Humility and Confidence: Sermon on Luke 7:1-10

My Sermon for the Second Sunday after Pentecost

Gospel: Luke 7:1-10

Grace and Peace to you from God our Creator, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ, Amen

Humility is something Minnesotans are usually known for. And we’re proud of it. Think about that for a second there. We’re proud of our humility. We even have a word for it we’re so proud. It’s called being, “Minnesota-nice”. Here in Minnesota, and the upper Midwest in general, we get angry at someone’s boasting. They’re not being humble enough.

Between humility and confidence… we have to find the right balance, or we throw people off. I was definitely put off by the lack of humility found in California when I lived out there. Uffda. Everybody’s somebody out there, and they’ll let you know about it too. No thank you.

Some folks from outside of Minnesota, think of this concept of the Minnesota humility… fake.
And so, a humble Roman centurion who commands armies and owns a slave, humbles himself and asks for the help of Jesus to heal his slave. Knowing the power that both men possess. Jesus, who humbled himself in the form of a slave, healed a slave.

I think, that right there, is where the true humility comes in. I’ve referenced it in a couple other sermons, and I’m going to again, but Paul’s Hymn to Christ in Philippians really cements this idea of Jesus’ humility. Between healing the slave, lepers, and everyone else - feeding the hungry with tiny scraps of food, causing the blind to see and the deaf to hear… Jesus got down in the muck, the darkness of life’s realities, and lived out the promise of the Messiah with the fringes of society.

Jesus displayed the ultimate acts of humility by being as powerful as he was, for fruitful endeavors. Even when wandering through the desert for 40 days and nights, Jesus was tempted to use his powers for other reasons, but humbled himself to use them for other people. Above selfish gain.

The Messiah, who was expected to be a war hero, a powerful leader to rid the people of Roman oppression, humbles himself in the request of a Roman leader, and heals the leader’s slave.

So, beyond humility, this story is also about healing. How Jesus healed the undeserved. Healed the sick, fed the hungry, advocated for the poor. The need for healing in this world is a constant one, and there are professionals that help in this task. Sometimes healing comes in different forms, where health looks different than what we would originally assume. Heaing is tricky that way. When you stub your toe, nothing really needs to be healed, hopefully… the pain will dissipate slowly. If you skin your knee, a bandage covering the wound will allow your own body to heal the wound in a few days. Break a leg, the medical professionals will set the pieces back together and wrap a cast around it, and again, your body will heal itself with the assistance of the cast around your leg. Healing, while aided by medical professionals, is mostly done by our own bodies. But when the injury is major - a heart attack, stroke, major burns and large wounds… Or when it’s a disease like cancer or AIDS… When healing… takes on a different form. Or even mental health, when healing includes treatment plans and counseling and therapy and… health and healing is a complicated ordeal.

Jesus healed folks. Cured folks. Walked with them, lived among them, and ate meals with them.
What if healing is more than just cut and dry, but something intangible? What if we are humbled by the wonder and complicated nature of healing?  For some, healing may indeed be cut and dry, as simple as putting a bandage on a wound. For others, healing may involve years and years of rest, therapy, and knowing that whatever ails you, will be with you for the rest of your life? Healing for some, isn’t a cessation of ailment, but a living with, dealing with, and acknowledging it’s gonna be there. Healing is knowing that the stuff you suffer from, will be there… but there’s nothing you can do about it, and rather than dwelling on it, you live the rest of your life to the fullest. For some, that’s the healthy thing to do.

And then again, there are some that when things turn for the worst, the end itself… is a healing notion. That after a long hard battle with cancer or other terminal illness… the ending of pain that only the end can bring… That only the warm embrace of our loving Lord can offer… Then healing looks a little different. To stand in a room with people that all know that there is nothing else to do but wait for the Lord… now that’s a humbling experience.

It was my first day of my chaplaincy at Unity Hospital in Fridley… and a man was dying of pancreatic cancer, and I was called in to offer a word of prayer, to ask God to welcome him home. He had a full life right up until the end, and learning very quickly the seriousness of what caregivers are called to do… I was called in to offer to pray for his journey home, and pray I did, and the whole time, this man was looking at me, but I think, he was really looking through me. The words I said, didn’t really matter. This man was about to die, and he probably couldn’t hear me or understand me. It was a humbling, holy moment - one I’ll never forget.

All the doctors in all the world all put off the inevitable. Human beings are the only creatures on the planet that are aware of their own mortality. In all of the medical and scientific breakthroughs, we’ve certainly extended life spans, but the end result is always the same.

And yet… we as Christians know that death is not the end. We know that there was a man who humbled himself in the form of a slave, healed slaves, fed the hungry, and walked, talked, preached, and lived among the people… and then died on a hill, to save us all from ourselves. Jesus the Christ died and rose again to save us all from our broken humanity, from death’s sting, through the unwinnable, unshakable Grace of God. For it is this Grace, Love and Mercy that we all freely receive, and are freely bestowed… so that we may go out into the world and freely bestow the same Grace, Love and Mercy to all we see. For while we will all be called home one day; we have a calling in this place to serve God’s creation. So that all may live with the peace and overflowing love we have in Christ.

I said earlier that there is a fine line between humility and confidence. We as Christians have confidence in Christ’s death and resurrection and the salvation of all. We have the confidence to live out that good news, that Gospel. We have the confidence that we are called by God to live out our service to God and God’s creation… and yet… we also have the humility to know that all of this isn’t up to us. We know that all of our good works, all of our preaching, teaching, loving, serving, living, dying… is through the grace, the love, and the mercy of God. We have to keep in mind this balance of humility and confidence. Too much humility, and we keep the bible on the shelves, live out our days not talking to anyone, not helping anyone in the name of Christ… Too much confidence, and we think we can do all of this ourselves. That the work we do has been preordained by God and we can go conquer the world in the name of Christ.

There is a balance there, and we have to hold on to it. Knowing that humility is what keeps us grounded, and confidence is what gives us strength and lets us go places.

And now, here we are. Tomorrow is Memorial Day. A day when the nation remembers the fallen members of the military, for their humble sacrifice to their country. A time when the people of this nation mourn their beloved service members, and hope for a day when they all come home. Not only is tomorrow a time to remember their humble service, but a time for the nation to heal from past wars. Friday was the first time a sitting President of the United States visited Hiroshima, one of the cities where atomic bombs were dropped over 70 years ago.

Healing comes in many forms, including that of bonds between once-warring countries. The feelings of loss we feel from a loved one’s passing are feelings that can be healed, in time. With God as our immortal comforter and healer, we humble ourselves, knowing that God is in control. God’s got this.

Amen

Identity in Trinity: Sermon on John 16:12-15

My Sermon for Trinity Sunday.

Gospel: John 16:12-15

Grace and Peace to you from God our Creator and from our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ, Amen

Three in one. One in three. It’s impossible to figure it out. Seriously. God is beyond all of our comprehension, so how God is three forms but one form, all for one and one for all… God makes no sense, but complete sense. God is beyond sense. God is beyond definition. God is beyond all concepts of figuring out who God is. But we know who God is, and how God interacts with God’s world. We can see God interacting with us, in us and through us. God has interacted with humanity on a personal level, in the form of Jesus Christ, God Incarnate. God continues to be with us, in and through us, through the work of the Holy Spirit, some of which Pastor Jim explored last week.

So, God is Creator. God is Jesus. God is Holy Spirit. God is all these identities, and more… God is described as many identities in the bible, and not one encompasses all that God is, including the identity of father. God cannot be contained to an identity such as father, nor mother, brother, sister, friend, creator, life-giver, savior, sustainer, lord, spirit, wind, breath, messiah, or any one descriptor. God is all of that, none of that, and some of those in different ways at different times. God is indescribable to a fault, that our mode of understanding the un-understandable is faulty. We try to put into words that which describes God’s actions in the world, and all fall short of the totality of God.

Occasionally, I’ve made reference to my rabbi friend in other conversations, but the man I took undergraduate religious studies classes from - is a retired rabbi. I call him my rabbi, because rabbi means teacher, and he’s taught me a great many things over the years, even beyond the classroom. When he was in rabbinical school, he had a special Hebrew bible called a Biblia Hebraica, or a Kittel - named after the editor of the text. On every other page, there was a blank page designed to be there to take notes. So, every other page has handwritten notes, that my rabbi wrote in pencil, 50 years ago. On these pages, he would write God, but instead of writing G O D, he wrote G - D… You see, for some, the name of God is ineffable - you can’t even name God, God - so, God is so indescribable to some folks, they can’t even say God. To this day, my rabbi refers to God in some other manner, like ‘Holy One’ or some other way.

So, God is indescribable, undefinable, and un-understandable. The story of creation in Genesis 2 tells the tale of when humans decided they wanted to think like God, so taking a bite of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil… That was too much.

Describing God as a Holy Trinity is a way of describing the indescribable, and yet… like I was getting at a couple weeks ago, using words to describe God helps, but does not encompass all that is God.

Much like using words to describe ourselves, does not describe all that we are. We are more than Minnesotan, American, or lake-dwellers. While we pick words to describe ourselves, to better ascribe professions, states of being, interests, or identities… We are more than these words, for we are all people. God is more than all the words we use to describe God, because God is God, and cannot be held to any standard of what we envision that word to be.

To break this down a little more, I’m going to share with you some paragraphs from the Athanasian Creed. The whole creed is very long, so I’ll share with you what I share with the confirmation students when explaining the Holy Trinity.

 “And the catholic faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the Persons; nor dividing the Essence. For there is one Person of the Father; another of the Son; and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one; the Glory equal, the Majesty coeternal. Such as the Father is; such is the Son; and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreated; the Son uncreated; and the Holy Ghost uncreated. The Father unlimited; the Son unlimited; and the Holy Ghost unlimited. The Father eternal; the Son eternal; and the Holy Ghost eternal. And yet they are not three eternals; but one eternal. As also there are not three uncreated; nor three infinites, but one uncreated; and one infinite. So likewise the Father is Almighty; the Son Almighty; and the Holy Ghost Almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties; but one Almighty. So the Father is God; the Son is God; and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods; but one God....” and so on and so forth...

This explanation is wordy, long, and again, this is only some of the whole creed. But I use this portion to emphasize, that explaining God is hard, even for the early church. So, we try our hardest. We use words that are common to us, that make the most sense. We use Father, because Jesus called God Father, or better translated - daddy. We use Creator because God created the universe and continues to create to this day. We use Son to describe God Incarnate, Jesus Christ. We use Spirit to describe God’s actions in the world.

All I’m trying to get at, is God can be described in an inordinate amount of ways, but what ultimately matters is not how we describe God, but how we live out God’s truth. God’s truth in the Gospel found in God’s son, Jesus the Christ. God’s son, who lived among many people who went by many names, including those whose names were changed. Jesus lived among people of many identities, and taught, healed, helped, loved, and fed the people around him. Jesus, who told parables about loving your neighbor, no matter their identity, no matter how they described themselves; died on a cross with criminals beside him, and rose again three days later to save us all from ourselves. For that is God’s truth that matters, beyond how we refer to God. It is this truth that reminds us that - what is central to our faith as Christians - no matter how we refer to God - is that we believe and profess God’s grace, love, and mercy was poured out through Christ’s death and resurrection. That God’s love - that can never be taken away - is poured out for all through our Christian truth.

How people identify themselves is up to them. How God identifies Godself is up to God. We know God. We see God’s action and work in our lives and in the lives of our neighbors. We see God’s handiwork in the world around us, in God’s creation, in hospital rooms and in the lakes and fields that surround us. God is all around us, and God surrounds us with God’s love, and God’s beauty every day. Even when we’re down and out; even when we’re at our worst… God is there. God is there in the best of times, and the worst of times.

Just like the beginning of A Tale of Two Cities, it was the best of times, it was the worst of times. We’ve had 16 previous interns here at Zion. I’m number 17, and I’m rounding 3rd base on my way home. God has always been present at this church, even in the worst of times. This congregation has been through the ringer at times, and yet, we always seem to come out on top. This absence of an intern is no different. For the last 17 years, Zion has guided seminary students like myself through their education in seminary, and instilled in them the stories and values of this congregation. I have something in common with 16 other great leaders, those that have stood up in this pulpit and learned from you and Pastor Jim. You’ve left quite a legacy, and God has been very gracious to the interns, and to the congregation. God will still be present without an intern, and maybe out of the absence of an intern, a newer presence of you folks, (like Dan) can be up here helping to lead each other.

The story of the rural church is changing. The story of Zion Lutheran Church of Amor is changing. God is ever-present throughout the best and the worst times. The Holy Trinity is alive and well in this congregation, as we press on, facing the adversity head on and adopting this new identity, this new reality. Zion is still Zion with or without an intern. I’m not leaving quite yet, and I’m looking forward to these last few months with you folks. God’s not done here. Remember the truth of the Gospel. Hold on to the truth of God’s saving word. Because God’s never letting go of you.

Amen

Unity and Identity: Sermon on John 17:20-26

Sermon for the last Sunday in the Easter season. First Sunday of two services.

Gospel: John 17:20-26

Grace and Peace to you from God our Creator, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ, Amen

“Why aren’t you Christian?”, someone says to me. “I’m Lutheran,” I say… and I of course know I’m Christian… but for some folks, it’s not that simple. For some folks, the idea of a denomination is silly. Why would a religion divide itself on lines that don’t need division? Well, why do we baptize babies? Why do we commune every baptized Christian instead of only members of our church? Why do we have an empty cross instead of Jesus up on there? Why do we have an altar up here? Because there are lines in the sand that need to be made to distinguish ourselves. To identify ourselves. As it says in the United States’ Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident…” We hold these realities as identifying principles. We draw these lines because this is how we differentiate ourselves, and claim our uniqueness. We are Lutheran. We are members and participants in a worship of a congregation which claims itself as a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. For some people, none of that says the word Christian. “Why aren’t you just Christian?”, they ask. “I am”... I say… but what does that really mean?

People may not know what the usefulness of denominations is. In that case, I like to have them imagine a tree, like a family tree. As we are all part of the same Christian family tree. Then, I like to pull out a piece of paper, draw a bunch of lines on it, and point out that all these other denominations are part of the same tree that says Christian. We all hold certain truths to be self-evident. Those creeds we say every Sunday? Those are ways in which we claim our Christian identity. The wine and bread we consume every couple Sundays? Those are ways in which we claim our Christian identity. The practice of pouring water on babies and other folks’ heads? Those are ways in which we claim our Christian identity… That cross behind us… That is our cross to bear. Our reminder of the resurrection. Of the promise. Of the hope of a new life to come.

Right before the passion narrative, Jesus is praying with his disciples for the life of the church - past, present, and future. That the Church in which is about to form because of his death and resurrection and God’s grace… will be unified. But, then in the course of human history is divided, but in essence, still unified. First off though, there it is, right there. What Jesus is doing right there in the text - that is something that holds all Christians together. Christians pray. This prayer echoes Jesus’ earlier prayer to his father, the prayer we call the Lord’s Prayer. Christians pray the Lord’s prayer in many forms, many languages. Of all the churches in all the world… Christians pray. Christians celebrate life together in worship and service to others. Christians remember the life of their Messiah. Christians pray.

Prayer is a powerful thing. Prayer is a unifier in the room, when all other points of unity are out the window, prayer brings people together. Now, there are some denominations that don’t allow others to pray for them. Some don’t allow women to pray. But usually, prayer is a unifier. In our fellowship hall, there are old Swedish Psalmboks. Prayer unites us in the present, all around the world, in different languages and in different contexts. Prayer unites us with our ancestors. Prayers are throughout the bible, not only in the New Testament.

For all of human history, we have had a need to thank the Creator, ask for presence from the Creator, and pray for hope from the Creator. For all of human history, we have known there are things beyond our comprehension, beyond our skillset, beyond our knowledge, that only the Creator of the universe can possibly understand or deal with. The need to ‘Let Go, and Let God…’ has been, and will continue to be a constant need for humanity. Prayer unites us with the past, present, and future Church.

So, what does the future Church, look like? As I stated in the beginning of this sermon, some people have a hard time recognizing that any name other than Christian… can be Christian. Any denomination, division, or way of expressing ourselves… other than the word, Christian… is a denomination, division and way of expressing ourselves… too far.

For instance, I’m a human being, as much as you and every other human being on this planet, is exactly that. A human being. We can all unite on the fact of our existence. That we have blood running through our veins, with a heart or other medical device pumping that blood… and a brain on top of our shoulders. We all experience humanity differently, and yet, we are all indeed, human. We have different words that describe us, different ways of expressing ourselves. We own these words, know these words, and gain power from these words.

Likewise, I love music. I play guitar, occasionally piano (by ear, but after a while… it starts to hurt) and I can rightfully call myself a musician. I have musicality. It is a God-given talent that I can share by using my God-given voice or a guitar, or maybe other instruments. I love music. This love is part of my identity, my existence. Singing or playing guitar… is a way of expressing that love. That part of my identity. By expressing that part of my identity, I can hold power by calling myself a musician. I gain acceptance in some circles. Other people may enjoy my presence as a musician, one of the expressions of all that make me a human being. I do not stop being a human being by calling myself a musician. I am both. I can be both. You can too. All of us have words that describe who we are as human beings. That make us unique. That help us express that very holy expression of God-given existence. And all of us are necessary as different parts of the body of Christ.

Some of us have professions - words that ‘profess’ our jobs, our vocations, our callings as human beings. When meeting people for the first time, usually the second piece of information, after the first words of our expression - our names - usually the second piece is what we do. Well, we do lots of things. We live, we breathe, we work, or we don’t work. What people mean when they ask what you do - is what your profession is. What do you profess as a reason for existing on this planet we call home?

Some of you are celebrating Mother’s Day today, while others may celebrate Father’s Day in a month. Some of you are or were teachers, lawyers, farmers, bankers… whatever words we use to describe ourselves, we are all united in Christ, by Christ’s love. Whether we are musicians, or not. Whatever words you use to describe yourself, you are still you. In the words of Dr. Seuss, “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than you.”

We use words that help describe how we interact in this world with each other. And, for some on this planet, we use the word Christian. We profess, as Christians, that we know of a man who lived a long time ago, named Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus, the Son of God and Son of Humanity… lived on this earth - preached, taught, helped, healed, fed, served, walked, suffered, died… and rose again. Christians across the globe can agree with all of those core realities. This Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah - died, and rose again three days later, to save us all, from ourselves. That man that lived so long ago - died for you and me, to save us all from ourselves through the Grace, Love, and Mercy of God…

We can profess, as Lutherans - one of those words we use to describe ourselves - That there is a God that loves you, me, and everyone. God loves us, and there is absolutely nothing that we can ever do to stop God from loving us. We can profess as Lutherans that the Word is a living Word - one that was inspired from God, and informs our daily lives to this day, and for the world to come.

Jesus was praying with his disciples before his death that the world he lived in, the Church that was to be formed with him, and the words of unity in which he spoke - would hold true for all of time. That all of us, as human beings, as Christians, could come together under the truth of his death and resurrection. There may be points of disagreements between denominations, or even with people inside denominations, or even the same congregation, or even families. There may be lines that divide us, and ultimately, that’s okay. We have words that describe who we are, how we feel about things, that allow us to interact with the world. Words give power to people, movements, ideas. Jesus the Christ is the Savior of the world, and we describe our profession of that faith in him as Christian. We are Christians. Whatever other word you use to describe your faith, does not discount the ability that you believe in the truth of God’s son crucified and risen.

It is this truth we profess as Christians, and it is this truth that Jesus is asking us to unite around. For we are all in one mission. To show and live out the grace, love, and mercy of God through Christ. That is our calling as Christians. That is our cross to bear. That is how we identify. That is how we must live out our lives, in service to God and to one another. In the words of Martin Luther, This is most certainly true. Amen.