Serving Communion in the Dark

I was glad on Sunday morning when I realized that the rain had not started yet.

Sometime on Saturday afternoon, I started getting news reports about severe weather.  It was first scheduled to arrive in the middle of the night, then sometime early Sunday morning.  But when I got up on Sunday, the rain had not arrived yet.

I was pleasantly surprised.  It was going to be an important Sunday in church, not just the 5th Sunday in Lent.  We had important things to do.  Afterwards, we had scheduled a meeting of parents and youth planning activities for the coming year.  We have never had enough children and youth to plan activities before, and I did not want our planning meeting to be rained on.

I also had scheduled a home communion visit in the afternoon with a homebound couple from the church.

We made it through worship without any rain.  I won't lie:  it was a gloomy, threatening morning, but it didn't rain and we even made it through our youth planning meeting.  When I went back home it had just started to sprinkle.

I called the shut-ins and said I would be over after lunch, but that I would be keeping an eye on the weather.  They said they understood and would see me later.

It wasn't long after we finished eating that the wind came up, and the thunder started.  On my phone I saw that there was a tornado warning in the area.  Then, just a few minutes later, we heard a sound I had never heard before.  I thought perhaps sirens were going off, but it wasn't exactly like that, either.

It was over soon after that.

I called my shut ins.  I couldn't get through.  My husband said, you will just have to go over.  So I did.

When I got there I discovered that their power was out.  They were sitting in the dark, eating hamburgers that one of their daughters had brought them.  Even the stoplights were out on the neighboring streets.

It was still daylight outside, but inside the house it was more like twilight.  We visited for awhile about natural disasters:  tornadoes and earthquakes and hurricanes and blizzards -- all of the normal things.  Their daughter fretted about what would happen if the power did not come on, and said she would be back to check on them later, to make sure they got to the bedroom all right.   They kept re-assuring her that they would be all right.

Finally, I opened up my communion kit.  It was getting darker, and I wasn't sure how well I would be able to read the prayer book.  But just as I was pouring the wine, the husband got out the biggest flashlight I have ever seen and flashed it right at me.  I felt a little like I was in the spotlight.

I tried to hold the book under the light and read the words while he held the light in his hand.  I opened the Bible and read the gospel reading:  about Mary and the anointing oil she poured over Jesus' feet -- and we wondered together about that scandalous generosity.  I felt the light on the book as I tried to read the pages, and the light warm on my face, making me blink.  The light exposed some things and hid other things.

And when I got to the words of institution and I held up the wafer and the small cup to the light, somehow I felt like a player on a stage -- the darkness all around -- this moment in time, this act, illuminated.

The body of Christ given for you.  The blood of Christ shed for you.  In the darkness.

I watch the news and despair sometimes.  Of disasters natural and unnatural, preaching a gospel of chaos.  These are dark times, when it seems like we cannot see each other's faces, and know that we are made in the image of God.

And then the spotlight comes on in the darkness, as the oil is poured out on Jesus' feet.  The spotlight hits my face, and I realize that God is calling me to lift the cup, to break the bread, to say the words by which God reconciles the world.

The body of Christ given for you.  The blood of Christ shed for you -- and for all people.  In the darkness.

Sermon for Pentecost 15: Shining in the Gift of Forgiveness

Matthew 18:21-35

            May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer.

            Just the other day, I was doing some over-due straightening in my office and I came across an old notebook, from before my time. 

            It was the two words on the cover that got me:  “Experience Grace”, they read.

            I didn’t know what was inside the large notebook, but those two words got me thinking – that’s the point, isn’t it? 

            It is to experience Grace, ourselves, and for others to experience Grace through us. 

            Where, When, in whom do you “experience Grace”?

            I’m thinking about these two words today in part because of the parable before us, the parable which we often call “The unforgiving Servant.”   

            And to me, reading the parable, it’s pretty clear that this servant did NOT experience Grace.

             Or at least that’s what it seems like.  This story is troubling in so many ways. 

            The behavior of the servant is shocking and cruel, especially after his master forgives him so much.    

            And it might not be clear from our translation just how much the servant is forgiven.  What did we just hear?   

            The servant owed the master 10,000 talents.  That seems like a large amount of money – but do you know how much one talent is worth? 

            One talent is about 15 year’s worth of wages for a common laborer.  Think about that.

            And what the slave initially says to the master is, “be patient with me, and I will pay everything back.” 

            And, let’s be honest here, there’s no hope that he will be able to do that.  Unless he wins the lottery, which they didn’t have at Jesus’ time. 

            So he asks for patience, and he gets something much more – his master forgives him the whole enormous debt. 

            He gets grace. 

            But it seems like he doesn’t really “get it”.

            Because after receiving this incredible news, this unbelievable blessing, that his whole unpayable debt is gone and he is free – he goes out and shakes down the first servant who owes him one hundred denarius (and one denarius was about a day’s wage

             He even has the other servant thrown in prison. 

            It’s impossible to know what was going through this servant’s mind. 

            Could he still be trying to pay back that impossible debt, even though it’s gone?

             Or could he be thinking that now that he’s free and clear, now is the time for him to get a little ahead.  Or something else entirely?

             This servant has been given Grace --  which is extravagant forgiveness – but he somehow doesn’t get it.

            Where – or when  -- or how have you experienced Grace?

            I think that this story is also troubling because what the servant should do in this case is so obvious – it’s so clear – that it doesn’t seem possible that anyone would react this way. 

            How could anyone be forgiven millions of dollars in debt – and not be transformed by this experience? 

            Of course, you receive forgiveness, and you pass that forgiveness along.

            But in truth, we know, that this parable is a story.  It tells us the truth, but we also know that forgiveness is not always so easy or obvious, that some offenses are not just a hundred denarius.    

            I will always remember one Sunday morning in my first congregation. 

           

            I remember that the gospel reading was on Forgiveness – and I had, sometime during the week, decided that I was going to preach on one of the other lessons, because (for some reason) I didn’t want to preach on forgiveness. 

            I don’t even remember why I thought that. 

            And there I was, with my fine sermon in front of me, and I got up in the pulpit and in front of me sat a mom whose young son had been beaten up for $2.00. 

            Two bucks he had to buy treats for the 4^th of July. 

            His leg had been broken in 3 places and he had to spend the rest of the summer in a cast.  And the other boys – there were 2 or three – none of them had called to even say “I’m sorry.” 

            All of this happened in rural South Dakota.   Should she forgive them?  What would you do? 

            So forgiveness is not so easy to practice.  Is it?  It’s complicated and messy, and even though we know we have been forgiven, it is not automatic.

            But this parable does tell us some truths about forgiveness.  And the first truth this parable tells us is that forgiveness is a gift.  And that the gift of forgiveness  -- of grace – from God is a gift almost unfathomable in its depth and breadth and height ….

             Wait – not “almost”  according to the parable,

            it’s like being forgiven millions of dollars, it’s a gap that can never ever be closed. 

            Do we even think this way? 

            That there is a uncloseable gap between God and us – and that Jesus has closed it by his death and resurrection.  And there’s no way we can pay it back. 

            Don’t even try.   Don’t even try.

            There’s no way we can pay it back.  But you know what – we can pay it forward.   Forgiven people – forgive people.

             Loved people – serve people.

             That’s another truth of the parable – that the King who forgives the slave – expects that slave to pay it forward – expects the slave who has experienced grace – to help other people to experience it too.

            When, where, in whom have you experienced -- Grace? 

            A number of years ago I was visiting at the hospital. 

            Somehow I had gotten my car into a small space, and when I tried to leave the parking ramp, the space was even smaller than I remembered.

             So I was having some difficulty trying to get out.  And as I was moving inch by inch I happened to bump another car.  While I had my head on the steering wheel in despair, I saw that the driver was in that car. 

            He actually helped me get out of the jam, and afterwards we exchanged numbers and I said that I would pay for any damage to his car. 

            But after a couple of weeks, I realized that he never called me.  “I think he forgave you,” was one opinion.

            When where, in whom have you experienced – Grace?

            Have you received a smile in return for a harsh word, an unexpected gift, a hand up when you were down?  Have you seen something beautiful in the darkness? 

            Have you been welcomed when you never thought you would be?  Have you been forgiven when you did not deserve it?   

            Have you come to the table and had the bread of life put into your hands, your open hands, and heard the words, “The body of Christ is given for YOU?” 

            When, where, in whom – have you experienced Grace?

            Because Forgiveness is a gift that we have been given – but like every other gift from heaven – it is a gift meant to be shared. 

           

            And again, this is stewardship –stewardship of forgiveness – (because it was never ours to begin with) -- to take that grace we have experienced and to pass it along – to the weary and the hard-hearted, to the down and out and the up and coming, to the young and the old, to everyone who needs it.  70 X 7….

            It is not easy – O brothers and sisters – it is not easy – it’s not any easier than loosening our grip on our pocketbook –and we will fail a lot just like we fail at everything else that we practice. 

            But God picks us up and keeps pouring that Grace into our hearts, every single day.  

            So that the world – so that our neighbors – so that we – may experience Grace.

            AMEN

           

           

           

           

           

Sermon for Pentecost 14: Let Your Light Shine

            “YOU are the light of the world.  A city build on a hill cannot be hid.  No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light so shine before others, so that they may see your good works, and give glory to your father in heaven.”

            Dear friends in Christ, dear people of Grace, grace to you and peace…

            Long ago, many of us were expected to learn Bible verses by heart.  Sometines by Sunday School teachers and sometimes with gold stars attached. 

            That practice has perhaps fallen by the wayside, but sometimes I still think it’s a good idea.  And there’s one verse I would like us all to know this fall, so let’s say it now—a little at a time:

            Let your light so shine before others

            That they may see your good works

            And give glory to your father in heaven.

            This verse was given to each of us at our baptism – whether we were three weeks old or 80 when we were baptized – we were given a light – a candle – and a mission, and it was this –

             Let your light so shine before others/ that they may see your good works/ and give glory to your father in heaven. 

            And this fall we are going to hold this verse up to the light and look at all of its facets, and look at all of the ways that God calls us to shine.

            So  -- today the first thing I want to do is show you something.        This is big – and it was expensive.  And it was on the list.     Everyone told us that you had to have one of these in order to be prepared.  Water.  Food.  Flashlights.  Candles and matches. 

            So we went out looking for all the things on the list and we ended up with this pretty big, and pretty impressive flashlight. 

            And then you know what – we couldn’t find any D batteries ANYWHERE. 

            As far as I could tell there were no D batteries anywhere in Conroe or Montgomery. 

            We have batteries NOW – but – too late.

             It doesn’t do any good to have an impressive flashlight if it doesn’t work – right?  The flashlight is not as important as the light it brings.

            It made me think more about that verse, our theme verse.  And what it means.

            Let your light so shine before others

            That they may see your good works

            And give glory to your father in heaven.

            I’m thinking about why the flashlight was on the list of things to have in our “hurricane kit” and of course that is in case it’s dark, and the electricity goes out, and we need to see. 

            That’s what it’s for FIRST. 

            The first thing we do is make sure we are okay, or at least as okay as we can be. 

            But the light doesn’t end there, does it? 

            One thing I’ve learned about since I’ve come here is that the our synod encourages us to be “72 hour Lutherans”, which is to say we should have supplies to last for at least 72 hours in case of a storm.

             But the next thing that I noticed is that the provision is not jUSt for us. 

            If we are prepared for ourselves, then we are prepared to help others.  And that’s what I heard that people from Grace were doing right after the storm. 

            They were out there helping their neighbors when the water started coming into their houses.

             They helped neighbors move furniture.  They were letting friends stay with them.  They were volunteering their time. 

            They were helping evacuate their neighbors.  They had their lights – not just for their own safety – but for others.

            Let your light so shine before others

            That they may see your good works

            And give glory to your father in heaven.

            The next thing I notice is this:  Jesus says, Let YOUR light shine before others, and you know what, He doesn’t just mean your individual “Little light.”

             IT’s hard to notice in English, (Unless you say ‘all y’all), but when Jesus says YOU are the light of the world, he is really saying YOU all are the light of the world.

             He’s not just saying “Jennifer is the light of the world” individual by herself, or “Darryl is the light of the world” or that “Jaxson” or “Ava” or Connor

            – is the light of the world – although our individual actions matter – but that Grace is the light of the world – that together we are the light of the world. 

             We actually CAN’T do it ourselves. 

            We need each other – like that small lovely verse in Matthew 18:  “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in the midst of you.” 

            Where two or three or forty or one hundred are gathered – YOU ALL are the light of the world.

             We need each other.     

            We need each other for the encouragement we give, and we need each other for the gifts we share, and we need each other just because that’s the way God planned it. 

            YOU ALL are the light of the world. 

            And:  Let your light shine before others

            That they may see your good works

            And give glory to your father in heaven.

            Jesus doesn’t say “You should be” – he says “You are.” 

            He says that ‘You all are” because “I am.”  

            It is his light that is our light.

            So, I have a confession to make. 

            This is a stewardship sermon, and there was a point where I was going to say that our resources – the resources that we give – are like the batteries – and that the light can’t shine without them.

              But that’s not true. 

            It’s true that the resources that we give – our finances, our talents, our time – are all important and necessary – but they aren’t the battieries.

             And they aren’t the matches. 

            The batteries and the matches and the light – that’s the power of the Holy Spirit – that’s the love of Jesus. 

            That’s the grace of God.

             Maybe the resources are sort of lke the flashlight that we put the batteries into – or like the candle that the matches light – or like the mirror – but the image – the image is the image of God. 

            And that’s a gift, and that’s a promise. 

            You are the light of the world.  You were made in the image of God.  How do you – you all – reflect God?  How are we going to reflect God – here at Grace?

            This is a stewardship sermon, which means that it’s about how we will use all of the resources God has entrusted to us – to serve God – to reflect God.

             It’s about how Grace will gather in Grace, will grow in Grace and will Go in Grace in the next year.   

            It’s about how we will reflect the light, which is a gift in the first place, and how we will recognize all of the gifts around us – the wisdom of the elder, the wonder of the child,

             the gifts of our strengths and our weaknesses, our wealth and our poverty. 

            Let your light so shine before others

            That they may see your good works

            And give glory to your Father in heaven.

            We saw – in the midst of so much devastation in the past two weeks – we saw that light too – didn’t we? 

            We saw people pulling together.

             We saw people giving their time, their skills and yes, even their reosurces because they knew – even if just for a moment – that we belong to each other.

            Even more – we belong to God.  It is the light of Jesus’ death and resurrection that shines this truth.  We belong to God because Jesus died for each and every precious one of us. 

            How do you reflect God?

            Let your light so shine before others

            That they may see your good works

            And give glory to your Father in heaven.

            You ARE the light of the world.

            YOU are.  YOU ALL are.

            Oh, what love he can shine in us…

            AMEN

           

Sermon for Pentecost: "Whose Spirit Is it Anyway?"

Acts 2:1-21; Numbers 11:24-30

“Whose Spirit is it, anyway?”  2017

           

            I don’t know if you have noticed much, but we have been lighting a particular candle every week since Easter

            We have been lighting this beautiful, large candle, the one right here in front of the altar, every week. 

            But today is the last Sunday we will light it for a long time.

            There is something sort of sad about this for me. 

            I love light, and candles, and fire (as long as it’s safe). 

            I love a good campfire, when we are sitting around in the dark sharing stories, singing songs, whispering prayers. 

            And what does it mean, anyway? 

            What does it mean that we light this candle, and that after today we won’t light it any more?

            It has something to do with Jesus’ resurrection – but Jesus is still risen, so why would we not just go on and light this candle every single week? 

            That wouldn’t be a bad idea, would it? 

            We would light the candle and remember what we said on Easter, that “Christ is risen” and we would all answer, “He is risen indeed.”

            But we don’t do that.

            And to find out why we have to go back.. we have to go way back… we have to go REALLY far back to the book of Numbers in the Old Testament,

            to the story about Moses and the 70 elders that we read this morning.

             This story takes place while the people of Israel are wandering in the wilderness.

             They are wandering in the wilderness, and it’s going to take them awhile to get to the promised land.

             They are wandering and they are hungry and they are complaining to God. 

            Even Moses is complaining, because he’s feeling the weight of being the leader of all of these people, and there’s only one of him. 

            So God is hearing all of this grumbling and complaining, and he gives the people food – manna and quail, to be specific – and he also finds some leaders who will share Moses’ spirit – 70 of them to be exact.         So Moses would not have to do everything all by himself. 

            There were others. 

            And God put some of the Spirit on them, and they prophesied.  But Just once.

            But there’s this odd thing that happens. 

            There are 70 people who are in the authorized place, who prophesy. 

            But there are these two, Eldad and Medad, who are not where they are supposed to be, and they prophesy too.   (light a couple more candles). 

            And it seems that there is some anxiety about this.  Somehow the rules are not being followed.

             Someone is getting some Spirit who shouldn’t be getting the Spirit. 

            And we should stop this from happening! 

            But Moses actually is not bothered about this at all, and says instead that he wishes that ALL of God’s people would be prophets.

            Prophets.  What does it mean? 

            Moses wishes all of God’s people would be prophets. 

            I’ll bet you never thought of that as a name for yourself. 

            Child of God.  Yes.  Image of God.  I hope so.

             Sheep of the shepherd, Living stone?  But prophet? 

            What does it mean? 

            It does have something to do with this light right here. 

            And it has something to do with spirit.  Light and spirit. 

            They go together. 

            And God wishes that all of God’s people would be prophets. 

            Has wished it for a long time.

             Ever since the wilderness, when the Spirit spilled out – just for a little it – on Eldad and Medad. 

            To be a prophet.  We still think it has something to do with foretelling the future sometimes, having a crystal ball, when it has more to do with speaking God’s truth. 

            Dreaming God’s dreams.  Seeing God’s visions.  Carrying God’s light.

            Yes.  (light a couple of candles).

            Being able to having enough light to see the love of God, and share it… To carry the spirit of God, the spirit that raised Jesus from the dead – and in some way or another – to share it. 

            To bring light where there is darkness.  Light where there is death.  Hope where there is despair.

             That’s what it means to be a prophet.

            So.  This brings us to today. 

            Pentecost Sunday.

            On that day the disciples were all together in a room.  They were waiting. 

            On that day there were people gathered in Jerusalem, because it was  a Jewish festival 50 days after Passover. 

            So they were already gathered for one purpose. 

            But while the people were gathered, and while the apostles were waiting, the wind blew so hard everyone could hear it and the tongues of fire danced so brightly that they could see it, and there was light and there was noise, and the apostles were ALL like Medad and Eldad –

            It wasn’t just one person testifying – they were all testifying.

            There wasn’t just one person who held all of the spirit. 

            There were all of these people sharing the spirit. 

            And there wasn’t just one person who was bearing the light.  They were all bearing the light  All of them.

            That’s what Pentecost was.

            The dreams and visions of God, now a part of the disciples.

            The light of God.  Now a part of the didsciples.

            The spirit of God – the spirit that raised Jesus from the dead – now a part of the disciples.

            (I shared the story of the two men in Portland who stood up for the teenage girls who were threatened, and the last words of one who said, “Tell everyone on this train that I love them.”  I said this was his one prophecy.)

            So after today, the light of this candle will be extinguished.  We won’t be lighting it any more.  You can come back here and unless there is a baptism – the candle won’t be lit.  And if you have ever wondered why

            Here’s why that it

            Because the light is in you now.  

            The Spirit is in you.

            It is you who go out into the world, to be light and hope and love to people who so much need to know, need to feel, need to see it.

            It is you who feed the hungry, it is you who lay hands on the sick, it is you who tell about God’s mighty acts, not only in the Bible but in your life.

            But here’s the thing:  remember that the light you bear – starts here.

            Not in this sanctuary, exactly, but in this gathering, among this people, and with the one who died and rose.

            We gather in grace, grow in Grace – and Go in Grace – and it is God’s grace that fills us.

            It is not your life, not your power, not your spirit, but the Spirit of God lives in you.

            Your small candle is a part of this large candle, and even though we can’t see it – the light still shines.

            AMEN