Words of Welcome

What is Happening? A Sermon

2012-01-29T11:00:00.000-08:00

Mark 1:21-28

Jesus walks into the synagogue at Capernaum, immediately heads to the pulpit, and without so much as asking for permission from the synagogue leaders, starts preaching. After that, the place falls into chaos.

That’s because, no sooner had Jesus started preaching, when suddenly, a man stood up in the sanctuary, and started shouting Jesus. The man, whom Mark says was possessed by an evil spirit, screamed at Jesus, demanding to know what Jesus would do with “us?” Are you going to destroy us? After all, “I know who you are.” Yes, “you are the holy one of God.”

Picture yourself in such a congregation. How would you have responded to all of this commotion? Would you have been amazed and shaken, as Mark suggests was the case for this congregation? I expect that like us, this congregation liked things to be done “decently and in order.” What would you make of both the preacher and the respondent to this preacher? Would you call the police?

As Mark tells the story, the congregation was first amazed at Jesus’ authoritative teaching, contrasting his teaching with that of the religious leaders. In hearing this story we must be careful not to read into it an anti-Jewish bias, while recognizing in Jesus a message that is both prophetic and challenging to our own religious and cultural sensibilities.

There is in this story, a question posed to us – who is this person and how should I respond?

Although they were amazed at the teaching, they were also shaken by the encounter with the man possessed with evil spirits. They watch breathlessly, as Jesus demonstrates his authority over the demon by “harshly” demanding that the spirits be silent and then to come out of the man. We’re told that at that moment, the evil spirit shook the host and with a scream left the man’s body.

As the people in this congregation, people like you and like me, tried to make sense of the scene, they asked a question: “What’s this?” What’s happening here? Surely, we would be asking the same kinds of questions!

Then Mark writes: “Right away the news about him spread throughout the entire region of Galilee.” Even without Facebook and Twitter, news spread quickly about this new teacher.

The question of the hour wasn’t just: What happened here? A more important question was: Who is this person who has turned everything upside down? How would you have responded to him and the chaos that he stirred up in that congregation? What would you be thinking?

We might not be the most formal congregation in the world, but we like things done decently and in order. That’s why we have a bulletin that lays out the service so that everyone knows where they need to be and do at the appropriate moment. There’s a time for prayer and a time for song, a time for preaching and a time to gather at the table. Just so everyone knows their place, the names of the person doing each job is noted. Sometimes we make adjustments, but there is still a sense of order to our responses to the needs of the moment. We’re not used to the kind of commotion Jesus caused in that congregation.

What would happen here if some somebody walked in off the street and headed to the front, took the microphone – probably from the preacher – and starting talking – without permission? I know I’d be a bit concerned, and I expect the Elders might be concerned as well. But then to complicate things, what if someone got into a frenzy, stood up, and started arguing with this strange preacher? Wouldn’t we also ask the question: “What’s this?”

I expect that this story could raise a deeper question in our hearts and minds. As we ask the question: Who is Jesus? We also ask a related question: What does this Jesus who always seems to be disturbing the status quo want from me?

Albert Schweitzer, a famous doctor, missionary, organist, and bible scholar, wrote a book more than a century ago about the “search for the historical Jesus.” He concluded that at the end of the search, the people seeking after the historical Jesus end up looking down into a well and seeing their own reflection. When they asked who Jesus was, they ended up with a person who looked just like them and thought just like them. In the end this “historical Jesus” served to validate their own ideas and ideologies.

So, is Jesus nothing more than a reflection of our own imaginations?

Last Sunday a group of us went to the DIA and took in the “Rembrandt and the Face of Jesus” exhibit. Although the exhibit focused on Rembrandt’s paintings of Jesus, the exhibit placed his perspectives in the context of other artistic creations.

What stood out for me was the revelation that Rembrandt used a young Sephardic Jew living in Amsterdam as his model for Jesus. This made him unique, because most artists of that day portrayed Jesus as a good northern European man. This Euro-centric vision of Jesus can be seen in the picture on our bulletin this morning. For most Europeans then, and probably most European and American Christians today, Jesus looks like a good blue-eyed blonde European male – with long hair and a beard! Rembrandt, however, turned things upside-down by trying to portray Jesus in a way that reflected his Jewish humanity.

So, who is the real Jesus? How does he affect the way you live and think? Does he make you uncomfortable, as he made the attendees of this synagogue? Does he challenge your sense of identity? How do you experience his call to discipleship? Would you be willing to drop everything, like Andrew and Simon, James and John, and follow him on a journey that often is uncomfortable and challenging?

In an earlier presidential election cycle, a candidate said that Jesus was his favorite philosopher. Unfortunately, no one asked him why Jesus was his favorite teacher of wisdom. What was it about Jesus that informed his world view? What difference would the teachings of Jesus make in the way he would lead the nation?

Many of us have a rather domesticated view of Jesus. He’s our savior and our friend, but not much more. We tend to ignore what Peter Gomes, the late chaplain at Harvard, called “The Scandalous Gospel of Jesus.” We know that the gospel must have been scandalous to some, because it upset enough people, that Jesus ended up dying on a cross. But, what is it about the gospel that can be truly scandalous?

In Mark, the scandal begins here, in the synagogue at Capernaum, where Jesus’ teaching and actions amaze and shakes up the people. In Luke’s gospel, Jesus preaches in his home congregation, and causes such a stir that they the people not only chase him out of the synagogue, but they also try to throw him off a cliff (Luke 4:28-30).

So, who is this Jesus, who causes such a scandal?

Many years ago, back when I was but a youth, The Doobie Brothers had a hit song. Maybe you remember it – “Jesus is Just alright with me.” Is Jesus just all right? Is he nothing more than a domesticated savior whom I turn to when I need him, but who I ignore the rest of the time? Is he nothing more than a religious symbol that is useful in supporting an agenda? Or is his message of God’s realm, a message that is expressed in his words and in his actions, something that changes the way we look at life and live our lives in this world?

Yes, who is this Jesus? And when he steps into our midst, what happens to us and to our world?

Preached by:
Dr. Robert D. Cornwall
Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Troy, Michigan
4th Sunday after Epiphany
January 29, 2012

Passing the Torch

2012-01-15T11:00:00.000-08:00

1 Samuel 3:1-10

When Teddy Roosevelt became President in 1901 he was the first President since James Buchanan who hadn’t been directly involved in the Civil War. Though Grover Cleveland did pay a substitute to take his place in the Union Army.

Bill Clinton was the first post-World War II generation President, and since Barack Obama’s election in 2008, it appears that the torch may be in the process of being passed once again.

Passing the torch of responsibility from one generation to the next is inevitable – in politics, in business, in sports, and in the church.

At Central Woodward, we’re blessed with members who can remember the earliest days of this congregation, back when it sat on Woodward Avenue. It’s good to hear your stories, and we’re hoping to get them down on video soon. But a new day is dawning, and new generations are taking up the mantle of leadership. And that’s the way it should be.

The story of Eli and Samuel that we heard read this morning is a “passing the torch” story. In one way it’s a rather sad story, because Eli hoped to pass his priestly mantle to his sons. Unfortunately, they had failed him and now God was turning to someone else. The recent bankruptcy of the Crystal Cathedral is a good warning to those who wish to make the church a family enterprise! It rarely works! But the torch must be passed, and in this case Eli passes it to Samuel.

If we’re to effectively pass the torch from one generation to the next, it’s important that we understand each other. We sometimes hear about a generation gap, but these gaps exist because we tend not to understand each other’s stories and cultures. Generational theory is one way to understand these differences.

To give you an example: Think about the music we enjoy. I’ve heard it said that until Elvis, everyone listened to the same kind of music. After Elvis, music became generational. My mom listened to Engelbert Humperdink, I listened to the Moody Blues, and Brett listens to some Finnish metal band. This gap not only impacts family life, it impacts the church. In fact, there have been reports of “worship wars” breaking out in many of our churches.

So, here’s my question: Since we’re a multi-generational church, how can we effectively pass the torch of faith and leadership from one generation to the next?

I’d venture to say that there are at least five rather distinct generations present this congregation. There’s the World War II generation, which some call the Greatest Generation. Then there’s the so-called “Silent Generation,” followed by my generation – the ubiquitous Baby Boomers. Then there’s the GenXers, a generation that has a rather sparse representation in this congregation. They are followed by the Millennials – that generation of young adults who are under 30 and are the children of the Baby Boomers. And now some of these Millennials have become parents, and we don’t even have a name for this newest generation.

Each generation experiences the world differently. My parents grew up during the Depression, and my father was just old enough to serve in World War II. When this generation emerged from that War, they started families and joined churches. As a result, for a moment in time, the churches grew at a fast and furious pace. But this expansion didn’t last long, because a new generation emerged in the 1960s and 1970s that saw the world very differently. And unlike their parents this new generation was much less likely to join the church.

The two generations that have followed after the Baby Boomers – the GenXers who are children of the Silent Generation, and the Millennials who are the children of the Boomers, are even more likely to absent themselves from the church. That’s one of the reasons why so many churches struggle to attract young families with children.

Since I’m the parent of a Millennial, I’m sort of aware of how they view the world. These young adults who are now ready to take up leadership roles in the church have grown up in a world that never knew a black and white TV, a record player or even an 8-Track player. Instead of a typewriter, all they’ve ever known is the computer and the internet. And they’re children may look at the computer in the same way they look at a typewriter.

Now, although this generation is increasingly uncertain about the relevancy of the church to their lives, they are very open spiritually and they’re interested in finding places of worship and community that are authentic. They don’t just join the church for the sake of joining. There are simply too many options available to them.

Still, like Samuel, many of them are hearing God’s call on their lives. But they’re hearing this call at a time when growing numbers of people are losing confidence in institutions. Like the world into which Samuel was born, many younger adults are struggling to hear the voice of God.

The good news is that God is still speaking, to borrow a slogan from our UCC friends. The question is – are we ready to help these new generations hear that voice?

Eli is one who recognizes the importance of passing on the torch to a new generation, and so he helps Samuel tune in the voice of God. You see, according to the story, Samuel didn’t know the LORD’s voice, and so he didn’t know how to answer.

Although it took Eli three times before he figured out that God was speaking to Samuel, once he figured out that Samuel was hearing God’s voice he helped Samuel train his ear so he could respond to God’s calling.

Eli was Samuel’s mentor, and mentors see leadership potential and invest themselves in the lives of these emerging leaders. In order to take up this role, Eli had to let go of power.

A major reason why things went bad at the Crystal Cathedral was that Robert Schuller couldn’t let go of power when his son became the pastor. As a result his son failed and so did the church.

In our congregation more members are over sixty-five than under sixty-five, and so the day is coming, and is already here, when leadership must be passed on to younger generations.

Passing the torch isn’t easy. But then, letting our children go out into the world on their own isn’t easy. We want to hang on as long as possible to the umbilical chord, but eventually it has to be broken.

As for the “children” – they’ve already cut the chord. They’re taking up leadership. They’re hearing the call. And to give two examples of young adults and youth who have heard the call – I’ll point to Alex, who serves on the Young Adult Leadership Team for the Disciples, and Heidi, who serves on the Disciple Youth Leadership Team. These are only two of our under 30 members who have heard God call their names and have answered: “Here I Am.”

So, where do you fit in this story of Eli and Samuel? Are you called to be a mentor or are you being called into leadership?

Just a word of warning here: Newer and younger leaders may do things differently. They may want to sing different songs or engage in different kinds of mission. In fact, they may stir things up a bit.

Yes, the time has come for a new generation to take up the mantle of leadership by serving as elders, officers, teachers, leaders, and mentors. This passing of the torch, if it’s to be successful will take prayer and patience and openness. But, even as we see the torch being passed, that doesn’t mean that the mentor generations get to retire – there’s too much kingdom business for us to be involved with, for anyone, young or old, to retire!

William Willimon said that he always identified with Samuel, until he was about fifty, and then he began to identify with Eli. Tongue-in-cheek, Willimon says that in Hebrew Samuel means "a person who is from infancy to about forty." [William Willimon, Pulpit Resource, 28 (January, February, March 2000), 13.]

In other words, when we reach age forty or thereabouts, our youthful exuberance and idealism begins to give way to the temperings of maturity and experience.

As a pastor, I’m now well past forty, and so I too am one of the Elis. Who are you?

Is God calling you to take up the mantle of leadership? Or, is God calling you to begin mentoring the next generation of leaders?

How will you answer when God calls your name?

Preached by:
Dr. Robert D. Cornwall
Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Troy, MI
2nd Sunday after Epiphany
January 15, 2012

In the Beginning . . . A Sermon for Epiphany

2012-01-08T12:00:00.000-08:00

Genesis 1:1-5

“The end of something is better than its beginning.” (Ecclesiastes 7:8 Common English Bible)

I thought you’d want to hear this word from Ecclesiastes, since we’re moving into a new year. Beginnings are important, but endings are even more important. A few years ago the Lions won all their preseason games and everyone expected good things, and then they lost the next sixteen in a row. This year, the Lions had an up and down season, but they ended up in the playoffs – that was a much better conclusion.

Each of us has a story of beginnings to tell, what we don’t know is how things will turn out. My own life began on March 3, 1958 in Los Angeles. Five years later, I began my formal schooling as kindergartner in Mt. Shasta. From then on, for the next seventeen Septembers, I would begin a new school year. After taking off two Septembers, I restarted school in January 1982, when I began my seminary career. Of course I didn’t just start school, I also began a new phase of life on a Summer day in July when Cheryl and I were married. There was another day of beginnings in June of 1985, when I was ordained. Then, there was that day in April of 1990, when I became a parent. These are just some of the beginnings of my life experiences. I’ve had some endings, but there are still many of these beginnings that have yet to reach an ending.

Genesis 1 begins with the words, “In the beginning,” a phrase that is picked up by the Gospel John, who declares:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word was with God in the beginning. Everything came into being through the Word, and without the Word nothing came into being. (Jn 1:1-3a CEB).

The Gospel of Mark starts with the words: “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” And in Revelation Jesus declares: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End” (Rev. 21:6), while Paul writes:

So then, if anyone is in Christ, that person is part of the new creation. The old things have gone away, and look, new things have arrived! (2 Corinthians 5:17 CEB)

A time of beginnings, whether new or not, is a time when we begin with a clean slate. Whatever happened in the past, for good of for bad, is in the past. Now, however, is the time to move into the future, embracing all the opportunities the future presents. And if God promises to be with us in the beginning, then surely we can expect God to be with us until the end of all things. Although the end is better than the beginning, the writer of Ecclesiastes cautions us to be patient.

Before we get to focused on the end of things, perhaps we could return to the beginning of the story – with the opening lines of Genesis 1.

Do you hear a difference between this more traditional translation of the opening line of Genesis -- “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” – and this more recent translation: “When God began to create the heavens and the earth?”

Did the universe emerge fully formed in a single moment? Or is creation a process that is even now unfolding? Is God finished with the work of creation and living in retirement? Or is God still at work bringing order out of chaos and bringing light into the darkness?

Since I’m not a Deist, I’ll cast my lot with the God who is still at work bringing order out of chaos and light into the darkness. Because we live in a world where both chaos and darkness are still present, I find hope in the promise that God is still at work. What is, is not the final word.

We have experienced the Alpha, but not the Omega.

If step back to look at the full picture of creation – from beginning to end – perhaps we can see why God declares the creation to be good. It is full of potential. But, as we look closer we see that things are not yet complete. Disorder is still present and darkness remains. Where is God in the midst of this disorder and chaos? Is God too weak to bring order to creation? Or is the power of God expressed differently than we’ve often been led to believe?

May we say that God is at work, but not as the omnipotent miracle worker, who reaches and fixes things when their broke, but the one who comes to us in the revealed in and through the cross of Jesus?

And where do we fit in the story? If you continue reading Genesis 1, you will come to the creation of humanity, and you will hear God give humanity stewardship over the creation. In doing this, God entrusts us with co-responsibility for this creation. Mixed into this story, however, is the continued presence of chaos and darkness. The biblical story gives us two words – God’s creation is good, but evil is real and it is present in our midst. As we read on we discover that humans can get caught upon this darkness, but we also hear the promise that God has made provision in Christ to bring us back into the light. This is the good news – the word of liberation.

We know that in this time and place there are those who are experiencing a moment of darkness. May we become light bearers in their moment of darkness. There are also those who are experiencing chaos. It could be the crisis of foreclosure, the loss of a job, or simply a loss of hope. May we be instruments of God’s ordering of life.

As we ponder this calling to join with God in bringing order and light into the world, may we also remember that even as we seek to respond to this invitation, we too need light and order in our own lives. We are not free from complicity in the chaos and darkness of this life, for the ending is not yet upon us.

Perhaps we can hear a word of guidance in Mark’s story of Jesus’ baptism by John. In this account, Jesus joins with the throngs of people coming to John to be baptized, as a sign that the desire to change their hearts and lives. Jesus submits to this baptism, identifying himself with the sinners of this world. But, as Jesus emerges from the waters of the Jordan, the heavens open, the Spirit of God descends like a dove upon Jesus, and then a voice from heaven declares: “You are my Son; whom I dearly love; in you I find happiness.”

Yes, there is happiness to be found in the one through whom and in whom order and light comes into the world. That same Spirit that descends upon Jesus is the same Spirit who hovered above the waters at the beginning of creation, when life itself began. This same Spirit fell on the Day of Pentecost upon the disciples, empowering them to share with God in this work of bringing order and light into the world.

Although the end may be better than the beginning, may this be a day of New Beginnings.

Preached by:

Dr. Robert D. Cornwall

Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Troy, Michigan

1st Sunday after Epiphany

January 8, 2012

Awaiting the Blessed Hope

2011-12-24T13:06:00.000-08:00

Titus 2:11-14

The other day I was asked why we’re reading from Titus 2 on Christmas Eve. My conversation partner wanted to know what this passage has to do with Christmas. I have to admit that on the surface it doesn’t seem to fit very well. It doesn’t say anything about the birth of Jesus, and as far as I know it hasn’t inspired any Christmas carols, but sometimes what we see on the surface is deceiving. When we look more closely at this passage, we hear the announcement of “the glorious appearing of our great God and savior Jesus Christ.” And as the letter writer declares, this is the blessed hope for which we have been waiting. With Christ comes the grace of God that inspires and empowers us to live into the message of Christmas.

I imagine that most of us have come here tonight expecting to be drawn into the presence of the God who Scripture says appeared to the world in the babe born in Bethlehem. Most of us come with hearts full of joy, though some come with a mixture of emotions, hoping to celebrate this blessed event that ushered into existence a new age of divine blessing. It’s an expectation that inspires our singing of carols and that calls for us to faithfully observe the wonder of this child’s birth as we listen to the angels declare through song that one has come into our midst, who according to Titus 2, bringing “salvation to all people,” and educating “us so that we live sensible, ethical, and godly lives” (Titus 2:12 CEB)

When we read Titus 2 in light of the gospel stories of Jesus’ birth and the powerful words of Isaiah as he declares that a great light shines in the darkness of our world, bringing joy to the nation, perhaps we may understand how this event changes the way we look at life and live our lives in the presence of the God who brings to the world justice and peace and grace.

As we consider the words of this letter, my thoughts turn to Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. While I enjoy Charlie Brown and the Grinch, this story that tells of the transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge remains my favorite extra-biblical Christmas story. Nothing seems to catch the spirit of this season better than this tale set in 19th-century industrializing Britain, at a time when income inequality had reached epic heights. Dickens used this story to open the eyes of a nation to the plight of the poor, the oppressed, and

the marginalized, and invite them to respond in a way that truly reflected the Christmas story.

If you’re like me and a fan of this story, you probably have a favorite version of the story. Personally, I like most of them, from Mr. Magoo to Patrick Stewart, but my favorite portrayal of Ebenezer Scrooge remains Alister Sim. This 1951 version of the story may be in black and white, and the effects may be a bit primitive, but Sim captures the essence of a man who is cold toward humanity and who is consumed by greed and self-centeredness. He also captures the pure joy that comes from discovering that he has a second chance to make things right. Through his facial expressions and the giddiness he displays as a laughs and dances and even by standing on his head in a chair, which scares the living daylights out of his housekeeper, he shows us how to respond to what I would consider to be divine grace. But it’s not just fleeting joy, for Ebenezer Scrooge is a changed man.

Yes Ebenezer Scrooge goes from being a person for whom Christmas is nothing more than a “humbug,” to someone who seeks to embody the fulness of Christmas – not the Christmas of the mall, but the Christmas that is ultimately rooted in the blessed hope of God. In the beginning, he can’t be bothered by Christmas, especially if he’s being asked to contribute to the welfare of the poor. But, he’s also annoyed by the joy of his nephew who invites him to share in Christmas and by the desire of his lowly clerk, Bob Cratchitt, that he have Christmas Day off so he can celebrate with his family, a family that includes Tiny Tim, a boy whose joy and wisdom know no bounds, and yet whose future is dark.

Grace appears to Scrooge in the form of a warning from the ghost of his long dead business partner, Jacob Marley, who like Scrooge, had hardened himself toward humanity, and who now bore the chains he forged in life. Marley tells Scrooge that he’ll be visited by three Christmas ghosts, and warns him to pay attention to these revelations, so that his fate might be different. The lessons are hard, because Scrooge is forced to relive old and difficult memories, while coming face to face with both the joys and the difficulties of his neighbors in the present, before seeing the future consequences of his actions.

The story of Ebenezer Scrooge isn’t pure gospel, but can we not see in it a call to embrace the transformative nature of God’s grace that comes to us in story of the babe born in Bethlehem. The question that is utmost in Scrooge’s mind, is whether these shadows of the future can be changed? And the answer is, as Dickens tells it, yes, the future remains open. We can turn over a new leaf and live godly lives that express the grace and love of God to the world.

As Dickens puts it in the closing paragraph of the story:

And it was said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!

Indeed, may God bless us, everyone, as we embrace the full message of Christmas, the message that in Christ, we experience the blessed hope of God’s healing presence in our world, and therefore we can live sensible, ethical, and godly lives that express God’s love to the world. Merry Christmas!

Preached by:

Dr. Robert D. Cornwall

Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Troy, Michigan

December 24, 2011

Christmas Eve

Nothing is Impossible for God -- An Advent Sermon

2011-12-18T11:00:00.000-08:00

Luke 1:26-38

Do you feel the tug of Christmas, both it’s sacred and it’s secular elements, pulling at you? Do you feel like Advent has gone on long enough, and you’re ready to move on and celebrate Christmas? After all, the presents have been purchased and wrapped. The Christmas dinner menu is planned – though I should remind you that we will be meeting for worship on Christmas morning at 11:00 A.M., so plan accordingly! If you’re traveling, all the necessary arrangements have been made, except maybe filling up the gas tank one more time. Perhaps you’re like that child who has been poking at the presents under the tree, maybe even picking them up, trying to figure out what’s inside. There comes a point when you just want to pick it up and rip open the wrapping paper and see what’s inside. Yes, the excitement of the season, which has been building for some time now, has a tendency to overwhelm all this Advent talk of preparation and waiting that we’ve been hearing these past four weeks. Are you ready to get on with it? Well, before you answer, could you hold that thought, because I have another question: Once those presents are opened and the dinner is over, do you feel like you need something more? The tree is still there, but the presents are gone and the anticipation of Christmas dinner has given way to a week’s worth of leftovers. So, what’s next? College Bowl games? The Super Bowl? At least from personal experience, I have to wonder if our Christmas celebrations are a bit like a sugar high. The crash comes quickly!

Of course, we’ve not yet arrived at Christmas Eve, so you can take this all with a grain of salt (or sugar). In the mean time, maybe it’s worth contemplating the part of Christmas that lasts well beyond the opening of the presents and the eating of Christmas dinner.

In our gospel reading Luke takes us back to the beginning of the Christmas story, to the moment at which the angel Gabriel visits a young girl named Miriam. Miriam, which is the Hebrew name for the person we know as Mary, was probably twelve or thirteen – about the age of a seventh grader – when this Angel informs Mary that God had chosen to favor her with a special calling. She will, the angel informs her, bear a child, who will be called the “Son of the Most High,” and who will sit on David’s throne and rule over Jacob’s house forever. In other words, she is going to bear the Messiah of God, the one who would deliver God’s people.

If this were you, how would you respond to the angel’s announcement? If you were a girl about thirteen, and an angel told you that God had chosen you to be the mother of the messiah? Would you say – wow – what a great honor? Or, would you say, thanks for the offer, but I think I’ll pass?

This story reminds us that God acts in unexpected ways. It’s not that God is capricious or undependable. It’s just that God doesn’t operate according to conventional wisdom. Does it make sense for God to choose a young peasant girl living in a backwater village in Galilee to be the mother of God’s messiah, the one who will sit on David’s throne and rule over Israel forever? Furthermore, what should we make of the circumstances surrounding this birth? Now, Luke doesn’t say much about Joseph’s feelings or concerns about the birth, but it’s likely that Joseph was at least a decade older than Mary, and in making the marriage arrangements, it’s likely that Mary’s parents would have promised Joseph that his young bride was a virgin. So, an unplanned pregnancy would not have been welcome news either to Joseph or to Mary. So, it’s no wonder that she asks the Angel – how is this going to work?

Gabriel’s answer doesn’t go into the details. Scripture is rather shy about revealing such things, but Gabriel does tell her that the Holy Spirit will come over you, and the child you bear will be holy and he will be called “God’s son.” Whatever else is said here – Jesus is declared to be holy. No matter what they were saying in the parking lot when Mary or Jesus walks by – this child and his birth are holy.

And if Mary needs any further proof, all she needs to do is look to her cousin Elizabeth, who had been unable to conceive a child, but is now six months’ pregnant. Surely Elizabeth is proof that “Nothing is impossible with God.”

As you can probably tell from the sermon title, I was attracted to this statement. Don’t you find it a rather bold statement? Do you wonder – what does Luke want us to hear in this statement by the angel?

If you spent last Sunday afternoon attending the theology conversation with Ron Allen, which by the way, Ron really enjoyed, you would likely have wrestled with this question. Before I had to leave, Ron pointed out that there are two poles of thought about the nature of God’s power. On one hand there are those who believe that God is “omnipotent.” That is, God can do whatever God wants to do. Now this doctrine has a very long history and it’s very attractive, because it holds out the promise that if God so desires, God can do anything – from stopping a storm to healing a loved one. It gives us confidence in our prayers. The only problem is, God doesn’t always seem to come through. Earthquakes and tornadoes hit, killing hundreds if not thousands. No matter how hard you pray, our loved ones die. And so people who believe that God is both loving and all powerful often experience a crisis of faith. They may wonder about where God is in all of this. And as I’ve witnessed on countless occasions, people praying for the healing of a loved, begin to wonder about their own faith. They begin wonder – what’s wrong with my faith?

On the other hand there are those who say that God is loving and just, but God might not be all powerful. There may be limits to what God can do. That doesn’t mean that God doesn’t have power, it’s just that God’s power is different from what we have understood power to be. According to Process theologians, for instance, instead of using the power of coercion, God uses the power of persuasion to draw us toward that which is good and loving. As a result, we can be active participants in the work of God.

And so as I think about this word from Gabriel that nothing is impossible with God, these words of our friend Bruce Epperly come to mind. He writes of Mary and Elizabeth that “ordinary people can do extraordinary things when they are open to God’s revealing in their lives, and then say ‘yes’ to God’s vision for their lives.”

“Ordinary people,” like Mary, “can do extraordinary things,” when they respond to God’s call, as Mary did when she answered God’s invitation to participate in the work of God in the world with the words: “I am the Lord’s Servant. Let it be with me just as you have said.” Mary answers God’s call in the same way that the prophets of old had responded. In her receptiveness and in her faithfulness Mary becomes for us a model disciple of Jesus.

As we continue our Advent journey toward that moment when with the angels of God we can sing Gloria in Excelsis Deo, may we remember Mary’s example of faithfulness to the call of God, who often chooses what appear to be ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

Preached by:

Dr. Robert D. Cornwall

Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Troy, Michigan

4th Sunday of Advent

December 18, 2011

Making the Preparations -- An Advent Sermon

2011-12-04T12:30:00.000-08:00

Mark 1:1-8

According to Proverbs you should keep an eye on nature, because you can learn important life lessons. So if you can learn from the ants, what about the squirrels that are always running around my backyard?

Our family enjoys watching the ever-fatter squirrels scurrying across our deck and yard carrying nuts and seeds in their mouths. While I’m not thrilled with their attempts to plant trees in the lawn, I understand why they do this, and the show does keep us entertained. As enjoyable as the show is, what lesson might we learn from their behavior? Is it the fact that they seem to know instinctively how to prepare for the winter long before the first snow begins to fall? It’s just built into their systems. They don’t seem to need any training to know that they need to fatten up in the good times and to store up supplies for the winter. After all, they can’t drive to the grocery store if the fridge gets empty.

We humans are different. We’re not nearly as instinctive as the squirrels, and so we need to be trained if we’re going to be prepared for life. And the time of training seems to be getting longer over time! One place we can probably learn how to prepare for life is through the various Scouting programs. Now, I can’t say I was a very good Boy Scout – I was just a Second Class Scout after all – but I do remember the Boy Scout Motto: "Be Prepared." There are those in the room – the Eagle Scouts among us – who understand this principle much better than me, but as I remember it, a good Scout knows that you have to be prepared for whatever life throws at you. So, armed with a Boy Scout knife, sufficient food and water, a first aid kit, and appropriate clothing, you should be okay! And those who don’t learn the lesson – well things may not go well for them!

Of course we could all tell “preparation” stories. For example, if you want to do well on an exam, you might want to study for it. Don’t do as I did on the eve of the SAT’s and stay out late having a good time with friends. You might not get the desired scores you want. And if you’re going to throw a party at your house, you might want to make sure that everything is planned and ready well in advance. Oh, and if you’re going to have an event at the church that requires the involvement of the Fellowship Department, don’t wait till the last minute to inform them! That doesn’t make for happy campers!

This idea of being prepared is a major part of the Advent season. In our text this morning we hear a word about preparing to welcome the one who brings to the world the baptism of the Holy Spirit, through which God brings to an end this broken age and establishes God’s realm, where justice and mercy and divine love are the defining principles of life. Of course, none of this comes naturally. It takes the Spirit, but according to Mark God has sent a messenger into the world to help us prepare for the coming of this new realm of God, which is initiated by Jesus and continued after his death and resurrection through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

Unlike Matthew and Luke, Mark doesn’t begin his story with Jesus’ birth. Instead, he starts with John the Baptist calling on the people of Judea and Jerusalem to change their hearts and lives, so that God might forgive them. This act of repentance is symbolized in the act of baptism, which is understood to wash away the sins of the people. But even as he preaches this message and baptizes all who come to him seeking God’s forgiveness, he also tells the people that there is one who is to come, whose sandals he’s unworthy of tying, who will baptize them not with water, but with the Holy Spirit.

John may be a crazy looking prophet, who looks a lot like one of those street preachers who stand on the corner and yells at us as we walk by, telling us we need to repent or we’ll go to hell, and who eats food that only Andrew Zimmern would enjoy, but his is the voice that calls us to prepare ourselves for the coming of God’s reign on earth.

In telling the story of John’s ministry, Mark reaches back to the words of a prophet who lived and preached to a people living in exile. This prophet, whose words come to us through the book of Isaiah, sought to prepare a people who seem to have lost hope that they’d ever return home, that the day of their salvation was close at hand. This prophet came to them as a voice crying in the wilderness, proclaiming: "Prepare the Way of the Lord." If you read Isaiah 40 you hear the prophet offer words of comfort and forgiveness, even as he calls for repentance. The prophet also speaks of God’s faithfulness. He says:

“The grass dries up; the flower withers, but our God’s word will exist forever” (vs. 8 CEB).

The prophet says that even if our friends and family, our nation and community, fail us, even as the grass dries up and the flowers wither when the hot dry winds blow, God will not fail us. When God speaks we can take comfort and confidence that God will be true to God’s promises. These words of forgiveness and comfort would have been welcome news to this people living in exile. The word they heard was simple – begin to prepare yourselves to go home. Get packing, because the day of your restoration is at hand!

Now John is a man of the desert, a person from the margins. He’s not the sort of person we would expect to be a successful preacher, but God chooses to speak to us through him. And according to Mark, everyone in Judea and Jerusalem went to the Jordan to be baptized. This was a revival like no other. But it wasn’t the final word, because John’s ministry is one of preparation. In time he gives way to another – Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. But, interestingly enough, before Jesus takes up this ministry, he submits himself to John to be baptized. And as he does this, Jesus receives confirmation of his calling to bring into existence the new realm of God. As you hear this story of John’s ministry, what do you hear it saying to you? In what ways will you prepare yourself for the transforming nature of God’s realm? And if you’re going to put Christ into Christmas, what will be required of you?

As Fred Craddock puts it:

Advent Pilgrims on the way to the Manger must pass through the desert where John is preaching. [Preaching Through the Christian Year, B p. 13]

In the biblical story the desert is often a place of transformation. It was true for John, for Moses, for Israel, for Elijah, for Jesus, and even for Paul. What is the desert for you? And as you enter this desert what message do you hear God speaking to you through John? What is it that needs to be laid aside so that God might be encountered in the journey we’re taking toward Christmas?

Preached by:

Dr. Robert D. Cornwall

Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Troy, MI

December 4, 2011

2nd Sunday of Advent

Spending the Inheritance

2011-11-20T12:00:00.000-08:00

Ephesians 1:11-23

You may have seen a very large RV traveling down the highway. In the driver’s seat is a senior citizen, and emblazoned on the back of that RV is a bumper sticker declaring that this now retired couple is spending their children’s inheritance. Now, they have every right to spend their money any way they please, and the kids have no legal means of stopping them from doing this, but this declaration seems rather bold, maybe even brazen! They have decided to spend the inheritance before it gets passed on to the next generation.

Warren Buffett, as you may have heard, has decided that the bulk of his fortune won’t go to his children, but rather to charity. It’s not that the kids won’t get anything, but most of the inheritance is going to be shared by a much broader group of people.

Jesus once told a parable about inheritances. In this parable a son demands his share of the inheritance now. Why wait until Dad is dead to enjoy the benefits of the inheritance. Now, this is also a rather brazen demand. The son is basically telling his father to drop dead. There’s another part to this story that we rarely hear. In that day the estate went to the eldest son, who then decided if anyone else would get a share. So, this younger son was asking for something that didn’t belong to him. But the father gives him what he asks for and the son goes out and spends it all on drugs, sex, and rock and roll. Before too long it’s all gone and he finds himself on the streets, eating the left overs from the slopped hogs. You know the rest of the story. He decides to go home and see if Dad will hire him on. He knows he has no claim to sonship or the inheritance, because that’s all gone. In the end, however, there is a word of grace that restores this prodigal back to his place in the family.

In Ephesians 1 we also hear a word about an inheritance.

I pray that the eyes of your heart will have enough light to see what is the hope of God’s call, what is the richness of God’s glorious inheritance among believers, 19 and what is the overwhelming greatness of God’s power that is working among us believers. (Eph. 1:18-19a CEB).

This is a prayer that our eyes would be opened so that we would see the “richness of God’s glorious inheritance.” The promise is that we get to share in this inheritance, which by rights goes to the eldest son, whom the scriptures declare to be Jesus the Christ. The promise here is that we have been called to share in this inheritance. That means we can spend the inheritance – hopefully wisely!

Back in the 1980s a Danish movie came out entitled Babette’s Feast. I’ve never seen the movie, but I’ve heard the story, and it has stuck with me – though I had to go online to reacquaint myself with the details. Maybe you know this story about two sisters who are living in a small Danish village. They’re the daughters of a pastor, and while both had opportunities to leave the village, both women spurned their suitors and returned to their village, living together without ever marrying. As they reached old age, a French woman who has fled political turmoil in France comes to the door and offers her services as housekeeper in exchange for a place to live. She serves in this capacity for fourteen years, until word comes that she has won the lottery, which would bring her 10,000 francs. That’s enough money for her to return home and live fairly well the rest of her life.

Instead of using the money to return home, she decides to throw a feast for the two sisters and the village’s small congregation on the 100th birthday of the founding pastor. The sisters agree, though as the meal is being planned and the food begins to arrive they become uncomfortable with the extravagance of it all. Although they agree to the meal, they decide as a group to say nothing about it, lest they seem to be indulging themselves in luxury. There is one other guest at the table – a Swedish general who had once sought the hand of one of the sisters. Unlike the other guests, he feels free to speak admiringly of the food, explaining each course, and declaring that he’d not had a meal like this since he had dined years before at the famed Café Anglais in Paris.

Although no one says anything about the food, something wonderful begins to happen in the community. They not only seem to be enjoying the food, but they’re lifted up spiritually. As they eat, they begin to forget about old wrongs, and old loves are rekindled. Indeed, something mystical and redemptive begins to settle in on the group.

After the meal is finished, Babette tells the sisters that she was the chef at this famed restaurant. While they assume that Babette will return home now that she has these lottery winnings, Babette tells them that there’s nothing left of these winnings. She had spent all 10,000 francs on the dinner, for such was the cost of a meal for twelve at Café Anglais. In gratitude for the welcome these two sisters had provided her, she had given of herself to them with great extravagance, spending all that she had to bless them and their congregation. It is a story of sacrifice and blessing, but it is also a story of Thanksgiving.

This is, of course, the story of Jesus as it is shared throughout the New Testament. In Philippians 2 we’re told that while Jesus shared equality with God, he humbled himself and took on the form of a servant, going so far as to die on a cross. Here in Ephesians 1 we hear a word about an inheritance, which is shared with all those who are destined to receive it. They are marked by a seal, which is the Holy Spirit, who is given to them as a pledge of this inheritance that Christ as the elder brother has chosen to share with the body of Christ.

We are invited to share in the riches of this inheritance, which has been been witnessed to in the power of God that raised Christ from the dead and seated him at the right hand of God, far above all authority on earth.

Don’t you think that the folks who brag about spending their children’s inheritance may have more in common with the prodigal than with Babette, whose act of self-sacrifice brought blessings to others? Now this was her choice, but she didn’t regret it. And the message of the gospel is that in the interests of the reign of God, the Son became a human being, so as to share our lives that we might experience the blessings of God. That is, so that we might share in the inheritance of God.

As we hear the message of Jesus’ willingness to share the inheritance with us, so that we might experience the full redemption that comes from being part of the body of Christ, we stand on the eve of Thanksgiving. On the Day of Thanksgiving we are invited to offer up expressions of gratitude, both in word and deed, for the blessings of God’s gifts to humanity. In the words of one of my favorite songs from Godspell: we sing:

All good gifts around us

Are sent from Heaven above

So thank the Lord, oh thank the Lord for all his love . . .

This song reminds us that while we may plow the fields and scatter the good seed on the land, it is God who feeds and waters the seed so that it brings forth life. For this we give thanks.

Babette, like Jesus and the widow, gave all of herself for others, and she did this as a sign of thanksgiving. As we gather in the harvest of commitments made in support of the ongoing ministry of this church, the request made here isn’t that we give all our money to the church, but rather that we give ourselves fully to Christ, who shares with us the riches of God’s inheritance. Even as we bring in this harvest, as saints charged with giving generously, we are also invited to spend this inheritance for the glory of God. We do this in order to see the reign of God made visible on earth as in heaven, even as relationships are restored, justice is established, and beauty is rediscovered.

Preached by:

Dr. Robert D. Cornwall

Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church

Troy, MI

Christ the King Sunday

November 20, 2011

http://www.commonenglishbible.com

Good Investments -- A Sermon

2011-11-13T12:00:00.000-08:00

Matthew 25:14-30

Have you ever watched Jim Cramer’s CNBC show Mad Money? If you don’t know who Jim Cramer is, he’s a wild-eyed stock picking guru who wants to help you make money in the stock market! The motto of the show is that “there is always a bull market somewhere, and he wants to help you find it.” Jim Cramer, it appears, believes in the principle of abundance over scarcity. In his mind, somewhere there is an investment that will make you a profit, you just have to look for it, and he’s willing to help you make that discovery. Now, I don’t spend much time watching his show, since a little goes a long way, but I’m intrigued by his ability to pick good places to invest. He seems to know his stuff!

But money isn’t the only thing we have to invest. We also have our lives to invest, but the question – where will you invest?

We’re nearing the end of the liturgical year, and the lectionary texts are featuring passages that lift up the Day of Judgment. In the passage that follows immediately after the Parable of the Talents, which we heard read this morning, we hear Jesus describe the Day of Judgment. God is sitting on the judgment seat, surrounded by the sheep and the goats. God divides the sheep from the goats, sending the goats to condemnation and the sheep to God’s rest, and the basis of this judgment isn’t whether you prayed the prayer of salvation, but rather how you treat the “least of these.”

In this parable that leads into this judgment scene, Jesus tells the story of the master who goes on a trip and entrusts his property to three of his slaves. To one is given five talents, to another two, and to the third is given one talent, each receives according to their ability to handle the responsibility. The master doesn’t tell them what to do with the money, and this isn’t a small amount of money, since one talent is equivalent to about fifteen years’ wages, but the first two slaves seem to understand that they should invest these funds on behalf of the Master.

When the master returns, he asks them to give an accounting, and the first two slaves tell the master that they’ve doubled this amount. As a result, they receive the master’s commendation, for they are “good and faithful servants.”

As for the third slave, well, things don’t go so well for him. He lives his life in fear of the master and so he decided to go and bury his talent in the ground, and now he returns that one talent to his master. The master is a bit perturbed and asks the servant why he didn’t at least put the money in the bank and earn some interest, after all it is insured by FDIC. Do you remember when a pass book account earned 5% and you probably thought that wasn’t a very good return? Today, if you put money in a basic account, it doesn’t earn much more than what you would get by burying it in the back yard. Of course, that’s not the point. The master asks this servant why he did what he did, and he answers – well I know you’re a harsh master and you reap what you don’t sow, so I’m giving you back what you gave me. No more and no less, so don’t I get a reward for not losing anything?

How does this servant look at the world? Is it a half-empty glass or a half-full glass? Does this servant operate from the principle of scarcity or the principle of abundance? Is life a zero-sum game, so that if you have something, then it must have come at my expense?

Doesn’t it seem as if the point of the parable has more to do with what we make of what we’re given than the amount we start with? This third person, who receives a word of judgment, seems to not understand how precious this gift he’s been given really is, and so he buries it.

So, what to do? How should we live in the world with the gifts that God has entrusted to our care? It’s not a question of what we deserve or what we earn, but what God has given us to use for the kingdom. Do we play it safe, or do we take a risk? Do we walk in faith or in fear?

Are we willing to take the risk of failure in order that the gifts of God might be used? The first two servants appear to have taken some risks, and they were rewarded. They went out and invested aggressively, and doubled their money. But the third servant let fear get the better of him, and so he cautiously buried the money in his back yard. The master received back what was his in the beginning, so no harm, no foul, right? But is that what God expects of us? In football terms, do we go into a prevent defense before we even score a touchdown, believing that a zero-zero tie is better than a loss?

Martin Luther famously called on Christians to "sin boldly." He believed that we shouldn’t live timid and fearful lives, but instead, we should depend on God’s grace and live life boldly. It’s better to try and fail, than sit back and do nothing, because there is no reward in doing nothing.

The gifts of God are not treasured heirlooms that need to be put behind glass-enclosed cabinets with signs that say “don’t touch.” The Christian life isn’t a museum of sanctity and piety. Rather it is an invitation to share in the gifts and calling of God.

When Brett was young, we gave him a set of toy pistols that had belonged to his uncle. They were in perfect condition when he got them, which leads me to believe that they hadn’t gotten much use. But because Brett and his friends played with them, before too long they were in sad shape. The plastic bullets were missing, the holster was mangled, and the handles were broken. Although these toys survived intact for forty years, they were destroyed almost overnight. Oh, it would have been nice if they had been treated with greater care, but that’s not what always happens when we use our gifts. Sometimes things get broken when we use them, which is why Luther told Christians – if you’re going to sin, then "sin boldly."

It’s okay then if you mispronounce a word while reading scripture. It’s okay if one person’s prayer isn’t as eloquent as another. You may not know what to say when visiting at the hospital or the nursing home, but the person being visited will still be blessed by that visit. Sometimes we make mistakes, but when we live boldly, we experience God’s grace and forgiveness.

To each is given a different talent and a different gift. These are expressions of God’s abundant grace. There’s no scarcity to worry about, so if the master reaps where he doesn’t sow, then so be it.

This parable isn't about stewardship, but it does have stewardship implications. And since this is stewardship season, it's appropriate to point out these implications. Our giving through the church – whether it is our tithes or our gifts to the various special offerings; the time given through the various ministries of the church or time spent in learning experiences such as the series on Islam – these are ways in which the work of God is extended into the world. They are the means by which we invest the gifts of God.

We are disciples of a risk-taking God, a God who chose to create the world and entrust it to our care. It is a gift to be cherished, but these gifts are also to be used for the good of all. It may involve change and doing new things – like our involvement in Motown Mission, the Perry Gresham Lectures, the series on Islam, a service of remembrance during Christmas, or an organ recital that brings beauty to the community. We’ve been blessed with an abundance of grace, and we’re invited to invest these gifts of grace in the work of God’s realm. If we follow this calling, when the master returns, we’ll hear the words: “Well done good and faithful servant, because you have been faithful with a little, I will put you in charge of many things."

Preached by:
Dr. Robert D. Cornwall
Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Troy, MI
22nd Sunday after Pentecost
November 13, 2011

Saints Living Generously

2011-10-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 16:1-4

Although many churches are observing All Saints Day today, we’re going to observe it next Sunday with a special litany of remembrance of “all the saints, who from their labors rest.” Even though we’re launching our annual stewardship campaign instead, it’s not too early to start remembering the people who have influenced our lives and have shown themselves worthy of being imitated. These people could be parents or teachers, preachers or friends, long time church members or the other saints of history, whose stories continue to inspire. As the hymn “For All the Saints” declares, this is a “blest communion, company divine!” And together, we form the one body in Christ and the communion of saints.

Although there are saints who have rested from their labors, there are also living saints. In fact, according to Paul, we all could be among the hagious or saints of God. So, do you feel like you’re one of God’s saints? And what does it mean to be a living saint? Does it mean that you and I must live perfect lives? I hope not! But perhaps this quote from Albert Schweitzer is worth pondering: “A man does not have to be an angel to be a saint.”

So, saints of God are you ready to talk about stewardship? And as our theme material suggests, we’re to be “Saints Alive! Living Generously.” Of course this theme only works if we’re ready to accept the calling to be living saints who live generous lives.

Generosity, as I’ve learned through life, is a spiritual discipline that requires consistency of practice. I like what Katie Hays, a Disciple pastor and a wonderful preacher who I met last spring, has to say about stewardship. She says that “stewardship is about the long-term, lifetime habit of deliberate generosity.” The principle of tithing, whether or not you give 10%, is the basis of such a practice, and I know that many of you practice this spiritual discipline. You don’t wait for emergency appeals. You just give in season and out of season, knowing that generosity is part of being a follower of Jesus. You don’t use your giving as leverage in the community, but you understand that it reflects your commitment to the common good of the community of faith and beyond.

As you ponder this definition of stewardship, did you notice the tree that seems to be growing out of the back window of the sanctuary? Felicia and Debbie “planted” it. And did you notice the different colors of leaves? This seems appropriate to this autumn season, doesn’t it?

Now, these three different colors represent three kinds of givers. They represent those who gave in the past, those who are giving in the present, and those who will give in the future – perhaps in the coming year and beyond. These leaves are all connected to each other by branches, a trunk, and roots, which represents the church, while the different leaves represent the saints of old, the saints of today, and the saints of tomorrow, who give generously through this church. Do you see the connection between the relationship of the leaves to the trees and our relationship to God through the community of faith? Even as a leaf can’t live apart from the tree, is it possible for us to live spiritually apart from the community of faith?

While I’m not an expert on tree science, I do know that even as the leaves draw life from the tree itself, the leaves are the means by which the tree breathes, drawing in energy and expelling energy. In our relationship to the church are we not in the same position? And is not our giving part of this relationship so that through each of us the presence of God flows in and out to the world?

As we read the passage from Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church, did you hear his request that the church take up a collection for the saints in Jerusalem who were suffering from poverty? Did you also hear him mention the example of the Galatian church? They’d been setting aside funds on first day of the week – the day of worship – so that when Paul arrived they would be ready. They did this deliberately and consistently, and if you read some of Paul’s other letters you’ll find similar instructions in them.

When you hear this request, do you hear echoes of one of Amy Gopp’s Week of Compassion requests? If you’re on her email list, you probably get one these requests every week, which is a reminder that there are needs throughout the year – an earthquake in Turkey and a famine in Africa, a tornado in Missouri and a flood in Iowa. Amy issues the request, asking the saints of God to give generously so as to touch the lives of others, perhaps people we’ll never meet.

Why should they do this? In writing to the Roman church Paul says that the Gentile churches, which had received spiritual blessings from the Jerusalem church, owe their brothers and sisters in Judea a portion of their material blessings as a sign of gratitude (Rom. 15:27). As you read the letters of Paul and the Acts of the Apostles you see and hear a call to be one body, to gather across time and space as saints of God, and consider the needs of others. These gifts are signs of our connectedness with each other.

So, as you listened to this passage did you hear an appeal to our competitive spirits? Are you surprised that Paul might create a bit of competition between the churches? What do you think about this appeal? You’ll find even more of this in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, where he tells them that they need to have their offering ready to go because he’d been bragging on them to the Macedonian churches, which has stirred in the Macedonians a zeal to give. So Paul tells them – don’t embarrass me or yourselves by not having the check ready!! (2 Cor. 8:1-5).

Returning to that definition of stewardship as being a long-term, lifelong, and deliberate act of generosity, and thinking about the leaves on that stewardship tree, where do you see yourself? Are you a past giver, a current giver, or future giver? Or are you all three?

When you leave church this morning, the stewardship group will be passing out packets that will help you discern your giving levels and your commitment to financially underwrite the ministry of the church. As you take these packets home and read through the information in it, you’ll have an opportunity to prayerfully consider what you would commit yourself to giving through the church.

While you do this remember too that some of the people that these leaves represent are the saints who no longer live amongst us, but whose gifts continue to sustain this church’s ministry as it moves into the future. Consider the legacy of those whose past gifts to purchase land and to build buildings, whose gifts to the endowments and capital funds, help sustain this ministry now and into the future. Remember that the interest and dividends from these funds help provide an important foundation for our annual budget. They don’t replace our giving, but they do amplify the effects of our giving.

Besides the endowment funds and capital funds that support our general fund and outreach giving, there is the Edgar Dewitt Jones Scholarship fund that supports Disciples seminarians in their studies. I met someone at the General Assembly who had been a recipient of this scholarship and she expressed her deep appreciation for it, because it helped sustain her studies at a crucial point in time. And another recipient of this scholarship, Beau Underwood, who graduated from the University of Chicago Divinity School, where Alex is now studying, now serves on the staff of National City Christian Church and on the staff of Faith in Public Life, where he works to organize congregations to make a difference in our society. These two ministries and countless others are a legacy of these gifts that continue to express the generosity of those saints, who are resting from their labors.

Generous giving in the past, the present, and the future, helps sustain the ministry and mission of this church. We are blessed by many saints who have taken to heart this call to be lifelong, deliberate, and generous givers to the body of Christ and the communion of saints. So aren’t you glad you’re one of the living saints living generous lives?

Preached by:

Dr. Robert Cornwall

Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Troy, Michigan

20th Sunday after Pentecost

October 29, 2011

Words Matter -- A Sermon

2011-10-23T12:00:00.000-07:00

1 Thessalonians 2:1-8

On more than one occasion Rial has said that “Words Matter.” I think that what he means is that a word has a definition and we should pay attention to it. I agree, but words also have nuances, and context often determines meaning, especially in the English language. Now, I realize that you didn’t come to church today to get a lesson in English grammar, but I believe that Paul has something important to say about words in our text. It’s not an issue of grammar or definitions, but whether our lives match our words.

Because Paul was a traveling preacher, he was something of a talker, but unlike many other contemporary preachers of his day and ours as well, Paul was a straight-talker. He said what he meant and meant what he said, and so people could have confidence in his message. Paul’s own confidence in God’s calling on his life gave him confidence in his message as well. Therefore, he had the courage to proclaim the good news of Jesus, even in the face of opposition, because he aimed to please God, not mortals.

In doing this, Paul followed in the footsteps of Jesus, who also spoke with boldness and authority. Both Paul and Jesus consistently confounded their critics, because whenever they tested them, they would walk in defeat or in anger.

Paul’s confidence comes from his own sense of integrity. He writes that when he spoke, he did so without deceit, flattery, or insincerity. Because he had been tested by God, he didn’t fear any human being, and so the Thessalonians could trust his word.

As I think about Paul’s story, I can’t help but think of modern politicians, who have learned an important lesson. They’ve learned that if you want to get elected or stay elected you have to tell people what they want to hear. I don’t think most politicians are necessarily evil or deceitful people, but they learn quickly that we will reward them with our votes if they tell us what we want to hear. So, if a politician tells you that they can keep the library open seven days a week at no extra cost, even if the librarian tells you that there’s not enough money in the budget to sustain that kind of service, many will believe the politician rather than the librarian.

And, don’t you find it interesting that while only 15% of Americans like the way Congress is doing its job, we keep reelecting the incumbents? Why is this? I guess it’s because we seem to think that the problem is with the other representatives, not ours.

Politicians who speak honestly, often are sent packing for home rather than head off for Congress. That’s just the way it is. Although people sometimes remember with great fondness Harry Truman’s alleged straight talk, as I remember from my reading of American history, he wasn’t all that popular in his own day!

Of course, what happens in politics happens in other areas of life – including church life. It shouldn’t surprise anyone to learn that prophets weren’t especially popular folks. From Isaiah to Hosea to John the Baptist, prophets had a hard life, especially when they spoke truth to power. I doubt Nathan was all that popular with David, after the prophet confronted him about his affair with Bathsheba and his complicity in the death of Uriah. And you know what happened to John the Baptist and to Jesus. No, we don’t reward those who speak boldly, especially when they say things that make us feel uncomfortable.

Now, this doesn’t mean that you have to say whatever comes to mind. There are some things best left unsaid. But, integrity is important. Paul is comfortable enough with his own integrity that he feels comfortable offering himself up as an example. This isn’t ego or bravado or arrogance. He seems to have what one writer on leadership development calls “true self-confidence.” In Paul’s case that was an inner sense of who he was before God. It was this self-confidence that led people to trust him and his message. Although he could have used his position for his own benefit, he chose not to do so.

As I was thinking about what Paul was saying to the Thessalonian church, a slogan from my childhood came to mind. Remember those Texaco commercials about trusting your car to the man who wore the star? Now, I wasn’t driving back then, so I can’t give a testimony to the integrity of that slogan, but the idea is clear. When you pull into a Texaco station, you can trust that attendant or the mechanic will do the right thing. Well, Paul seems to be saying the same thing about himself.

In making his claim for their attention, Paul offers us a look at the flip side of things. Not only does he tell us who he is, he also tells us about what he’s not. And there’s a word that sticks out in this letter. It’s the word flattery.

We all know what it’s like to flatter and be flattered. We learn early in life that flattery will get us a lot of things. Perhaps it will get us everything! While this word is useful, I like one of the synonyms for flattery even better. Don’t you love the word “obsequious?” Doesn’t it sound absolutely slimy? Even if you don’t know the meaning, you know it’s not a good thing to be obsequious.

Flattery and obsequiousness are all about power. We use flattery in order to get something we want, often by pretending that we like something or that we want to be friends. In the end, however, we’re more concerned about gaining power than we are about that person. Flattery is really about manipulation.

In years past, before the women’s movement took hold, women weren’t allowed to have overt power. In some places that’s still true. But even though they couldn’t have overt power, many women gained power by manipulating the men in their lives with their “feminine wiles.” Remember that phrase – the “power behind the throne?” In other words, you don’t have to be out front to have power, if you know how to play the game. And what many women were taught is that men have three weaknesses. They like to eat, they enjoy sex, and they need to have their egos stroked. If you can cook, can offer them pleasure, and tell them how wonderful they are, then you can control a man, and get whatever you want in life.

The textbook for this kind of “power” was written back in the 1970s by Marabel Morgan. Some of you may remember her book, The Total Woman, which gave instructions on how to gain power through manipulation. One of her most famous suggestions to wives was that they might want to greet their husbands at the door wearing nothing but cellophane. Well, my suggestion is that you better know who is at the door, if you decide to try this at home!

It’s interesting that this book came out at the same time as the Women’s Movement was gaining steam. It appealed to women who were afraid that equality might jeopardize their power. This fear led many women to oppose women elders and women clergy. If we all agreed that women and men are equal, then we’ll have to play by a different set of rules. So if words matter, does the way we live give integrity to these words of ours? As we consider this question, may we hear Paul’s appeal, his word of encouragement, and his plea that we live lives worthy of the God who called them and us to live in God’s kingdom and glory.

Preached by:

Dr. Robert D. Cornwall

Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Troy, Michigan

19th Sunday after Pentecost

October 23, 2011

Rejoicing in God's Strength

2011-10-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

Philippians 4:1-13

Many of us, when we were children, learned stories about what we might call the heroes of the Bible. If you’re like me, a male who grew up with Superman and Batman, you may have liked the ones about Samson, Gideon and David. These guys are like super heroes who do great and wondrous things, often with seemingly superhuman strength, only they do it with divine power and not superpowers.

Samson does great things in the name of God, but he’s also morally challenged. He does bring down a temple with his bare hands, though he died in the incident. As to the secret of his success, he apparently was the Fabio of his day, because his secret had something to do with his hair!

As for Gideon, he doesn’t have superhuman strength, but somehow he’s able to defeat the Amalekites whose troops numbered in the thousands with a small team of just 300 fighters. Apparently God wanted Gideon’s enemies to understand that God was in the fight.

Then there’s the story David and Goliath. David may have been too young to join the army, but he brought down the giant Goliath with nothing more than a sling shot. In my memory, the pictures of Goliath make him out to be a Paul Bunyan-like figure, though the most reliable biblical texts put him closer to 6 foot 9. That’s tall, but closer to Magic Johnson than Paul Bunyan. Still, that’s quite a fete for a young shepherd boy.

There are also women who figure prominently in the biblical story. They may lack brute strength, but they possess courage and wisdom and they too accomplish great things. There’s the story of Deborah who judges Israel and leads them in battle during a critical time when no man would step forward. There’s Miriam, the sister of Moses and a prophet in her own right, who helps lead the people across the desert. And Esther risks her life and her position in the court of the Persian king to protect her people. They too act with the power of God within them.

The message in all of these stories is simple – extraordinary fetes can happen when one is acting within the power of God. Or, as Paul writes to the Philippians: “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.”

Not only that, but Paul, writing from prison, can say to the community“rejoice in the Lord always.” Although Paul isn’t claiming superhuman powers, he does invite us to live joyfully even during difficult times. But, in spite this call to live joyfully in the Lord, many of us adopt the philosophy of the Stoics. There are probably lots of Stoics in our world – perhaps you’re a Stoic and you didn’t even know it. You could describe a Stoic as a person who has learned to endure life troubles. That is, they have learned to “grin and bear it.” They will endure, but there will be no joy. Is that you?

Stoics are realists, but they’re also not the most pleasant people to be around. Of course we may prefer them to the person who whistles a happy tune while pretending that nothing bad is happening to them or to the world around them. We sometimes speak of such a person as one who’s living in denial. Is that you?

Then there’s Chicken Little who is always complaining that the sky is falling. Nothing good is ever going to happen in life. Our best days are behind us and so we might as well find the bomb shelter and hide out until the end. Is that you?

Paul is a realist, but he’s not a Stoic, doesn’t live in denial, nor is he a complainer. What he is, is a person who can find joy in life even while being in prison. Paul was no stranger to calamity, experiencing everything from shipwrecks to beatings. And if that isn’t enough, he tells the Corinthians that God has afflicted him with a “thorn in the flesh” that keeps him grounded after receiving visions and revelations (1 Cor. 12:7).

Paul knows what it’s like to live with nothing and with plenty, but he has also found a way of being content with where he’s at in life. This is the source of his joy. He has found his contentment in God’s presence. Therefore, he can rejoice in all things and at all times, and can tell the Philippians not to be anxious, but instead take their concerns to God in prayer with thanksgiving – even when things aren’t going so well – sort of like what’s happening in our country right now.

I’ll make a confession here. I struggle with this passage. As much as I’d like to rejoice at all times, I get anxious about things and while I’m a fairly happy person, I have my moments. I’ve known good times and not so good times, and I’ve come through okay, but I’m not always content nor do I rejoice at all times. But then, I expect I’m in good company.

There’s a book that’s titled Flunking Sainthood. Does that sound like you? Have you tried yur best to be holy, to pray unceasingly, and take every problem to God in prayer with thanksgiving? Are you an A+ or even a B+ student in sainthood? Or, like me, do you struggle with your halo? When it comes to sainthood, unless the bar is set really low, I think I fail to make the grade. There are times, too many to count, where my mind focuses on things that are less than honorable and that aren’t necessarily commendable or excellent or worthy of praise.

Whether or not we’ve reached perfection in this calling, Paul invites us to find joy even in the midst of difficult times and to do this we must think about life differently. And the key seems to be moving away from a theology of scarcity to a theology of abundance.

When I talk about a theology of abundance, I’m not talking about a prosperity gospel where we name it and claim it and our dreams come true. But, in a theology of abundance we stop thinking that there are limits to God’s presence, that there’s not enough of the Spirit to go around, so if you have some thing then there might not be enough for me. This is true of power, money, and food.

There are a lot of hungry people in the world. We’ll meet some of them when SOS comes to the church next weekend. We know that people are hungry, but many of us throw away food or we eat more than our bodies can process? Why is that? Evolutionary biologists would tell us that this is part of genetic makeup, and we’ve not evolved enough to get beyond this fear of not having enough. So, when we think that there’s not enough power or money to go around, we pull inward, and hoard what we have, and we ignore the common good. But in this there is no joy.

Bruce Epperly spoke to this issue in his sermon a few weeks back. More recently, in comments made about this passage, he has written:

Faith opens us to new dimensions of reality, in which we have all the resources we need to face the challenges of each day. Amid bottom lines and apparent marginalization, faith sees evidence of God’s providence: a mustard seed becomes a great plant, five loaves and two fish can feed a multitude, and persecutors can become proclaimers.

So, when you look at the world through the eyes of faith, what do you see? Do you see God at work opening up new possibilities? Do you see the Spirit empowering people to do great things – maybe not superhuman fetes of strength, but great things? Do you believe that there are enough gifts and resources present in this rather small congregation so that we might affirm the word that Paul gave to the Philippians from his jail cell? “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.”

In a moment we’ll dedicate the third of our new little ones. We don’t know what the future holds for her. There may be difficult times ahead. But that’s life. There will also be great opportunities for her to experience God’s presence and to live into God’s vision for her life.

And as for the rest of us, what will be the legacy we leave her? What will be our witness? Will it be one of abundance or scarcity? Will we model for her and others a vision of reality that is full of joy and thanksgiving? The choice is really ours. If we take up God’s invitation, Paul says there will be peace and there will be joy in abundance!

Preached by:
Dr. Robert D. Cornwall
Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Troy, Michigan
17th Sunday after Pentecost
October 9, 2011

The Bread of Life -- A Sermon for World Communion Sunday

2011-10-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

John 6:41-51

Each Sunday Tim Morehouse mixes up some bread, which he hands to me at the end of the service so I can hand it off to a visitor. It’s always hot bread, so with a little butter or without butter if that’s your choice, one can make a meal of it on the drive home! It’s offered as a sign of welcome and hospitality.

While bread is a useful sign of hospitality, it’s also a sign of something much deeper. Bread is often referred to as the staff of life. Along with water, bread is the foundation of human existence, which is perhaps what Mahatma Gandhi meant when he said: “There are people in the world so hungry that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.” This physical hunger is so powerful that it must be tended to if we’re to be open to anything else in life.

Remember how the people of Israel complained to Moses about the prospect of starving in the wilderness. Slavery in Egypt was bad, but they wondered whether freedom was worth it if they were to die in the desert. God answered their cries with manna and later with water from the Rock of Horeb. With their most basic needs met they were now ready to continue their journey toward the promised land.

But this physical bread, though it’s essential to our lives, it isn’t sufficient for abundant life. As Jesus concluded his forty-day fast in the wilderness, he was famished, but when the tempter suggested that he could satisfy his hunger by turning stones into bread he answered: “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matt. 4:4).

If bread alone won’t satisfy our hunger, might it reveal Jesus to us? It was the first day of the week -- just a few days after Jesus’ execution on a Roman cross. Although there were rumors that he might be alive, these rumors weren’t enough for two of Jesus’ followers who were making their way to the town of Emmaus, wherever that was on the map. Their heads were down, full of sorrow, because the one whom they believed would bring hope to their lives was dead. But along the way they met up with a man, who didn’t seem to know what was happening in Jerusalem, but whose understanding of the scriptures brought peace to their hearts. Then, as they broke bread together, their eyes were opened, and they realized that the one who had explained the scriptures was Jesus. Breaking of the bread had served to open their eyes to the fullness of God’s presence in their midst.

There is another story of bread that is found in all four gospels. Remember how Jesus feeds the 5000 with a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish. The people’s hunger is satisfied, at least for the moment. But in John 6 the people come looking for Jesus the next day. Having been fed once, they’d like to make this a regular occurrence. In exchange for bread, they’re willing to give their allegiance to Jesus and his cause.

Jesus’ response doesn’t make the folks happy. Instead of the bread they request he offers himself as the bread of life. He invites them to feed on him, because the physical bread, while it might sustain us for a moment, it can’t sustain for eternity. They are disappointed and even offended. They seem to be caught up in the literal and can’t understand that while bread is important we can’t live on bread alone. Jesus offers himself as the Word that sustains the spirit, bringing life in all its fulness. There is the physical, but also the spiritual.

When you hear these words “I am the Bread of Life,” what do you hear in them?

In the Prayer of Great Thanksgiving, which is used by many Christian communities to consecrate the bread and wine for use in the Lord’s Supper, the celebrant says to the people:

Let us take this holy sacrament of the body and blood of Christ in remembrance that he died for us and feed on him in our hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.

Jesus says to the people who seek bread from him: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever, and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” And the liturgy of the Eucharist invites us to “Feed on him by faith with thanksgiving.”

Do you hear an invitation to go deeper into the life of God by feeding on the bread that reveals to us God’s presence and purpose for the world? This bread and this cup that are placed on the table of the Lord stand as a reminder that God is not far from us, but that God is with us and in us, empowering us and encouraging us so that we might continue the journey to the promised Land. For this journey we will need the physical bread that will sustain our bodies, but we will also need spiritual bread to sustain our spiritual bodies. This is especially true in times like these that are troubled and when we don’t always know where to turn. I appreciate these words of Arthur Van Seters:

The realities of suffering cry out for a deeper response, one that is energized and sustained by the God who came in suffering love as the Bread of life.*

In Jesus, who is the bread of life, whom we feed upon by faith, we find oneness with God, and this union with God through Christ serves to sustain us for the journey.

Because this is World Communion Sunday we are reminded that millions of other Christians have heard the same invitation, and so as we join together at the Lord’s Table and partake of the Bread of Life, we find union with God and with one another. Even as our lives are nourished by the Word of God who took flesh in the person of Jesus, and embodied God’s presence for us, we are united with one another as we gather around the Lord’s Table and share in his meal as the whole body of Christ on earth.

On my blog I shared the story of the Marburg Colloquy, which was a council called by a German Prince who hoped to unite the young Protestant community. They found a lot of areas to agree upon, but the two leading figures – Martin Luther and Ulrich Zwingli – couldn’t agree on the meaning of the Lord’s Supper. This “disagreement” as to the meaning of the Eucharist had important consequences for the spread of the Reformation, and it reminds us that the table of unity too often becomes a place of division.

But the table isn’t ours to control, and so in the Spirit of God’s presence we gather today around the One Table of the Lord, as the one body of Christ, inclusive of differences of ethnicity, and we gather as male and female, young and old, gay and straight, rich and poor.

It’s fitting that we take the Reconciliation Offering on World Communion Sunday, because this ministry of the Disciples seeks to not only educate people about racism, but it also helps build bridges between people who look different from each other.

As we ponder the relationship between Reconciliation and the Lord’s Table, it may be fitting to remember that almost fifty years ago, the lunch counters in many parts of this nation remained segregated. If you were black, you weren’t allowed to eat at the same counter as those who were white. What was true of the lunch counter was also true of the churches. And so in the moment of desegregation the bread that was a symbol of division became the sign of reconciliation. It’s unfortunate that the lunch counters were desegregated before the churches, but the process had begun and it continues to this day.

In the story of the Feeding of the 5000, what began as a perception of scarcity, becomes the story of God’s abundance. When it comes to feeding on the bread of life, do you come to the table with a sense of scarcity or abundance? Will you take a small bite or a big hunk of the bread of life into your body and spirit?

*Arthur Van Seters in ,Preaching God's Transforming Justice: A Lectionary Commentary, Year B, Ronald J. Allen, et al, eds, (WJK, 2011), 350.

Preached by:
Dr. Robert D. Cornwall
Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Troy, Michigan
World Communion Sunday
October 2, 2011

How Great the Joy -- Sermon

2011-09-25T10:30:00.000-07:00

Philippians 2:1-13

During the Christmas season we sing joyous songs that declare in very explicit terms the nature of our joy, which is: God has visited us in the person of Jesus, the babe born in Bethlehem. We sing these songs, even if we’re not feeling particularly joyful at that moment. We can even sing some of them from memory. So, we sing:

Joy to the World, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her king!

Let every heart prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing,

and heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing.

I’m not sure that Paul and Silas were singing “Joy to the World” in their Philippian jail cell, nor would he have been singing it in another prison cell as he wrote his letter to the Philippian church. That’s because Isaac Watts didn’t write it until 1719. But, Paul did have this sense about what it means to find joy in difficult situations.

In the first chapter of his letter, Paul expressed his joy at having an opportunity to share the gospel with the whole Imperial Guard (Phil. 1:12).

But not everything brought him joy. Prison didn’t get him down, but since he drew strength from the prayers of the churches, he does seem distressed at the possibility that strife and dissension might be present in the Philippian church. And so he writes, asking them to “Make my joy complete.”

As I was thinking about Paul’s request, I began thinking about the signs of joy that we find present in our midst. Where do we see signs of joy, even in these less than ideal times?

Bobby vacuuming the church each Sunday?
The new babies in the nursery.
Children wherever we may find them – Apparently, this is especially true for grandparents, who as they say, get to spoil the children without having to deal with the consequences!
Perhaps joy is found in the fellowship of friends and neighbors.

There is joy to be found outdoors in the midst of God’s creation.
And as Bruce Epperly reminded us last weekend, we shouldn’t make a distinction between humanity and nature, because we’re part of nature. But, each of us has our own symbol of nature’s glory that gives us a sense of joy at being part of God’s creation – from the snow capped peaks of Mount Shasta in Northern California to the Sleeping Bear Dunes of Michigan.
Joy could be found in the Lions winning their first two games of the season, suggesting that maybe this year will be different.
Or, perhaps joy is found in the midst of gifts of the Spirit that are shared with the community.
Last Sunday evening as we shared together in our alternative worship experience, which we’ve renamed “The Conversation,” Lance shared with me the gifts he brings to the church, which are “Maintenance, Music, and Mischief.” I like that last gift a lot, because we need a little mischief of the good-natured variety. By the way, I got permission to share that word with you!

This isn’t the first time I’ve preached on this passage. Although I don’t have a copy of the sermon, which I wrote out by hand, one of my earliest attempts at preaching took up this text. It’s always appealed to me because it speaks to my long-held passion for Christian unity. This passion developed, I think, because my own spiritual journey has taken me to a fairly wide variety of faith traditions, from Episcopalian to Pentecostal, from Covenant to Baptist, from Independent Christian Churches to the Disciples. This journey is one of the main reasons why I ended up a Disciple. I took to heart Barton Stone’s slogan that “unity is our polar star.” We may not live out our calling perfectly, but we believe that it’s a goal worth pursuing.

I think the other reason why I liked this passage is that it offered a nice concise sermon outline, and what more could a novice preacher ask for than a straightforward outline. And so I preached on Paul’s call to be of the same mind, the same love, united in purpose, and then back to being of one mind.

When we hear a word like this, we might get a bit anxious. This idea of oneness and sameness may suggest an absence of diversity, but the kind of unity that brings joy to Paul doesn’t eliminate variety and difference, which is a good thing since we’re all rather different in our personalities and perspectives. But Paul knew that dissension and miscommunication and rivalries can take away our joy, and so he says to us: Be of the same mind as Jesus, who humbled himself for our sake. If you follow Jesus, then my joy will be complete.

At our last Council meeting we watched Sharon Watkins’ Re-Election Speech, where she spoke of the challenges facing the church today. She spoke movingly of those who have not experienced the love of God. She says:

The challenge for us today is that so many of our neighbors do not know the love of God. The need of our neighbor is what needs to break our hearts and preoccupy our board meetings. The people we see on the street every day or on our computer monitors – brother and sister human beings – do not know that they are precious – each and every one – in God’s sight.

She asked us to consider how this message will be shared with those outside the walls of the church if the people inside the walls don’t love each other? As she spoke of this need, she called to our attention the critique of Christianity offered by comedian and skeptic Bill Maher. Maher is no friend of the church, but his critique is worth hearing, for he suggests that Jesus has more fans than followers. The good news, as Sharon noted, was that our very name – “Disciples of Christ” suggests that we are followers not just fans.

To move from being a fan to a follower involves having the mind of Christ, who though in the form of God, thought nothing of this status, and took the form of a servant, even dying on a cross. Yes, God did exalt him and every knee will bow at his name, but I don’t think that this reward was the reason why he became one of us.

The realities of life remind us that real joy can’t depend on the circumstances of life. Paul knew what it meant to suffer, and yet he found joy. Jesus knew what it meant to suffer, and yet he found joy.

I’m not an advocate of martyrdom or intentionally seeking out suffering. I’m a rather cautious sort, which is why I don’t indulge in reckless sports such as skiing, whether on land or water! But, down through the ages, there have been those who have stood firm in the face of suffering, and found joy in the midst of the situations. This was true of Paul and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and many others, including people we know so very well, such as Jeans Sims. These are people who despite their situation in life, found it possible to share the message that their neighbors are precious in God’s sight.

Although I never really watched The Waltons back in the day, the message of that series seems to fit with Paul’s message, for according to the story line, this family, finding itself living in the midst of the Depression and then a World War, found joy in their commitment as a family to pursue the common good of all.

I expect the Philippian church was a lot like modern churches. It was full of real people – like us. Like them we have differences of opinion on matters such as politics and theology. We’re different in age and experience. But, with all of our differences, and the challenges of working together, we still find joy in the unity that comes as we follow Jesus. In doing so, we become signs of God’s presence in a world that struggles to find peace, security, economic stability, and hope for the future. In our lives we declare to the world that there is joy, because the Lord is come! And we are the witnesses of this good news!

Preached by:
Dr. Robert D. Cornwall
Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Troy, MI
15th Sunday after Pentecost
September 25, 2011

Revisiting 9-11: A 10 year anniversary sermon

2011-09-11T12:00:00.000-07:00

1 Timothy 1:12-17

A lot of preachers have been wondering what to say this morning about September 11th. There are those who believe that it’s best to say nothing, but most of us believe that this particular anniversary can’t pass by unnoticed. That day is seared into our memories, and many among us have found it difficult to move on. Fear remains. Anger remains. Grief remains. In the days after 9-11 the word rang out: “Never Forget.” But does this mean that we can’t move into the future?

As we wonder about how to move on, the past remains vivid. Have you pondered the question of where you were when you first heard the news about the planes hitting the Twin Towers and the Pentagon and then the news about another jet crashing into a field in Pennsylvania? This event question ranks with the news about Pearl Harbor, the Oklahoma City Bombing, the assassination of John Kennedy, his brother Bobby, and Martin Luther King. These kinds of events can be defining moments in one’s life, and so it is appropriate for us to stop and consider that day ten years ago when the “normalcy” of our lives was shattered by this set of attacks. And as we reflect on that day, we face questions about how our lives have changed as a result. Am I different? Is the nation different? Is the world different? And the answers are likely to be both positive and negative.

Let me tell you my story, because ten years ago today, I was the pastor of First Christian Church of Santa Barbara, which is three hours later than the east coast. Back then Cheryl was teaching and would wake up early to get ready for work, but at 6:30 A.M. she would turn on the radio as a signal for Brett and me to wake up. On that morning the usual morning show banter was replaced by news of this attack. Cheryl called me to the TV, where we watched as the two towers were engulfed in smoke. What looked like a made-for-TV disaster film had become a deadly reality. And soon after we heard news of the attacks on the Pentagon and then the crash of a plane in a Pennsylvania field.

As the day wore on, we watched as the buildings in New York imploded, burying fire crews, police, rescue workers, and people who had yet to evacuate the buildings. The nation was alarmed and fearful, as the FAA ordered all flights canceled across the nation. None of us knew what to expect next, and so we all began to ask the question: Could this happen in my community? We also began to wonder who was responsible.

Of course, we also wondered when life would return to normal. Ten years later, life hasn’t returned to a pre-911 normal, and so we wonder. So, is this the new normal?

But that was only the beginning of the day. After getting Brett off to school, I went to breakfast with three men from the church. It was our Tuesday morning ritual to have breakfast at Cajun Kitchen. I had to break the news, because none of them had yet heard what had happened.

When I got to the office at around 9:00 A.M., which was noon here in the East – I got a call from my Methodist colleague LLoyd Saatjian. He called because I was the President of the Greater Santa Barbara Clergy Association, and LLoyd, who was wise in such matters, asked: What are we going to do?

That question led to a powerful community interfaith service of remembrance on Sunday evening. The Methodist Church overflowed with people, and when the clergy processed into the sanctuary the community rose in applause, and we knew why – for in the company of the clergy was the Imam, who spoke to the gathered congregation, together with the Rabbi, and a Christian clergywoman. We also shared prayers and music. It was an evening I’ll never forget.

Before we gathered that evening, however, we worshiped at First Christian, and I shared my own thoughts in a sermon that took as its text the passage we read from 1 Timothy. As has been my habit, I had planned the Sunday service on Monday, and except for the sermon I left things as they were, but this passage from I Timothy did have something to say to us, because in it we find a word of grace and mercy.

When I preached that sermon ten years ago, it came in the midst of feelings of shock, of despair, and calls for revenge and retaliation. There were those who were already taking matters into their own hands. Therefore, Muslims and Arabs across the country received death threats, and many were concerned that they might be rounded up and thrown into detention camps. Police in Rhode Island stopped a train and arrested Sikh passengers because they were wearing turbans. Later we would launch two wars that continue to this day, while airport security has made flying an ordeal rather than an adventure.

We’ve heard read the text for September 16, 2001, but a similar message to this word about grace is found in the gospel reading for this week. I’d like to share this reading from Matthew 18:21-35.

As you listened to this reading, what did you hear? Do you hear Peter’s question about forgiveness? How many times Lord? Isn’t seven times enough? Depending on your translation, Jesus multiplies Peter’s 7 by either 11 or 77. Whatever the number, it’s hard to keep count!

Then Jesus tells a parable about the king who called in his slaves so as to settle accounts, and one of these people owed more money than Warren Buffett has in his bank account. When the king demanded payment, this slave begged forgiveness, and received it. Oh, what joy he must have felt, because the alternative was prison!

But, as this one who’d been forgiven much exited the court, he saw a fellow slave and he ran over and demanded immediate payment of a debt that amounted to about three months’ wages. This debtor asked for the same grace period as the first, but though the first man had been forgiven much, he was unwilling to extend grace to the other, and so had him thrown into prison. Of course, as you would expect, when the king found out, he angrily threw this unforgiving hypocrite into prison. And Jesus said: “So my heavenly father will do to everyone of you, if you do not forgive your brothers or sisters from your heart.”

As we wonder about the future, with our memories formed by those events of ten years ago, where does forgiveness come into play?

In the letter to Timothy, written in the name of Paul, the author confesses to be a "blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence." Such was Paul’s story, prior to his conversion. He understood the attraction of violence in the name of religion, and therefore could claim to be "a man of violence." But he had tasted grace, and unlike the man forgiven much, he took to heart this word of grace and chose to embrace a call to reach out to others with a word of grace.

John Newton knew something of violence. He had been a slave trader before his conversion. His own confession is written in words we have all sung in worship, and the hymn I had chosen for that service ten years ago: "I once was lost, but now am found; was blind, but now I see." And – "'Twas Grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved; how precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed."

Ten years have passed, and the question remains – can we move to something different? Is not the answer to be found in the grace of God that heals our wounds and allows us to forgive others. The memories will not die, the pain may not subside completely, but the message of the gospel is this: Grace is sufficient. Yes, "the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus."

In a moment we will come to the table, and at this table we will taste the signs of our own inhumanity to each other. There we will also find the emblems of peace and our reconciliation.

Preached by:

Dr. Robert D. Cornwall

Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Troy, MI

13th Sunday after Pentecost

September 11, 2011

In Debt to Love

2011-09-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

Romans 13:8-14

There has been a lot of talk these last few months about debt and how to reduce the nation’s deficit. Not long ago politicians said that deficits don’t matter, and now everyone is in a dither about them. So, at the very last moment, with the nation looking at the first default in its history, Congress held its collective nose and passed legislation that raised the debt ceiling and established a super-committee, which is composed of people on both sides of the aisle committed to not compromising with the other side! Of course the Federal Government isn’t the only entity struggling with debt. The national consumer debt – that’s the debt we as citizens owe, minus mortgage debt, stands at 2.4 Trillion dollars, or about $7,800 per person. What this means is that many of us are borrowing a lot of money to pay for our chosen lifestyles. Of course, in a consumer driven economy, where jobs depend on spending, perhaps that’s the way it’s supposed to be.

Of course, not all debt is the same. For instance, if you borrow money to buy a house, that may not be a bad thing, as long as you can afford the payments. But if you borrow money to go on a big trip, well that probably isn’t as wise an investment.

If you happen to be in debt, and I expect most of us owe something to somebody, you will either have to cut back on spending or get another job to increase revenue – or both, which is called a “balanced approach.”

When it comes to debt, Paul could be heard as saying no to taking on any kind of debt, with one exception. Paul says that if you’re going to be in debt, there is one kind of debt to incur, and that’s the debt of love. The King James Version opens our passage with these familiar words:

“Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.”

I like the way the Common English Bible has translated this verse:

Don’t be in debt to anyone, except the obligation to love each other.

Here is one kind of debt that it’s okay to incur, and its one that would seem impossible to pay off early! I mean, is there a point at which you don’t have to love one another?

It’s a bit like that discussion Jesus had with Peter about forgiveness. Peter asks Jesus, how many times do I have to forgive my neighbor? Is seven times enough? Peter thought that seven was a rather large number. It’s more generous than the state of California, which throws you in jail for life after the third felony infraction, even if it’s shop lifting a pack of gum. But it wasn’t anything close to what Jesus had in mind, because Jesus upped the ante to seventy times the seven that Peter offered.

Since we often have difficulty knowing what to do with commandments such as love your neighbor as yourself, Paul gives some examples, which he takes from the Torah. Since we all want detailed information as to how we can fulfill this debt of love, Paul points us to the Law. What is love of the neighbor? Well, don’t commit adultery, don’t murder, don’t steal, don’t desire what others have, and while you’re at it, keep all the other commands. If you do this, then you’ll love your neighbor as yourself. And if you love your neighbor, you’ll keep the commandments.

This morning we have the opportunity to celebrate this call to love one another. Yesterday we joined together in blessing the marriage of Mike and Marie. Marriage is for us a relationship of love that is guided by law, whether religious of secular. We also come today to celebrate parental love. In a moment Tim and Kate will bring Sylvie before the church to offer her to the Lord’s care, inviting us to share in that calling to love this little girl into full maturity. The reason parents bring their children before the church is because they recognize that parenthood is a covenant relationship. It is a sacred obligation rooted in God’s love for humanity. As with marriage, there are legal requirements that relate to parenthood. If, for instance, you neglect your child or hurt them, there are penalties that you will pay. But, that’s the negative side, because if you love your children as you love yourself, then you will fulfill the law. Of course, the way we live out these obligations evolves over time. Parents today do things differently than we did when Cheryl and I were starting out, and we did things differently than our parents, and I expect they did things differently than their parents. Still, parents understand the nature of this obligation that is rooted in love.

But, it’s one thing to love our family members, but what about those standing outside the bonds of family? Who is the neighbor that I’m called to love? This is a question that goes back to biblical times! If the neighbors we are to love are like the Grays, the family who lived next door to my family in Mt. Shasta, well that’s an easy questions to answer in the affirmative. The Grays were like family. In fact, they were probably closer to us than many of our own family members. Mr. and Mrs. Gray were there for us in ways I probably don’t even know about. In fact, Bob Gray was like a surrogate father to me, which is probably why I wanted to be a forest service officer like him rather than an advertising salesman like my father. And their two children who were close in age to me were like brothers. Yes, they were easy to love, because they loved us. But what about those who stand outside that ring?

Remember, or instance, how a young man asked Jesus to identify the neighbor that he was to love as he loved himself? Jesus answered him with a parable about this man who stopped to help another person who had been waylaid by bandits? Remember how in the religious leaders, people like me, for instance, stopped, assessed the situation, and then moved on without helping. But then this Samaritan comes along and not only helps the wounded man, but goes to great lengths to help this person. Jesus asks – who was the neighbor? (Luke 10:25-37).

Who might this neighbor be today? Could it be the man from New Mexico who risked his life and the possibility of deportation to rescue a little girl who had been kidnapped and taken away in a van? Antonio Chacon, the man who saw this abduction take place, could have decided to not get involved. After all, he was an illegal immigrant. He was married to an American citizen, but he had stopped trying to get legal residency because of the cost involved. He might not have had legal residency, but that didn’t stop him from getting into his car and chasing after the van and forcing it to crash into a light pole, which allowed him to rescue the little girl and return her to her parents. Could Antonio Chacon be a modern day Good Samaritan? Is he the one who owes no one any debt except the debt of love?

Preached by:
Dr. Robert D. Cornwall
Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Troy, Michigan
12th Sunday after Pentecost
September 4, 2011

Mindful of Divine Things

2011-08-28T07:30:00.000-07:00

Matthew 16:21-28

Yesterday, at our retreat, which Alex led with great wisdom and wit, we “played” a few games, and after each game our facilitators had us debrief our experience. We talked about how felt and what we learned, with a special focus on what these experiences said to us about the way the church works. We actually did this several times, and each time we would talk about our feelings and our insights about the way we communicate with each other and as a church. One of the important lessons learned had to do with listening, and to listen we have to stop talking! For some of us, that’s not easy to do! But as the Psalmist wrote: “Be still and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10).

Jesus would debrief his disciples on occasion, especially after a big event, like feeding a few thousand people with a couple of loaves of bread and a few fish. He would also gather them up after a teaching session.

So, as Jesus was closing out his Galilean ministry, he gathered his disciples together at a spot near the northern Galilean city of Caesarea Philippi. The town lay at the base of Mt. Hermon, in what is today the Golan Heights. You might think of this as a mountain retreat, a good place to stop and reflect about where they’d been and where they were going next.

Jesus began the conversation with a question: You’ve been out among the people for some time now, what are you hearing? What are they saying about me? One disciple said, “well I heard a few people suggest that you might be John the Baptist risen from the dead.” Another disciple said, “I was talking to some people and they were wondering if you might be a prophet like Elijah or Jeremiah.” And Jesus said, “hmm, that’s interesting. But what do you think? Do you agree with them, or do you have other ideas? After all, you’ve been with me from the beginning of this ministry. Whom do you think I am? This is where a debriefing gets dangerous – when you have to answer for yourself!

But Simon was willing to offer his assessment. And you know what he said? Of course you know. He gave the Good Confession, the statement that we give when we join the church: “you are the Messiah, the son of the Living God.”

Now, in the church, when we make that confession, we can usually expect a visit from the chair of the nominating committee to sign us up for a committee assignment! But Jesus had something even more important in mind. He said to Simon – I’m going to give you a new name. From now on you are Peter. You are the Rock, and you Chevy lovers know what that means! You are the one on whom I will build my church. You are the foundation stone, and not only that, you get a set of keys, the keys of the kingdom.

What a day that was for Simon the fisherman. Now known as Peter, the Rock, he had reached the pinnacle of success. Jesus had just appointed him to be the first head of the church of Christ on earth. What greater honor could be bestowed on a person than this. Of course, the higher you climb, the farther you will fall!

The next day, as Jesus opened the morning session of this retreat, he told them he had new orders. They were going south, to Jerusalem. Although the Galilean campaign had been a great success, it was time to head into the Lion’s Den. Yes, it was time for Jesus to suffer and die at the hands of the religious leaders – you know the ones who worked for the Empire.

Well, you know how you can be the hero one moment and be the goat the next? Let’s say you’re Miguel Cabrera, and you come up to bat in the bottom of the ninth with the score tied and two outs; oh, and you’re playing the Cleveland Indians. Well, Cabrera hits this monster walk off home run and the team and the town celebrates him as the big hero. The next night, Cabrera comes up to bat, it’s two out in the ninth, the bases are loaded, and the Tigers are down a run. They need one run to tie, and two to win. This time, however, the previous day’s hero strikes out on three straight pitches. In fact, he watches that last strike go by without a swing.

And so it was for Peter. He went from being “like a rock” to the “stumbling block.” You see, Peter knew what a messiah was supposed to be like. Everyone knows what a successful messiah is supposed to be like. He knew it, you know it, and I know it. A successful Messiah is a conquering king! So Peter isn’t prepared for what Jesus had to say. Just the day before, after much thought, and with divine revelation guiding him, Peter had declared Jesus to be the Messiah, and he didn’t mean that Jesus was going to be a dead one. He didn’t sign up for that kind of duty! And so Peter grabs Jesus by the lapels. He shakes him and shouts at him: “God Forbid!” Yes, I’m not going to let this happen!!

After all, you said I’m going to be the rock on which this church is built, and I went to a church growth workshop and I even did this webinar on the six ways to promote the messianic kingdom, and not once did I hear any thing about suffering and death. I did hear about handing out free I-Pads, but none of this suffering and death stuff. You have to be mistaken!

So, how did Jesus respond? He yells right back at Peter and says: “Get behind me Satan.” Now isn’t that a bit harsh? But Jesus wasn’t finished – he said – remember that name I gave you? I called the Rock, well now you’ve become the stumbling block. You’re standing in the way of the kingdom. And the reason why is that you’re listening to human voices instead of God’s voice. You’re listening to your culture and not to me.

Yesterday, we talked a lot about communication. And as we know, good communication requires listening, and listening requires us to stop talking. Alex had the participants pair up during lunch and talk about five people who had influenced them and six emotions they had experienced in their lives. And the instructions were these: You have to listen to the person, until their done sharing their story. You can’t hear unless you listen, and you can’t listen if you don’t stop talking. That goes for interpersonal communication and communication with God.

It does help if God comes to us in a burning bush and speaks to us in an audible voice. That worked, as you know, quite well for Moses. But I’ve not seen too many burning bushes that talk. I have a couple of those burning bushes in my back yard, which get really red in the fall, but they never talk to me.

Peter thought he knew what it meant to be a messiah, and Jesus seemed to be that person, but suffering and death – that didn’t make sense. But Jesus said to Peter, and to us: If you want to be my disciple, then take up your cross and follow me. If you want to find your life, then you must lose it. This is, Jesus said, what the voice of God is saying to us. This is the way of the kingdom, for the kingdom requires of us that we lay down our lives for others. And that’s not easy, especially when the other is a stranger.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer is known to many of us for his opposition to Hitler, which led to his eventual execution. In the mid-1930s Bonhoeffer wrote a book called the Cost of Discipleship. In this powerful book, Bonhoeffer called on the German Christians, who he believed had become beholden to their culture, to heed the call of Christ instead, even if that led to death. As I’ve read Bonhoeffer’s books and biographies through the years, I’ve always wondered which path would I have taken? Would I have taken the difficult path, the one that leads to suffering and death, or would I just go along to preserve my life? Would I allow myself to be coopted by my culture? As I look at my life and its comforts, I wonder, how would I respond?

As the Psalmist put it: “Be still and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10). Buddhists speak of mindfulness, which as Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh puts it, is: “to know what is going on within and all around us.”* To be mindful is to listen for the voice of God. Am I mindful of the things of God? Am I listening for that still small voice that often calls us to take a narrow path? Indeed, if God doesn’t normally speak to us out of burning bushes, how am I to know if I’ve heard the voice of God?

And Jesus said:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, "Love others as much as you love yourself." All the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets are based on these two commandments. (Mt. 22:37-40 Common English Bible).

This is the way of the kingdom, which the Messiah of God will inaugurate.

*Thich Nhat Hanh, Living Buddha, Living Christ, (New York: Riverhead Books, 1995), p. 14.

Preached by:

Dr. Robert D. Cornwall

Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Troy, Michigan

11th Sunday after Pentecost

August 28, 2011

Reunion -- A Sermon

2011-08-14T07:15:00.000-07:00

Genesis 45:1-15

From what I hear family reunions can be a lot of fun. There’s food, and games, and conversation. You get to catch up on the latest gossip and tell stories about long-ago exploits. For some of you this is an annual occurrence. I can’t speak with any authority on such matters because our family is small and scattered, and we just don’t have such things. But I trust that the stories I hear are true!

Of course, family reunions can also be uncomfortable and awkward. There might be a family feud going on or someone may have been hurt by what someone has said or done. There may be empty seats, left by those who felt excluded from the family. While some family members receive the invitation with eagerness and joy, others receive it with dread and wish they could find a way to skip the event.

If modern families can be dysfunctional, the biblical families weren’t any better off. I chuckle when I hear people extol biblical family values. What values are they talking about?

Could it be the values that led Cain to murder Abel? Or, the values that led Abraham to cast his second wife and her son into the desert? And what about the family values that existed in Isaac and Rebecca’s house? Remember how Jacob and Esau started fighting for supremacy in the womb, and didn’t stop until Jacob had to run for his life?

This morning we hear the story of Joseph and his brothers. Remember how Jacob gave Joseph that special coat with sleeves, and how Joseph had these dreams that suggested that he would rule of his brothers? They were so upset by Joseph’s behavior that they decided to kill him, but then they decided they would be better off selling Joseph into slavery and then just tell Jacob that wild animals had devoured his favorite son. Now, those are family values!

So, this reunion with their long lost brother must have come as a great surprise, and in fact may have been a rather uncomfortable reunion. The text says they were terrified when Joseph revealed himself to them. I expect they were also feeling a bit of guilt at having sold their brother into slavery and then telling their father that Joseph had been eaten by a wild animal. Wouldn’t you?

But Joseph isn’t out for revenge, and so this story that could have turned out very badly becomes a story of forgiveness and reconciliation, and isn’t that a word that’s needed today?

We also live at a time when there are a lot of dysfunctional families. Maybe we’re all part of dysfunctional families! Divorce rates are high, many young adults are either delaying marriage or simply deciding to live together rather than face the prospect of getting divorced. There are parents and children who fight, and siblings who fight – especially when their parents die and they have to split the estate.

But it’s not just families. Lots of churches are dysfunctional. And, so are our communities, states and nations. Just a little over a week ago we watched as Congress took the nation to the brink of default before passing legislation that no one seems to like to raise the debt ceiling. The vote was bipartisan, but the aftermath has been little more than a bout of finger-pointing, with each side trying as hard as possible not to own the results.

Is there any hope of having a positive reunion with these kinds of relationships?

Of course this isn’t the first time that our nation has been at loggerheads. This year, after all, marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War. That war took the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, more than in all of America’s other wars combined. When that war that divided a nation ended four years later, the combatants faced a dilemma. Could the sides reconcile and once again be a family? And if they did, what would this family look like? History shows that we spent at least a century trying to resolve these questions, and we may still be trying to live together as one nation.

It was to this dilemma that faced the nation as the war come to an end that Abraham Lincoln spoke in his Second Inaugural Address:

With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.

Is this not the message that Joseph had for his brothers?

Although his brothers were terrified, knowing that they had wronged their brother and that their brother held their lives in his hands, Joseph wanted to host a family reunion. He might be the Prime Minister of Egypt, but he is also part of this family and he wants to see these broken relationships restored.

Now Lincoln wouldn’t live to see this dream fulfilled, but Joseph had the opportunity to bind up the wounds of his family. Instead of seeking revenge as so many of us try to do, he invites his family, including his father, to come to Goshen for a big reunion.

Why did Joseph do this? Could it be that he saw God at work in the world? Remember what Joseph said to his brothers. Don’t be upset or angry yourselves, because God sent me here to save lives. God has used me in this place to rescue you from this famine, and with you all of Egypt.

Now, I know that there are Christians who read this passage in such a way that God is said to have caused all of this to happen – from the selling of Joseph into slavery to the famine and even the rise to power. This is, as a famous Christian author puts it, Joseph’s “purpose driven life.” But what kind of God is this who does evil so that God can happen?

Maybe there’s another way of reading this story, where we have freedom to choose how we’re to live our lives, but where God is active in our midst, inviting us, as good invites Joseph, to be a partner in doing something good for the world. Joseph could have chosen differently, but he discovered that God was inviting him to a family reunion that would bring forgiveness, reconciliation, and hope to a broken family, his own family.

There is another story about a family reunion that may have a bearing on our conversation. It’s a different kind of story, but it carries a message of reconciliation. You may know this story. It’s about a man named Ray Kinsella, who decided to mow down his cornfield and build a baseball field on his land, because he heard a voice say to him: “If you build it, he will come.”

I’m sure all of us hear voices like this! Don’t we?

If you hear a voice tell you to build a baseball field, or maybe pack up your family and move half way across the country, what should you do? Are you ready to throw caution to the wind and follow the lead of this voice?

There is an important question that permeates the movie Field of Dreams. That question is: who is “he?” Is it Shoeless Joe Jackson, the disgraced baseball player? Is it writer Terrance Mann, who would rather be left alone than reminded of his fame? Is it Moonlight Graham, the now deceased doctor who had made it the majors, but never got to bat?

Not only does the voice say “if you build it, he will come,” but it also says: “Ease his pain.” But whose pain is going to be eased by building this field of dreams? As the movie closes, the ghost of Shoeless Joe points to Ray and says – it’s your pain that is to be eased. At that moment Ray spots his long dead father, from whom he had been estranged from his youth, as a young man with a dream of a major league career. In a conversation that has brought tears to the eyes of many a man, Ray says to this version of his father he had never known: “Hey Dad, . . . You wanna have a catch?” And his father says, “I’d like that.” In that moment a family reunion is held and the pain of both men is eased and reconciliation occurs.

On the day of Pentecost, after Peter finished his sermon, the people responded: How can we be saved – that is, how might we experience healing and wholeness in our lives? And Peter said – repent, be baptized for the forgiveness of sins, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. And on that day there was a really big family reunion!

Preached by:

Dr. Robert D. Cornwall

Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Troy, Michigan

August 14, 2011

Wrestling till Daybreak

2011-07-31T06:30:00.000-07:00

Genesis 32:22-31

When I was a kid, my mother decided I needed to learn how to defend myself and so she signed me up for wrestling camp. Although I’d rather have been at basketball camp, for the next six Saturdays I learned to wrestle. Since I never became a very proficient wrestler, I got knocked out in the first round of the tournament that ended the camp. Much to my relief! There’s another kind of wrestling besides the one I learned at camp. They call it professional wrestling, and in professional wrestling, which I used to watch on Saturday afternoons, neither desire nor proficiency is the key to success. That’s because the outcome is determined by a script.

When it comes to wrestling Jacob wasn’t a professional! No, he was a competitive wrestler, who when challenged would fight to win. He’d been that way since he shared his mother’s womb with his twin brother. His parents named him Jacob because he grabbed Esau’s heel and tried to pass him in the birth canal. It didn’t quite work out as Jacob planned, but he didn’t give up. He got Esau to trade his birthright for a nice bowl of stew and then tricked his father into giving the blessing by pretending to be Esau. When he went to his uncle’s house looking for a wife, he ended up taking half of Laban’s flocks through trickery. Jacob was a struggler, who did what he could to get on top of the situation.

Now he’s decided to return home and claim his inheritance. Unfortunately he hadn’t reconciled with Esau, and it’s been reported that Esau is heading their way with 400 men. Although Jacob takes some precautions, such as sending tribute ahead of his party and dividing his people and flocks into two companies, fear starts to set in. The day of reckoning is at hand, and he’s not sure how it will end

Having sent his family across the river, Jacob sits there all alone by the fire, unable to sleep, and worrying about the future. He prayed that God would remain faithful to the promises made to him, that his descendants would be a blessing to the nations, but he didn’t know for sure what would happen next.

While he was sitting by the fire, someone attacked him from behind, and a wrestling match began that would last until daybreak. This wasn’t “professional wrestling” where the ending was already scripted, and so Jacob fought back against his unknown assailant. When dawn began to break, the attacker pleaded with Jacob: "let me go because the sun is about to rise.” Jacob was the winner, but he wouldn’t let go, even when the attacker dislodged his hip from its joint. He wasn’t going to let go until his attacker gave him a blessing. That blessing, which he secured by taking up a challenge would change everything. This blessing involved a name change, and so he went from being the “one who supplants,” to the "one who struggled with God and humans and prevailed." Yes, Jacob wrestled with God and prevailed, though he would carry a reminder of his struggle – a limp – but his identity was now assured. Armed with confidence gained through this struggle, Jacob, now Israel, was ready to face his brother. And the good news is that they would be reconciled!

It’s an interesting story, but there’s more to it than simply a wrestling match with a divine entity. Like Jacob and Israel, we too have our wrestling matches with God, through which we seek to discern God’s purpose and live it out in our lives and in our congregation.

There are those who believe that God is like a professional wrestler, and so if we get in a match with God the outcome is already determined. Because God is in control of our destiny, these wrestling matches have been fixed. But is this true? Is our destiny already decided? Is it possible for us to wrestle with God and prevail? Can our decisions and choices influence and affect the way God is present in the world? It’s not that God’s character changes, it’s a question of whether the future is open or not.

Like Jacob we all face difficult decisions, and often there are no easy and clean answers, In our struggle to discern God’s direction, we pray and meditate, we read the Scriptures and talk to friends. We might even “ask the pastor.” In many cases we make decisions not knowing how the future will turn out, but in our wrestling matches with God we hear words of blessing and know that God is with us.

There are some who believe that it’s not appropriate to ask questions of God and to have doubts about matters of faith. Their counsel is to have faith and believe without question. But Jacob had his doubts and David and Job and Mary had their questions to ask of God, just as we have our questions. There are times when we have a hard time discerning whether God is present in our time of trial. We wonder: If God is love and if God has already determined the present and the future, then why is there so much evil and destruction in our world? Sometimes our experiences in life cause us to rethink the way we understand the nature and character of God! Like Jacob, when we wrestle with God, not only do we receive blessings, but we discern a way forward into the future knowing that we’re not alone.

The story of Jacob’s wrestling match seems to have an invitation. God says: throw your best punch; ask your questions. If life doesn’t make sense, then tell God your reasons, whether it’s 9-11, Hiroshima, the Holocaust, the death of innocent children, a hurricane, or AIDS. I think God is ready for a real wrestling match, not one of those “professional” ones where the ending is already determined.

Like Jacob our futures are uncertain. Some of us face health issues that require difficult decisions. Others face financial uncertainty, especially if you’re dependent on Social Security and you don’t know if checks will go out this week. Some of us have theological questions. We wonder about the character and purpose of God. Maybe we struggle with a seeming lack of justice in the world or the traditional definitions of God no longer work for us. As a congregation we face the reality that our demographic is older than the norm and we wonder how to draw in younger adults and children.

These are the kinds of questions and issues that God embraces. Our God is not a passive spectator. God is an engaged participant in our lives. Since God doesn’t act coercively, maybe the wrestling analogy has its limitations. But, in the struggle, it appears that our lives are transformed by our engagement with God.

On August 27th we’ll have an opportunity to engage God and each other in a conversation about our church, its mission, and its future. In our all-church retreat that Alex will be leading, we’ll be learning some important skills that will help us work together to accomplish God’s purpose in the world. In this retreat we’ll be revisiting our core values and we will wrestle with them as we seek to discern our future. Then in September Bruce Epperly is coming to lead us in a conversation about how we might more deeply root our missional work in God’s life. These are important events, because they will help us wrestle with our sense of calling. Standing before us are important questions like whether we’re ready to nest an intentional Christian community that could lead to a new congregation? There are issues of diversity in age and ethnicity, and as our General Minister, Sharon Watkins, reminded us at the General Assembly we must face the question of whether we’re willing to truly welcome our Gay and Lesbian brothers and sisters into our churches.

So, as a church, we stand at the river’s edge, able to see some of the future unfolding before us, but knowing that the future is not yet complete. Having wrestled with God, we face the question of whether we’re willing to cross the river with boldness, ready to embrace the future that God is preparing for us. We’ve already made great strides toward becoming a truly missional church, but this is an ongoing journey, with many rivers to cross and therefore lots of wrestling matches to endure.

Preached by:

Dr. Robert Cornwall

Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Troy, Michigan

Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

July 31, 2011

If God Is For Us . . .

2011-07-24T07:30:00.000-07:00

Romans 8:26-39

On a hot and humid evening this past week, as we watched the Tigers play the Oakland A’s, John Balogh asked me whether I would be preaching a baseball-themed sermon? Being a lifelong baseball fan, I couldn’t let a request like that get away, and so I began thinking about how baseball might fit with this morning’s sermon theme.

In Romans 8 Paul poses a question: “If God is for us, then who can be against us?” Now, if you’re a Tiger’s fan, could you see God’s hand at work during the game Tuesday evening? Because they won big, surely God must be on the side of the Tigers! Of course, not everyone saw things this way, because two members of our group wore caps of the then first place Cleveland Indians. And while I donned a Tiger’s hat and rooted them on as they played the hapless Oakland A’s, just few weeks earlier I wore a San Francisco Giants cap to the Giants-Tigers game and rooted for my boyhood team. So, on that night I was one of the few in the stadium who went home happy. So, if God is a baseball fan, whose side is God on? And, if victory is a mark of God’s support, then surely God must be a Yankee fan, because no team has accumulated as many championships as they have. I’m sure most of you will agree with me that God could not be a Yankee fan!

So, what does it mean for us to claim that if God is for us, then no one or no thing can stand against us? Being that this is the sesquicentennial of the start of the Civil War and because Cheryl and I happened to stop at Lincoln’s birthplace in Kentucky on our way home from the General Assembly, I wondered how this great American President would answer the question. Lincoln said something in his Second Inaugural Address that seems to pertain to this question.

Lincoln may not have been a church member in good standing, but he had a keen theological mind, and he was well aware that both sides in this horrible conflict that took nearly 700,000 lives were praying that God would bless their cause. Both sides seemed to believe that “if God is for us, then who can be against us.” I have my own thoughts as to whose side God favored, but Lincoln recognized the difficulties involved in claiming God’s blessings. And so, in his Second Inaugural Address, as he tried to prepare a fractured nation for reunion once the war ended, he spoke these words:

Both read the same Bible, and pray to the same God; and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces; but let us judge not that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered; that of neither has been answered fully.

Although Constantine believed that God gave him the cross as a sign of conquest, Lincoln was a much better theologian when it came to such matters.

But it’s not just about war or God’s favoring a particular nation with blessings. If God is for us, then where is God when atrocities like the massacre in Norway occur? Or, when a natural disaster like the quake in Haiti strikes? These are not easy questions to answer, and yet they are asked regularly.

Perhaps we can begin to find answers in the opening verses of our text from Romans 8, where Paul tells the Roman church that if you don’t know how to pray, then the Spirit, who knows our hearts, and God’s heart, will plead “our case with unexpressed groans.” Although we may be impressed by long and eloquent prayers, God isn’t so obsessed with the quality of our words, and is more concerned about what is going on in our hearts. So, even if all we can do is offer God our unexpressed groans, God will hear them and respond.

We can find hope and strength, Paul says, in knowing that “in all things God works for good for those who love God.” Do you hear in this statement an invitation to join with God in pursuing that which is good in this world? Do you hear an invitation to join with God in bringing blessings, not just to one nation, but to the whole of creation? Remember our Disciple motto: “We are a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world.” We have experienced this partnership of blessing this summer as we shared in the launch of our Motown Partnership and our partnership with Rippling Hope Ministries, two exciting expressions of our Missional calling. And these ministries have been infused by the Spirit, whom we have encountered as we’ve made ourselves available to God so that we can be a means of blessing to our world.

As we hear in Romans 8 words about being part of the elect, the called ones, there are echoes of the covenant God made with Abraham and Sarah, where God promised that it would be through their descendants that the peoples of this world would be blessed. We could hear this promise in very deterministic ways, in which God has already determined who is in and who is out, and therefore the ones whom God has chosen to be blessed will make it through to the end. But, is this how we understand the promises of God?

As we consider this question, maybe we should look to the Chicago Cubs for a good analogy of the way in which God is with us in the world. If we see God as the big Yankee fan in the sky, then we must judge God on the number of “championships” won. But, if we picture God as a Cubs fan, knowing that it’s been decades since they were last in the World Series, let alone having won one, then we can understand God not as the great decider, but as the beloved companion who remains faithful in all things and shares in our sufferings and partners with us in bringing healing and hope to all of creation.

This text and it’s promise that God is for us raises questions about our understanding of the nature and character of God. If you’re like me, you grew up with the idea that God is an all-powerful being who sweeps in and takes care of us when needed, sort of a like a divine Mr. Fix-It. Indeed, we tend to give thanks when something wonderful happens to us or to a friend, but what about all of those times in which God doesn’t seem to intervene? That is, if God is love as we believe, and if God is all-powerful, then why didn’t God stop that gunman in Norway from taking the lives of eighty-four people at a camp, most of whom were children?

Over the years I’ve had to rethink the way in which I understand how God is for us and with us. The traditional understanding of God, which speaks of God as this all-powerful being who knows all things and can do all things, no longer makes sense of the world in which I live. Although I haven’t gotten it all figured out yet, instead of seeing God as the great Yankee in the sky, I’ve come to see God as the one who walks with us in our suffering and invites us into partnership so that together we can bring hope and healing and justice to our world. Maybe this is a view of God that a Cubs fan, and maybe a Lion’s fan, can appreciate.

Our text begins with a promise that when we can’t figure out how to pray or what to ask, then the Spirit will pray on our behalf, and it ends with another promise. That promise is an important one because it touches on one of the greatest fears that we have as human beings – that we might find ourselves alone and unloved. The promise is that nothing – not adversity, illness, or even political powers – can separate us from the love of God.

One of the things that has struck me about the Harry Potter series of books and movies is its emphasis on the importance of love, friendship, and loyalty. While much responsibility is placed on Harry’s young shoulders, since he is the one everyone is looking to for their deliverance from the clutches of the evil one, he doesn’t take on this responsibility all by himself. There are times when he feels alone and even abandoned, but throughout this series of stories his beloved friends, Ron and Hermoine, always have his back, and they’re not the only ones who are standing with him as he takes up this battle with the powers and principalities of this world.

The promise is that God is for us, and therefore, nothing can stand against us. The point is not that we’ll never experience suffering or tragedy, but in the midst of everything that happens in our lives, nothing separates us from the love of God, which we know and experience in Jesus Christ. In this there is victory and there is hope.

Preached by:
Dr. Robert D. Cornwall
Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Troy, Michigan
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
July 24, 2011

Divine Wisdom -- A Sermon

2011-07-03T04:30:00.000-07:00

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

John the Baptist was a spoil sport who wouldn’t dance when the band played and didn’t wail with the mourners at funerals, and so they decided he had to be demon-possessed. Then, along comes Jesus, who hangs out with the wrong crowd – sinners and tax-collectors – so he must be a drunkard and a glutton. As they say, you can’t win for losing! Now, John wasn’t really demon-possessed – though he did dress in camel skins and eat a diet of locusts. But, just because you’re an eccentric, that doesn’t mean you’re demon-possessed. As for Jesus, I doubt if he really was a drunk or a glutton – though he did make wine from water (though that’s a different Gospel) and of course he did go to lots of dinner parties, but he did hang out with the wrong sort of people, and as they say – you can know the character of a person by the company they keep. But that’s conventional wisdom, and divine wisdom is often different from conventional wisdom. As Jesus says “wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

Since it’s “4th of July Weekend,” it’s worth bringing Benjamin Franklin into the conversation. Franklin was well known in his day for dispensing “conventional wisdom,” some of which continues to be passed on today. One piece of this conventional wisdom suggests “God helps those who help themselves.” Although many Christians believe that this piece of “wisdom” can be found in the Bible, it was coined by a 17th century British writer and then passed on by Franklin to his readers. It’s a popular bit of conventional wisdom, but does it fit with divine wisdom?

Another way of describing conventional wisdom is what some call “common sense.” Trust your senses and you’ll know the truth. So, when you experience a rather cool and rainy spring, you may find it difficult to believe the scientists who keep telling us that we’re experiencing global warming. Since what you’re experiencing doesn’t seem to fit with what the scientists are saying – they must be wrong.

Then there’s something that may look like wisdom, but is really nothing more than conspiracy theory. Something that some politicians like to share with us to get our support for their cause, or that bit of wisdom that our “friends” share with us in emails that need to be checked out on Snopes.com. On matters such as these, the wisdom of Mark Twain certainly fits! "It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so."

On the other hand, Jesus says that there is a wisdom that God reveals not to the wise and intelligent of this age, but rather to infants. It’s the sort of wisdom that suggests that if you want to follow Jesus you might want to sell all you have and give it to the poor. That certainly doesn’t sound very much like common sense, but as you know, Jesus told one young man to do just that.

Divine wisdom is different from conventional wisdom or even common sense wisdom, but “it will be vindicated by her deeds,” which Jesus says is revealed in his invitation to those who are weary and carry heavy burdens to go to him and let him take on this heavy load. All that we have to do, Jesus says, is take upon ourselves his yoke, which is easy and light.

In preparing for this sermon I discovered something I hadn’t seen before, or at least I hadn’t really paid much attention to before now. What I discovered was that this invitation to lay down our burdens and take up the yoke of Jesus, that sign of servanthood, is rooted in a passage from one of the deuterocanonical books called the Wisdom of Sirach, and in Sirach, Wisdom, who is described in feminine terms, invites the weary and the heavily burdened to let go of these burdens and worries and take upon themselves the yoke of wisdom.

18My child, from your youth welcome education, and you will continue to discover wisdom until you are gray-haired. 19Approach her like one who plows and one who sows, and wait for her good fruits.When cultivating her, you will labor a little, but you will eat her produce soon. 20Wisdom is rugged terrain to the uneducated, and the fainthearted won’t persevere with her. 21The will be like a heavy stone that tests them, and they won’t hesitate to throw her aside. 22Wisdom is like her name, and she won’t be visible to many. 23Listen, my child, and welcome my opinion. Don’t reject my advice. 24Put your feet into her shackles and your neck into her collar. 25Bend your shoulder down and carry her, and don’t chafe at her bonds. 26Come to her with your whole being, and keep to her ways with all your strength. 27Track her down and seek her, and she will become known to you.When you get possession of her, don’t let her go. 28In the end, you will find rest in her, and she will turn to you and make you happy. (Sirach 26:18-28 CEB)

This discovery has proven very helpful in understanding what Jesus is doing in this passage of Scripture. You see, without ever giving attribution to Sirach, Jesus suggests that he is the embodiment of divine wisdom, the kind of wisdom that comforts, sustains, and supports us. Jesus seems to be saying that if you want to know true wisdom, then you must know me and follow me, because God has handed down this wisdom to me, and to those to whom I reveal it. So, come and follow me by putting on the collar and shackles of wisdom, then you will find rest and happiness – not as the world understands it, but as God understands it.

And this is good news, for many of us carry many burdens. Some are sick, some mourn, some are angry, some struggle with their faith, and some are anxious about their lives and their futures. We’re weary and having sought help in many places, not knowing where to turn, we receive this word of wisdom from the one who embodies wisdom: Come take my yoke and I will give you rest from all your burdens. This wisdom the writer of Proverbs says is more desirable than anything the world has to offer, including gold, silver, or even fine jewels. It was the first manifestation of God’s creativity, and through wisdom, God has created all things, which makes divine wisdom, as opposed to conventional wisdom, the fount of life and divine favor (Prov. 8). And it is found, Jesus says, by letting go of our need to control life and embrace his invitation to be a servant of God. And, “wisdom will be vindicated by her deeds.”

Preached by:

Dr. Robert D. Cornwall

Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church

Troy, Michigan

3rd Sunday after Pentecost

July 3, 2011

The Reward of Being a Welcoming People -- A Sermon

2011-06-26T04:30:00.000-07:00

Matthew 10:40-42

In his book The Hidden Gifts of Helping: How the Power of Giving, Compassion, and Hope Can Get Us Through Hard Times, Stephen Post suggests that the “recipe for living a rich, less stressful, healthier, and more meaningful life than you thought possible . . . [is to] give of yourself to someone else” (pp. 27-28).

The responses I heard from the Peace Week mission teams and from the congregations who helped support their work, such as by providing meals, confirm this observation. Not only were the recipients of this help blessed, but so were the givers of help. That is, giving and receiving help is circular – you give and you receive and you give again, and in this relationship between giver and receiver, there is great reward.

In this morning’s reading from the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus debriefs his disciples after they have returned from a mission trip. He seems to want to know how they were treated. Hopefully when the teams from Indianapolis, Lexington, and Lincoln Road, were asked how they were treated by the folks in metro-Detroit, they could give a positive report, because as Jesus says – how they receive you is how they receive me, and the one who sent me.

The mission trip under discussion involved the twelve disciples being sent out in pairs. Jesus told them to proclaim the reign of God, heal the sick, raise the dead, and cast out demons. They weren’t supposed to take anything with them, but instead they were to live off the generosity of their audience. When they entered a home, they were to offer a blessing in exchange for this gracious hospitality. And if the people to whom they went refused to offer hospitality – well, woe be unto them!

So here we are at the debriefing – something we’re going to do this Wednesday evening when Carl Zerweck and Carl Gladstone come to talk to us about Peace Week. From Jesus’s tone, it appears that not everyone had a good experience. But, Jesus tells them – it wasn’t you, it was me they were rejecting, and in rejecting me, they rejected God. But if a community welcomed you, they were also welcoming me and the one who sent me (Matt. 10:1ff).

The Gift of Hospitality

When Abraham and Sarah welcomed the three visitors to their tents at the Oaks of Mamre (Gen. 18:1ff), by offering them food and shelter, they were abiding by the expectations of their culture. Their response stands in stark contrast to the way these same strangers were received by the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot and his family did the right thing, but their neighbors tried to rape and kill the strangers, and as a result suffered the judgment of God for failing to abide by their covenant obligations.

There’s a principle at work in these stories that was very prominent in the ancient world. You should treat the stranger well, because you might be entertaining “angels unawares.” As it says in Hebrews: “Don’t neglect to open your homes to guests, because by doing this some have been hosts to angels without knowing it” (Heb. 13:2).

Maybe that’s why we read so many stories in the Bible about people and communities practicing hospitality. They knew that in welcoming the stranger they were welcoming God into their homes. How do we see the practice of hospitality in our own lives – both at home and at church?

A Welcoming People

Remember when we laid out our core values more than two years ago. We decided that two of them should describe us as being a serving and accepting congregation. But what does this require of us?

Everything I read these days says people are seeking spiritual things, but they don’t think that the institutional church has answers to their questions. Even if they’re open to the possibility that God could be found residing in our churches, they’re not all that hopeful that this true.

In the gospel reading Jesus says that the way in which people receive the message that we’re called to share is a sign of their receptivity to the things of God. But I’m wondering if after two thousand years we shouldn’t turn this passage on its head, so that the question isn’t whether we’re being welcomed into the lives of the recipients of our message, but whether we’re willing to welcome the stranger into our lives and our communities. That is, could it be possible that God is present in the stranger who comes to us?

In the book of Acts, some of the disciples left the comfort of the Upper Room and headed out into the world, bearing the message of God’s realm to that world, eventually taking the message beyond the Jewish community to the non-Jewish world. They took a message of grace, mercy, love, freedom, and justice, and while some people received the message, others didn’t. Some of the hearers of the word found the message of the cross to be foolishness, but the message continued to be proclaimed, and it took root in the hearts and minds of some of the hearers of that word.

We are, of course, an extension of that ministry, even as we embrace the call to be a missional congregation. To be such a congregation also involves being a welcoming community. But are there limits to our hospitality?

Remember what Doug Pagitt shared with us in February about his congregation in Minneapolis? About how the two young women who found a home in that community, even though one of them didn’t know what she believed about God and the other saw herself as an atheist. Although Doug and his church don’t shy away from proclaiming Jesus as Lord and Savior, these young women found in that congregation a place of welcome and safety and spiritual wholeness, even if they weren’t ready to embrace the whole of the Christian faith.

Being a welcoming people is more than an abstract principle. It’s more than words on paper. It’s about real people and real lives. In her closing sermon at the Streaming Conference at Rochester College last month, Katie Hays suggested that all the directives found in the Letter of James about the use of the tongue and showing favoritism to the rich while neglecting the poor, and even the directive to call on the elders when you’re sick so that they might pray for you, suggests that this letter is written to a “pre-missional” community. They have too many issues to work through before they can invite the world into their lives. That is, they hadn’t yet learned how to welcome each other, so how could they hope to welcome the stranger?

Are we ready to go into the world bearing the message of God’s reign? Are we a pre-missional community? Or are we a missional one? That is, have we become a truly welcoming people? And are there limits to our welcome?

What about people who speak a language other than English? Or whose race, religion, or culture is different from the majority of our members? What if their theology is a bit different from ours? Or their taste in music? Maybe it’s more Jayzee than Bach. Indeed, what about the generational differences that are present in this very congregation? And of course, there’s the matter of sexual orientation, which we don’t talk much about, even though it’s a major topic in the broader culture.

What does it mean for us to be a people who are truly welcoming of others?

Jesus says that in welcoming others, he is welcomed, and when he is welcomed God’s presence is affirmed and welcomed. In this there is great reward.

Preached by:
Dr. Robert D. Cornwall
Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Troy, MI
2nd Sunday after Pentecost
June 26, 2011

Give a Witness -- A Sermon for Trinity Sunday

2011-06-19T07:30:00.000-07:00

Matthew 28:16-20

To “Give a Witness” is to offer a testimony about what God is doing in your life and in the world. It’s also a good way of thinking about this morning’s text, in which Jesus gives the “Great Commission.”

“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you.”

What memories does this passage stir? When did you first hear it? How does this verse speak to you today?

Just a few moments ago we commissioned the delegates for the General Assembly in Nashville, and the theme of this assembly is “Tell It!”, which is another way of saying “give a witness.” What stories would you want to tell about what God is doing today?

Giving a Witness to a Relational God

Although by tradition this is Trinity Sunday, Disciples of Christ have always been a bit ambivalent about the Trinity. In fact, Alexander Campbell changed the words of our opening hymn so that we wouldn’t be singing praise to the Blessed Trinity. So, while I know that not everyone is comfortable with the Trinity or understand how the doctrine works, it’s been the dominant way for Christians to define the nature and the activity of the God we meet in Jesus Christ.

Now, I’m not planning to offer a lecture this morning on the intricacies of Trinitarian doctrine, but this doctrine invites us to consider that there is diversity within the unity that is God, and that in God’s very being there is this powerful relational element that draws us into God’s orbit so that we might share in God’s relational presence, so that we can be in partnership with God.

And if the Great Commission offers a baptismal formula that speaks of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Paul’s closing benediction from 2 Corinthians gives further definition of what it means for God to be Trinity:

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Cor. 13:13 CEB).

As we tell our story of what God is doing in our midst, Paul reminds us that grace, love, and fellowship are important markers of this presence. It is in the presence and the power of this God that we go forth into the world, and as we do, we carry with us this message of Jesus: “I’ll be with you until the end of the age.”

Motown and Peace Week

The Great Commission begins with the words “Go and make disciples.” In other words, don’t stay where you’re at, but go into the world and draw the world into God’s vision of a new realm, where justice and peace, love, and grace are the predominant values. It’s an invitation to join with God in the work of transforming the world in which we live so that it might be reflective of God’s realm.

And since our calling this morning is to give a witness, I want to share some stories about what I saw God doing this past week during Peace Week. The great thing about this story I want to tell is that many of you got to share in it.

So, before I tell my version of the story, I’d like everyone who participated in Motown Mission's Peace Week in some way to stand, if you’re able. If you cooked or served a meal at Metropolitan United Methodist Church, or you sat with the participants and shared in a meal, or provided financial support, or colored book marks to give to the participants, or if you went down to Northwestern Christian Church or United Christian Church and did a little painting or pull weeds – please stand. There are others, including Alex McCauslin, who aren’t able to be with us this morning who also shared in this work, and everyone who participated in this story participated in the wonderful work that God is doing in our midst in partnership with God’s people.

While we’re giving our witness, I’d like to point out some people who have joined us for worship this morning from Rippling Hope Ministries. Rippling Hope, which is led by Carl and Robin Zerweck, provided the on-the-ground leadership and support for the mission teams that came to Detroit from Lexington and Indianapolis and central Michigan. Two of the groups were Disciple and one was United Methodist.

What happened this past week is the result of a series of partnerships that began developing over the past two and half years, and which ultimately included Motown Mission, Rippling Hope, Northwestern Christian Church, the churches of the Michigan Region, and CWCC. Together we provided an opportunity for mission teams to come to Detroit, so that people could be blessed, whether it was through service or through receiving these services. And what began this week is only the beginning!

So, let me give my testimony. I had the opportunity to share in a dinner that CWCC provided for the mission teams as they arrived on Sunday afternoon. With this initial burst of hospitality, which then extended to Tuesday evening – and as I understand it, included a few breakfasts along the way – the week was underway. Later, on Wednesday morning, I went down to Northwestern Christian Church to see what was happening onsite, because I was hearing good things. When I got there Karen of Rippling Hope put me to work painting, which I did until Carl Zerweck stopped by and invited me to go over to United Christian Church to see the work being done on their parsonage. In both places I saw young people hard at work creating inviting spaces for ministry to occur. In both places I heard words of deep appreciation for the gifts that the mission teams had brought to these communities.

I also heard how the mission teams had gone out into the neighborhood around Northwestern, picking up trash and doing painting and repair work on homes suggested by the local Block Club. From everything that I heard, the people of the neighborhood were truly blessed not only by the work, but the fact that these strangers from out of town cared enough to come and help. And not only that, but Eugene told me that the State Representative from that district stopped by and expressed his appreciation and invited Eugene, Carl, and me to meet with him to talk more about what this ministry is doing in that neighborhood.

Yes, God is at work and this past week we got to join in the work that God is doing in Detroit. That was the theme of the celebration this past Friday evening as we gathered with the mission teams at Northwestern to bring their week to a close with dinner and a celebration in worship, where stories of God’s work got shared. From what I can see and what I’ve heard, this was a smashing success!

Now, the summer isn’t over, and there are still opportunities for us to join in the work both at Motown and through Rippling Hope. I’m sure that Carl would be glad to tell you how you could be involved – there is hammering to be done, painting to be done, and of course, meals to be served. You can talk with him after service – he’ll be the one who gave the benediction.

Then on the 29th of this month, we’ll have the opportunity to debrief our experiences. I’ve asked both Carl Gladstone of Motown and Carl Zerweck of Rippling Hope to join us for this conversation, so we can start planning for next year (if not before). Finally, in regard to Peace Week, on behalf of Motown and the Mission teams who gathered this week in Detroit, I want to thank you for what you did to make this dream a reality.

In a moment we’ll sing one of the great mission hymns of the church: “We’ve a story to tell to the nations. “ I know this hymn sounds a bit triumphalist, but if you can get past this language, the hymn offers an invitation to consider the story that we have been given by God, a story that invites our neighbors into discipleship through baptism and through obedience to the commandments of Jesus.

Now may “the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” as you “go and make disciples of the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” knowing that Jesus has promised to be with us to the end of the ages.

Preached by:

Dr. Robert D. Cornwall

Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Troy, Michigan

Trinity Sunday

June 19, 2011

Prophet Reports -- A Pentecost Sermon

2011-06-12T07:30:00.000-07:00

Numbers 11:24-30

The biblical prophets aren’t very appealing characters. Remember Jeremiah? He was sent packing to Egypt in a big jar. And then there’s Elisha who cursed a group of boys who were making fun of him because he was bald, and as a result two bears attacked the boys. Then there’s Jonah who got upset when God spared the people of Nineveh when they repented. Those are just a few stories about prophets, who on their best days had a tendency to say things that people didn’t want to hear.

I expect that when most of us think of prophets we have in mind a “John the Baptist” type, who dresses funny and maybe has a long beard -- unless she’s a she like Huldah -- and makes you feel uncomfortable when they’re around. So maybe you weren’t all that pleased to hear Moses say that he’d love it if everyone was a prophet!

Since it’s Pentecost Sunday and we’re supposed to think about the things of the Spirit, it might be good to remember that prophets factor into this story as well.

Do you remember when the Spirit of God fell on the disciples as they were in the Upper Room? They’d been waiting for Jesus to fulfill his promise to send the Holy Spirit to them after he left. Well, it had been ten days, and although they’d gotten some business out of the way, such as filling Judas’s spot in the leadership team, they were just waiting to see what would happen. If they were like me, they were probably getting a bit impatient and maybe a bit anxious. You know how it is – after you go to the doctor and have some tests done. It’s agonizing having to wait for the results.

But then it happened. Ten days later, as Jews from around the Mediterranean world descended on Jerusalem to celebrate the festival of Pentecost, the Spirit fell on the people and they start prophesying, apparently doing so in the various languages of the gathering crowd. It seems they caused quite a commotion, and so Peter decided to take advantage of the situation and do a little preaching, and he decided to base his sermon on the words of the prophet Joel. After all, every preacher needs a text! And Peter focused in on Joel’s words about the last days – I hope Harold Camping is paying attention – when the Spirit would fall on the people of God and they would dream dreams and prophesy – the young and the old, men and women. Yes, it appears that in the mind of Joel and of Peter, a day would come when everyone would be a prophet, just as Moses had hoped. So are you ready to take up your prophetic calling?

SHARING

Moses’ word about everybody being a prophet has a context. If you go back a bit in the passage from the Book of Numbers you’ll see that Moses was struggling with his job. Here he was the leader of his people, called by God from a Burning Bush to go down to Egypt and tell Pharaoh: “Let my People God!” And he did it. He had led the people of Israel out of bondage, but now things were getting a bit overwhelming. With more than 600,000 people to herd across the desert, you can see how things could get a bit overwhelming, especially if you were having to do it all by yourself.

What Moses needed to do was learn the lessons we had to learn in kindergarten. Remember kindergarten? I don’t know what you learned in kindergarten, but I remember learning to tie my shoes, eat graham crackers, and take naps. We also learned about sharing, which was part of the broader purpose of learning how to get along with others. We had to do this because sharing apparently doesn’t come naturally. And we don’t stop learning how to share in kindergarten – we all seem to need some regularly scheduled continuing education. In fact, if Mr. Rogers weren’t dead, we could ask him to come and help us learn how to share our toy trucks!

Now Moses had to learn this lesson the hard way. He was carrying the burdens of the entire community on his back, having to listen day and night to complaints about the food, the lodging, and the length of time it was taking to get across the desert. It was getting so overwhelming that one day Moses yelled at Go: “If this is the way you're going to treat me, just kill me now and end my miserable life!” (Numbers 11:15). Now that’s frustration: kill me now and get it over with, because I’m going to end up with a heart attach anyway!

And God heard Moses and sent him back to kindergarten for a refresher course in sharing. God did this by having Moses choose seventy leaders who would help him. Moses was supposed to have the leaders and the people gather in front of the Tabernacle to await further instructions. And what happens next? God descends upon the crowd in a cloud, enshrouds Moses, and takes some of the spirit that resided on him and gives it to these seventy leaders. After they received this spirit of leadership from Moses, they began to prophesy.

Could it be that the church, like Moses, might need a refresher course in sharing? We all know that too often the majority of the load falls on the shoulders of a few people, who tend to burn out and often leave as a result. And churches can become overly dependent on pastors, who pretend to be omnicompetent and omnipresent, even though we’re neither of these things. What Moses learned by going back to kindergarten is that none of us can carry the whole load. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12, to each is “given a manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”

EVERYONE’S A PROPHET

Moses seems to have learned his lesson about sharing, and so he shared some of these leadership duties with this newly formed Board of Elders. Everything seems to be going like it should. Everyone has their policies and procedures manuals and their assigned responsibilities. To one is given the job of coordinating food distribution and to another planning worship and to still another responsibility for packing up the Tabernacle when it’s time to move. Moses is happy and the people are happy, because the institution is ready to hum! Except that God is about to throw everyone a curve ball, just to keep them on their toes.

Remember those two brothers who stayed behind in the camp to guard things while everyone was at church? Well, even as the Spirit was anointing the seventy elders, these two brothers named Eldad and Medad start prophesying in the camp. A young man sees what happens and runs to tell Moses that these two brothers are “out of order.” They’re not operating according to the Constitution, and Joshua, who is Moses’ assistant gets upset and tells Moses to make them stop. What Joshua didn’t understand, is that God’s vision is often greater than is ours. We like things done decently and in order. Everything has its own box and don’t mess it up!

Of course, God isn’t bound by our boxes, as God has demonstrated time and again. Remember when women were supposed to keep silent in the church? Some of you may remember when women not only didn’t preach in Disciples churches, they weren’t allowed at the Table either. And even as we take to heart the message of 1 Corinthians 12 that to each is given a manifestation of the Spirit, for centuries the “official church” told women they couldn’t preach or teach because in 1 Corinthians 14, Paul tells the women to be silent in the church. Of course, they didn’t remain silent. God had a way of touching people and empowering them for service even when the institution said no. Consider the stories of women like Julian of Norwich, Teresa of Avilla, Anne Hutchinson, Phoebe Palmer, and Aimee Semple McPherson.

Being that I was once part of the Foursquare Gospel Church, which was founded in the 1920s by a woman preacher at a time when few Mainline Protestant churches ordained women, I thought I’d tell the story of Aimee Semple McPherson. Back in the 1920s and 1930s Sister Aimee was one of the most prominent preachers in America. She started a denomination and a megachurch in Los Angeles. She preached all over the world and was one of the first preachers to make effective use of radio. Of course, her detractors were many. They reminded her of what Paul said about women speaking in church, but she responded by telling her detractors that she couldn’t stop preaching because God had given her this gift of the Spirit, so how could she say no to God? Women like these were the forerunners of Sharon Watkins, who in 2005 became the first woman to lead a Mainline Protestant denomination!

As for those two brothers, when Moses heard about them he responded to Joshua’s demand that he silence them, because they weren’t following the rules, by saying: “I wish the Lord would give his Spirit to all his people so everyone could be a prophet” (vs. 29 CEV).

And on the day of Pentecost the Spirit fell upon the people and in fulfillment of the promise of the prophet Joel, they began to prophesy – young and old, male and female – just as Moses had hoped!

Preached by:
Dr. Robert D. Cornwall
Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Troy, Michigan
Pentecost Sunday
June 12, 2001

Embracing Eternity -- A Sermon

2011-06-05T07:46:00.000-07:00

John 17:1-11

I’ve known a few preachers in my time who after they finished their sermon offered a rather lengthy prayer that was almost another sermon. In fact it appeared as if the recipient of that prayer was the congregation rather than God. That’s how I feel when I read John 17. John begins by saying:

When Jesus finished saying these things, he looked up to heaven and said: “Father the time has come. . . .” (Jn. 17:1).

There’s a lot of stuff packed into this prayer, much more than we can digest in one sitting. There is a word that is present in this prayer, however, that speaks to where we have been this past week.

Has the word eternity been on your heart and mind this week? Last Sunday I shared some of my own feelings about Alice’s death and on Thursday we gathered to remember and celebrate her life. Her death has caused many of us to think about our own mortality and perhaps about what comes after death. Stirred by Alice’s example, several members approached me about making plans for their own services, and maybe others of you were thinking about it. There’s wisdom in this, though you needn’t be quite as comprehensive in your planning as was Alice!

So here we come today, with Alice in our thoughts, and find that today is Ascension Sunday. I don’t know about you but the Calvinist in me finds this fact to be providential and not coincidental. Ascension Sunday is all about saying goodbye and looking forward into the future. Although Jesus has yet to go to the cross in John’s gospel, in Acts 1 not only is Jesus resurrected, but he’s commissioned the disciples to be his witnesses, promised them the Holy Spirit, and is ready to say goodbye, whether or not they’re ready. Maybe we can sympathize with the disciples.

A High Priestly Prayer

But the passage that we’ve read isn’t about the Ascension, but about a prayer. Of course it’s not just any prayer, it’s Jesus’ final prayer for his disciples, and in it we hear Jesus say: “It’s time for me to go home,” so glorify me as I’ve glorified you, protect them as they live their lives in the world, and may they be one, as we are one. Some scholars call this Jesus’ “high priestly prayer,” and he’s doing what priest’s do, which is intercede for others. That’s what Alice was. She was an intercessor. I guarantee you – if you got a card from her, she probably prayed for you as she sent out that card.

The Gift of Eternity

Alice’s death is fresh in our minds, but Jean’s death wasn’t all that long ago, and she too has left us a legacy of faithfulness to God. There are others, of course, who have died over the last few years, whose deaths have marked your own lives. Remembering their lives and their deaths can be difficult and even painful.

Death is a difficult thing to deal with. No one likes talking about it. We don’t like talking about it with our spouses or with our children. In fact, there are more than a few people, hopefully none of you, who don’t take out life insurance, because it’s so morbid. But death is part of life. Alice understood that, which is why she planned her service well in advance of her eventual death.

This leads me to the verses that really stuck out to me this week, and apparently also when I decided on the title for the sermon. Here in John 17, as Jesus is interceding (and preaching), we hear him say that God had given him the authority to give to everyone, whom God had chosen, the gift of eternal life. I wonder what this means, that God has authorized Jesus to bestow on us the gift of eternity?

Knowing God

Many years ago, when I was in seminary, a theologian named Orlando Costas spoke at Fuller Seminary. Although that lectureship occurred more than 25 years ago, I remember him posing a question for us to think about. Costas told us the big question facing us isn’t whether there’s life after death. The big question is this: “Is there life before death?” If Jesus has the authority to give us eternal life, and Costas is right about the big question that faces us, then what is eternity all about?

Remember how Jesus defined eternal life in John 17? Remember how he said to God: “This is eternal life: to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you sent.” If eternal life involves knowing God and Jesus, whom God sent into the world, then when does eternity begin? Could it begin now, in this life?

If eternal life involves knowing God – maybe not in a full sense, but in a real sense nonetheless – then what does this look like? How do we know God? Where is God present in our lives? As I ask this question, I’m mindful of our tendency as human beings to create God in our own image. Perhaps that’s not surprising – after all, Genesis 1 says that God created us in God’s image. But taking that caution into our minds, might we not encounter God in the lives of godly people like Alice and Jean as well as in the lives of little Eric and Sylvia? Have you experienced a sense of God’s presence in the beauty of music or nature? You know one of the great things about life is that it’s so varied. What speaks to me might not speak to you. How you connect with God might be a bit different from me. Maybe that’s why we have Episcopal Churches, Disciples’ Churches, Baptist Churches, and Pentecostal Churches – just to name a few options.

Or maybe you would like to try the way envisioned by Julian of Norwich, a medieval mystic, whose biography I read recently. Julian was a very holy person, who spent most of her life inside a small room praying. As far as I can tell, she never left that room. Food was delivered through a small door and whatever needed to be taken away from the room went back out that same door. From what I’ve read, she had some intense encounters with God. Although I’m not sure that her methodology would work for me, her writings continue to bless people to this day. Brother Lawrence, on the other hand, found it possible to experience the presence of God while peeling potatoes and washing dishes.

As we ponder this question of knowing God, perhaps we might pay attention to this qualifying statement of Jesus.

I have glorified you on earth by finishing the work you have sent me to do. Now Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I shared with you when the world was created.

I know that we can take this passage to speak of Jesus’ death and resurrection. I’m sure that this is partly the intent of John, but could it speak of more than this? Could it speak of our own calling and our own work in the world, work that is not yet finished for most of us? Perhaps, what we hear in this passage is a question of a legacy. What is it about our own lives, which will continue to bear witness to the presence of God in our world after we’re gone?

May I leave this word of definition, as we ponder the meaning of eternity. Eternal life is this: “To know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you sent.” May we embrace this message of eternity, so that we might be one, even as Jesus is one with God.

Preached by:
Dr. Robert D. Cornwall
Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church
Troy, Michigan
Ascension Sunday/7th Sunday of Easter
June 5, 2011

I'll Be There for You -- A Sermon

2011-05-29T07:20:00.000-07:00

John 14:15-21

Soon after God created Adam, God noticed that the man was lonely. Feeling sorry for him, God decided to fix the problem by creating animals and sending them one by one to Adam. Adam gave them names, but his loneliness didn’t go away. Not even the dogs, who are our best friends, nor the cats, who can be good companions – just don’t have too many of them – could fill the void that Adam was experiencing. Interestingly enough, not even Adam’s relationship with the Creator would suffice, and so God decided to create a companion who was perfectly fit for the man. When Adam saw the woman, he said to God: you got it right this time. She’s bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh.

This creation story reminds us that deep within us is a need to be in relationship with others like ourselves. Of course, we’re all different and so the way in which we experience relationships is different. Some of you are extroverts and you can’t get enough of being with people, and the more the merrier. Others of you are like me. You’re an introvert and even though you enjoy the company of others, at some point, you just have to get away by yourself!

Of course we need to find a balance. I may enjoy being by myself for a while, but not for too long. I remember spending a couple of months pulling brush on property that sat 7000 feet up in the mountains and ten miles from the next closest property. Now it was beautiful up there in the mountains. The main cabin sat on a small mountain lake that lay in the shadow of a much taller peak. In spite of this great beauty I couldn’t wait to head home for the weekend so I could get a little human companionship. This need for companionship seems to be instinctive. Have you watched a little baby reach out for his or her mother? Isn’t that amazing how we bond with our parents so quickly?

Here in John, after trying to comfort the disciples as he faced the cross, Jesus tells them that he wouldn't leave them orphans, but even as he goes to the Father, he will ask the Father to send them another companion – the paraclete who is the “Spirit of Truth.” This Greek word is really wonderful, because it has so many meanings and nuances. You’ll find it translated as companion, advocate, counselor, comforter, and even helper. So how might the Spirit of God be for us an advocate, a comforter, and a helper?

The Advocate

When you think of the Spirit, do you ever think about Sam Bernstein or Geoffrey Fieger? Well, they’re advocates. It’s hard to miss their seemingly omnipresent ads, that promise that if we have a problem they’ll take care of us. Although I’ll have to take their word for this, that’s essentially what an advocate does. If Sam and Geoffrey don’t seem like good analogies, what about Perry Mason or Ben Matlock? I know that my earliest views of attorneys were formed by watching reruns of Perry Mason, who always seemed to get to the truth of the matter. And that’s what the Spirit is – the defender of the truth, who comes in Jesus stead to fulfill the promise that "if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous."

The Comforter

Then there’s the word “comforter,” and instead of Perry Mason of Sam Bernstein, maybe the best image is that of a mother who loves her children. In Isaiah 66, God says to the people: "I will comfort you there as a child is comforted by its mother" (Is. 66:13). Isn’t this a wonderful image? It’s an image that all of us can relate to – though with all due respect to Isaiah, a father’s love can be comforting as well! But here is this wonderful image of God comforting a child like a mother who is sitting in a rocking chair, gently rocking her child to sleep after some traumatic incident – whether it’s a scraped knee or the loss of a pet.

Some amongst us might see this as a diminishment of God. For some people, if we think of God in terms of traditionally feminine qualities, then God may appear to be weak and passive – though it might be good to remember that most of the women of the Bible, from Miriam to Mary were anything but weak or passive.

As you reflect on this name for the Spirit, perhaps the people of Joplin, Missouri comes to mind. Surely the Spirit is there with the people of that city, walking with those who mourn for their loved ones who perished when that horrific tornado hit the city. Yes, and surely the Spirit is standing with those who still hold out hope that a loved one could be found alive in the rubble. Surely the Spirit is there encouraging the people who must start their lives anew. And if we have experienced the comforting presence of the Spirit in our own lives, perhaps that might lead us to participate with the Spirit in bringing comfort to those who grieve and who hold out hope. One way of doing this, of course, is to contribute through Week of Compassion.

The Helper

Then there’s this idea that the Spirit of Truth might be our divine helper. In the words of that powerful opening hymn of Martin Luther, we declare:

A mighty fortress is our God,

a bulwark never failing;

our helper he amid the flood

of mortal ills prevailing.

And when God created a companion for the man, according to Genesis 2, God created a “helper fit for him.” This “helper” was to be a partner who would share life with Adam, not only sharing the chores in the garden, but sharing life itself with him.

I’ve used this text from Genesis in many a wedding because it’s so descriptive of the partnership that marriage is intended to be. But, this text speaks of more than marriage, because it speaks to our need for human companionship, whatever the nature of that relationship. But here, it’s the Spirit who brings completion to humanity. It’s the Spirit who is our spiritual partner in life.

Again as Luther put it in his hymn, God is "our present help amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing," so that when we’re about to falter, the Spirit of God comes alongside us and lift us up, much like the mother eagle, who when she’s teaching her chicks to fly, lifts them up by the power of her own wings.

This morning we come to worship knowing that around the world there are people who need defending, and comforting, and help in life’s journey. We come remembering the people of Joplin; we also come knowing that this is the day before Memorial Day, when we as a nation stop to remember those who have died, especially those who have died in service to their country. As we hear this text from John’s Gospel, how do you hear the promise that God will not leave us orphans? How do you hear and respond to the promise that Jesus has asked God to send to us the Spirit of Truth who is our Advocate, our Comforter, and our Helper? How do you hear these words today? What do they call you to do with your life?

Preached by:
Dr. Robert D. Cornwall
Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Troy, Michigan
6th Sunday of Easter
May 29, 2011

Trusting the Good Shepherd -- A Sermon

2011-05-15T07:59:00.000-07:00

Psalm 23

Today Bryan and Felicia are following the example of Joseph and Mary, who brought Jesus to the Temple to be dedicated. But, not only are they dedicating Eric to God’s care, they’re also dedicating themselves to being faithful Christian parents in the hope that Eric will grow in “wisdom and years, and in the favor with God and with people” (Lk 2:52 CEB). And, not only are they dedicating their child, but they’re also asking that we their family and their church will walk with them in this journey.

In preparing for this service of dedication, may we attend to the words of this most beloved of scriptures, which I’d like to read again, this time in the King James Version. If you’ve committed this passage to memory, you might even say it along with me.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Memories

Keeping in mind this Psalm, which we often read at the end of life, I wonder: what word does it offer us at the beginning of life? What promises does it make?

As you meditate on these words, I invite those of you midst who are parents to remember the joy you felt the first time you held your baby. Do you remember the hopes and dreams that you felt that day? Do you also remember the day that you came to the church and committed yourself to raising your child in the Christian faith?

And since we’re remembering these events, let’s remember the defining moments of a child’s life – the first words and first steps. Remember that first day of school and maybe graduation day. Perhaps you remember the day a child got married and had their first child. Yes, remember the joys that have come as you’ve taken this journey of faith with your children. These are the memories that Bryan and Felicia have and will experience as well.

And whether or not we are parents, as church we’ve walked alongside our families, encouraging and supporting them as they have tried to live faithfully before God. Yes, as church, we’ve watched as our children have been baptized or confirmed in the faith. Like Mary, the mother of Jesus, we have committed to our memory these events and have considered them carefully (Lk. 2: 19).

A Culture of Trust

As joyous as this moment is, the Psalmist reminds us that life often involves walking through dark valleys, even valleys over which hangs the shadow of death. Everyone here has faced challenges of one sort or another. Maybe it’s been a financial issue or a broken relationship. Maybe it’s involved doubts about God’s faithfulness, or maybe just that feeling of being lost and alone. We don’t always feel the presence of God in these moments, but the Psalmist reminds us: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”

I know that many of us are experiencing a dark time, a time when dark clouds hang over our families and our communities. One of those dark clouds is the overwhelming presence of “distrust.” All around me I see expressions of distrust – from questions about the President’s faith and birthplace to the continued questioning of the integrity of the local city council. It’s said that many young people distrust the institution of marriage, because so many of them have, like me, grown up in broken homes. Why enter an institution that no longer works? There’s the banks and the oil companies, and even the church. As we dedicate this young child to God’s purposes, I wonder – what kind of world are bequeathing to him? What kind of world will he experience when he’s reached maturity? Will there still be dark clouds hanging over the world?

My concern is that all of this distrust is undermining our commitment to the common good. But, then as I listen to the words of this Psalm, I hear a different future. Do you hear a word of hope in these words: “I will fear no evil, for thou art with me?”

I know that trust is easily lost and very difficult to restore, but it’s not impossible. We build trust by being in relationship with each other, even if this mobile society of ours conspires against strong relationships. And as much as I enjoy all of my Facebook friends, I know that most of them don’t go deep enough to create a climate of trust. I’m not sure whether I’m ready to risk my life into their hands!

But perhaps the starting point is to be found in the image of the shepherd and the sheep. Do you remember that passage from John 10, where Jesus says: "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep" (vs. 11). Now that’s the kind of depth of relationship that will sustain us.

Building Trust by Breaking Bread

From the dark valley the Psalmist takes us to the table that the Lord sets for us in "in the presence of my enemies." Although danger lurks all around us, there’s no need to fear, because the Lord has set the table. Here’s where the conversation changes and a culture of trust begins to emerge. By eating together we build relationships, and by building relationships we build trust.

Do you remember the story of Holy Thursday? Remember who was at the table with Jesus? There was Judas, the one who would betray him. Did Jesus exclude him? And then there’s Peter. Remember how, after Jesus’ arrest Peter denied him three times, but Jesus didn’t exclude him. And remember how on that day of darkness, all of the disciples fled in fear? And yet Jesus continued to dine with all of them. He didn’t exclude them, but instead offered them hope and healing.

When we gather around the Lord’s Table, we do so as Republican and Democrat, Independent and just plain uncertain about politics. We’re theological liberals, moderates, and conservatives. We don’t all agree on everything under the sun, and yet, we find our unity and our peace at this table that the Lord has set for us. In a time of distrust, might this table that the Good Shepherd has prepared for us become the foundation of trust?

As we come to this place to dedicate Eric and his parents to God’s care, promising that we will walk with them every step of the way, may we find strength in these words from the Psalmist: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. Amen!"

Preached by:
Dr. Robert D. Cornwall
Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church
Troy, Michigan
4th Sunday of Easter
May 15, 2011

A Mother's Wisdom -- A Sermon for Mother's Day

2011-05-08T07:34:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 1:8-9

8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
9 They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck. (NIV, 2011)

Today is Mother's Day, which celebrates a very special relationship between mother and child, and by extension - children and parents. Mother's Day, along with Father's Day, celebrates the importance of family, and it's a good thing to celebrate these relationships. But we should also remember that Jesus had a broader vision of family than do most of us. Do you remember what he said when his mother came looking for him? He pointed to his disciples and said:

"Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." (Matthew 12:49-50).

As we take to heart this word about family, we can then listen to the wisdom we find in Proverbs, which calls on us to listen to our parents and follow their instructions so that life might be good. It's a message that's also present in the commandment to "Honor your Father and Mother." Of course, if children - whatever their ages -- actually listened to their mothers, that would make for a very happy Mother's Day!

1. The Dangerous Ideal

Although we're not all mothers, we all have mothers: Biological and adoptive, room moms and dorm moms, good mothers and not so good mothers. There are happy moms and sad ones, stay-at-home moms and working moms; moms by choice and moms by accident.

If you want to know how to be the ideal mother (and wife), then read Proverbs 31.

10 A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm,all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants.
16 She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.
18 She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.
19 In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
20 She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
31 Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. (NIV, 2011)

This chapter can offer a liberating word for women, after all, the writer affirms their industriousness and intelligence. But, the downside of this chapter is that it seems to suggest that you have to be Superwoman to be a good mother and wife. The ideal woman is one who works and works night and day making sure the house is run well, the poor are tended to, and her husband has the freedom to sit at the city gates and talk politics with the other city leaders. As you listen to these words, you quickly realize that this is an unattainable ideal. If you tried to attain to this standard, you would end up exhausted. And yet, despite the unattainable nature of this ideal, this ode to the ideal woman, reminds us that mothers play an important role in the life both of the family and beyond the family. If we take to heart this message, then both mothers and fathers hear a call to be loving guides to their children, who provide instruction from the heart.

2. A Child Listens for the Mother's Voice

In speaking of the blessings that come from listening to the voice of our parents, the writers of Proverbs describe a relationship that mirrors the one that Jesus speaks of when he talks about the relationship between the shepherd and the sheep. That is, even as the sheep hear and follow the Master's voice, so the child hears and follows the mother's voice. Jesus says that the sheep know the shepherd's voice because the shepherd spends time with the sheep. This is what we call bonding, and if you watch a mother and a baby together, you'll see how that bond is built from the very beginning of a baby's life!

Parents build relationships with their children by attending Scout meetings, band concerts, swim meets, football games, and helping with homework - when they can. Sometimes it involves going to the hospital and parent-teacher conferences. Parents read stories to their children and maybe even engage in tickle fights. They eat together and go to museums and zoos. Kids don't always show it, but deep down most of them are grateful for this relationship.

I will confess that I didn't always heed my mother's voice, but I always knew she was there for me. Because she took the time to build a relationship with me when I was very young, I have always known that I could count on her being there when I was in need.

3. A Mother Stands and Protects Her Children.

Good parents, like good shepherds, don't run away when danger strikes. That is, they don't abandon their lambs to the wolves. No, when danger is present, they stand firm, even at the cost of their own lives.

Parents seem to have this deeply planted innate concern for the welfare of their children. It's not just human parents. It's also true of the animal kingdom. That's why you had better not ever approach a bear cub playing alone. It's very likely that an extremely protective mother is standing close by, ready to jump in and defend her cub. So don't tempt fate by getting too close! This attribute is so innate to mothers, human or not, that we find it incomprehensible when we hear about a mother killing or abandoning her children. It's just not natural. Now, I will admit, sometimes mothers can be a bit overprotective, but you have to understand where they're coming from!

4. Mothers as Models of God's Presence

As we contemplate the relationship of mothers and their children, it's appropriate to also consider the feminine images of God that are present in Scripture. We're used to addressing God as Father and imagining God in masculine terms. We address God as Father when we pray the Lord's Prayer and when we sing the Gloria Patri, which describes God in Trinitarian terms as God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But these aren't the only ways we can address God.

If we listen closely to the Scriptures, we find numerous examples of God described in feminine and even motherly terms. For instance, in Deuteronomy we read about the "God who gave you birth" (Deut. 32:18), and in Isaiah, Israel describes God as the one who bore Israel from birth and carried Israel from the womb (Is. 46:3). Hosea speaks of God's relationship with Israel in especially motherlike ways, saying: "I was to them like those who lift infants to their cheeks. I bent down to them and fed them" (Hos. 11:4). In Isaiah 66 we read: "As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you . . . " (Isa. 66:13). Then there is that passage in Luke where Jesus describes himself as a mother hen desiring to gather up her chicks (Luke 13:34). Then there's Holy Wisdom, which is understood as describing God in feminine terms, while the Hebrew word for Spirit - ruach - is a feminine noun. God is also described as a mother eagle and a mother bear and as a woman seeking after a lost coin. Each of these images and ideas remind us that if we think of God solely in masculine terms then we've missed part of the biblical understanding of God.

So, as we celebrate Mother's Day, if you've not already done so, perhaps this is a good time to expand your vision of God's nature, so that we might truly understand how humanity expresses the image of God as both male and female (Gen. 1:27). And as we do this, let us give thanks for God's gift of mothers and then think about the qualities that are present in our mothers, which reflect the nature of God.

While we're doing this remembering and celebrating, we might want to remember that Mother's Day can be a difficult day for many. It might be a day of grief for those who remember a beloved mother who has died. It might also be a time of remembering a child who has died. Then there are the women who have found it impossible to bear a child. We need to keep them in our hearts and honor their grief.

If we can do this, then we can also give thanks for the love and grace that God expresses to us in and through our mothers. We can also remember that God comes to us not only as Father, but also as Mother. This is the vision laid out for us in the words of a hymn written by Ruth Duck.

Womb of Life, and Source of Being, home of every restless heart,
in your arms the worlds awakened; you have loved us from the start.
We your children, gather 'round you at the table you prepare.
Sharing stories, tears and laughter, we are nurtured by your care.
(Chalice Hymnal, #14).

May we honor our mothers and receive from God, God's nurturing care so that we might find rest for our restless heart.

Preached by:

Dr. Robert D. Cornwall

Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church

Troy, Michigan

3rd Sunday of Easter

May 8, 2011

A Beautiful Sight! -- An Easter Sermon

2011-04-24T07:30:00.000-07:00

Matthew 28:1-10

Over time the cross has evolved from being a means of torture and execution to a fashionable piece of jewelry. Crosses can come in gold or silver, plain or bejewelled, and if you didn’t know better, you’d never believe that this cross that people wear around their necks or on their ears was once one of the most feared and despised forms of execution devised by humanity. Its message was so powerful that the Romans reserved the cross for rebels and troublemakers.

It’s easy for us to forget the meaning of the cross since it no longer functions as a means of tortuous death, which is why it’s important to observe Good Friday before we celebrate Easter. Before we can appreciate the beauty of Easter, we must take in the ugliness of the cross upon which Jesus died. The cross upon which Jesus hung, reminds us of the ugliness is present in our world – war, segregation, prejudice, self-centeredness, anger, and hatred, to name but a few. As we contemplate the cross, we recognize that as Jesus hung on the cross, he was experiencing all of that ugliness that is present in human culture. And, as the prophet wrote centuries earlier:

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was on him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Is. 53:5 KJV)

This is the truth that is revealed on Good Friday, and which is given voice in the ancient hymn of Bernard of Clairvaux:

O Sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down,
now scornfully surrounded with thorns, thine only crown;
how pale thou art with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn!
How does that visage languish which once was bright as morn!
This is the message that gives context to our celebration of Easter.

1. A sign of New Life

With the cross behind us and the empty tomb before us, it’s time to celebrate the triumphant message of Easter. Yes:

The Tomb is empty. Sound the Trumpet.
The Lord is risen! Sound the trumpets!

In this declaration, we hear the good news that death has given way to life.

I realize that there are those who believe that Easter is simply a baptized pagan holiday that celebrates the coming of spring. While it’s true that the word Easter may derive from the name of a long forgotten German goddess, whose spring festival involved eggs and bunnies, that doesn’t mean that connecting spring with resurrection isn’t appropriate, maybe even providential. Spring, after all, does remind us that life emerges out of winter’s deathly grasp. Spring flowers, birds chirping, and squirrels scurrying, all remind us that the promise of the gospel is that life triumphs over death. As Paul put it:

Since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead came through one too. In the same way that everyone dies in Adam, so everyone will be made alive in Christ. (1 Cor. 15:21-22 CEB).

With these images in mind, we come to Matthew's account of the empty tomb. Going back to Good Friday, we remember that after Jesus gave up the fight on the cross, crying out to God: “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me,” Joseph of Arimathea got permission from Pilate to place Jesus’ body in his tomb. Now, three days later, the story shifts to that tomb. Two women, both named Mary, go out early in the morning to the tomb, but unlike Mark and Luke, Matthew doesn’t tell us why they went to the tomb. The women of Matthew’s gospel don’t have spices to anoint the body, so we’re not sure why they came. Maybe they wanted to pay their last respects or maybe they came to grieve. Or, maybe, these women went hoping that Jesus’ promise of resurrection was true.

Whatever they expected to find when they got to the tomb, they found the stone rolled away and an angel sitting on top of that stone. As Matthew tells it, an earthquake knocked the stone away from the tomb and an angel appeared from the heavens, with a countenance like that of lightning, and clothes as white as snow. So dazzling was the appearance of the angel that the guards, who’d been posted at the tomb to prevent any skulduggery, fainted in fear and then ran away. But the women, although they may have been frightened themselves, remain steadfast and don't run away. What an interesting contrast between fear and faith!

And then the angel brings them a message: "Don't be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised!" And then the angel says to them, perhaps responding to the kinds of questions that we all have at moments like this: "Come, see where they laid him." Yes, come and see something amazing, something that’s beyond human comprehension! Something grander than the grandest sunset. Come and take in a beautiful sight!

There are many debates about the resurrection. Is it a physical reality or a vision in the hearts of Jesus’ followers? Marcus Borg and N.T. Wright have had a long back and forth about this issue, but however we decide to define this event, the message is clear: something happened that day that transformed a discouraged band of followers into powerful witnesses to God’s grace and love as it’s revealed in the person of Jesus. However you define the nature of the Resurrection, the good news is that life triumphs over death. The question, then, that Easter poses to us is this: What will you make of the resurrection in your life? What difference does it make in the way you look at life itself?

2. THE JOB AHEAD

This encounter with the angel at the empty tomb raises the question – what will you make of life? But that’s not the only point of the story. Not only are we confronted with this message that life triumphs over death, but the angel gave them and us a job. You see, the angel says to them: "Go quickly and tell his disciples, `He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee’." That is, don't just stand there, get busy and spread the news. “Quickly now, go tell the disciples that Jesus Christ is no longer dead, joy to the world, he is risen, alleluia! . . .” At least that’s the way the “Easter Song” puts it, and with this word of guidance, the women head back to the Upper Room, with heads and hearts filled with wonder and grief. They may not totally understand what had happened, but they knew that something truly amazing had just transpired. Yes, mixed in with the fear and the doubt was an overpowering sense of joy. And as they run back toward the Upper Room, with these mixed feelings, they encounter the risen Lord himself.

When the women see Jesus, they respond by falling at his feet and worshiping him. What else could they do? He was dead and now he’s alive. In their joy and maybe a little disbelief they grab hold of his legs and give praise and thanks to God, for God’s gift of life. Yes, this was a beautiful sight, grander than the Grand Canyon, more wondrous than Crater Lake, and more majestic than Mount McKinley.

This is the sight that stirs in our hearts the joy that rings out in professions of faith like the one we opened worship with: "Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!" In this great hymn of Easter, we respond to Charles Wesley 's invitation to all creation, that creation might "raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!"

In coming with the women to the tomb of Jesus, not only do we discover its emptiness, but we also encounter the life-giving presence of our Lord, who calls on us to bear witness to God’s reconciling grace. This discovery should lead us to declare our faith in God with these words:

"Love's redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in Vain forbids him rise, Alleluia!
Christ has opened paradise, Alleluia!"

Yes, let us rejoice that in Jesus Christ, death has lost its sting, so that neither death nor hate will reign supreme in our lives and in our world. Alleluia!

Preached by:
Dr. Robert D. Cornwall
Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Troy, Michigan
Easter Sunday
April 24, 2011

Building on Strong Foundations -- Sermon #9 on the Sermon on the Mount

2011-04-10T07:36:00.000-07:00

Matthew 7:24-29

Remember back when this sermon began – no, not my sermon, but Jesus’ sermon? Remember how Jesus had decided to get away from the crowds that had been coming from as far away as Syria in the north and Judea in the South to hear him speak and maybe be healed? He took his disciples up on the mountain so he could teach them about God’s realm in peace and quiet. As you remember, he began with the Beatitudes: Blessed are the poor in Spirit, blessed are those who mourn, blessed are those who are meek or are merciful, and so on. At least from the way Matthew seems to tell it, you’d assume that just Jesus and the disciples have gathered on that mountain. But as we come to the end of Jesus’ sermon, the group dynamics have changed. Without so much as a head’s up we hear that “when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teachings . . .” Where did the crowds come from? How did this small group bible study or ministry staff meeting become a convention?

1. Wise and Foolish Builders

Now that the audience has grown from a few dozen into the hundreds, we find Jesus closing out his sermon with a parable about two kinds of builders: wise ones and foolish ones. I don’t know about you, but if I were going to build a house, I’d want to choose the right builder; one who not only had the right credentials, but understood the lay of the land. After all, none of us want to watch as our house gets washed away by the storm.

When it comes to rain, you may have heard the song that claims that “it never rains in Southern California.” In case you’ve never been to California and think that it’s sunny all the time, I can attest to the fact that it does rain, and when it rains in Southern California, it pours. And, when it rains, especially if there have been fires, which are common in Southern California, there likely will be mud slides as well. That means, that if you have live in a house on a hill overlooking the ocean, you had better hope that you’ve hired a wise builder, or your house might end up in the ocean!

So, wisdom is a necessary quality in a builder, and a wise builder will not only know how to build a house, but the builder also will know where to build it, taking into consideration such things as climate, soil, bedrock, and plate tectonics. Then, when the rain comes, that house won’t fall into the ocean.

2. Two Types of Foundations

This parable has two main elements. The first element is the quality of the builder, but the second element has to do with the foundation, and as we think about the foundation upon which we build our own spiritual lives, I’d like to switch the metaphor from floods to earthquakes. Being from the West Coast, I’ve experienced a few earthquakes and I’ve seen the destruction that they can bring.

Although I wasn’t there when that 6.0 earthquake hit my hometown of Klamath Falls in 1993, I think that it illustrates Jesus’ point very well. That quake, which hit just a few days after we returned home from a visit with my Mother, was pretty good-sized, especially when you consider that quakes don’t hit Klamath Falls very often, and so they weren’t all that prepared for it. Quite a number of buildings were damaged, including the venerable Court House, which had sat for many years on reclaimed lake bed. When the quake hit, it essentially liquefied the soil, and that seemingly well-built stone building collapsed. Ironically, just down the street sits the Baldwin Hotel, which is the oldest building in town. I don’t know how well this unreinforced brick building from the late 19th century was built, but it didn’t suffer any damage at all. In fact, not one thing even moved during that very large and destructive quake, not even a picture sitting on the mantle of the fireplace. You see that builder very wisely built the hotel on solid bedrock. This was a very “firm foundation.”

The Court House was well-built, but it was built on sand, while the rickety old hotel was built on bedrock – two very different foundations, with very different outcomes.

3. Acting on the Word of Jesus

The wise builder builds on a firm foundation, and with this word in mind, we hear Jesus say that “everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock” and not on sand – like the foolish builder.

As I reflected on these words after I returned home from yesterday’s Elders Meeting, where Alex led the Elders in a team building exercise to help us reflect on our call to be a missional church, my thoughts went immediately to the scripture that Alex asked us to reflect on from the Letter of James. In this letter we find the words: “But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves” (James 1:22ff). According to James, if we simply hear the Word of God, but don’t act upon it, then we’re like the person who looks in a mirror and then goes off and forgets what they look like. When we’re hearers only and not doers, then we fail to practice a religion that is pure and undefiled before God, a religion that involves not just religious acts, but more importantly involves caring for the orphan and widow in their distress.

With this word from James in mind, we hear the word of Jesus who also tells his disciples that if they’re to enter the realm of God, then they must be doers and not just hearers, for that wouldn’t be a wise choice. And, as for what Jesus wants us to not only hear but do, the path forward is revealed throughout his sermon, which we’ve been pondering these past several weeks. And as we’ve been discovering as we’ve been on this journey, this isn’t an easy path to take. There have been many who’ve started out on the journey, only to turn back, but we do have few guides for the journey – people like St. Francis tried and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. And there’s Gandhi who found great inspiration in these words, even if he didn’t find much inspirations from the lives of Jesus’ followers.

The Sermon on the Mount is an invitation to enter the Realm of God. Jesus describes what it means to live under the reign of God, not just in heaven, but on earth as well. But that means living our lives differently, which is what I think James means when he calls on the church to “keep ourselves unstained from the world.” This is also what it means to pray the Lord’s Prayer and ask that God’s will would be done on earth as in heaven. In praying this prayer, we pledge our allegiance to God, so that we might live our lives in such a way that we’ll be salt and light in the world; that we won’t act out of anger or commit adultery; we’ll keep our word without needing to take an oath; and we won’t retaliate against those who hurt us. And, while the Law tells us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, we will also love our enemies and not make a show of our piety. As for our treasure, we will deposit it in a heavenly bank and not worry about tomorrow, which will take care of itself. If we’re living under the reign of God, we’ll leave the job of judging others to God and not profane that which is holy. To live under the reign of God means doing for others, as we would have them do for us.

The way of the kingdom means taking the narrow path, which is difficult for us to navigate, at least on our own. We could decide, as some have, to simply file this sermon (of Jesus) under the heading – “Not for Earthly Lives – Heaven Only.” I think this would alleviate a lot of guilt, but I wonder if that is what Jesus had in mind. After all, when he contrasted the wise and foolish builders, Jesus seemed to suggest that now is the time to not only hear his words, but to act upon them. This, he says, is to be like the wise builder.

Jesus’ closing words find an echo in a book I mentioned in a sermon a few weeks ago. In his book Falling Upward, Fr. Richard Rohr asks his readers whether they’ve laid a solid foundation for their lives in Jesus Christ, so that the Spirit might help them build upon this foundation and embrace God’s future for their lives, for the church and for the world. This is, he suggests, the path to spiritual maturity, a path that is very much like the one Jesus outlines in the Sermon on the Mount. Like Jesus, Rohr invites us to live a life of wisdom, one that is based on a firm foundation in Jesus Christ, so that we might embrace the mission of God.

It isn’t an easy path, but as our closing hymn declares, having laid a foundation in God’s excellent word, then we can find our strength for the journey in God’s unwavering love, which leads us to declare this word of faith as we sing the final stanza of this great hymn of the faith:

The soul that on Jesus still leans for repose,
I will not, I will not, desert to its foes;
that soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake. (How Firm a Foundation)

Preached by:
Dr. Robert D. Cornwall
Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Troy, Michigan
Sixth Sunday of Lent
April 10, 2011

Judgment Day -- Sermon #8 on the Sermon on the Mount

2011-04-03T07:52:00.000-07:00

Matthew 7:15-23

“Judgment Day!” Don’t these words sound ominous? Perhaps suggesting the end is near, they create in us the urge to get our affairs in order, just in case. If Hollywood is any guide, judgment can take many forms. You might remember that the 1938 Orson Welles radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds caused a nationwide panic as people pondered their fate in the face of a Martian attack. Maybe you remember the 1980s TV miniseries entitled The Day After, which may not have caused a panic, but did reinforce our fear of nuclear annihilation during the height of the Cold War. Then there are the movies and miniseries about earthquakes, volcanoes, asteroids, climate change, and even a Mayan calendar, all themes that are suggestive of divine judgment. And if that’s not enough, when a war breaks out or a major disaster hits, the TV preachers announce that this is a sign of divine judgment. Yes, a certain amount of anxiety over our impending doom seems to continually ripple through our world – whether the cause is of divine or human origin.

When it comes to the issue of divine judgment, there are plenty of biblical texts to ponder. There are texts that speak of divine wrath, judgment, punishment, atonement and more. For those of us who affirm the principle that God is love, this can be a bit disconcerting. Even if we affirm that God is also a just God, all of these texts that deal with wrath and judgment can be a bit overwhelming. So what should we make of these words about judgment and justice?

In our text this morning, which is drawn once again from the Sermon on the Mount, we hear two different, but related words. The first speaks to the importance of discernment. Even if we’re not supposed to take up the job of being a judge over others, we must discern between good and evil, light and darkness. The second word speaks to divine judgment. This is a task that we dare not take up, for we’re not equipped to handle the job. But, Jesus seems to believe that we need to be aware of the judgment of God, and the basis upon which God makes this judgment.

1. The Fruit and the Trees

Although it might not be appropriate for us to be judges – unless we are without sin – that doesn’t mean we should be naive about the world in which we live. There is a place for discernment in the Christian life. As they say, don’t believe everything you hear (or read in an email). For instance, if someone from Nigeria sends you an email asking for you to send a $100 check in exchange for a million dollars, you might want to be just a bit skeptical. And if you get an email from a bank – especially if it’s not your bank, asking for your personal ID, you might want to hit the delete button. And if someone sends you an email suggesting the President was born in Kenya or Indonesia, you would be wise to ignore it as well.

As Jesus reminds us, we live in a world where vicious wolves like to dress up as sheep. Therefore, as he says in another place – “be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves” (Matt. 10:16). In other words, don’t let yourself be taken for a fool.

The good news is that we can discern the difference between sheep and wolves, false prophets and prophets of God. Jesus says – look at the fruit of their lives. After all, good trees don’t produce bad fruit. So, don’t expect to find grapes growing on thorn bushes and thistles that produce figs. These are weeds that are destined for the fires.

When it comes to discerning the good fruit from the bad, we might want to use the Beatitudes as a guide – think of the kinds of people who grieve, are humble, merciful, peacemakers, and more. We might also look to Paul’s description of the fruit of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. On one hand there’s the flesh or our selfish desire, which lead to hate, violence, immorality, jealousy and drunkenness. On the other there is the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against these signs of the kingdom, Paul says, there is no law (Gal. 5:16-26). If we attend to these qualities of life, then we’ll know the difference between light and darkness, good and evil.

2. Divine Judgment

Even if we’re called to be discerning but not judges, God does have the job of being the judge. Scripture has a lot to say about judgment, though as we learned last week, we can trust in the judgment of God because of God’s character. We start with the premise that God is love and that God is good.

As we consider this word from the Sermon on the Mount, we hear Jesus say that on that day – judgment day – not everyone who says “Lord, Lord” will enter the kingdom. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a prophet or a preacher or that you cast out demons in the name of Jesus – if you don’t obey the will of the Father, then on the day of judgment you’ll hear the words: “I never knew you: Go away from me you evil-doers.”

The basis of this judgment isn’t revealed in this passage, but we can turn to Matthew 25 to find out more about divine judgment. In that passage, we hear Jesus speak of God dividing sheep from goats based on how they treated the least of Jesus’s brothers and sisters. Did they feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, or visit those who are sick and in prison? It’s on this basis that Jesus decides who enters the realm of God and who experiences punishment. We may not like this word, but it’s there for us to wrestle with.

When it comes to the matter of divine judgment, the Scriptures often focus on social structures and relationships. Even when the focus is on sexual immorality, it seems quite evident that the issue is one of exploitation of the other. Sometimes we dwell on the idea of punishment, but that’s not the point of divine judgment, which is focused first and foremost on reconciliation. Rather than focus on satisfying God’s honor, the focus is on setting things right, what some call restorative justice. Consider this word that Jeremiah gives to the son of Josiah:

He (Josiah) judged the cause of the poor and the needy; then it was well. Is not this to know me? Says the Lord. But in your eyes and heart are only your dishonest gain, for shedding innocent blood, and for practicing oppression and violence. (Jer. 22:16-17).

According to Jeremiah, King Josiah understood that his primary role as king was to protect the weak, the poor, and the marginalized, but the son of Josiah ruled through oppression and violence, something God would not bless.

If the ultimate purpose of divine judgment, is focused on setting things right and reconciliation, then our call as Disciples to be “a movement of wholeness in a fragmented world,” fits this calling very well. We may not be judges, but we can participate in God’s work of healing and reconciliation, an effort that extends beyond this world to the cosmos itself. As theologian Jürgen Moltman puts it, God is concerned about the “universal reconciliation of human beings and the bringing again of all things into the new eternal creation.” This is because, as Moltmann puts it: “otherwise, God would not be God.” [Jurgen Moltmann, The Sun of Righteousness Arise! (Fortress, 2010), p. 141] Since God is intent on reconciling all things to God’s self, we needn’t fear the day of judgment. Even if we don’t know how or when all of this will happen, we can live in the hope that God will reconcile all things to God’s self. But not only that, but we get to participate in this act of God by being Christ’s ambassadors of reconciliation. Our primary calling in life is to bear witness to the world in our words and deeds that God is present in our midst working out our salvation, which is what it means to be reconciled (2 Cor. 5).

None of this is easy. This path is full of twists and turns, which is why we’ll be tempted to either take the easy way or simply give up. If we wish to participate in this work of God in the world, then we must keep focused on Jesus. That’s because he knows the way and is willing to reveal it to us – that is if we’re willing to discern the will and purpose of God.

The biblical picture of judgment day might not be as dramatic as the typical Hollywood production, but it’s a reminder that God is committed to making things right. So, when judgment day does come, if we’re paying attention, then we can join with all of the creation in praising God, shouting out:

Say among the nations, ‘The Lord is king!

The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved.

He will judge the peoples with equity.’

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;

let the sea roar, and all that fills it;

let the field exult, and everything in it.

Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy

before the Lord; for he is coming,

for he is coming to judge the earth.

He will judge the world with righteousness,

and the peoples with his truth. (Psalm 96:1-13)

Preached by:
Dr. Robert D. Cornwall
Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Troy, Michigan
5th Sunday of Lent
April 3, 2011