Sermon given at United Church of Beloit, July 28, 2013

 Lord, Teach Us to Pray 

Psalm 138

Of David.

1 I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
before the “gods” I will sing your praise.
2 I will bow down toward your holy temple
and will praise your name
for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
that it surpasses your fame.
3 When I called, you answered me;
you greatly emboldened me.

4 May all the kings of the earth praise you, Lord,
when they hear what you have decreed.
5 May they sing of the ways of the Lord,
for the glory of the Lord is great.

6 Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;
though lofty, he sees them from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life.
You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes;
with your right hand you save me.
8 The Lord will vindicate me;
your love, Lord, endures forever―
do not abandon the works of your hands.

Luke Chapter 11:1-13

1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

2 He said to them, “When you pray, say:

“‘Father, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread.
4 Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.’”

5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.

9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

-----

I love the humor Jesus uses in the latter part of this passage. Jesus was of course an excellent speaker and humor is a tool speakers use to help people be put at ease, feel comfortable and remember things! “if you son asks for fish would you give him a snake?” that's hilarious! I think people were cracking up, but they were also remembering what He said!

The prayer is similar to the longer prayer in Matthew ch. 6, part of the Sermon on the Mount. Luke's version is shorter. There has been a lot written comparing the similarities and differences between Matthew and Luke's passages. Among those differences, is the intended audience for the original writings. Matthew was writing to Jewish people, people raised to worship Yahweh, the One True God, to help them know that indeed their Messiah had come, Jesus was the One! So there are many references to their faith, to their scriptures and prophecies.

Luke's gospel is written to people who are not Jewish, have not been brought up hearing the Hebrew Scriptures, so Luke's gospel is for people with a vastly different background and spiritual values. Also different concerns in their day to day lives.

So, Jesus' disciples say, “Lord, teach us to pray as John did.” (some of the disciples had been followers of John the Baptist before they met Jesus)

Teach us to pray. They were Jewish, they were already men of prayer! But there was something different, something special about Jesus' prayers, there was some connection there. (well OF COURSE! He was God's SON―we know that, we read the end of the book already!) They just knew there was something profound and they wanted it! So Jesus gave them this model prayer, that now has been prayed daily for 2000 years! We say it in church, many of us say it at home every morning or evening. Because it is so familiar, it can become routine, as anything can that we do or say over and over. It's a good reminder to read these Gospel lessons again to see the context, the connections with other texts and to remind ourselves of the depth of this prayer.

I'm going to touch on the highlights of this passage and the Lord's Prayer, but not go into a lot of depth...tho I could! I would suggest that you spend some time with it. Take your Bible or a written copy of the Lord's Prayer and spend time just reading, and thinking about the prayer, meditating on it and see what comes to you in that quiet time. “be still and know that I am God” scripture says...it's sometimes hard to find true quiet time in this day and age. But we reap benefits when we do!

So what is prayer? There are many types of prayer, thanksgiving, adoration, petition, confession, intercession. First and foremost though, Prayer is expression of our relationship with God. We are created to be in relationship with God and with others. Which comes first? Yes, God does! That's easy to say here in church isn't it. Once we are out the door, however....it's still SUPPOSED to be true, but it's a lot harder to keep God First. Especially in a day & age that is increasingly noisy, rude, materialistic, self-centered. That's one of the reasons we pray! To help us not be all those things, but to be more God-centered.

There's a little prayer that gets posted online now and then: Dear Lord,

So far today I've done all right. I haven't gossiped, haven't lost my temper, haven't been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or overindulgent. I'm very thankful for that. But in a few minutes, Lord, I'm going to get out of bed, and I'm probably going to need a lot more help. Amen

Ok so back to the text...Jesus said pray this way, Father, some translations say, Our Father, or our father in heaven. Notice the plural pronoun. It's not MY Father, my parent, --ours! We pray in community-which literally means with together, we pray together with Christians everywhere!

Hallowed be your name...we revere you, God! We pray that you are revered everywhere, always. Knowing the promises in the bible that one day ALL people will bow before God, that all of God's creation will rejoice! Isaiah says even the trees will clap and the mountains will sing!

Give us this day our daily bread.... we pray for our daily needs. We can pray about seemingly simple things! You are not 'bothering” God with simple prayers. Yes God has big things going on, but God is detail oriented too, Jesus said not one sparrow will fall to the ground without my father in heaven knowing. That's detail! God cares about every aspect of God's creation, including, especially US and our lives! Our Psalm talks about this too, that God is exalted, yet is personal, intimate! God within, that is what Jesus is, because of the presence of the Holy Spirit. So God is intimate, closer to us than anything or anyone. We can share anything with God even our anger, our despair...all our junk!

As Author Richard Foster writes:

..what I have come to see is that God is big enough to receive us with all our mixture. We do not have to be bright, or pure, or filled with faith, or anything. That is what grace means, and not only are we saved by grace, we live by it as well. And we pray by it.

We are to pray for our daily needs. Because God's kingdom is a kingdom of provision, of shalom, of Peace, wholeness and healing, protection. Forgiveness, for ourselves and others. That's part of Shalom too. God's perfect love and mercy help us to find forgiveness and to give it. One author says God is FOR-giving, in favor of giving, but also FORE giving -giving ahead of time, that's why God forgives, why we are to forgive, because God is all about giving. (God so LOVED, God GAVE...) to be loving means to be giving and forgiving.

And I believe that part of this prayer is that we are to recognize how blessed we are, that we have our daily bread, and clothing and shelter, and we are to help bring these things to those who do not have enough. That we are to BE part of God's provision in this world. In our corner of it, at least. So when we pray, we are grateful for our own blessings and asking to be shown how to help others.

A book was given to me by a friend, is called Transistioning, Leading Your Church Through Change. There's stuff in that book that I disagree with. HOWEVER there are some gems. The author reminds us that healthy churches are open to change. Change is part of life, every living organism goes through change, change is normal in life and in church life!

That challenges us doesn't it, because most people are uncomfortable with a lot of change, we like our routines. Maybe we like to drive the same road, to park in the same spot, sit in the same pew...we have our routines. And routines can be helpful. But we need to be able to recognize if a routine is no longer working well or needs to be updated. That's where our relationship with God comes in. Our prayer time can help us discern when change is needed.

Some people say that change is the only constant in life. I would argue that, because I am a person of faith-a Reformed Tradition Protestant-a person of the Bible. God is constant! The God who is and was and ever shall be does NOT change. However.... God is always moving forward, always leading us forward to new things, so...to change. So the only constants in life are...God and change.

So our prayer life can help us discern where God is leading us, individually and as a church. This week, the Pastoral Search Committee will publish a survey in the newsletter. The committee asks that everyone think about it and fill it out to help the Committee know what YOU all are thinking about the qualities and goals for our church and for the Sr Minister that needs to be hired. Think carefully, Prayer-fully, about this survey and think about what is on YOUR heart for where God is leading our church this year, next and beyond! Don't be afraid to think and dream BIG! We have this incredible opportunity as a church, a leader in both denominations! Think and pray for BIG -GOD-sized dreams for this United Church! Next month we will also have our Lay Leadership retreat, and keep thinking and praying for those big dreams for all of us!

So we can pray for personal, intimate stuff, daily needs, and we can pray for BIG things, for vision, for God's view of our future! Prayer is versatile, can be many things. Richard Foster again:

The primary purpose of prayer is to bring us into such a life of communion with the Father that, by the power of the Spirit, we are increasingly conformed to the image of the Son.

Communion...to be together with the Father, by the power of the Spirit, to be more & more like the Jesus...this is the life of faith. This is prayer.

This is a true story from Brennan Manning in the book, Abba’s Child

Once a woman asked me to come and pray with her father, who was dying of cancer. When I arrived, I found the man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows and an empty chair beside his bed. I assumed the old fellow had been informed of my visit.

“I guess you were expecting me,” I said.

“No, who are you?”

“I’m the new associate at your parish,” I replied. “When I saw the empty chair, I figured you knew I was going to show up.”

“Oh yeah, the chair,” said the bed-ridden man. “Would you mind closing the door?”

Puzzled, I shut the door. “I’ve never told anyone this, not even my daughter,” said the man, “but all my life I have never known how to pray. At the Sunday Mass I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it always went right over my head.

“I abandoned any attempt at prayer,” he continued, “until one day about four years ago my best friend said to me, ‘Joe, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here’s what I suggest. Sit down on a chair, place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It’s not spooky because He promised, “I’ll be with you always.” Then just speak to Him and listen in the same way you’re doing with me right now.’

“So, Padre, I tried it, and I like it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day. I’m careful though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she’d send me off to the funny farm.”

I was deeply moved by the story. Then I prayed with him, anointed him with oil, and returned to the rectory.

Two nights later the daughter called to tell me that her daddy had died that afternoon.

“Did he seem to die in peace?” I asked.

“Yes. But there was something strange. In fact, beyond strange―kinda weird. Apparently just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on a chair beside his bed.”

We can rest on Jesus. We can talk and listen, just as with our dearest friend. Even if we don't have the right words, we can count on Jesus knowing because we have been given the Holy Spirit to help us, to put the deepest sigh and groan into words. We can lean on our Loving Lord to help us be together with the Father, becoming more like the Son through the presence of the Holy Spirit. Let us pray and dream together for ourselves, for our church and for our world!

Holy God, thank you for the gift of prayer. Thank you for teaching us to pray. Thank you for the gift of Jesus Our Lord. Amen.

Let's close by singing together What a Friend We Have in Jesus.

Traveling Heavy

Sermon given at United Church of Beloit July 7, 2013

Psalm 66:1-9
66:1 Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth;
66:2 sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise.
66:3 Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! Because of your great power, your enemies cringe before you.
66:4 All the earth worships you; they sing praises to you, sing praises to your name." Selah
66:5 Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds among mortals.
66:6 He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot. There we rejoiced in him,
66:7 who rules by his might forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations-- let the rebellious not exalt themselves. Selah
66:8 Bless our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard,
66:9 who has kept us among the living, and has not let our feet slip.

Luke 10:1-11
10 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.

5 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.

8 “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’

(humorous story about traveling in Florida...)

Gospel lesson today is from Luke 10. starts off “After this...” so I looked to see what was before this! Chapter 9 has stories of healing and miracles. And Jesus has determined to go to Jerusalem, knowing the fate that awaits him! The next several chapters have more stories of healings, miracles, people questioning and challenging Jesus and He responding, and challenging them, especially for their lack of faith. This particular section, chapters 9-11 are all about the Kingdom of God, putting God first, and everything else comes after.

In our Gospel lesson, Jesus sends out a large band of his followers. He had the 12 disciples, but as time went on in his ministry, more and more folks began to follow along with the 12. Here we learn there were about 72 and he sent them out to the towns where he would travel next.

READ Gospel lesson

Jesus sends out his followers to minister to folks, telling them, “The Kingdom of God is near!” Did you notice that Jesus sent out the 72 in pairs, 2 by 2? It's practical. It's safer, you are company for each other. You can care for each other. And it's what we are created for. We are created to be in relationship with God and each other, aren't we? And Jesus stresses that relationship with God aspect. Tell them the kingdom of God is near....and that kingdom of God brings healing, brings other things too, enough to eat and a place to stay while traveling. And Jesus tells his folks if someone rejects the message, just move on. It's not personal, it's that they are rejecting God. If they accept the message, they are accepting God. yet he says even if they reject you, shake the dust off your shoes and move on, but tell them, the Kingdom of God has come near you. You may not want to see it, hear it or be part of it, but it's near you and it will affect you one way or another.

I read this passage was while we were in Florida, the morning the National meeting started. I knew I would be preaching this Sunday, and at these meetings, there is worship, music, many speakers, and I make notes to report back to you, but also stuff that I can use preaching or in Bible study. So I read through these texts beforehand. And being away from home, reading this, really spoke to me. Especially that part about 'do not take a purse or a bag or sandals...” I took all of those things. And a lot more. I do not travel light. I prepare for any eventuality. I may even pack a few of my favorite chocolate bars--one never knows where there might be a shortage!

So reading this challenged me. And I was thinking about this in terms of the big picture. We as a culture -Americans in the 21^st century, do not travel light. We travel heavy. People today, our culture, we love our stuff. We love to shop for more of it, we watch commercials to see what we should shop for next. Not just the big stuff either! We go to the grocery store, there are umpteen varieties of bread, lunch meats & hot dogs, ketchup even! There is spicy ketchup, no salt added, no high fructose corn syrup, and oh yes, there is plain, regular ketchup too. In about 10 different size bottles. There is so much stuff from which to choose! We are so accostomed to having SO many options, so much food, so many things, we don't even realize how heavy all this stuff is in our minds and our lives.

We have gotten so far away from the culture Jesus lived in.

at the national meeting, one of the missionary groups represented is called Bread of Life. It's a mission in Florida, serving needy families to provide basic needs, education for adults and children and to share the word of God. Their help for folks includes shoes and school supplies for children, assistance with food and clothing. This is the group the Youth were working with during the meeting and they had a project that the adult folks helped with too. It was to make blankets to give to needy folks. You see in Florida most of the low income folks don't have central heat...a mobile home or small home may have a heater, but it's small, because, well, it's FLORIDA, they don't need heat but a few nights out of the year. But when they do, it's a huge challenge, especially for needy folks. So there were blankets made to give out to families. They were precut fleece and we cut and tied on colorful tassels. 90 blankets were made, and money collected as well.

I admit, I don't often think about blankets. at home I have light weight blankets on the bed, and heavier ones in the closet. And a few of those inexpensive fleece blankets in the tv room to get cozy while we watch a movie or a game...i don't really think about blankets because I have several. It was a good reminder to help those who don't have even one blanket. That's a good reminder of the real meaning of the Kingdom of God coming near!

We Americans and we Protestants, especially Congre--terians (Presby-Gationals?) LOVE our independence. We love our individuality. I mean We in general, in this country, not just this church and not anyone in particular, but each of us has an aspect of this feeling, don't we! We may want everything to be JUST the way WE like it, the way we are used to doing things. We want it comfortable, familiar.

But God's ways are not our ways. God's plans are far beyond the scope of our plans, and beyond our perception. We may have to allow God to lead us when we can not even see the next step! We have to keep on, even when we are feeling uncomfortable.

We have to do this as a church, don't we? We are in yet another transition. Someone said last week, “well, we were comfortable for about 15 minutes there!” We don't know what's next. And that can really challenge us. It makes us grumpy when we don't have control and changes happen.

We as a church family need to focus every single day, what brought us together. Our love of God, of coffee and a meal together, of reaching out to those in need....helping to bring the Kingdom of God near to people who need help. and we can keep on doing those things day by day while the big picture gets sorted out. God has the big picture. God is waiting for us to lay aside some of that heavy stuff-the burdens, the worrying, the 'we've always done it like this” attitudes so we can focus on the Kingdom. God will keep taking care of us, we have to pay attention to see it!

The Kingdom of God doesn't weigh one down, it enlivens and lifts us! It doesn't travel heavy, it's light.

“come to me all you who are heavy laden and I will give you rest for my yoke is easy and my burden is light”

in the book Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus, the authors tell that during the Jewish Sabbath liturgy every week, is a recalling of the Exodus story, the deliverance from slavery in Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea so the people could cross on dry land. This is told every week! God's mighty power reached down and intervened with the natural world and saved his people. That is what our Psalm is referring to. There were other instances of water parting in the Bible too, that echo the Exodus story. The Jewish people remember the Exodus story in every worship service.

We do too, in our Communion liturgy. Jesus, when he took bread and broke it, was at a Passover supper. This meal commemorates the Exodus story. That was another time God told people to travel light, not heavy. Prepare the meal quickly, eat it quickly with your shoes on and your robe tucked into your belt because you are going to leave right away! Jesus was retelling the story of the Jewish people and making a new story for all people. His body, his blood, would become new life for each of us, for all of us. We don't need anything else. We can lay down all our stuff, all our attitudes, all of our heaviness... lay it at the cross. Because he left all of it there for us. We don't need it. All we need is Him. Let's travel light!  

Devotion on the Kingdom of Heaven

This is a devotion that I gave at our National Association of Congregational Christian Churches Annual Meeting. June 25, 2013

One of my “go-to” texts is the Sermon on the Mount. That is in part because I have led a couple Bible studies on the Beatitudes and am currently working through the Lord's Prayer in depth. And I find so much in the Sermon.

Before the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew writes:

Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the

kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

what IS the Kingdom of heaven? Jesus described it in the Beatitudes.

Matthew 5

He said:

3  “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
        for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4  Blessed are those who mourn,
        for they will be comforted.
5  Blessed are the meek,
        for they will inherit the earth.
6  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
        for they will be filled.
7  Blessed are the merciful,
        for they will be shown mercy.
8  Blessed are the pure in heart,
        for they will see God.
9  Blessed are the peacemakers,
        for they will be called children of God.
10  Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
        for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

God put us here on Earth to be in relationship with God and with each other. The creation story in the Bible is one of intimacy! If that story is fact or a beautiful

telling of an old story, it is a story that says God wants us to be up close and

personal with God and with each other. That we are to love and care for each

other! That is the Kingdom of heaven! That is the way things are supposed to be.

The kingdom of heaven is what we are made for! The kingdom of earth only

satisfies for a short time, if at all. The kingdom of heaven, satisfies for all time.

This is Shalom, God's peace...perfect peace, wholeness, protection for all of God's

creation. When all is right with the world. And what we get glimpses of, when we

are caring for each other, when we worship together, and especially when we

reach out to others to share what we have, our material blessings and that

incredible Love. This is how the Kingdom of heaven comes near on Earth, through

us! Through the Holy Spirit guiding us, empowering us to be the hands and feet

of Jesus.

Remember, we are not alone in our efforts, when we pray, we pray in community

with other believers! And too, our cloud of witnesses is cheering us on, praying

for us to help our relationship with God and each other, praying for us to help

bring the kingdom of heaven to earth!

Could God make sure that all are fed, clothed, loved, treated justly? Of course.

God could do that faster than you can blink an eye. So why doesn't God do this?

It seems to be that relationship thing again. Evidently we are supposed to learn

this stuff for ourselves.

Author Richard Foster in Life With God: 

"Human beings are so important to God that the divine purposes are worked out through the messiness and sprawl of human history. Apparently, it is more important to God that human beings learn his ways in freedom than it is to get things done efficiently."

We are to learn God's ways and that is how we can help bring the Kingdom. When

we pray, “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” are we praying for God to

snap those ever-powerful fingers and make the world a perfectly beautiful place

of Shalom, or is Jesus teaching us to pray for God to help us make that happen!

What does it look like to be a person of the Kingdom of Heaven? A person who so

desires the Kingdom of heaven on earth? Someone who is poor in spirit, mourns,

hungers and thirsts for more of God, someone who is merciful, pure in heart and

is a peacemaker?

There is a powerful letter written by an African pastor some years back. It was found in his belongings after he had been killed for his faith. Quoted by Brennan Manning in The Signature of Jesus.

"I'm a part of the fellowship of the unashamed. The die has been

cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I'm a

disciple of His and I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or

be still.

"My past is redeemed. My present makes sense. My future is

secure. I'm done and finished with low living, sight walking, small

planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane

talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals.

"I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions,

plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, or first, or tops, or

recognized, or praised, or rewarded. I live by faith, lean on His

presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by Holy Spirit

power.

"My face is set. My gait is fast. My goal is heaven. My road may be

narrow, my way rough, my companions few, but my guide is reliable

and my mission is clear.

"I will not be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned

back, deluded or delayed.

"I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice or hesitate in the presence

of the adversary. I will not negotiate at the table of the enemy,

ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of

mediocrity.

"I won't give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored

up, prayed up, paid up, and preached up for the cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus. I must give until I drop, preach until all

know, and work until He comes. And when He does come for His own, He'll have no problems recognizing me. My banner will be clear!"

This is a person of the Kingdom of Heaven. This is someone who intimately knew

Jesus as Lord. This is model of faith we can aspire to. Are we ready to draw closer

to God as we go back home to our churches and our communities?

Let us pray.

Help us to be people of the Kingdom of Heaven, dear Lord. Help us recognize our

shortcomings and ask for your help and guidance. Help us to hunger and thirst for

more of you! Help us to be merciful, to be peacemakers, bringing about Your

kingdom of Shalom right here on Earth. Help us to stay up, store up, pray up, pay

up, and preach up for the cause of Christ! Please bless us as we do these things

in the Name of Our Lord Jesus, ...who taught us to pray, Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Sermon given at United Church of Beloit, June 9, 2013
Arise! 

Psalm 146

1 Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord, my soul.

2 I will praise the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
3 Do not put your trust in princes,
in human beings, who cannot save.
4 When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;
on that very day their plans come to nothing.
5 Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord their God.

6 He is the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them―
he remains faithful forever.
7 He upholds the cause of the oppressed
and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets prisoners free,
8 the Lord gives sight to the blind,
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,
the Lord loves the righteous.
9 The Lord watches over the foreigner
and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

10 The Lord reigns forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.

Praise the Lord.

Luke 7:11-17

Jesus Raises a Widow’s Son

11 Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. 12 As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out―the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”

14 Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

16 They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” 17 This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.

***

Our story takes place in Nain, a smaller town near Nazareth, Jesus' home town, in a mountainous region of Galilee (a region of what is now the country of Israel.) it is known only because of this story which is only told here in Luke.

The tradition of the time was that when someone died, they were buried just outside of the city, so the funeral procession would walk to the site. Nain was not a big town, so one can imagine that there would be a crowd for the service, because communities do pull together in these times! Jesus and his followers have happened upon this procession.

This is one of many stories in the Gospel of Luke about miracle healings and of course this is quite the miracle! This story is different from some of the others, though! This healing is not about someone's faith is it? Many healings in the bible are because of the faith of the person involved. This is one of the stories that is different.

Jesus spoke to a dead man and he came back to life! But why do we have THIS story, surely there were other funeral processions when Jesus was traveling about! why this man, at this time? The key is in verses 12 and 13. “the only son of his mother, and she was a widow.”...”When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”

Jesus raised the young man, because of the mother! He realized what desperate straights she was in. Notice that she did not ask for help! In fact, she wouldn't have even looked at him. In this culture it was inappropriate for a man and woman who were not married to each other to make any eye contact out in public! Yet Jesus knew her grief, knew how bereft she was. Perhaps he had a vision of his own mother Mary at that moment, and the anguish she would feel at the cross. “His heart went out to her...” Jesus understood at the deepest level, at the very core of his being, the pain of this woman's loss. Not only is there the incredible grief of losing a child, and losing a child, even grown child, is a loss no one should endure. In this time, a widow with no sons had no male protector. She wouldn't have a job of course, and most women had little or no money of their own, unless they were an only child of a wealthy family. This woman might soon find herself homeless.

So Jesus, not knowing her, not being asked, simply came over to the bier, and spoke to the dead man. “Arise!” and he rose!

{Now, just to clarify, I know the NIV translation that we just read says, Jesus said “Get up”. The NRSV pew bibles we have use the word, “rise”. The translation that I use at home, uses “Arise” and that just seemed to make a better sermon title.}

So Jesus said, Arise! And the man rose and began to speak! Notice that detail, not only did he revive but he spoke, he was well! And Jesus gave him back to his mother. This miracle was performed for her...it was about caring for this lonely, grieving woman.

And the crowd “were all filled with awe and praised God.” Can you imagine it? Picture yourself in this scene! What would you do? And they called Jesus a great prophet in their midst.

They said, “God has come to help his people” the Jewish people of this time were living under the thumb of the roman empire. They were people proud of their heritage and some of the Roman leaders were tyrants. Rebellions against this tyranny rose up from time to time and were quickly and violently put down. Any peace there was was tenuous at best. And the Jewish people had not heard from an authentic prophet in 400 years time! So they were hungry for God. Yearning to know that their Yahweh still loved and cared for them. When they sang their psalms in worship there was probably an ache in their hearts...and this day, a crowd of people in an unremarkable little town saw an authentic miracle!

Our Psalm is one of many places in the Old Testament that refers to what God does out of love for God's people.

He is the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them―
he remains faithful forever.
7 He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind,
8 the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,
the Lord loves the righteous.
9 The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow,

God cares about all of creation, and especially those who are having a rough time. In our story, Jesus was not asked to help this little family! Jesus came to them, he spoke to the woman, and then walked over to the bier...purely out of his love and compassion. He did this not for Himself but to glorify God.

For God so LOVED the world, God GAVE.... Love spurs action. Love doesn't just sit there. Love wants to do for the other person, love wants to care for others. Especially when the other person is having a rough time. Love yearns to reach out and help! And believe me, you may be going through some stuff right now, but so is pretty much everyone else. That's why over and over the bible says we are to care for others.

“We seek to reach out in Christian love with God's extravagant hospitality...” that is part of our covenant--Our promise to God and to each other. And to our community! God's love is alive and well, and telling us-the United Church to ARISE! We have some events again this summer, a missionary visit next week, coming up we host Hands of Faith, help with Meals on Wheels, our Vacation Bible School, and another Book Bag Bash in August. :) and I bet there will be opportunities to do even more!

OK, why do we emphasize reaching out. Yes we have stuff to deal with all our own. Some may say let's just get all our ducks in a row, then we can think about outreach.

There is something to that! But we are people of the Bible. Congregationalists and Presbyterians are people of the Bible, and the Bible says over and over, to care for others. God does, so should we. That is how we live our faith. That is how we provide the best witness to God's love. And God's kingdom is not like the earthly realm. When you honor God and live out that love, you become blessed in ways you can barely imagine!

This story from our Gospel lesson is dramatic. Most of us will never see this type of miracle. But....babies are a miracle! We have seen people who have recovered from illness that could have taken them out! I think it's a miracle that people stay married for 30, 40, 50 years! (I know I wouldn't stay married to me...)

2 mainline churches in an unremarkable midwestern town discovered a lot of commonalities and came together. It hasn't been perfect, but God is working through all our quirks and attitudes and Jesus said to each of these two churches, “Arise!” and we are doing great things, right here in Nain..I mean Beloit! and here we are-the United Church of Beloit!

God is doing new things every day. Saying to people and to churches, Arise! It's happening in both of our denominations. Both the Milwaukee Presbytery and our National Congregational Association are implementing new vision, new strategic plans, which emphasize communication and collaboration, both between the individual church & denomination and between local churches as well.

God's love changes things. I have seen it in my own life, I have seen it in the lives of friends and family. God's Love changes people, it changes lives, and it can―it WILL- change the world. That is why we are to reach out in love, reach just as far as we can!

I want to share a story with you. This was given to me by a missionary, Nancy Loveland, who works as a Bible translator. 2nd Congregational has helped support her ministry, since she began nearly 20 years ago. And she shared a powerful story from one of the other translators. Their mission is to translate the Bible, book by book, into every language and dialect in the world. They work with local people to do this. Then people can hear and read for themselves in the language or dialect with which they are most familiar...the language of their hearts.. about the love of God through Jesus.

Translator Lee Bramlett is a missionary to the Hdi (hee DEE) people of Cameroon, Africa. Lee was searching for the key to reach the Hdi for God, through his work. What clue had God planted to let the Hdi know who He is and how He wants to relate to them?

Then one night in a dream, God prompted Lee to look again at the Hdi word for love. Lee had learned that verbs in Hdi consistently end in one of three vowels. For almost every verb, they could find forms ending in i, a, and u. But when it came to the word for love, they could only find i and a. Why no u?

Lee asked the Hdi translation committee, which included the most influential leaders in the community, “Could you ‘dvi’ your wife?”

“Yes,” they said. That would mean that the wife had been loved but the love was gone.

“Could you ‘dva’ your wife?” Lee asked.

“Yes,” they said. That kind of love depended on the wife’s actions. She would be loved as long as she remained faithful and cared for her husband well.

“Could you ‘dvu’ your wife?”  Lee asked. Everyone laughed.

“Of course not!” they said.  “If you said that, you would have to keep loving your wife no matter what she did, even if she never got you water, never made you meals. Even if she committed adultery, you would be compelled to just keep on loving her. No, we would never say ‘dvu.’ It just doesn’t exist.”

Lee sat quietly for a while, thinking about John 3:16, and then he asked, “Could God ‘dvu’ people?”

There was complete silence for three or four minutes; then tears started to trickle down the weathered faces of these elderly men. Finally they responded.

“Do you know what this would mean?” they asked.  “This would mean that God kept loving us over and over, millennia after millennia, while all that time we rejected His great love. He is compelled to love us, even though we have sinned more than any people.”

One simple vowel, and the meaning was changed from “I love you based on what you do and who you are,” to “I love you based on who I am. I love you because of Me and not because of you.”

Because of this- the Hdi learned that God is far beyond spirits living in trees and water, that God is LOVE, God does not need to be appeased like an angry spirit, but honored, and the number of Christ-followers quickly grew from a few hundred to several thousand.

God's love changes lives, changes hearts, will change the world. That's why we Arise! and share that love.

Still losing weight!

Wow, i am down 20 pounds! in 21 weeks (this year so far). 

There are weight loss folks who say, "we've released the weight". That sounds sweet doesn't it? and I get it, 'Losing" something mostly means we want it back! and NO way do i want the pounds back! But to 'release" weight sounds to me like I have just sort of let it go free, like a little bird....well that is not how i feel about this. I have not "released" the weight, I have WORKED off every single ounce! 

It is work, it's been a challenge, it takes daily, hourly! commitment! but I am WINNING this! I am winning not because I am losing weight, i am winning because I make healthy choices. I choose to eat carrots, not chips. I choose to eat a garden salad for dinner instead of a big ole' burger. I choose to eat and savor a piece or 2 of my fave dark chocolates, instead of a bowlful of ice cream with topping! 

I make the choice to exercise, even with aches and pains, because i am learning that strong muscles support achy joints, and keep them flexible! I love to feel muscles working as i walk. I am learning that less weight on my knees helps me walk faster and further and feel better while I do so! I just feel better on my healthy plan and I am a better person, wife, mom, and pastor when I feel better! 

I have not deprived myself of treats!  But with the tracking tools, i can make adjustments and allow for small indulgences. Learning the calorie counts (and fat grams) of some of my favorite foods has been eye-opening! Tracking my nutrition and my exercise has helped me stay on task. There are many free sites online to track, I have used both Lose It! and SparkPeople. they have 'apps' for smartphone or tablet use too. 

If *I* can do this, so can anyone! I have done all of this with information & tools that are available at no charge! I do not have a trainer or gym membership. These tools help me and help millions of folks to make good choices that will benefit in the long run. It's all about the choices we make. I have never enjoyed exercise, but it's the key to losing weight and getting healthy, especially when one is middle aged! So I choose to focus on the benefit of that exercise, of knowing that it's part of caring for myself. 

I have made a commitment to be healthy, and fit, to eat clean, healthy foods that nourish me so that I can better serve Our Loving Lord. God has blessed me in so many ways, I can bless God by caring for myself, so that I can care for others in God's Name. 

What Do You Make?

Sermon "What Do You Make?" given at United Church of Beloit May 5, 2013

Psalm 67

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.

1 May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine on us―
2 so that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.

3 May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.
4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you rule the peoples with equity
and guide the nations of the earth.
5 May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.

6 The land yields its harvest;
God, our God, blesses us.
7 May God bless us still,
so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.

John 5

The Healing at the Pool

5 Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie―the blind, the lame, the paralyzed.

[*Some manuscripts include here, wholly or in part, paralyzed―and they waited for the moving of the waters. 4 From time to time an angel of the Lord would come down and stir up the waters. The first one into the pool after each such disturbance would be cured of whatever disease they had. ]

5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”

8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.

The day on which this took place was a Sabbath.

Hebrew word Beth=House

Hesda=hesed, God's love, mercy, grace. the place was literally house of mercy or house of grace. It was a place known for healing, as the explanatory verse tells us the belief was that when the waters were stirred up, it was by an angel and the 1^st person to step into the pool when it had been stirred would be healed.

This story shows that Jesus' power is much greater than that of an angel or superstition. It also shows that one does not have to profess belief in Jesus to benefit! The man does not say I believe, he doesn't ask for Jesus to heal him, does he?

I find it interesting what he does answer, he doesn't directly answer! Or say yes, he launches into this explanation...i have no one to help me....he is sort of having a pity party here isn't he? “oh me poor me, nobody likes me..”

he does not profess faith in Jesus, in fact later in the text it's clear he has NO idea who Jesus is. So why does Jesus choose to heal THIS man!? Perhaps the longevity of his disability? It shows the power of Jesus' healing ability! Maybe to reward the persistance the man has shown..despite his attitude?

Why is this particular story in our Bible?! Could it be to show that Jesus can overcome even the hardest problems? A disability of 38 years?! Could it be to show that Jesus can overcome our worst attitude? That superstition and “they say...” beliefs are no match for the healing power of God's unconditional love, mercy, grace? What do you make of this?

Yes, all of the above :)

what do we make when we are in a challenging situation? Do we sometimes make an excuse? “no one will help me, someone else always gets to the healing water before me...” “Oh I don't have time, money, energy, knowledge, to do that. If I don't do it, soemone else will and they will probably do it better.”

What can we make instead of excuses? We can make a decision.

We can make a decision to change our attitude. You do know you choose your emotions! A friend of mine who was traveling this weekend said one of the flight attendants said, “Sit back and relax or sit up and be tense. Either way we get paid and we are going home to Chicago.” (yes it was Southwest Airlines)  

You choose to be tense or grumpy, or you can choose to be grateful for life, for freedom, for enough to eat, grateful for little things and big things. Remembering how blessed we are helps us recognize even more blessings.

What else can we make? How about a decision to help someone else. Or a decision to share our time, our talents, whatever they may be. We can make a choice to reach out to others, just to say hello to someone you don't know, to have a cup of coffee together. We can make a choice to pray for them.

When we pray for others, we may be praying for people who aren't sure about Jesus, but they benefit from prayer anyway! People know prayer works, that's why someone who does not have a church family may ask one of us for prayer! And to say “I'm praying for you” is a great way to reach out for others.

What else do we make? How about a choice to work with our church family? We have lots of ways to help, from wiping tables after coffee hour to ushering, serving on boards or committees, helping visit our homebound members. Especially now as we will be looking for a new Sr Minister, we as a church really need to pull together with everyone involved! It would be better if you volunteer now rather than waiting for someone to come asking! ;)

and as we are thinking and planning for our church's future, we need to be clear that it is indeed God's leading. That is why in both of our denominational traditions we appoint committees or boards to discuss and and make decision and we have congregational meetings to discuss and vote on the final decisions.

You see, God speaks to each of us and because God is so vast, and we humans are so finite, we hear from God best in community! No matter how well the pastor and lay leader perceive God's leading, it is never quite the whole picture because God's vision is so much bigger and brighter than a single human can perceive. As scripture says in Ephesians “Now to  him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think..”

We each may hear a bit of God's ideas so that together we hear more of the big vision that God has for us.

I confess, I'm trying to make it sound easy here. Change is not always easy, most of us dislike change. We don't know what's ahead and thats a bit scary isn't it?

You have likely heard 'Church bulletin bloopers” things like

Don’t let worry kill you off – let the church help.

Potluck supper: prayer and medication to follow.

Ushers will eat latecomers.

Today's sermon, what is hell? Come early and listen to choir practice.

one of my favorites is one where the pastor's 3 sermon points were in the bulletin:

1. Define your fear
2. Disown your fear
3. Displace your rear

which isn't really a bad idea for the 3^rd step. “Displace your rear” is precisely what the church needs! This church, every church. Needs people to make the decision to be an active participant in the every day, EVERY day not just Sunday EVERY day life of the church.

Foster, Richard J. (2009-10-13). Life with God: Reading the Bible for Spiritual Transformation (Kindle Locations 631-644). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.

If we continue to choose life apart from God, we will take on an identity that focuses exclusively on ourselves, and we will then try to master our life and our world on our own―just what happened in the Garden, ... But God chooses to be with us in spite of our flight. God the {Creator and } Initiator becomes God the Pursuer―not to destroy us for our disobedience, but to turn us away from it and draw us back to life. The Apostle Paul explains, “But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). Through God’s sustaining presence in Christ, the Unifier of all things on heaven and on earth (see Eph. 1:10; Col. 1:20), the consequences of our disobedience do not have to lead to eternal separation from God. We can choose the freedom of life in Christ... It is a free gift: ... Will we choose this gift―here, now, in this present moment of our life?

We can make an excuse, or we can make a decision to act.

We can decide to feel bad, or we can choose to be thankful for what we have!

We can choose to live for ourselves, or we can choose to live in a way that honors Our Maker. Jesus is more powerful than any angel, than any thing else on earth!

when we make a choice for Jesus, then we make a difference!

Let's make a difference today!

Let's prepare for Communion by prayerfully singing “As the Deer”

weight loss

This year, 2013, I am steadily losing weight and getting strong and healthy. I have done this before, and regained some weight, and learned along the way. So now, the beginning of May- 18 weeks into the year, I am down 16 pounds, have lost several inches too. Clothes that were tight or unwearable last fall fit loosely now! it's a great 'problem' to have :)

I've been asked what I am doing to achieve this goal. And it's not just what food, what exercises, it is a process.

We have to make the decision EVERY DAY, actually many times a day. Drink plenty of water. I also drink coffee and iced tea. But no soda pop, diet or not. Even diet drinks trigger brain chemistry that spurs overeating :( 

Eat lean protein, cottage cheese or good quality cheese, eggs, chicken or turkey breast. Fruit and/or veggies at EVERY single meal. Whole grains- whole grain crackers or tortillas-NO bread. except on the occasional burger, and those need to be VERY occasional. (my fave, the double from Culver’s is 700+ calories! Even the single is 500+! yikes!) LOTS of salad...a big salad is my ‘default’ supper. Add cheese, or chicken, I only use olive oil for dressing. I do NOT deprive myself of chocolate, which I love. But I eat in moderation, and make it the GOOD stuff, Dove Dark for example. and savor every bite.

It's important to eat mindfully enjoying the flavors and textures. and the colors! make the meal look good too. (The experts say to not eat while watching TV or on computer. I am working on that one.)

and most of all, eating to honor God and my body, which is God’s creation. Exercising—moving to honor and care for God’s creation. I am learning this stage, and it's sometimes hard to achieve every day, but making progress. One Step at a time! One day, one moment at a time, if need be!!

I am doing this to Honor My Lord God, to care for myself so that i may care for others.

thank You, God for helping me, and helping me understand this journey. help me continue to decide each day, with YOU, honoring You and all the ways You have blessed me. In Jesus’ Name i pray, amen.

Casting Our Nets

Sermon given at United Church of Beloit April 14, 2013

Psalm 30
30:1 I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up, and did not let my foes rejoice over me.
30:2 O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.
30:3 O LORD, you brought up my soul from Sheol, restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.
30:4 Sing praises to the LORD, O you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name.
30:5 For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
30:6 As for me, I said in my prosperity, "I shall never be moved."
30:7 By your favor, O LORD, you had established me as a strong mountain; you hid your face; I was dismayed.
30:8 To you, O LORD, I cried, and to the LORD I made supplication:
30:9 "What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness?
30:10 Hear, O LORD, and be gracious to me! O LORD, be my helper!"
30:11 You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
30:12 so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever.

John 21:1-19
21:1 After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way.
21:2 Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples.
21:3 Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
21:4 Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
21:5 Jesus said to them, "Children, you have no fish, have you?" They answered him, "No."
21:6 He said to them, "Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish.
21:7 That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea.
21:8 But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.
21:9 When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread.
21:10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught."
21:11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn.
21:12 Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" because they knew it was the Lord.
21:13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.
21:14 This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
21:15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs."
21:16 A second time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Tend my sheep."
21:17 He said to him the third time, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep.
21:18 Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go."
21:19 (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, "Follow me."

Our Gospel lesson is from sometime shortly after the first Easter Sunday, after the resurrection. Peter and the other disciples have gone back to Galilee as Jesus told them. This is their home turf, where it all began. They have had extraordinary experiences the past 3 years with Jesus and now, Jesus was crucified, and came back and showed himself to the disciples.

Remember Peter, good old brash Peter, at the last supper said, vehemently, “I WILL NEVER deny you!”....but a few hours later, when the going got tough, after Jesus was arrested, Peter was asked about Jesus and said, “nope I don't know him, no not me, never heard of him”, just as Jesus had predicted.

to deny Jesus 3 times was a legal statement. This was the same as testifying in a court room. Peter had perjured himself. Makes you wonder, doesn't it, what was going through his mind now, some time later, back at home. He has burned his bridges, hasn't he?

He said, I am going fishing. Now this was not, “Oh I'm gonna go relax on the water, drown a few worms.” Fishing was his career, his lifeblood. He fished to make a living, to support his family. Peter went back to his old routine. To his old lifestyle. And the others said, we'll go with you. They went to do what was routine, what was familiar to them.

That's a very human tendency, we tend to do to what's familiar and comfortable. Even after a huge transition, we want to do what we're used to doing. Go to the same places, sit in the same spots.

And they fished, working hard all night, and didn't catch a thing. They didn't have any food, they didn't have anything to take home to the family, they sure didn't have anything to sell! What now?

And a man on the beach called to them, 'cast your nets on the other side of the boat” they did and WOW! There were so many fish they couldn't even haul in the net! This must have seemed familiar to them, it is how Peter and some of the others met Jesus the first time! It's recounted in the other gospels, but Luke 5 has the most detail. They had fished all night, didn't catch a thing and Jesus said, go out into the deep water. And they caught so many fish that their nets began to break and Peter had to call over to another boat to have John and James to come help.

Today, there were again SO many fish, but this time the nets did not break! That first time, they were not yet followers of Jesus. In today's story, they were. They did as he suggested, not even knowing it was Jesus, and were hugely successful! We can do all things through Christ!

And they go ashore and find Jesus is cooking breakfast :) and he invites them to come join him, giving them the bread and the fish. This echoes the stories of the miraculous feeding of 5000 told in all the Gospels, doesn't it? Jesus understands that people need sustanence, that our basic physical needs must be met. After breakfast, he talks to Peter.

Note that he speaks to him formally, He isn't just saying hey pass me another hunk of bread...He says, Simon, Son of John...this is a formal address, much like when I do a wedding and say, Mary Smith, do you take this man, John Jones to be your lawful wedded husband.... Jesus is speaking formally to Peter here.

and Jesus asks Peter 3 times, do you love me, each time saying some variation of “tend my sheep.” note that it is 3 times! This is again, a legal statement! Some of the commentators on this passage make much of the Greek words used here for “love” are 2 different words, one time it's Agape, the deep unconditional love that is of God, others it's Phileos, the more brotherly love! Some of the commentators also make much of the phrasing, feed or tend, my sheep. As much as I love the knowledge we can get from word studies, sometimes fussing over the details can bog us down. This is one of the passages that I think those details actually can distract us from the deeper message. Jesus says, if you really love me, in any way, then I need you to take care of my flock. And the word translated- tend, does indeed mean to care for, to meet the needs of. To feed, care for, watch over.

You see, people have to have our basic needs met before we can work on spiritual, creative labors. We need to be fed, clothed, sheltered. We need companionship. Jesus knew this. That is why He came to earth in human form. To feel what it's like to live in a fragile human body, to know how it feels to be hungry, to laugh, to feel tired, to hold a baby, to weep. And he showed his disciples and us, how to do these things with others. In community.

Love spurs action. God so LOVED the world, he gave God's only son...God loves, God gave...Love spurs action. If we love Jesus we are to care for the flock. Reach out...we, right here in Beloit, we have come together as a United Church for a purpose that is beyond this one hour on Sunday morning. Take a look at our covenant. “We Join together, we seek to reach out in Christian Love....” It means going beyond your normal routine....reaching out, start right here, invite someone you don't know well to sit with you in the pew or over coffee, ask how things are going, ask if you can ride together next week. 'how can I pray for you?” It means continuing to reach out financially, putting quarters in the Goat for Heifer International, giving extra money to help pay off our roof early! It means helping with Hands of Faith, hearing our guest speakers, working this summer with Vacation Bible School, and the Book Bag Bash, attending our extra functions, serving on a board or committee, cleaning up after coffee hour. There are so many ways to help out! And please do pray for each other!

In this church we have had a tough season. Our congregation recently lost some faithful members and several of our folks have had other losses besides, family and friends. Some of our folks are struggling with illness or injury and are probably not going to get back to what they were before. We need a lot of love and prayer right now. We need to love and pray a lot right now. And one of the fastest ways to help yourself is to help someone else.

Jesus says do you love me, tend my flock....and if you cast your nets the way I tell you, you will have astounding success!

How is this church, or any church for that matter, called to cast our nets?

Brennan Manning, the Signature of Jesus

The greatest need for our time is for the church to become what it has seldom been: the body of Christ with its face to the world, loving others regardless of religion or culture, pouring itself out in a life of service, offering hope to a frightened world, and presenting itself as a real alternative to the existing arrangement.

Our United Church is embarking this month on a vision process. Our individual churches did this a few years ago. It was not an easy process, but look where it got us! Our 2 churches have the same core values, but slightly different styles of living those values. We are working on blending those styles, and as we do this vision process, we are going to look at needs in this community and how best we can help. God has created this United Church...yes, we did the work, but this is not OUR creation!! God has created this United Church of Beloit for a bigger purpose! We will reach this bigger purpose by recognizing our own flawed humanity and reaching out with a heavenly love to another flawed human. We can help others to see God at work―even if we can't catch a single fish on our own! Jesus is asking today, do you Love me? How are we responding?