Category: Faith

Compare and Contrast: a sermon on Jesus, Ridiculous arguments, and fantasy football.

They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.” But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.

Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”

Mark 9:30-37

My sermon from the 20 Sunday After Pentecost (September 20, 2015) on Mark 9:30-37.

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A Reflection on Jeremiah 11

Today’s first reading is Jeremiah 11:18-20.

These three verses from Jeremiah need a little context.

Jeremiah is a prophet operating around Jerusalem right before (and during) Jerusalem’s destruction by the Babylonians. He’s watched as Babylon gets involved in Jerusalem’s affairs. An empire with an army much larger (and better equipped) than what Jerusalem has, fear is tearing Jerusalem apart. Jeremiah is watching his society unravel before his eyes. He is given a job by God to spread a message about Babylon’s advance and pleading with the people to turn to God and not try to defeat Babylon militarily. But no one truly listens. Jeremiah is arrested, tried, and almost killed. He’s in prison when Jerusalem is captured by Babylon and eventually dies (we believe) in Egypt as a refugee.

These verses from chapter 11 are the first of Jeremiah’s nine laments. God tells Jeremiah that others want to kill him. This makes Jeremiah sad and angry. He’s upset that others aren’t listening to him but he’s also upset that God sent him on this mission. Jeremiah doesn’t want to share this negative message with his neighbors. He doesn’t want to be the one living this kind of life. But God chose Jeremiah to speak the truth during a chaotic time so Jeremiah presses on. And he trusts that, in the end, God will set the world right.

The verses end with Jeremiah asking God to destroy and punish his enemies. His sadness is matched by his anger towards those around him and God. Like many of us, Jeremiah can’t fully separate sadness and anger. They’re always together, with his sadness making him want to lash out at others. Faced by the impending war with Babylon, Jeremiah responds to his enemies in kind. He struggles, like all of us when we are in a crisis, to imagine a world bigger than what he is experiencing. Surrounded by violence, he imagines God’s promise in the language of violence. His language isn’t a model for us but his trust is. He trusts that God will make all things right but he struggles to imagine just how God’s hope, mercy, and love will look like when Jeremiah is caught up in the chaos around him.

Turning Points: a sermon on Jesus, Rome, Peter, and place.

Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Mark 8:27-38

My sermon from the 19th Sunday After Pentecost (September 13, 2015) on Mark 8:27-38.

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A Reflection on Isaiah 50: God’s Work, Our Hands.

The First Reading is Isaiah 50:4-9.

“The Lord God has given me…the Lord God has opened…the Lord God helps…the Lord God who helps…” These phrases in our first reading today is the key to this text. The writer is announcing that God has acted, giving them gifts and help. Whatever work the speaker is doing is because God is acting through them.

Walter Brueggemann, Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary, writes that these verses seem out of place. They don’t fit with the words that come before. “It is as though these verses provide a reflective interlude conceding the urgent, context vocation of the servant of [God], who is to bring Israel home from exile.” This interlude is rooted in the “utter reliability of [God.]” The speaker in the text is called the servant and they are struggling. The servant is facing trials and fights while living out their faith. There are times the servant wants to be silent, to hide, and pretend to not be a disciple of God. But, even during those times, God is enough. God will prevail. In the end, God’s kingdom will come. The servant proclaims they will not give up their relationship with God because God is always reliable.

So who is this servant? As Christians, we see our Lord Jesus Christ in these words. We see in his story God’s reliability. This interlude is God’s interlude into our world as Jesus who came to teach, heal, love, and overcome death on the Cross. This interlude is Jesus saying God is enough.

This interlude in Isaiah can also represent our ned for interludes in our lives. Many times, during our own struggles, we need to breathe. We need to take a moment to step away, to reflect, and to remember who we are. We are disciples of Jesus, even when we fail to love others like we should. We are children of God, even when we fail to recognize God around us. We are loved, even when we don’t feel loved.

God’s love comes from God’s claim on us, a claim that we don’t earn on our own. Just as God risked living a human life, God takes a risk on each of us by claiming us as God’s. God’s claim on us is utterly reliable. God has gripped us tight. So, since we are loved, how do we share God’s reliable love to our neighbors, friends, family, and even to ourselves?

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 9/13/2015.

#RethinkingConfirmation

Last week, Luther Seminary hosted an event where 300+ leaders gathered to Rethink Confirmation. I wasn’t there but others were. Below is just a collection of tweets from participants. Hopefully these thoughts will help me to rethink confirmation too.

https://twitter.com/thelifemosaic/status/626755334049173504

https://twitter.com/DestaG/status/626786227027480578

https://twitter.com/thelifemosaic/status/626798794756087808

https://twitter.com/thelifemosaic/status/626806944091615232

https://twitter.com/thelifemosaic/status/626845880176394240

https://twitter.com/annacgsorenson/status/626850203363098624

https://twitter.com/thelifemosaic/status/626850431155761153

https://twitter.com/thelifemosaic/status/626853003627249664

https://twitter.com/thelifemosaic/status/626854367908507648

https://twitter.com/thelifemosaic/status/626864800551845888

https://twitter.com/thelifemosaic/status/626871968021749760

https://twitter.com/annacgsorenson/status/626874731027795968

https://twitter.com/thelifemosaic/status/627117674858844160

https://twitter.com/thelifemosaic/status/627118925667438592

https://twitter.com/thelifemosaic/status/627120801876062213

https://twitter.com/thelifemosaic/status/627125522372235264

https://twitter.com/thelifemosaic/status/627126501616390144

https://twitter.com/annacgsorenson/status/627134271300308992

https://twitter.com/thelifemosaic/status/627136549763747840

Mark 4:16-20

“And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. But they have no root, and endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are those sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, but the cares of the world, and the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing. And these are the ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”

This was the passage, according to the New York Times, that was being studied at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church when the racially motivated terror attack occurred.

I don’t have anything to say. I’m struggling with tomorrow’s sermon (which is Mark 4:35-41 – Jesus calming the storm). But I wanted to write down the passage they were studying. I want to make sure I remember.

Sunday Morning, George Edition

George and chipsEvery Sunday, I stand in a gap in our communion rail to proclaim confession and forgiveness. It doesn’t matter what style of worship (contemporary or tradition), I’m always there, declaring the absolution of sins. It’s a tradition here at Christ Lutheran Church and one that I’m glad we do. Somedays, I need forgiveness before I lead worship. On other days, I know people in the pews who need to hear God’s love for them before the readings begin. And then, sometimes, my eight month old decides to chime in during the declaration. Here’s how it went last Sunday.

Me: Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ out Lord.

George: Tbbbbbbbbbppptttttt!!!!!! (he’s busy blowing raspberries in the back)

Then, a few moments later:

Me: In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake God forgives us all our sins –

George: HEEYYYOOOOOO. Daddadadadadada.

Me (continues): As a called and ordained minister of the church of Christ, and by his authority (George: *raspberry*), I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father (George: *raspberry*), and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

George: AHAHAHAH.DADADadadadadadada.

All: Amen.

This might end up as a sermon illustration at some point.

Trash is my Treasure

One of the gifts being pastor of Christ Lutheran Church is the annual Trash & Treasure & Clothing Sale held on the First Saturday of May. This is a beast of an event. Volunteers work for a month cataloging clothing, cleaning pieces donated from the wider community, and sorting and pricing an amazing amount of items. The church building is taken over, an army of volunteers is fed by another army of volunteers, and, in one day, we’ll raise $15,000. This is the most professional and well organized church sale that I have ever seen. Most of the money will be given to organizations outside the church, from our local food pantry to ELCA Disaster Response. It really is an amazing event and I can’t believe the energy, talent, gifts, and skill the volunteers have to pull this off. And since I’m helping as I can (and I’m in the building most days), I have first pick of what comes in.

Star Wars Original Action Figures

So, to whomever donated these Star Wars actions figures: thank you.