and, in the same instant, plant the seeds for reconciliation, love, and hope.

By the end of Jeremiah’s life, his messages of doom were matched by his messages of hope. He would never live to see the restoration of Jerusalem but he would proclaim that God does not give up on God’s people. God will come to all of us, in many different ways, to form us into the people God wants us to be. God’s desire is for the end of fear, injustice, and hopelessness. That what’s God begins in us through our relationship with Jesus Christ. And what God begins in us, we are called to do in all that we say and do.

Each week, I write a reflection on one of our scripture readings for the week. This is from Christ Lutheran Church’s Worship Bulletin for 8/14/2016.

A Short Wedding Homily

I presided over a wedding on August 7 at a small restaurant. The marriage was a second marriage for each with the bride and groom having adult children. The reading I picked was Song of Songs 2:10-13:

My beloved speaks and says to me: “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away; for now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

So J. and S., I wanted to share a shot word on this special day. When you came earlier this week to talk to me about today, what stood how was just how grounded you two are as a couple. And I found that remarkable because, the more we talked, the more I realized you two don’t stay grounded very long. You’re always on the move, traveling, flying, visiting at 45 countries so far with several more already in your sight for the future. And one thing I love is that when you visit some place new, you both keep moving. You both love to experience new sights and places – and you experience those new things in a similar way. Where others might enjoy a leisurely lunch, savoring the cuisine and atmosphere of some small country cafe, you don’t sit. You keep going. You know your limitations and your strengths, your passions and what gives you life. You both have a strong sense of who you are – and that strength lets you visit and experience so many new things. My belief is that both of you discovered in each other a kindred spirit. It’s not something you planned. It’s not something you expected. But the journey of each of your lives made sure that you two would find each other. And we’re here to honor, celebrate, and pray for this next step of your journey together. We might not know which country you’ll explore next or which foreign capital you’ll send your next postcard from, but we do know that you are traveling with the best possible person for you.

Invocation and Benediction for an Eagle Court of Honor

I participated in an Eagle Scout Court of Honor on August 6, 2016. 2 young men were honored. After digging around the internet, I compiled the following prayers for the ceremony. I stole much of this but I forget where – though the Benediction comes mostly from the Unitarian Universalist church.

Invocation
God, we thank you for the opportunity to come together as family, friends, leaders and fellow scouts on this significant day in the life of <_____> and <_____>. Today is a celebration of a journey, a journey full of challenges, friendship, struggles, and, occasionally, a little fun. Today, we think of all the Merit Badges earned along the way, the oaths committed to, the character these young men developed, and the service to our community these two worked so hard to bring about. Little by little, month by month and year by year, they were faithful and we celebrate their faith, commitment, and hard work.

So we ask for your blessing on <_____> and <_____>, their families who supported and encouraged them, and their fellow scouts who helped them along the way. Bless the scout leaders, Troop #, and all those who are here physically or in Spirit. Continue to walk with <_____> and <_____> as they take these next steps in becoming the scouts and the people you desire them to be.

Amen.

Benediction
Dear God,

An Eagle Scout Court of Honor marks the end of one journey, and the commitment to another: a commitment to better Scouting where all may participate, a commitment to better citizenship, and a commitment to be an example of leadership to all.

Bless all of <_____> and <_____> future endeavors. Walk with them wherever their lives take them and give them your strength, your compassion, your wisdom, and your love.

And may all of us gathered here be committed to Scouting’s ideals which instruct us to lead better lives. May we, like <_____> and <_____>, always follow our own trails, discovering who we are by striving into the unknown;

May God be with us all, until we meet again.

Amen.

Heart: a sermon on Jesus, treasure, and gold medals.

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. “But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”

Luke 12:32-40

My sermon from the 9th Sunday After Pentecost (August 7, 2016) on Luke 12:32-40.

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So is anyone else paying attention to the Olympics? I love this time of year because, for two weeks, I basically leave my tv on the entire time. The sounds of Barney and Sesame Street and Spider-man – the shows that are usually on during the day – are replaced by cycling, swimming, gymnastics, and sports I’m reminded every 4 years that they exist – like dressage and race-walking. The sounds of Olympic competition becomes my background soundtrack. I really do love the Olympics – but I might, just might, love the commercials during the Olympics even more. They’re just so…amazing, awe-inspiring, and, usually, head-scratching. Like, that commercial that tries to connect track-and-field athletes with the tires for our cars or the ones that tell us we can be just as unique and awesome as Michael Phelps as long as we buy this car, watch this new tv show, or visit this fast food restaurant. And the commercial that recently got my attention is one for Dick’s Sporting Goods. The commercial claims that all of us, in our bodies, carry tiny bits of gold. It’s in our cells, our hair, and in our blood. With an uplifting soundtrack, and a moving narration, the commercial moves to a climax saying that all of us have the strength – the drive – and the passion of an olympian because the highest concentration of gold in our bodies is found in our heart. We all carry the treasure of an Olympic gold medal winner inside of us – so let’s go out there and buy some sporting equipment.

When we hear in scripture a reference to the heart, we need to take a moment to step back in time and ask ourselves what those standing around Jesus would have heard. And to do that, we need to sort of turn off our brains because the people around Jesus didn’t have our knowledge of the human body. They didn’t know what each organ did and they didn’t know that our brain, what’s in our head, is the source of who we are. They didn’t know that different parts of the brain control our emotions, our creativity, or that it even stored our memories. For them, the brain was just…there. It wasn’t worth much because the source of who we are – the center of our thoughts, our identity, our desires, and our will came from right here – our heart. The heart represented our entire life because it pumps, through our body, the stuff of life. So today, when Jesus is gathered with his disciples, teaching them about their relationship to God, and those disciples hear the word heart – they’re not thinking of only passion or desire or emotions. Jesus is telling them that where they put their treasure, that’s the center of their entire life. What they do with their money illuminates who they are. We might carry trace amounts of gold in our body but where we put our gold, that tells everyone, and God, a lot about who we are.

Which is exactly why brands and companies love the Olympics just as much as we do. If we just buy this car, visit this resort, wear this perfume, or apply for this credit card, we too, can feel like we’re an Olympic champion. We can be unique, different, and important. We can become somebody just by buying the right pair of shoes or pants or messenger bag. Brands and companies advertise in this way because they know this is how money works. We give our money over and, if we have a positive experience, they get our loyalty. They get a little part of our life. When we need a new item or when we want to purchase a replacement, the first thing that pops into our mind is that brand. It becomes a default option for us. And I…I will totally admit that I am heavily tied to my brands. From my iPhone to my macbook, my Red Converse chucks, pants from Uniqlo, and my Jack Spade bags – I am a walking billboard for brands. And I’d like to say that, when I’m up here on Sunday morning, that brands don’t play a role in my presentation…but they do. From where I buy my stoles to the clergy shirt under my alb – there are brands I default too even when I’m worshipping God. Now, being tied to brands is not necessarily a bad thing. Clergy who are not a five foot, 11 inch middle aged man, have a really hard time finding anything that fits and is cut right. It’s only in the last few years that women finally have clergy shirt brands they can trust even though the Lutheran church has been ordaining women as pastors for over 45 years. For us to live the lives we do, brands play a role in how we present ourselves and make a statement to the world. And I don’t think Jesus is criticizing the brands we buy but he does want us to look at what’s under the surface. When we spend our money, we are giving away a promise of loyalty. So when we spend our gold, how does that spending reflect where God is for us, for our household, and for our community? Whenever we use our treasure, is our faith, is our God, being made visible? Are we making Jesus known?

These are big questions. These are..scary questions too. But these questions are not isolated questions. They don’t come out of the blue. Jesus is asking us about how we spend our money just a few moments after he says ‘Do not be afraid.’ This isn’t a question designed to only scare us. It’s a question to pull us back into the arms of the one who is with us, no matter what comes next. When we’re taking our first steps towards some place new, Jesus is with us. When we’re facing a tough decision where no answer seems right, Jesus is with us. When life seems to be going right, Jesus is with us. And when our life is about to end, Jesus is still with us. When the waters of baptism were poured over us, we didn’t only get a Jesus who is always with us – we became part of Jesus’ brand. We became part of what God is doing on earth. We became part of this love that wants nothing more than to serve all. Jesus is reminding us that our spending of our treasure should make known that we are a piece of God’s treasure – a treasure not just for ourselves but for the world. Gold might be in our veins and we might imagine ourselves with a gold medal around our neck one day, but our true gold rests in a Jesus who claims us, love us, and sends us out to spread that love by bringing a word of healing, a word of mercy,and a word of forgiveness, so that this world can become a place where no one is afraid.

Amen.

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