Wandering for 03 29, 09

Good evening everyone. This week's Wanderings is a short one, but one that is designed to make us all think. This Sunday we read from the Gospel of John 12:20-33. This is said to be the most condensed sayings of Jesus' death in the John's Gospel. Each Bible translation is different. But take a look at yours. Circle the first word in your reading. Now the circle the last word.

If you have the NRSV or the NIV, the first word is "Now" and the last word is "die." The King James Version starts with the phrase "And there were" and ends with "die."

I find this very telling. A passage of the most condensed sayings about Jesus' death in the Gospel begins with "Now" and ends in "die."

Isn't that a perfect way to express life? That life is all that happens between now and when we die. That every moment, every chance we have to live is situated right here, right now. That we are not called to live in the past or the future (although we can dream about it) but in the now. Now is what we have. Now is what we got.

And what we do between now and death- well that's a gift, full of mystery, discovery, God, chances, hurts, pains, joys; in other words "Life."

May you live your life NOW, each day, in Christ, being who God created you to be.

Now is what we have, death is what awaits us all, everything else is what's in-between.

Blessings and love,

Pastor G

Bible Study for the week of 03 29, 09

Bible Study for March 24, 2009
John 12:20-33

One of John’s themes is that Jesus is not just Redeemer of Israel, but Savior of the world (1:29, 3:16, 4:42, 6:33, 8:12, 10:16) The Greeks arrival points to the eschatological promise of universal salvation being fulfilled, letting Jesus know the hour has come. Jesus kept talking about the “hour.” It had always been the future (2:4, 4:21, 23, 7:30), now it is here. From now until the passion, the “hour” is in immediate prospect.

These verses are called the “most concentrated sayings on the death of Jesus in the Gospel…” This passage is meant to sound shocking, going against what people expected to hear. The Son of Man was to be an undefeatable conquer, so to say the hour had come for glorification meant exciting things. But Jesus meant glorified in a much different way: the cross. Jesus turned their world upside down. What do you make of the cross?

Death is inevitable. Do we face it or fear it? How does that play out in our life? Jesus says that only by death comes life. A seed may be weak/useless, remaining alone, but when planted it “dies”, becomes fruitful; and if it’s fruit is replanted, within 6 years there’s as many seeds as there are people. Beauty and bounty occur when it fulfills its purpose. How are we like seeds?

Rev. Wiersbe said “God does not expect us to be comfortable but to be conformable”. See Romans 8:29. If we seek comfortable lives we’ll never be planted, but if we allow God to plant us we’ll never be alone and have the joy of being fruitful to God’s glory.

Would Jesus’ ministry have meant anything without the cross? Would it have virtue without a cost? John sees Jesus’ death as necessary and life-giving- it drew people to Jesus, revealing the promise of God’s love and a community was formed.

Gerard Sloyan states that “preachers should preach regularly on the apparent failure the Gospel invites to, ending in death…The more successful (preachers) are accounted-in or out of the pulpit- the less they may be living the gospel…In John, cross and crown are one… Following Jesus is, from first to last, a matter of ‘letting go.’” Agree?

Jesus may be the Son of God but he’s also an incarnate human being, therefore he can’t face imminent death without some pause. In vs. 27 Jesus does not face the “hour” with equanimity (evenness of the mind, composure), his heart is deeply troubled, a strong verb meaning revulsion, horror, anxiety, agitation. Yet vs. 27 recalls Psalm 42, which affirms trust in God in the face of trouble. How does Jesus face the troubling of his soul? With complete trust in the One who sent him.

Jesus is implying that only by service comes greatness. How do we balance this with Ephesians 2:1-10?

Sermon for March 22, 2009 Ephesians 2:1-10

March 22, 2009
Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10
Sermon Title: “Created in Christ”
Rev. George N. Miller

Last week we shared a message about grace; how it allows us to accept our imperfections and the imperfections of others, therefor freeing us from the power of hate. It’s given me much to think about, because judging people is so easy to do.

Today we continue our conversation about grace, this time about how it’s a gift of God that frees us from the hold sin has in our life, empowering us to reclaim just who we were created to be.

Ephesians is a book in the New Testament. Its purpose is to show how God uses the church to reconcile all things in Christ. Although the author claims to be Paul, it was most likely written by one of his students, a common practice back then.

The person who wrote this letter has what’s known as a “realized eschatology.” Eschatology is fancy way of saying “the end of times.”

A “realized eschatology” means one believes the rewards of heaven are already here: God is in our midst, Christ is right beside us and the gifts of the Spirit are poured out all over us. All we have to do is slow down, look around and embrace all the ways God’s Kingdom is breaking through.

In other words, heaven is a place on earth.

Therefor, when the author talks about grace, he’s not talking about what will happen to us when we die, but what is happening to us right here, right now, at this very moment.

And what’s happening is great news, because regardless if we know it or not, God is freely raining down upon us gift after gift of his grace.

As one writer states, grace is “the dearest piece of good news the church has for the world” but it can also be the hardest concept to grasp. We love to accept grace for ourselves, but become stingy when it comes sharing grace with others.

So let’s take a look at what Ephesians means by saying we have been saved by grace.

According to the author, we are already dead. We have fallen victim to our sins and the hurts we’ve inflicted upon others. The ways of the world, the corruptions around us, the egocentric passions that consume us have all rendered us spiritually dead.

But God did not create us to be the walking dead. Nor did God destine us for bad. Instead, quite the opposite.

When God fashioned us, we were created in the image of Jesus, born to do and to be good. But somehow things went wrong.

What happened? Life. Life happened.

Let me give you an illustration. The other day I came to church and noticed that the irises Pam had planted a few years ago were growing. Their beautiful purple and yellow colors brightened up the surrounding area.

But they didn’t have an easy time getting to where they were. First, they had to be placed there. Next, they had to spend all those months enduring the frigid cold. Then, they had to force themselves up, out of the thawing earth. Next, they had to overcome the weight of dead leaves and all the debris that was around them.

I’m sure there were other obstacles they had to overcome, such a digging squirrels, stomping feet and choking weeds.

With all that could go wrong, it’s amazing they were able to grow at all. But they did, although not perfectly. Some may have bent leaves, a broken stem or fading color.

But they were planted to be irises and irises is what they became, fulfilling their role to bring color, fresh air, and pollen into the world.

That’s what irises were created to do. When Pam planted them, she did not expect them to grow into pumpkins or roses or weeds, but irises.

I believe the same can be said for us. As Ephes. 2:10 states “we are what (God) has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.”

Let’s take some time to break that down. “We are what God has made us.” This passage is about establishing trust and relationship in God.

Here is an image of God the Good Gardener. We are not accidents, we are not off-chances. But we have been made by God, and God is active in our coming to be.

The next part states that we were created in Christ for good works. Just like the irises were planted to serve a specific purpose, so have we.

Some of us have been blessed with artistic leanings: a voice for song, a way with words, a talent for visualization. Those gifts were deemed to not only bring beauty into the world, but joy into our life and an opportunity to praise our God.

Others have been blessed with the ability to nurture: to care for people, to care for animals, to care for the hungry. Those gifts were deemed to not only restore and encourage beauty but to show the ways in which God cares for and loves the world.

Others have been blessed with gifts of leadership, such as how to run a school, establish a non-profit organization, or manage a government. These gifts were deemed to not only maintain beauty in the world but to show the ways in which God is in control and watching over us.

The gifts we were given and the good works we were created to do are limitless. Our ability to cook, our ability to fix, our ability to listen, the list goes on and on. Prophets called us to care for the widow, the orphan and the foreigner; Jesus called us to visit the sick and incarcerated.

In other words, God created us to be a blessing to all of Creation.

But somehow, in some way, things went wrong. God created us one way, but the world tries to change us to be another. And sometimes its from our own doing, sometimes it’s the doing of others. More often then not it’s a combination of the two.

Like irises making their way to the soil’s surface, so may things influence what happens to us.

We are shaped by where and when we grew up. We’re shaped by our birth order, what happens in the home, the school we attend, the people who like and the people who hurt us.

We are shaped by our mental conditions, our physical situations and choices that we make and choices that are made for us by others.

Why one person makes it as a largely unscathed iris and another grows up with broken leaves and a bent stem is a mystery.

But I don’t believe we ever fully grow into who we were meant to be or who we wanted to be.

Life happens. It changes us, it shapes us. What were the wrong turns that took a person from an innocent baby into a mass murderer or pedophile? Who wrote in their yearbook that they wanted to become a junkie or prostitute or an inmate?

Those aren’t the only examples of being the walking dead. We all have fallen victim to the hold of sin. We become what we should not be.

We become gossips, we are unfaithful, we unfairly judge, we block others’ blessings, we consume others’ resources, we silence certain voices, and we discriminate against certain folk.

How is that reflecting Christ? Is that what we were created to be?

How is it that we are each given a set of gifts and talents designed to beautify the world and praise God and instead we destroy, deny and tear up?

It’s a wonder that God, as the Good Gardner, doesn’t just look at the miserable garden we’ve become and rip us all up and throw us away.

And yet, God doesn’t. Instead, God does something that is nothing short of amazing.

Through the life, death and resurrection of his Son, God gives us a gift so wonderful, so perfect.

God gives us grace.

Grace is God’s way of saying “I know you. I know all the mess that you have done. But I also know what I have created you to be.

And for your sake, for the sake of all creation, and for my sake as well, I am going to remove the hold your sins have over you.

Now, go and try again to be just who I created you to be and what I created you for.”

Through the gift of grace, God removes the dirt and dead leaves of our lives so we can better reach our full potential and grow into the beautiful irises we were always destined to be.

God does not do this because we deserve it, God does not do it because we have done the right amount of works.

God does this so that we can be freed to do what we were always born to do, but our dead selves had prevented us from doing.

God gives everyone the gift of grace so that heaven is not something we spend our whole life waiting for, but so that heaven becomes a place on earth right here and right now for all to enjoy.

And God’s no fool. God knows we’re imperfect. God knows we’ll still make mistakes. God knows that situations will arise that can lead us back into saying or doing the wrong thing.

So God continues to give and to give and to give the gift of grace each morning, each second, each moment of the day.

And the gift of grace allows us to reclaim who we were always destined to be, to do what we were always destined to do, and to reflect the love of Christ to other folk so they can boldly claim the gift of grace for themselves.

To conclude, we are all God’s beautiful irises and grace is God’s good fertilizer. It keeps us strong, it helps us to grow and it ensures that we reclaim the beautiful flower we were created and planted to be.

Thanks be to Jesus who died for us so we can live, for the Spirit that ushers a new season into our heart and for God who loves us not for who we are but for what we were born to be.

Amen.

Buzzings Article for April 2009

Buzzings April 2009

Easter is upon us. Spring is here, winter is over! We leave behind the chill of the snow for the mystery that is life. All around us we see new growth. Flowers pushing up from the dirt, birds sharing their songs, ducks flying hundreds of miles home to have their families. How does this all happen? How, in the midst of it all, does the promise of spring continue to reappear, year after year?

Easter is a special time. As Christians it is the most important religious holiday. It can also be the most confusing, mysterious, hardest to explain and accept. To some it may seem that we are celebrating a dead man coming back to life, but for us it is more then that. It is celebration of the fact that life is more powerful then death. That God’s grace is for all.

But there is also the somber side. Just as Jesus lived a life that many would call far from perfect, we believe in a Christ who is wounded. Look at the resurrection stories: Jesus still bears the wounds of the cross. They are not erased, they are not magically repaired. But instead they are there, and Christ does not shy away from them. “Look at my hands and feet” he says to the disciples in Luke 24:39. In John 20:27 Christ says “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out and put it in my side.”

Why, if Christ was resurrected, would he not wipe away all marks of his wounds? Why not make his skin smooth and restored? I can think of two reasons. One is to remind us of the fact that “by his wounds we were healed” meaning that Christ went to the cross for us, to show us just how much God abundantly loved and cared for us.

Second, the wounds of Christ remind us of the wounds that still exist in the world. Christ’s wounds are a reminder that there are still many who are wounded by hunger, wounded by broken homes, wounded by unfair government practices, wounded by a troubled economy, wounded by discrimination, wounded by their own egos and their own self-hate.

If Christ was to cover up his wounds then we could easily cover up the wounds of others (and ourselves) and do nothing. But as long as Christ’s wounds remain visible, then we have no choice then to see and acknowledge the wounds around and within us. Then, by seeing, we may be empowered to act, to react and to move. To embrace, as Ephesians 2: 10 states, what we were created to be and to do.

As long as the resurrected Christ bears his scars, then we as Christians and as a church, are called to find ways to bring healing into the world, embracing God’s grace and sharing it with others.

Have a joyous Easter and a fantastic spring,
Pastor George

Wanderings for March 22, 2009

Wanderings for March 22, 2009
Good Tuesday everyone. A reminder that we have our Culver's fundraiser tomorrow night. Hope to see everyone there.Our scripture for Sunday is Ephesians 2:1-10. I highly suggest you go and read it for yourself, because it's all about grace, and grace, as one pastor wrote, is “the dearest piece of good news the church has for the world”.Grace is so difficult to truly define, although you can usually tell when someone is being graceful to you and when they are not. I preached on grace last week and I'm still continuing to think about it today, so this scripture is oh so very timely.What I want to invite us to think about and do today is to compare and contrast what being dead to sin and what being alive with Christ looks like.I encourage you to take out a piece of paper and create two lists. You can label one list "Death" and the other "Life" and go through all 10 verses. Go ahead, I will wait, and let's see what you can find.Are you making your list?...you need to get your Bible out to do it.......I'll wait........Having trouble fining Ephesians? It's in the New Testament, after Galatians...Don't know where Galatians is, you say? Ok, here it goes (sing it with me) "Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Acts to the Romans, Corinthians, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians... Ah, there is is......Now turn to chapter 2, verses 1-10. Got it? Good, now le's make our list....(dum dee dum dum dum)(whistling a tune)(tapping a pencil on the desk)Got it? Good. Ok, let's see what we have. Remember, everyone has a different translation of the Bible, so each person's answers will be slightly different and yet the same. Here is how my list readsDeath: dead through trespasses and sin, once lived, following the course of the world, following the ruler of the power of the air (what does that mean?), spirit of those who are disobedient, passions of flesh, desire and sense of flesh, children of wrath, like everyone else.Life: God, rich in mercy, great love, loved, alive together with Christ (I like the word together), grace, saved, raised up, seated with him, heavenly places, immeasurable riches of grace in kindness, not our own doing: a gift, no boasting, made, created for good works, prepared way of life.That's what I got, but it's not necessarily the right list. But I like what I see. After you made your list what did you find fascinating?I see how death uses strong words that sound like life: passions, power, flesh and senses. How can passions be equated with not living? Isn't life lived without passion of some sort the same as not living at all? Or are there some passions we overdo to the point that it can lead to or cause death?Then look at the words for life: who wouldn't want mercy, great love, gifts and the chance to be right next to Christ?Think back to your life. Was there a time before you became fully aware of the presence of Jesus Christ in your life? What was that like? Was it a lot of living or a lot of death masquerading as life? Or was it just death?What has having Christ in your life done for you? Has it brought more life, has it opened up or closed down your world? And does passion still exist? if so, what does that passion look like?These are just some things to think about. Enjoy your week, step out into the sun, celebrate the life we share together in Christ.Amen,Pastor G

Wanderings for March 15, 2009

Wanderings for March 15, 2009
Wanderings for March 15, 2009John 2:13-22When does knowledge make a difference? When it prevents us from unjustly judging and condemning others because we do not understand their culture, tradition or ways.Today’s Scripture is an example of that. Jesus goes into the Temple and raises Holy Heck, using a hand-made whip, chasing out animals, overturning tables, dumping out money and saying “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” I used to read this, saying to myself “Yeah, yeah, go Jesus go!”Without knowing nothing’ ‘bout nothing’, I assumed that people had turned the Temple into their own personal farmer’s market, their own little Meijer’s in the middle of the sanctuary. Of course Jesus got mad- I’d be mad too. But that’s not what was going on.The story takes place during Passover. Men over the age of 20 were required to travel to the Temple, some coming from very far away. In order to participate in worship one needed to pay the Temple Tax and bring an animal for burnt offerings (see Leviticus 1,3).Well, the Greek and Roman coins featured graven images and referred to their emperors as Gods, so that money could not be used to pay the Temple Tax: the coins had to be changed into acceptable coinage, therefore the need for money changers (who would charge a fee for their services). And the animals had to be spotless, with no blemish. Ever travel a far distance with an animal in a car? Now imagine having to travel 15 miles or more, on foot or donkey with an animal without blemish. How well do you think that would work? So, there needed to be people selling blemish free animals for those who traveled far and wanted to participate in worship.The merchants used to do their business on the Mount of Olives, but over time they moved into the Temple area known as the Court of the Gentiles. Can you see how money changers and animal sellers were necessary, and not a farmer’s market or Meijer’s?Does this change your notion of what the merchants were doing? Does it help you understand the purpose they served? But does it also muddy up our understanding of why Jesus went on a whip-frenzy, tossing and turning and chasing out? If these things were necessary, why did Jesus respond the way he did?Is there a piece of the story we’re not being told? Were the merchants actions correct but their motives wrong? Were people confusing pious piety for true spirituality all to make a profit. Was Jesus upset that the Gentiles were getting the goats-end of the deal? What do you think, and how does this affect you view of the money-changers and animal sellers?Have a blessed weekend, and God bless,Pastor G

Wanderings for March 8, 2009

Wanderings for 03 08 09
Good news everyone: our church website is officially up and running. We're still waiting to add some more text and photos, but to see it, go to www.wbcucc.org (as in Wyoming Burlingame Congregational UCC). A young man named Lucas Moore has been working faithfully to put it together (he is the grandson of our own Bea Rosloniec).When designing the site we told Lucas that we wanted to focus on relationships: families, friends, children, activities. And that is what you will find on the website, as well as stunning photos of our stained glass windows and building. As you go through the website you'll find great photos full of fun memories: weddings, baptisms, softball games, trips, shared meals, worship, and the faces of a few people we have loved and lost. How good it is to be reminded of all that has been good. But we are not supposed to get stuck there: back in the memories, back in the things that have passed. Instead we are to fondly remember them and to move forward. I think that is part of what this Sunday's Scripture is about. Mark 9:2-9 is known as the Transfiguration. It is retold in three other places in the Bible. Here we have Jesus inviting Peter, James and John to travel up a mountain with him. While there, Jesus becomes transfigured/resplendent and Moses and Elijah appear and talk with Jesus. To put this into modern terms, it would be like we were hanging out with Pres. Obama and all of a sudden George Washington and Abraham Lincoln showed up. Or we were hanging with Derek Jeeter when Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb showed up. Or we were hanging with Tina Fey when Lucille Ball and Katherine Hepburn showed up. What an amazing experience that would be! So Peter, saying the first thing that pops into his head, says "Teacher, it is good to be here. Let's build three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." Your Bible may have the words different. Instead of dwellings it may say booths or tents or shrine. And each word changes the context of Peter's statement. Dwelling sounds permanent, booths can refer to a Jewish festival, tents sounds transient, and shrines can just be a small structure along the road (like a statue or sign) that is in honor of someone important. For this Sunday I want to go with the notion of dwelling: that Peter's immediate reaction is "Hey: this is good, this is grand: let's stay up here forever." That sounds reasonable doesn't it? I mean, here he is in the presence of Jesus and the two greatest prophets who ever lived. Why leave? Why not just stay there and bask in their knowledge, their radiance, their goodness forever? Well, yeah, that may sound good, at first. But to stay on top of the mountain would not be living life. To stay up there would mean Peter and the rest would miss the other good things that happen in life: family, friends, meals, love, grandchildren etc. And after time, being on the mountain would get boring, wouldn't it? So, despite Peter's proclamation, eventually Moses and Elijah disappear, Jesus stops being transfigured, and he and Peter, James and John make their way back down the mountain, where life and work, joy and pain, love and loss are waiting. And they, and we, are all the better for it. May you enjoy the blessings that come to you today, embracing them for what they are, and then letting them go to embrace the other blessings God is sending your way.In joy, Pastor G

Wanderings for March 1, 2009

Wanderings for March 1, 2009
Good morning everyone. I pray you have all had a good and safe week. I enjoyed my vacation, spending time in GR and visiting a classmate and her husband in Aurora, IL (a suburb of Chicago). I give thanks to Chris J who lead this week's Bible Study.This Sunday we will read and hear from Psalm 25. The sermon title that the UCC suggests is "God's Loving Paths." And I think that is a great title to go with, for as you probably know, I am all about the journey.The Bible is full of stories of journey. Many of our best loved movies/books are all about journey ("Alice in Wonderland", "Wizard of Oz", the Star Wars series). And then there are the personal, emotional, journeys we go on. From a pop culture point of view, Americans have watched superstar Britney Spears go on a journey that has been filled with many emotional valleys and peaks. As much as we love to knock people down, we also love it when they get back up.Today, I invite you to think of your own personal journey. Then I invite you to read Psalm 25. Pay attention to vs 1-3 and vs. 16-20. See how they are filled with references to enemies, shame, treachery, troubles, distress, affliction and sins? I like to think of theses verses as two sides of a dangerous wilderness. I see vs. 1-3 and 16-20 as danger on the left and danger on the right.But verses 4-15? A pathway through the forest. A roadway of love. A safe clearing in which the way has been paved with bricks made out of words like teach, truth, salvation, mercy, steadfast love, remember me, goodness' sake, good, upright, humble, covenant, sake, pardon, teach, prosperity.Isn't that cool! It is as if the writer of the Psalm is purposely using the set up of the poem to say "Hey, on either side of you there will be enemies and adversity. But stick with God, for in the middle of all that fuss and gunk, God is making a path, God is a clearing a way for you, and look at all the good things it is made with: truth and love, humility and pardoning of sins.And what is the outcome? Where does such a path lead? To verses 21 and 22 "May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you. Redeem Israel, O God, out of all its troubles."The path that God cuts out of adversity and enemies is one that ultimately leads to redemption and preservation.As Christians, we would say the path lead to the Cross (where we are redeemed) and then beyond to the Resurrection.May God bless you on your journey today and ever more,Pastor G

Wanderings for Feb 22, 2009

Wanderings for Feb 22, 2009
Greetings everyone. I go on vacation Thursday; Rev. Mayor George Heartwell will be here to preach on Matthew 6:1-18 and 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2. I invite you to take a look at these texts, but today I wish to leave you with a laugh. This was sent to me by a seminary classmate. It's the Bible as told from a kid's point of view, including mistakes, mispronounced words and humorous insights. This had me smiling from start to finish. Enjoy, be blessed, In God's abundant grace and love, Pastor George > The Children's Bible in a Nutshell > > In the beginning, which occurred near the start, there was nothing but God, darkness, and some gas. The Bible says, 'The Lord thy God is one, but I think He must be a lot older than that. > > Anyway, God said, 'Give me a light!' and someone did. Then God made the world. He split the Adam and made Eve. Adam and Eve were naked, but they weren't embarrassed because mirrors hadn't been invented yet. > > Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating one bad apple, so they were driven from the Garden of Eden. Not sure what they were driven in though, because they didn't have cars. Adam and Eve had a son, Cain, who hated his brother as long as he was Abel. Pretty soon all of the early people died off, except for Methuselah, who lived to be like a million or something. > > One of the next important people was Noah, who was a good guy, but one of his kids was kind of a Ham. Noah built a large boat and put his family and some animals on it. He asked some other people to join him, but they said they would have to take a rain check. > > After Noah came Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob was more famous than his brother, Esau, because Esau sold Jacob his birthmark in exchange for some pot roast. Jacob had a son named Joseph who wore a really loud sports coat. > > Another important Bible guy is Moses, whose real name was Charlton Heston. Moses led the Israel Lights out of Egypt and away from the evil Pharaoh after God sent ten plagues on Pharaoh's people. These plagues included frogs, mice, lice, bowels, and no cable. > > God fed the Israel Lights every day with manicotti. Then he gave them His Top Ten Commandments. These include: don't lie, cheat, smoke, dance, or covet your neighbor's stuff. Oh, yeah, I just thought of one more: Humor thy father and thy mother. > > One of Moses' best helpers was Joshua who was the first Bible guy to use spies. Joshua fought the battle of Geritol and the fence fell over on the town. > > After Joshua came David. He got to be king by killing a giant with a slingshot. He had a son named Solomon who had about 300 wives and 500 porcupines. My teacher says he was wise, but that doesn't sound very wise to me. > > After Solomon there were a bunch of major league prophets. One of these was Jonah, who was swallowed by a big whale and then barfed up on the shore. There were also some minor league prophets, but I guess we don't have to worry about them. > > After the Old Testament came the New Testament. Jesus is the star of The New. He was born in Bethlehem in a barn. (I wish I had been born in a barn too, because my mom is always saying to me, 'Close the door! Were you born in a barn?' It would be nice to say, 'As a matter of fact, I was.') > > During his life, Jesus had many arguments with sinners like the Pharisees and the Democrats. Jesus also had twelve opossums. The worst one was Judas Asparagus. Judas was so evil that they named a terrible vegetable after him. > > Jesus was a great man. He healed many leopards and even preached to some Germans on the Mount. But the Democrats and all those guys put Jesus on trial before Pontius the Pilot. Pilot didn't stick up for Jesus. He just washed his hands instead. > > Anyways, Jesus died for our sins, then came back to life again. He went up to heaven but will be back at the end of the aluminum. His return is foretold in the book of Revolution.

Wanderings for Feb 15, 2009

Wanderings for Feb 15, 2009
Wanderings for Feb 15, 2009This Sunday our Scripture is taken from Mark 1:40-45. Today I want to spend some time talking about word usage.Each Bible is different and each Bible translates their words differently, and these translations can affect how we view Jesus, approach Scripture and think about ourselves.Take for example today’s readings. First we are told a man approaches Jesus. Some translations says he is a "leper." Other translations say he is "a man with leprosy." Do they mean the same thing? Is a person defined by their condition or is their condition just part of who they are?In verse 41 we are told Jesus is moved with compassion. Some translations use the word "pity." But if you look at the little notations in your Bible (if you Bible happens to have footnotes), you’ll see other translations use the word "anger."Again, is there a difference in being moved with compassion, being moved with pity or being moved with anger? Do you ever imagine Jesus angry? And if Jesus was actually angry, what do you think Jesus would have been angry about? That the man was bothering him? That the man was sick? That society treated people with leprosy in such a way?Then look at verse 43. Jesus sternly warns the man not to say anything. Jesus as stern? How does that sound. Can one have compassion or pity and still be stern? And why tell the man to not tell anyone?As you can see, although this scripture is only 5 sentences long, it opens itself up to numerous possibilities. And in those possibilities we have the chance to step up, step in, and wrestle a bit with who Jesus really is and how that matches how we have been thinking about him.I pray you all have a blessed night and an enjoyable Valentine’s Day.Peace, Pastor G

Wanderings for Feb 8, 2009

Wanderings for Feb 8, 2009
Good afternoon everyone! Today's Wanderings come earlier then usual. It's because I am so well rested from not having to read, read, read for research for Sunday's sermon. But also because Tammy's Sunday message has left me psyched and excited. Tammy took preaching to a whole 'notha level. Barb and I have some serious competition now! Tammy's sermon challenged us to think of how fear can be used to motivate us to do the right thing (or that's what I got out of it: each person probably heard something different). This Sunday's message is from Mark 1:29-39. For today's study you need to go and get your Bible and read it yourself. Jesus heals Peter's mother-in-law and she serves them. Question: what kind of service does she do? Does the scripture say anything about cooking, sweeping, cleaning or baking? No. Then why does our mind automatically assume that kitchen work is what she does? The original Greek word used to describe what she does is akin to the word "deacons", from which we get the word "diaconate." Peter's mother-in-law is healed by Jesus and immediately goes to serve him. Have you ever been touched by Jesus, ever been healed by Jesus? If so, how did you go about serving Jesus to show your thanks? Well, this week, this month, this year we are all going to have the chance. Ron Bruinsma touched upon how Missions, through the wonderful idea of Leah, is setting up a Kids Corner where people can donate food to the food pantry that is along the line of what kids like to eat, because let's be honest: kids like different food then adults. And there are far too many kids in our community who are going hungry every night. So we at BCUCC are going to do what we do so well: step up to the need and meet the challenge. Anne Winkle has been working with the children of the church to make up a list of food children like to eat. That list has been compiled and on Sunday during the Children's Message we'll do a reverse offering. We'll ask you to take a slip of paper with a food item listed on it, purchase that item, bring it in between Feb 15-22, and on Feb 22, when the children take the offering, they will also bring forward all the donated food. Then, we will do this every month: asking people to bring in the selected food item, place it in the designated location throughout the month, then on the fourth Sunday of the month, have the children bring the food up to the altar. This is a chance for us all to be like Peter's mother-in-law. To serve Jesus in a unique and important way and to help, in our own style, in silencing the evil demons of hunger. May this Wanderings be a blessing to us all, may you continue to be a blessing to Christ and to our community. Grace and abundance, Pastor George

Feb 1, 2009 Wanderings

Wanderings for Feb 1, 2009
Good afternoon everyone. I want to thank everyone for the grace and love you demonstrated on Sunday. I pray that everyone has been thinking about Sunday's message, "Who Knows?" as opposed to "Who cares" as we experienced in the faithful words and actions of the King and people of Nineveh in Jonah 3:1-10. This Sunday I do not preach as it is Women's Sunday, but we will all have the opportunity to hear Tammy Scott give her first sermon. I still recall the first time I ever preached, and Mom took me out for lunch (that photo stands in my office). Let us all pray and support Tammy. This Sunday's scripture, from what I understand, is Feb 1, Mark 1:21-28- where Jesus encounters a man with an unclean (evil) spirit. Would you like to have some with fun this? Well then, go ahead and read it. Take your time. I'll wait....... Read it? Ok, now, let's try an exercise. Reread it, but now give the man with the unclean spirit a different voice. How does an evil spirit sound? Loud, fast, broken up, sporadic, hissing, laughing, crying? Or slick and smooth, overly polite? Then reread how Jesus speaks. Does he speak all polite? Or soft? Or does Jesus shout? One Biblical translation has Jesus say "Shut up!" Can you imagine Jesus saying "shut up?" Play with the voice of Jesus. Imagine how one speaking in authority would sound. Who has authority in your life? Do they yell, raise their voice, use lots of words, little words. Then play with the voices of the people who witness this happen. How can or does their voice change. Also notice that when Jesus encouters evil, he does not stay silent. Do we? Or do we find a way to speak to it or about it? I hope this gives you a chance to let the Scripture come alive, to hear it in a new way, and in doing so to encounter Jesus, evil and humanity in a new way, thus allowing ourselves to encounter our own self in a new way. Be safe this weekend, and stay blessed. Peace, Pastor George

March 15, 2009 sermon

March 15, 2009Scripture: John 2:13-22Sermon Title: “Was Jesus Perfect?”Rev. George N. Miller

Two weeks ago we introduced the word resplendent, meaning to shine forth. This week we introduce another word, one that everyone knows, but not many are comfortable with: imperfection.Imperfection is something that we as Americans have a hard time with. This is partly because we’ve been tricked into thinking perfection is something we can achieve. Noses can be shortened, hair can be dyed, and pale skin can be spray tanned.The quest for perfection drives our economy. Pay to remove a scratch on the car, pay the gym to get bigger muscles, spend thousands to create the ultimate home-entertainment experience.The striving for perfection not only drives our culture but is drains our energy, our finances and spiritual core.That’s why, for some people, discovering they have a chronic disease is a blessing in disguise because they have no choice but to give up the lie of perfection. Allow me to explain.When someone is diagnosed with chronic illness, a series of events usually happen. They’ll try to find a way to make the illness fit into their life without destroying their lifestyle. They assume they will continue looking the same, feeling the same, being the same and this thing will just silently exist inside of them.But then the truth unfolds. Things happen to the body. Hair changes texture or falls out. Body shape changes. Skin blotches and blemishes appear. All these things scream “imperfect, imperfect” but the person tries hard to keep things under-wraps and in control.But to live the charade requires a lot of work and a lot of denial. Eventfully, the person gets to the point in which they say “This is me and who I am”.In doing so they allow themselves to let go, learn how to make the best of what they got, laugh at their situation and to accept the imperfections as permanent marks of who they now are.The person realizes they’ll never be perfect and the truth all along was that they never were.Instead of wasting energy trying to be something they can’t be, they instead spend the rest of their life living it.In the acceptance of imperfection, something else happens: grace steps in and brings with ittransformative healing. And grace may even help them realize that imperfection is the truest part of living life to its fullest.Scripture gives evidence of this. Look at Genesis 1 and you’ll see that when God created the world it wasn’t called perfectly flawless but “good.” Part of that goodness was human beings who had the freedom to make choices, even if they were the furthest things from perfect.Our biblical ancestors had glaring flaws. Moses was afraid of public speaking, Noah got drunk, and Rahab was a prostitute. Yet God loved and used each one of them to bless Creation.Which brings us to today’s question: if Jesus was fully human and fully divine, walking the earth and sharing in the human experience, was Jesus perfect, or gloriously imperfect like you and I?Note that I’m not asking if Jesus was without sin, but if by our standards we’d label Jesus as perfect.Let’s start by examining a piece of pop culture: The Shack. In the book the Trinity is portrayed rather uniquely: God is a black woman who cooks, the Spirit is an Asian woman who gardens.Jesus is a Middle Easterner who wears a plaid shirt, jeans covered in saw dust and not handsome enough to stand out in a crowd; far from images we’ve seen in movies and stained glass windows.There’s a part where God, Jesus and the Spirit are preparing dinner when suddenly Jesus drops a bowl of sauce and it splatters all over the place including God’s dress and the Spirit’s feet.They all become silent and then laughter erupts. There is mention of how clumsy humans are. God calls Jesus “Greasy fingers” and says, with a wink, “You just can’t get good help around here.”The three laugh harder and harder as they work together to clean up the mess and share their meal.This scene may appear inconsequential, but what the author has done is so staggering I don’t think he realized what he wrote. By having Jesus drop the bowl, the author shows Jesus as making a mistake. That’s an amazing image to think about.If that happened in my house, my Mom would yell, there’d be feelings of shame, and someone would probably kick the dog out of frustration. But not in this book. Instead the moment is seized upon as a chance for bonding and community.By saying Jesus is capable of dropping a bowl, the author is not only implying that, like some men, Jesus would be useless in the kitchen, but he’s also making the theological claim that Jesus is capable of being imperfect.Today’s Scripture makes that argument too. It’s Passover. Jesus enters the Temple, the front area filled with the activity of merchants and money changers. He fashions himself a whip and tears through the place flipping over tables and raising his voice.It’s an image we don’t see portrayed very much, and yet its there, in all four gospels, showing a very human Jesus doing a very human thing that many of us would not consider to be appropriate or the definition of perfection.Imagine I started flipping over pews or tossing coins and see how the phone lines would light up!And yet, to say Jesus was fully human, to claim that the Word became flesh, means that Jesus had to have said and done things that do not fall neatly into our sense of perfection.Let’s take a look at what we know.For starters, Jesus was conceived by an unwed teenage mother. Does that sounds perfect to you? There’s a word for that, and anyone who had or was a child out of wedlock can tell you that word.Jesus was raised in a family so poor his mother could only afford two turtle-doves as her offering. How many people accept poverty as their definition of perfection?Did Jesus live what we’d call a perfect lifestyle? He was a 30 year old bachelor, hanging out with the guys and women of questionable morals, wandering from place to place, drinking wine. How would that fair at Calvin College or the Letters to the Editor section of the Press?He had no problem challenging the authorities or getting in the way of local commerce. Is that perfection or cause for concern?Jesus touched and was touched by people with illness, skin diseases and different lifestyles. Would you want to shake his hand?And the way he died? It wasn’t at a ripe old age surrounded by family, but on a cross, the ultimate political form of shame. He died like a common criminal, on the outskirts of town, deserted by almost all of his friends. Does that fit into anyone’s definition of perfection?In fact, if you look at the whole trajectory of Jesus’s life, he was born, raised, lived and died in complete imperfection.Yet he was God incarnate; our faith is based on him, and from him came the most perfect gift. Because when Jesus agreed to face the cross, he did something no one else could do: he brought us grace, amazing grace, the stuff we sing about, pray about, and base our Mission Statement on.Grace was the perfect gift that Jesus gave us by accepting to live an imperfect life.By living amongst us, Jesus knew what it was like to be one of us. The temptations, the trials, the victories and losses. He endured and experienced it all, so when the time came, not just he, but all the things we judge ourselves about could be nailed to the cross.Our imperfections, our mistakes, our flaws, they were brought with him to be placed on the cross. And up there they were pierced and shattered.By carrying our imperfections to the cross, Jesus ended the power they have over us and helped us realize those things are just part of who we are, not what ultimately defines or controls us.By taking our imperfections to the cross, Jesus created a way for us to let go so the grace of God could enter in and bring about transformation.His actions allowed us to release whatever feelings of shame, anger or remorse we may have and instead focus on what God has given.This grace means that we in turn can look at those around us, see their imperfections and flaws and realize that they too are worthy of grace.And when we realize that grace is for all, we can release others from the hold of whatever jealousy, anger or ill-will we may have for them.We can stop judging the imperfections of others because we’ve stopped judging the imperfections that are our own.And when this grace is accepted and shared, an amazing thing takes place. Our imperfections lose their power, and we become transformed just as Christ was transformed on Easter morn. And who knows? God may find a way to use our flaws for the greater good, making them the means by which we are called to reach out to others, to do ministry and maybe even earn our keep.To embrace the claim that Jesus lived with us and dwelled in imperfection means that we can stop putting so much energy into trying to present the perfect look and perfect life.Instead we can put that energy into living, and being in relationship with one another and with our own self. And all that time and money spent trying to achieve perfection can instead be spent worshiping God and ministering to others.We are humans. Mistakes will be made. Bowls will be broken, sauces will spill, our skin will bear visible scars.By embracing the humanness of Jesus Christ we can begin to let go of those things and the power they have over us and instead step into who it is God is calling and creating us to be.Thanks be to God, our gracious hostess, the Spirit who tends to our spiritual gardens and Jesus who endured scars for our sake.Amen, and amen.

March 8, 2009 sermon

March 8, 2009Scripture: Mark 9:2-9Sermon Title: “Resplendent J.E.M.”Rev. George N. MillerOnce there was a man. He was a wanderer, lost and lonely, no idea where he was going.One day he came across an amazing find: a beautiful gem. He held it up to the light, every color of the rainbow shined through it and it was...resplendent.Finding this gem brought him great joy, and he continued his journey with new found excitement.To the first person he met he said “Let me show you what I’ve found.” Oohing and ahhing the person said “ How priceless it must be. This is the most wonderful thing ever seen!”The man heard these words and thought “Yes it is. Perhaps I should hold onto it tighter to make sure it doesn’t get lost or stolen.”With the gem in his possession he realized he was done journeying and stopped at the first place that provided safety and shelter. Feeling encouraged, he applied for the best job he could find, then he went about planning a home. Days turned into weeks and months. He carried the gem in his coat pocket, near his heart, until fearing it may fall out, he placed it in his pants’ pocket, then tucked into his sock. Finally, the gem was put into a locked box.The man had a wonderful job, a fabulous home, and the most resplendent gem that had ever been seen. But he stopped sharing his find with others, fearing that if people knew what he had they’d hurt him and steal it from him. So he tucked the gem safely away, where no one else could see it.Each day he took it out of hiding to admire its beauty until one day an unexcepted knock came at the door. He quickly hid the gem and when the person left he thought “That was a close one. Perhaps I should limit how often I look at it.”He looked at the gem only once a week, but that seemed too much. Then once a month, but the risk was still too great. So he limited viewings to holidays, but it still seemed too big of a risk. Finally, he decided the safest thing to do was to tuck the resplendent gem away in a dark, secret place that no one could ever find.Years passed. The man grew older. His health grew frail. Although his days of wandering were long over, he felt more lost then before. Realizing he was not much longer for this earth, he decided to take out the gem and look at it once more. He hobbled into the basement, dug behind the secret brick, moved the fresh earth, pulled out the locked box, took out the smaller box inside it, pulled out the rolled up sock, unwrapped the tissue paper...and the gem was not there.After years of being hidden in secret, the resplendent gem had deteriorated to dust and sand. In agony the man grabbed a handful of the remains and lifted it up hoping the particles would still catch the light. But no good. By keeping the priceless gem in a permanent state of security the man had rendered it useless and brought about its demise. He spent his last days mourning what he had so foolishly lost......The man in today’s story doesn’t have a name, nor does he need to, for the man is all of us, as we each have a need to preserve and a need to keep, be it time, memories or artifacts.Children fascinated by lightening bugs, trap and keep them in a jar. Adults store away their good china. Churches keep certain rooms locked. Even Peter does this as he tries to keep his precious Jesus from experiencing any kind of pain.In today’s reading Peter, James and John have been invited by Jesus to go hiking up a mountain. While there he’s transfigured, and Elijah and Moses appear, forming their own J.E.M.. (Jesus, Elijah, Moses) When Peter sees this resplendent J.E.M. he immediately speaks “Teacher, it is so good for us to be here. Let us make three dwellings...”Why is it that Peter speaks so quickly? What is he trying to achieve by offering to keep this J.E.M. in a safe dwelling? As you recall, the Gospel of Mark was written during a stressful era in history. Mark didn’t have time to waste and his story is clean, lean and things happen like this (snap fingers)!Yet today’s Scripture begins with an illusion to time: “6 days later.” What is it that happened 6 days before?When we first met Peter he’s going by the name Simon, fishing with his brother. Jesus invites them to follow him, which Simon does, quickly leaving his nets behind. They follow Jesus as he teaches in the synagogue, unblocks Simon’s mother-in-law from her fever, and cures others. When Jesus sneaks away for prayer Simon hunts him down saying “Everyone is searching for you.” From there Simon and the others go from town to town as Jesus preaches, heals and raises a ruckus. Good times. Jesus feeds the five thousand, quiets a storm, walks on water. How cool to watch the way he stood up to authorities. How even the demons responded to Jesus’ voice!Jesus gives Simon a new moniker: Peter. Imagine being so loved by the Lord you are given a pet name! Jesus asks who people say he is. While others respond incorrectly, Peter gets it right when he states “You are the Messiah.”Then Jesus begins a new stage of ministry. The fun of the last few months takes an ominous turn. Jesus tell them something unexpected: that he will undergo great suffering; be rejected, and killed. This is all too disturbing for Peter. He pulls Jesus aside, “Stop talking such mess,” he says, but Jesus rebukes him. “If you want to follow me, you must deny yourself and take up your cross.”And then 6 days pass. We’re not told of a single thing Jesus and the disciples did. Did they teach, did they heal, did they journey? We don’t know. It’s as if everything has stopped. Perhaps Jesus is giving everyone, including himself, a chance to absorb the sobering reality of what he’s just shared. It’s as if he told them the shop is closing or their investments are gone. And I believe what happens to Peter is that he goes into shock. He doesn’t know what to think. Here he was, just an ordinary man. Jesus turns his world around, fills it with light, and boom! Peter hears his beloved leader and friend is going to die by means of great violence.6 days pass, time to sort through their emotions, and Jesus invites Peter and the others to go up the mountain. It was a chance for them to escape reality, to get away.How nice it must have been to make that climb: the exercise, the fresh air. Leaving the problems of the world behind, with each step seeing the land, the people, grow smaller. But try as he may, Peter can’t shake the news of Jesus’ death. Maybe if they ran away or went into hiding they could avoid the inevitable.What happens next seems to be the solution to their problem: Elijah and Moses appear and talk with Jesus. Peter’s response: “Let’s stay here forever!”How honest his response was; how innocent, wrapped in fear and high hopes. “We’ll just build 3 shelters and keep Jesus safely hidden away from everyone else. We can visit him when we want. He’ll never have to suffer.”Can you blame Peter? 6 days ago Jesus rocked his world saying he would be hurt and killed. Why go back down the mountain? Why leave such a wonderful, resplendent moment for the woeful, wretched world that waits for them?Why indeed? Peter speaks for all of us at those moments when everything feels just right and we don’t want it to end, be it vacation, a great date, or the perfect summer.Peter is also speaking for us when we have been thrust into a storm of problems and all we want is to hide under the blanket, ignore the mail or veg out on the couch.Peter’s response to the reality of death sounds like an assurance of life, but it’s actually a choice to not fully live. What Peter’s proposing is a type of imprisonment: “Keep the J.E.M. sheltered on the mountain and no hurt will come.” But neither will true life because true life happens down on the ground. Yes, down there exists sick mother-in-laws, diseases, violent crowds and a deadly cross.But down on the ground is also where Peter’s wife awaits, where children laugh, people wave palm branches, and celebration and songs exist.Down the mountain will be more chances to worship, share meals and smell fragrant perfumes.And down on the ground there is still so much work to be done. Crowds waiting to be taught, people who still need forgiveness, sick children waiting to be healed, blind waiting to see again.In the midst of sadness, fear and assured chaos, Peter experiences a resplendent J.E.M. and tries to find a way to stay there indefinitely. But he can’t, for life is lived, love is shared and ministry is performed not far off the ground, but in the midst of the sadness and joy, fear and safety, chaos and contentment. When Jesus calls us to follow him, we do so, accepting and embracing each moment for what it is: a chance to be with Christ and a chance to joyfully share what have experienced.The gift Jesus gives us is not to be stashed away out of fear of losing or tarnishing it, but to bring it to others, lift it up to the light and to say “Isn’t it resplendent?”And when we have those moments in which it feels easier to hide away, let us be gentle with ourselves, allowing time to process, and then finding the strength to return back to the reality of the world, knowing that’s where Jesus is, and that’s where Jesus is calling us to be.All thanks be to the mysterious ways of the Spirit, to God who sees us through it all and for Jesus, the gem that shines resplendently in and for us. Amen.

March 1, 2009 sermon

March 1, 2009 Scripture: Psalm 25:1-10Sermon Title: “God’s Loving Paths” Rev. George N. MillerOur message begins with a lesson in vocabulary: “resplendent.” Please say it after me: resplendent.It means “to shine back, to shine brilliantly, to be full of splendor.” A fitting word for us today.For the last 2 months the children have been singing “Siyahamba” or, as we know it, “We are Marching in the Light of God”. Not only is it a joyful song, but it perfectly fits today’s message of movement and light. If you haven’t noticed by now, a good deal of the Bible is all about people on the move. Moses in the wilderness, Jacob leaving and returning home, Jesus and the disciples going from town to town.The Bible is filled with images of movement and journey because that’s what a faithful life is about: always moving, always growing, always changing. God doesn’t call us to be stagnant, nor does God expect us to always be comfortable. God calls us to journey. For some, it’ll be geographical, for others its emotional or spiritual.I’m fascinated by the concept of journey, and I’m not the only one. Look at “Wizard of Oz” or TV’s “Lost” as it journeys through space and time, or the book “Eat, Pray, Love” which is all about one woman’s travel through Italy, India and Indonesia.Journey, as we learn, is not without cost. One can not march from one place to another without having to give up something. People and things have to be left behind, and there are only two guarantees. The first is that during the journey there will be moments of great darkness, so great you can barely see your way. The second guarantee is that God will be there to help light your way through.An example of a journeyer would be Jennifer Hudson. Just a few years ago she was living in Chicago and tried out for “American Idol.” She experienced light when she made it onto the show. But darkness came when she was voted off. She could have crept back to obscurity, but she persevered, eventually winning the role of Effie in “Dreamgirls”, again a moment of light. But when the director felt she wasn’t embodying the role, she was asked to come in for extra rehearsals. Criticism can be harsh but she took what they were teaching her and nailed the part, wowing everyone and winning an Oscar.Her light continued to shine as she was cast in the blockbuster “Sex in the City.” Then she released a new album and hit song. It seemed like her light would keep getting brighter. But the journey took an unexpected dark twist, as her nephew and mother were violently murdered, and she stepped away from the public spotlight.Time passed. Then the news came out: she was invited to sing the National Anthem at this year’s Superbowl. Before the eyes of millions of people she stepped out and after taking a deep breathe, she sung the Anthem in a way few people have. With light in her voice and eyes she sung of how through it all, the flag was still there, and when finished, the crowd roared with approval.7 days later on the Grammy’s she won an award and gave a stirring rendition of her song “You Pulled Me Through.” Backed with a full choir, she sung the way only someone who had overcome great darkness could sing.One magazine, recapping the week’s highlights, ran a photo of her and wrote a caption which read “Resplendent (n): see Jennifer Hudson.”Resplendent. The woman had journeyed from extreme moments of darkness and through it all she found a way to reflect a light that she would no doubt attribute to God and her faith in Christ.Movement, darkness and light: fitting themes as we enter into Lent, a spiritual journey we make with Christ as our guide. There will be a journey to the mountaintop in which Jesus will shine brilliantly. There’ll be healings, teachings and shared meals. There’ll be betrayal in the darkness of night and a brutal death. During this time of Lent Jesus will journey towards Jerusalem, a place known for killing its prophets. Jesus moves forward, knowing full well what’s going to happen to him. But even the dark shadow of the looming cross can not stop Jesus from being...resplendent. With that being said, let’s take a look at Psalm 25. Originally attributed to Kind David, it is an interesting song because it’s structure creates a sense of travel complete with moments of frightening darkness and comforting light.As a faithful jew and a rabbi, there’s a good chance Jesus knew and memorized Psalm 25. I wonder how much it influenced him.It begins simply enough: “To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust.”That’s a great way to begin one’s travel. As you take your first step, as you board the plane or turn the key in the ignition, to say “To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust.”The psalmist declares that not only are faith and trust inseparable but they are necessary parts of the journey. But this is not foolish trust or naive faith. For right away the pathway of travel is fraught with darkness and danger.“Don’t let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me,” the psalmist states as darkness invades the journey.Through verses 2-3 and 16-20 no light shines through. Loneliness, afflictions, troubled hearts darken the pathway. Words such as treachery and violent hatred mask the sunlight.It’s a verbal journey through a pit of darkness where danger and shame hover on each side, waiting to consume who ever dares to travel through them. The images are enough to keep one complacent or admit defeat.But our God is not a complacent God, nor does God call for complacent people. For as we see in verses 4-15, even between the darkness of danger and deceit, God finds a way to shine through.“Make me to know your ways, O Lord;” the author sings out, “teach me your paths.” And with those words, with that invitation, God’s light begins to shine, providing a path for the psalmist to travel. And the light takes on many forms through the multitude of positive words the author uses.Truth and teaching becomes beacons of light that illuminate the way, followed by the glow of salvation, mindfulness and mercy.Steadfast love and the forgetting of our sins cuts through the darkness of shame and treachery. Goodness, faithfulness and covenant light the way.With each word we discover just how much God’s light is shining and making a way for us through what would at first seem bleak and despairing. Light that calls upon God as our rescuer, our deliverer, and our refuge. In the midst of ruin and distress are these resplendent, glimmering images of God, leading the way, providing the journey, making the travel possible. And through it all, Psalm 25 concludes with wonderful words of redemption.This is a psalm that could not only could speak for King David, or for Jesus, but also a song that can be sung for us.It is a reminder that as we journey, we do not travel alone, nor do we travel in complete darkness, but that with each step we take, God is illuminating the path with wisdom and teaching, with forgiveness and mercy, with steadfast love and covenant.In closing, our Lenten journey will bring us many places, through times of great darkness and much light, from celebration to the horrifying pain of the cross, a place in which it seems impossible for God to be present.But just as Psalm 25 ends with words of new life, the cross will not be the end of our journey. For although we must make that most uncomfortable stop, it is just a stop.For as we will rediscover, the sun will rise again and our true destination will be to a garden, to an upper room, on a road to Emmaus, on a sandy beach shore and on a mountaintop. And in all those places we will discover not only just how much the light of Christ still shines, but how much of that light now shines in each of us, brilliant and full of splendor.God will sustain us on our journey, and though there will be moments of darkness and danger, our ultimate destination will be resplendent, filled with God’s promise of redemption and joy.All thanks be to Christ who invites us on the journey, to the Spirit that carries us along and for God who lights the way. Amen.

Feb 15, 2009 sermon

Feb 15, 2009Scripture: Mark 1:40-45Sermon Title: "Out of the Woods"Rev. George N. Miller

A few weeks ago Jesus told Nathanael how he saw him sitting underneath the fig tree. Last week Jesus unblocked Peter’s mother-in-law from her fever. And today we witness Jesus choosing to make clean a man with leprosy. But first, a story:It was the one of the driest seasons in memory. For over a month it had not rained. The crops were dying, the cows stopped giving milk and the streams were long gone.Last week, six year old Billy was given a stern talking to when he was caught playing with the garden hose. To make sure it didn’t happen again, his parents disconnected the hose from the spigot.One day, Billy’s Mom saw him walking towards the woods. Not moving in his usual carefree way, he had a sense of serious purpose, as if all of him was focused on his task.Minutes after disappearing into the woods, Billy came running out towards the house, then moments later he was again walking slowly towards the woods.His Mom noted this cycle happened several times: run out of the woods, walk slowly in. Just what was he doing?She crept out of the house and quietly followed her son who was cupping his hands in front of him, careful not to drop whatever was in them.Branches and leaves slapped his face, but he did nothing to stop them: he was focused on a higher purpose.That’s when the mother saw the most amazing sight: several deer stood in front of Billy. He walked right up to them, knelt down, and there lay a tiny fawn, suffering from dehydration. Billy lowered his cupped hands, the fawn lifted its head and lapped up what Billy was offering it: water. Cool, refreshing water.When the fawn was done, Billy leapt up and ran back to the house, up to the spigot. Turning it so only a small trickle of water crept out, he stood there, letting it slowly drip into his cupped hands. He had learned his lesson about being wasteful.After a few minutes his hands were filled with water and he made the slow walk back to the dehydrated baby fawn. That’s when he saw his Mom. His eyes filled with tears. "I’m not wasting," was all he said.As he walked into the woods, she went into the house, filled up a pot with water, gave it to Billy, then stood away, letting him tend to the fawn. It was his job. She observed her son working so hard to save another life.As tears rolled down her face, other, larger drops began to hit the ground. She looked up at the sky: it was raining. It was as if God, moved by Billy’s healing actions, had begun weeping as well....A touching story, isn’t it? In many ways, it could be a Disney telling of the gospels, complete with unselfish love and abundant sharing. We could say the boy represents Christ, the fawn represents someone in need of healing and the Mom represents us, observing Christ’s actions.Yes, this would make a delightful Disney tale. But here’s the thing: there’s nothing Disney about the Bible or about Jesus, although we may try our best to clean things up and sanitize them.The Bible is raw, brutal at times. It addresses life’s issues head on, with no apologies or shying away from the messiness that comes with living.The Bible is where real life meets the holy, and where things are never the same again. And this tale in Mark is no different.A man with a leprous disease comes to Jesus, begging him on his knees, "Please, if you choose, you can make me clean." And Jesus, overcome with emotion, touches him and says "I do choose. Be made clean."If Disney had made this into a cartoon, the man with leprosy may have been portrayed by a cute little fawn. But leprosy is far from cute. It is a series of skin conditions, be it a swelling, a spot or raw flesh. Leprosy could result from a boil, a bad burn, it could affect hair, by itchy and cover a person from head to toe.As bad as the symptoms were, much worse was the way one was treated. Considered unclean, you were symbolically placed in the backyard woods, living on the outskirts of town, separated from family, friends and place of worship.And there were specific instructions on how to act in public. Just take a look at Leviticus 13:45-46. Not very Disney-like is it?So try to picture this man with leprosy. Imagine him living outside of town, away from all the other folk. No one to touch, no one to hold.Imagine the sores covering his body, the intense itching. Imagine him in his ripped clothing, his mussed up hair.Imagine the humiliation of walking though the crowd announcing himself as "unclean". See him begging on his knees, the look in his eyes as he says "If you choose you can make me clean."What feelings does this invoke in you? For me, I can’t help but to feel anger: anger at Jesus, anger at God.I am mad that this man has this illness. I’m mad the law dictates that he has to act a certain way.But most of all, I am mad that he has to leave the woods to go to Jesus to be healed.Why, if God is all-knowing, does the man have to come to Jesus to be healed? Why if Jesus is so good, does the man have to ask to be healed?Why doesn’t Jesus just save him and all those like him the trouble by just going to where they’re at and healing them instantly like Billy did with the sick fawn?I’m mad because as far as I know, there’s not one story in which Jesus goes to where the sick and hurting are without being first asked to go there.If Jesus saw Nathanael under the fig tree why didn’t he make himself known there and then? Why couldn’t Jesus heal Peter’s mother-in-law without having to be escorted into her room?Why did the man with leprosy have to endure that walk of shame and fall to his knees to be restored, transformed and unblocked?Yet as mad as I may be, I realize I must temper it by realizing Jesus had his reasons for not doing things the easy way. And when I stop and think things over, one of the reasons becomes a bit clearer: often times for a person to experience the total benefit of healing, they have to truly want it.Yes, Jesus could have walked to the outskirts of town and instantly cured the people, but would they have fully understood and appreciated it?If Jesus unexpectedly cured the folk, would it have provided any true healing at all or just enabled them? For a person to receive healing, must they first get to the point of admitting that something is wrong?Don’t we witness people who have horrible things going on in their life? Their health isn’t good, their relationship is unhealthy. Their fiances are not solid, or their job is not making them happy.But instead of admitting it they fall into denial: "This cough? Oh its nothing." "He only hits me when he’s drunk." "I’m just two months behind on rent." "Work only stresses me out on the days ending with ‘y’."Such people go on and on, saying everything is fine or hiding themselves from the world when it gets too hard to act. But nothing changes, nothing improves. It usually only gets worse.The cough gets deeper. The slaps sting more. The landlord posts the eviction notice. A heart attack happens on the job.And that’s when the reality hits. When a person realizes they can not do it alone, that they need help and the support of another.For some it creates a moment of faith. For those who process their need this way, they look around at the symbolic woods they’ve been in, and realize just how much they need the Lord.Some will fall to their knees, praying and begging for the healing to come, and perhaps that’s the step that creates a path for true healing.For you see, today’s tale is not about a man in denial. These are the actions of a person who’s sick and tired of being sick and tired. His actions reflect someone who has endured his situation for far too long, who has tried every other way, who knows he can no longer do it alone.These are the actions of someone of complete faith who realizes he can only achieve true healing by calling upon the living Lord to extend his hand and touch him with his abundant grace and love.These are the actions of a man who realizes in Christ he not only has an advocate, but a doctor, a teacher, and a high priest. And the healing becomes real.Thanks to Psalm 130 we know there is no place where God is not. John 1 reminds us that Jesus sees us even when we sit under our fig trees of loneliness.Perhaps what Mark is trying to teach us is that like the leper, to be healed we need to come out of our woods, to come clean with whatever it is that is damaging us, and we need to move towards Jesus unafraid to ask for help and healingJust as we have to be willing to journey to the cross and kneel before the crucified Lord in order to realize just how abundant his grace and love is.Just as we need to go to the garden to meet the resurrected Christ to realize there is nothing that can separate us from that abundant grace and love, where we are called to learn, live and share God’s Word.I am still mad at Jesus for making the man with leprosy work so hard for his healing, but at least now I have come to a place in which I think I understand why it is so.And in understanding, perhaps we can look upon ourselves and ask what it is we need healing from, and how we can approach Jesus, asking to be healed, knowing that Jesus can and that Jesus will.All thanks be to God who places in us a clean heart, to Jesus who is our living water and for the Spirit that stirs us from our hiding places.Amen and amen.

Feb 8, 2009 sermon

Feb 8, 2009Scripture: Mark 1:29-39Sermon Title: “Unblocking the Gospel”Rev. George N. Miller

Having a fishtank is one of life’s joys. From Dad’s 20 gallon tank in the basement to the 10 gallon tank in my office, a community of multi-colored fish is a beautiful thing.The office tank was a gift from Ruth, the fish were purchased by me and various parishioners, and every Sunday the children get to feed the fish.The tank has required a lot of work and there has been some problems. There’s been overfeeding, overcrowding, algae blooming up and the occasional finned friend who has died and been ceremoniously flushed down the toilet.One of the biggest responsibilities is maintaining the filter which keeps the water fresh and clean so the fish stay healthy, active and alive. If the filter is faulty the water gets dirty, diseases spread, resulting in death and a poor community life.For the last few weeks the water wasn’t looking so healthy. The bio-wheel that’s supposed to spin around and around was stuck in place. And there was all this green and brown algae. Not good.So what to do, what to do? I cleaned the entire filter. Each and every piece was taken apart, rinsed out, algae was scraped away.Then an idea emerged: I took the filter tube, a u-shaped object like the piping under your sink, took a knife and jabbed it in and ran the tube under the water and glup! A piece of snotty looking stuff came right on out.Hmmmm.....Again with the knife, digging in side to side, ran it under the faucet. Glup-glop! More pieces of green stuff came whooshing out.Again and again this was done and more and more of that stuff whooshed out.Had this been the problem all along? Why the water wheel was stuck, why the tank was looking so dirty, why the fish have been so lethargic?Was it because for years the filter tube had been clogged with snotty green gunk and no amount of cleaning or new parts would do anything until what was in the tube was unblocked?Once the filter was reassembled and turned on, suck suck suck went the dirty water up into the filter, around and around the wheel went and the happy sound of fresh running-water filled the room. The tank’s community of was given a new chance of life.Clean, unblocked life has returned to the fishtank and its inhabitants. All the tank needed for transformation and restoration was the chance to be unblocked of the waste and decay that was trapped inside of it for all these years. Church: let me hear you say unblocked.Those present at our Tuesday Bible Study will tell you that “unblocked” was the word of the day. When we gathered to discuss today’s scripture, the obvious topics came up. Do demons really exist? Do we believe in miraculous healings? Is healing less physical and more psychological?Someone spoke up and said “Jesus unblocks”, giving us a unique way of approaching the healing stories.Instead of saying Jesus cast out demons, cured the sick, or rid Peter’s mother-in-law of a fever, perhaps what Jesus really did was unblock them much the same way the fishtank filter had been unblocked.And in the case of Peter’s mother-in-law, being unblocked freed her up to do the work that was needed to get done. Being or feeling blocked is not a good thing, is it? There are many ways one can be blocked. Got a stuffed nose? You’re blocked from breathing.Got blocked arteries there’s a chance a heart attack will come your way. Constipated? Now that’s a blockage no one wants.Writers face what is known as writers block. Kurt Warner was blocked Superbowl Sunday from successfully completing his final throw.Not too long ago women were blocked from voting and blacks were blocked from lunch counters.We as a country are experiencing blockage. The flow of money has been blocked by a decrease in purchases, rising unemployment, and everyone fearful of being fired.I myself have been blocked. Keeping information from you about my health blocked my energy level, creativity and how I interacted with you.Being blocked is not good. It limits how we deal with the outside world, what our day is like and what we’re able to do.Take for instance Peter’s mother-in-law. For fun, let’s call her Sunny. As today’s reading tells us, Sunny is not well. She’s got a fever and it’s blocking her. The fever blocks Sunny from interacting with others as she’s stuck in bed all day. The fever has blocked her possibilities. She can’t enjoy the sunrise, go to market, join the ladies for lunch, or attend worship. But something wonderful happens to our Sunny. When Peter leaves worship, he brings with him Jesus. Jesus visits Sunny in her room, he takes her hand, lifts her up...and Jesus unblocks her.Whatever was clogging her filter, whatever was keeping freshness from flowing within her, was somehow, someway, unblocked due to her interaction with the living Christ.Sunny goes from laying down in bed to becoming Sunny-side UP!And her response is to serve Jesus and the disciples. God’s Abundance and Grace found in Christ is matched by Sunny sharing Grace and Abundance with her family and friends!Can I get an amen? Now some would say that we as a church have been blocked. Our records with pastors haven’t been the greatest. Our infighting and disputes are legendary. And the good kind of green we need to stay in operation is not easily flowing in. And that has created its own blockage. Blockage that has stunted church growth. Blockage that has pushed people away. Blockage that has limited the service we’re able to provide the community.But over the last few weeks, hasn’t it seemed that there’s been an unblocking of our church? It’s as if Jesus has brought in a spirit of unblockedness that is motivating a whole bunch of people to get up and to serve.Have you noticed that people sharing testimonies and prayers during worship has gone up? I have. Attendance for Bible study, field trips and Men’s Breakfast had increased.Thanks to Leah we have a new mission program. Thanks to Jen we have a great after school program. And Marge has created a beautiful new song celebrating the gifts of women.Thanks to the grace and love of you, I have a new energy and insight. And I don’t know about you, but I am ready to serve.Whatever has blocked us is being unblocked. Whatever has been caught up in the filter has been whooshed out, through fresh water and hard work.Mark tells us Jesus healed, cast out, and lifted up. Our Bible study folk say Jesus unblocks. So today, I’ll leave you the same way Tammy left us last week- with a question.How has Jesus unblocked you? And how do we, who have been unblocked, get up and serve our Savior who is busy restoring and transforming us with a fresh spirit coursing through our souls?All praise be to the Spirit that flows through each and every one of us, through Jesus who touches us right where we are and to God who shares with us Her abundant grace and love. Amen and amen.

Jan 25, 2009 sermon

Sermon from January 25, 2009 Jonah 3:1-10
Note: inspired by "Unbinding the Gospel" I've been preaching a new way: no manuscript. What you have here is the sermon as written, but not as presented. When I gave the sermon on Sunday I removed all references to Pres. Obama and George Washington. The result was a funnier, more personal, intimate message of hope. Still, enjoy what is here. Pastor GeorgeJanuary 25, 2009Scripture: Jonah 3:1-10Sermon Title: "Who Knows?"Rev. George N. MillerTuesday we inaugurated our 44th President and though it was a time of celebration, President Obama grounded us in reality. Admitting we are in the midst of crisis he called us to reaffirm our enduring spirit, reminding us that our country was born when things were most in doubt.Obama stated that we are in the winter of our hardship. The same can be said for our church. Though we are celebrating our 85th Anniversary, we’re facing the reality that this could be our last year.We heard it from trustees last week: if things continue as is, there is only enough money to carry us for 38 more weeks. That’s 266 days.Which means on October 18, 2009 we will either close our doors or go to part time ministry.Indeed, we have a task before us, indeed there are gathering clouds. What are we to do?First, let me tell you what we should not do, and I’ll do that by sharing a story. 5 years ago I joined a volleyball league and was placed on a team.There was Brian who felt he wasn’t good enough, Scott who got the giggles, Court who sporadically showed up, and our captain Rhonda, who’s one goal was to kick the ball over the net.We played together but never acted like a team. There was barely any volleying, no set ups, no one two three spike!, and anytime we were behind they acted as if we had already lost, which upset me because in volleyball comebacks do happen.This came to a head during one game. We were playing to 15. We had 1 point, they had 14. The ball is served: it goes over the net, it goes to the back row, I go to bump it, Rhonda runs over, she swings her foot. She kicks it. It goes off court. We lose 15-1.Rhonda blew it off: "We were going to lose anyway." Obviously, she didn’t believe in come-backs. Obviously, she had no faith in the team. Obviously, after that season, we dissolved and never played again."We were going to lose anyway" were the words of our team captain. Those words still volley in my head even today.Our captain had zero faith in what we could do, and decided we were going to lose the game.Good thing she wasn’t George Washington, good thing she wasn’t the King of Nineveh or today’s story would have ended completely different.Today’s Scripture is from book of Jonah, a fun, quick read about a man called by God to "Go to the great city of Nineveh and cry out against it."Jonah refuses to do as God commands. After all, he is Jew, and Nineveh, nicknamed "The City of Blood" was their enemy. There is no way Jonah will go there, so he flees in the opposite direction.But as Psalm 139 reminds us, one can’t hide from God. After a series of incidents involving a storm, some scared sailors and a large fish, God gives Jonah a second chance and tells him "Go to Nineveh and give them the message I tell you."Jonah obeys and enters the city crying out "40 days and the city will be destroyed."And what do the people do? Do they kick the volleyball with their feet and lose the game? No. They face the challenge and volley the ball into the air, doing whatever they can to change the situation: they fast, they grieve, they put on sackcloth.And their team captain, the King, follows their lead, removing his robes, putting on sackcloth, and sitting in ashes.Knowing they are facing a legitimate crises, he makes a proclamation: "All people, all animals shall not eat or drink; they shall put on sackcloth, cry to God and turn from their evil ways.""And who knows?," he says, "God may change his mind and we may not lose this game.""Who knows?" The King says. How is that for leadership. How is that for faith?Faced with certain doom the King acts on the chance that perhaps, just perhaps if they did signs of obedience, God would change God’s mind.Instead of letting Jonah’s message sap their confidence, they faced the challenge with courage. And guess what- God changes his mind.Why? Because God is full of grace, abundant in love, and concerned for the inhabitants of the city."Who knows?" the King says, a statement about the possibility and uncertainty that comes in life."Who knows" the King says, and it makes all the difference."Who knows," the King proclaims and the people and their animals live to see another day.Who knows indeed.What a funny story this is. Look at what we’re told: that upon the words of one man, a whole city cries out to God. Not just the people, but also the animals.Could you just imagine it? Old people and babies, dogs and cats, chickens clucking, roosters cock-a-doodle-doodling, and cows mooing all while wearing potato sacks.With only 40 days before certain doom, they found a way to turn it all around.Makes you wonder: if they could do that in 40 days, imagine what we can do in 40 weeks?I stated before that we have 266 days before we will have to close our doors or change the direction of our ministry. That is the reality of the winter we are in.How do you respond when you hear this information?Perhaps like Rhonda, some will say "We’re going to lose anyway. Lets just kick the ball over the net and call it game over."Perhaps there are those, like the King who’ll hear the news differently.Instead of hearing 38 weeks as a threat, they’ll hear it as an opportunity to put their trust in God, in one another and to volley that ball over the net, knowing that with every serve, every bump, every spike, it’s still anyone’s game.There are those who will hear 38 weeks and say it’s not enough time to bring new life into our church.And there’ll be others who’ll realize 38 weeks is the equivalent of 9 months: how long it takes to have a baby and usher in new life.Friends and family of Burlingame Congregational UCC, what we have here is an opportunity. This is one of those moments people read about, that people talk about, the moment in the movie where the music swells and people get on their feet.This is our Valley Forge, this is our Red Sea, this is our moment in Nineveh. This is our chance to step up in faith and say "Who Knows".After all, if the wicked Ninevites understood the power of God’s Word and responded faithfully, how much more can we, as believers of God, do?If God can forgive and save the most unlikely of people, what can and will God do for us?This is the chance for us to find out just who we really are, to reach and cry out to God, to seek Jesus in ways we never have before.What can we do? I suggest three things. The first is to work together as a team. To do so means people need to show up. Pull out your Buzzings, look at your Bulletin. You’ll see that every week we have events going on and they’ll only succeed with your help and your presence.Our weekday Bible Study is the biggest it’s ever been, but we can still use more people. Christian Ed’s field trip was a large success, but it would have been even more successful if you were there.Priscilla Circle, Women’s Fellowship will only grow with your presence. And now that Men’s Breakfast has changed days there’s no reason more men can’t attend.We don’t need any more programming, we just need people to show up for what we do have. And who knows: perhaps God will respond and speak to us in ways not yet imagined.What can we do? We can return to the source of our knowledge about God and Christ: the Bible. This is our tool, our source of inspiration and hope for over 2,00 years. The more we know about it, the more we will know about God, our selves and what God is calling us to do.And finally, we need to embrace the basics of Christian life: prayer. We can start by each and every one of us taking time out to simply pull up that empty chair, imagine Jesus is sitting right next to us, and to talk. Talk about our church, talk about our lives, talk about you need to talk about.If you don’t know what to say, you can say "Help." If God has been good, say "Thank you." And when words don’t come, laugh, or cry."Who knows?" the King of Nineveh states, and we need to embrace his way of thinking.For too long we have been a church that has rested in our own stability. Now is the time for us to make the radical jump into God’s arms.We need to be like the disciples who are willing to follow when Jesus walks past and says "come with me.".We need to be like Philip: willing to go and get our friends sitting under their fig trees.We need to be like the thief on the cross: admitting our own sin and claiming Jesus as Lord.And by fellowshipping together, by embracing the Word, by living a life of prayer, we can reclaim the message we have been called by God to give: that we are family and friends in Christ, sharing God’s abundant grace and love.And who knows? Perhaps the volleyball will stay up in the air. Perhaps we can create a new movement that motivates others and brings about change.Because its not about us, it is about the grace of God that God has to offers to everyone.We are not doing this alone: we are doing it with, for and by Christ, guided by the Spirit, listening to God. And it will be through God that we will succeed and stay open or we will close down.But let us not forget who our God is. Our God is the one who parted the Red Sea waters when the Israelites were facing certain death.Our God brought new life into Elizabeth and Sarah when they were too old to bear children.Our Lord fed 5,000 with some bread and fish.And our God saved the Ninevites from certain doom all because they were willing to say "who knows?"Who knows indeed.We have the tools, we have the gifts, the worst we can do is try.Let us embrace the reality of the next 38 weeks as an opportunity to cry out to God, to reclaim just who we have been called to be, and trust that God will do what God will do.Let us embrace the next 38 weeks as a chance to grow and to better know the God who calls us, the Christ who abundantly loves us so and the Spirit that empowers us to keep the volleyballs of life up and in the air.Amen.

Sermon for Jan 18, 2009

Jan 18, 2009Scripture: Psalm 139: 1-18Sermon Title: "The Inescapable God"Rev. George N. Miller

Once there was a female pastor who was asked to come and to pray with a man’s mother. The woman was lying in bed with her head propped up on 2 pillows. An empty chair sat beside her."I guess you were expecting me," the pastor said. "No," responded the mother, in a frail voice, "Who are you?"The pastor introduced herself and said "I saw the empty chair and figured you knew I was coming.""Oh yes, the chair," said the old woman, with a smile. "Would you mind closing the door?"The mother began her story. "I’ve never told anyone this, not even my son. But all my life I never knew how to pray. I’ve heard pastors talk about it, but it went right over my head, so I abandoned any attempt at it."The old woman coughed and continued, "Then one day a friend said to me ‘Prayer is just a simple matter of having a talk with Jesus. Here’s what ya do: place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith, see Jesus on the chair. Then just speak to Jesus in the same way we are doing right now.’"So I tried it, and I’ve liked it so much that I do it every the day. I’m careful though, I don’t want my son to see me and think I’m crazy."The pastor was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old lady to continue her journey. She prayed with her, anointed her with oil and returned to church.Two days later the son called to say his mother had died that. "Did she die in peace?" the pastor asked."Yes," said the son, "When I left the house for the store Mom told me she loved me and kissed me on the cheeks. When I got back, I found her. But there was something strange about her death: Apparently, just before Mom died, she leaned over and rested her head on the chair beside the bed. What do you make of that?"The pastor wiped a tear from her eye and said "I wish we could all go like that."...This is a story which works on many different levels. On the surface, it’s about prayer, on another level it is about presence.Presence is an important part of ministry. Perhaps more so then administration, more then preaching, ministry is about the ability to be present to another person.Being present says "I love you," being present says "You matter and are a person of worth."Unfortunately, there are far too may people in our world who are alone or feel alone, and sometimes they take drastic steps to make that aloneness real.What we’ve heard today is a Scripture challenging the notion that anyone is ever truly alone.Psalm 139 is called a song of "most personal expression." It portrays human experience in all its dimensions, stating that no matter what or where, God is present in our lives, and knows us.This Psalmist asks God "Where can I go from your spirit?...If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, even then your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast."This is a song about knowledge, that the God who made us wonderfully, who knew us even when we were yet unformed, continues to know us at all times, no matter where we are.For some people, this Psalm is comforting. To know that God will always be there for them: just pull up a chair and begin a conversation!For some, this song can be a bit scary. For those, such as myself, who have been stalked, or have been abused, there can be something ominous about this image of someone who sees you when you’re sleeping and knows when you’re awake.But I believe that this is not a Psalm of fear, but of comfort, because God is not looking to hurt or abuse us, but to know and love us, to be present in a way no one else can be.I believe this Psalm is God’s way of saying "No matter who you are, no matter where you are on life’s journey, I am right there with you."For further clarity, let’s look at the story of Jesus and Nathanael in the Gospel of John 1:43 -49. I invite you to turn to your Bibles and read along.[Read the Scripture]This is a call narrative, beginning with Jesus on the town, where he meets Philip who recognizes Jesus as the one the prophets had talked about.Full of excitement he goes to find Nathanael. But where is he? Is he hanging with the guys? Is he smooching with a squeeze? No, instead, Nathanael is a under a fig tree, where we can assume he is alone.When hearing the news about finding the One, Nathanael is non-plussed, simply replying: "Can anything good come out of such a hick town?"When Nathanael sets eyes on Jesus and is greeted with a compliment, the only thing he can say is "You don’t know me."To which Jesus responds with a poetic line of knowledge and presence, "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you."..."I saw you under the fig tree..."Let’s meditate on that thought for a moment. I think this is a profound statement for us to hear today, at a time in which we are wrestling with worries about snow, economics, and our futures.When Philip met Jesus he was out with his friends. But Nathanael was under a fig tree, alone.What’s up with Nathanael? Why wasn’t he out with the guys? Or with a significant other?Perhaps Nathanael was a busy man taking a much needed break, but I don’t sense that. His words have an air of cynicism that can only come from loneliness and disappointment.His words strike me as someone guarded and wounded who has found it easier to be in his own company then to be in the company of others.Or perhaps, like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, he was someone who was never invited to play in other peoples games."How did you get to know me?" he asks, and Jesus states, in what I believe would be a loving voice: "I saw you under the fig tree."Think about that statement, think about that image.Doesn’t it sound like one of profound sadness and loneliness, where one is alone, feeling left out?Have you ever had a fig tree moment? A time in your life when you felt abandoned or forsaken? I certainly have. It was June of 1982.I was graduating from 6th grade. People were having and going to parties. The only party I was invited to was for a girl named Ingrid, a chunky girl with glasses who wore fancy barretts.One Saturday I was playing ball with Scott and Matt. After a while, Scott abruptly said, "Well, I gotta go: I’m having a party this afternoon, and its going to be a great one. We’re having ice cream and watermelon and everyone’s coming."That was the first time I had heard of the party. Matt was invited. So was our neighbor Dawn. But I wasn’t. So that afternoon I spent alone, while everyone else I knew was in Scott’s backyard, having a great time.I was under a fig tree, and as if that wasn’t enough, I added insult to the injury by walking past his house. Sure enough, I could smell BBQ, the pool was full of kids, jumping in and climbing out, and I was alone, standing on the street.That moment will always stay with me, and has shaped me in more ways then I can imagine.Because of that moment I get a thrill when invited somewhere because it means I’m worthy enough to be invited. And I feel hurt when someone has a party and I didn’t make the list.I wonder how different things may have been if I knew about Psalm 139? I wonder if that would have provided me with a different set of eyes.That was my fig tree moment. When was yours?When did you feel all alone in the world? When did you feel that no one cared if you were alive? Was there a time in which you felt like you’d be better off dead?We all have. Those feelings are natural, and they are real. The Bible is full of stories of people who have their own fig tree moment.Hagar who runs away into the wilderness. Jacob who has only a rock to rest his head. Gideon as he cleans a wine press. Mary Magdalene who comes to the garden alone. Nathanael, as he sits under the fig tree wondering what for.But they were not alone, where they? For Hagar is met by God who promises to care for her and her offspring. Jacob has a dream of angels and God pledges to be with him wherever he goes.The Lord calls Gideon to be a mighty warrior. Mary hears the voice of her resurrected savior.And Nathanael meets the Messiah, who lets him know just who he is. Continue reading, and hear how Nathanael makes an excited proclamation, and shortly afterward, the disciples attend a wedding in which Jesus performs his first miracle.Psalm 139 makes the claim that no matter what, no matter where, we are not alone; God is present with us.John 1 illustrates that statement for us, taking us under a fig tree where a disallusioned man sits, unaware that the Son of God was present and seeing him as well.This is a testimony indeed. A celebration that no matter what, we are not alone.In these two scriptures God speaks to us saying, "You may go through so much pain. People will disappoint you, economics will go belly up, and at times you’ll have to fight to stay alive. But you are not alone. I am with you.""I know your hurts, I know you pains. I have seen every single fig tree you have ever had to sit under, and I was with you.""I saw you when you sat in the front of the bus and refused to move because you were so tired.""I saw you when you lost everything you had and was sleeping under the 196 underpass.""I saw you when you had the miscarriage that no one else knows about or wants to talk about.""I saw you the day you went to the doctor and the prognosis was not good.""I saw you the moment you came home from the funeral and realized you were officially now a widow or widower.""I saw you all those days when you could not get out of bed because the pain was so great.""I saw you on the day you were born, and when it is your time to die, I will be there to greet you into my kingdom, where pain, and hunger, and sorrow and sadness will be no more."All those moments of sitting under the fig tree, feeling alone, wondering what for and how so, God was there, present, even when you did not realize it.And God has been working on ways to get you up and out from under that tree.There will be times in our lives in which we will be, and we will feel alone. Perhaps we can be like the Mother in the beginning of the sermon, able to locate Jesus by pulling up a chair and inviting him to sit and talk for awhile.Perhaps we can remember the words of Psalm 139 to remind ourselves there ain’t no mountain high enough, ain’t no river wide enough, ain’t no valley low enough to keep us away from God.We can recall Jesus’ words to Nathanael and know that when we have a fig tree moment, God through Christ is right there, seeing us, knowing us.In Jesus, we are completely known. And through Jesus we are invited to rejoin the human world, taking part in fellowship, sharing both the good times and the bad with those around him.All thanks and praise be to God who has searched us and known us, to the Spirit that will never leave us and for Jesus who knows us by name.Amen.