Sunday message

Last Sunday I gave a message at Brighton Retirement Home. This wonderful place I call it in my mind an old folks home. Is that good enough?

I struggle with what to call my presentation. Sermon? I don't feel talented enough or qualified. I'm still high church enough to think a sermon must be delivered by an ordained person with a seminary degree. Besides I did not organize three points. I thought about it but hardly organized anything. Homily? That would be shorter than what I delivered and usually has only one main point. This was a rambling message and longer than a homily.

I did it without notes. I'd prefer to have notes at least to help me organize my thoughts. But I never made myself sit down and do it. I talked to Sam beforehand and he wisely said to come with a Bible scripture to base it on. I had determined to speak about our vacation trip to Israel and Kansas City. I wanted to give an account of all our adventures. But I really could not see how to speak on this for 20 minutes. I know myself, I would summarize and it would be over in a flash. So I told DW she might get a chance to speak too. I know I can rely on her to provide details. It turns out that after I spoke that is just what she did, giving wonderful word pictures.

Anyway I took Acts 15:36-16:15 something I had recently read. I tried to liken it to our trip. We went off with one plan in mind but God changed it in so many ways. Perhaps you can say that about the sermon because it ended up being mostly about this passage. I spent a lot time reading this passage and commenting on it.

I really do not know what I said. Did it finally have a point? I guess if it did it was that ministry was not always glorious, always successful. And we might start out with one plan and God could change it, force you to make changes. You might not get the glory. You might appear a colossal failure. Yet you can trust God to be in control, even if you are not and even if it appears nothing good happened.

I did not mention this but I wonder why Luke included these details at all. If you look at it critically it sort of makes Paul look bad. To me it makes him look petty. But I think Luke included it because to him this was normal. Real live ministry is full of disagreements, arguments, setbacks. And he was showing that despite it all, the gospel was being preached and many people were converted. The church was growing by leaps and bounds. The people doing it were human, talented yet flawed. But they were God's chosen. God used all this strife to advance his kingdom here on earth.

The commentator of this passage quoted Bonhoeffer twice. He said in ministry God might be building up or he might be pulling down (in preparation for something new). I see so many ministries that try to hang on after the newness is gone, the freshness it gone. I think so many times a ministry hangs on long after it should close up and prepare the way for something new. Yet if I am in the midst of that ministry I do not want to stop. Even in this I can trust in faith that God is in control.

The commentator concluded with this Bonhoeffer quote: "It is a great comfort which Christ gives his church: ‘You confess, preach, bear witness to me, and I alone will build where it pleases me. Do not meddle in what is my province'"

So we are God's laborers. But God brings the fruit. God touches hearts. God is in charge.

Acts 15:36-16:15 - Ministry Frustrations

Anyone who has seen ministry work in practice can identify with this passage. There are arguments, frustrations, and often little apparent fruit. Paul and Silas are frustrated in their first plans and must adapt. They end up going a different way, to a different place than they originally planned.

Paul and Silas saw a vision of a man in Macedonia yet their first convert is a woman. Did that surprise them?

Areas are closed up to them. Why? How does this happen in practice? We can only guess.

After all the controversy about circumcision Paul does circumcise a man. Why? We can guess it is because his mother was Jewish. But this does not completely explain it.

My commentator quotes Bonhoeffer. In ministry we never know whether Jesus is "building up or pulling down".

Missionary work may seem romantic from far off. Read Acts carefully to see that it was not. People did what they felt like was right. They were not wrong but God interceded to correct and change so that what happened was what he wanted. This is what happens in all missionary and ministry work. We can only trust God, despite the fact that things are not as we would have them. Even if we see little results God's ways are not our ways. We go wrong when we start second guessing God.

Bonhoeffer - "It is a great comfort which Christ gives his church. You confess, preach, bear witness to me, and I alone will build when it pleases me. Don not meddle in what is my province.'" This reminds me of our July trip to Israel and then to Kansas City. Things did not go as we expected. We had few ministry opportunities and the ones I had were with people we randomly met in our traveling, not with the people at our destinations. I take encouragement that I can trust God was working in ways I can never understand and perhaps will never understand.

Acts 15 - barriers to conversion

Some people had come down from Jerusalem and told the Gentile converts that they must live like Jews, take on dietary laws and other traditions of the Jews. Paul and Barnabas strongly objected to this. God had shown many signs of power to these people just because they had repented and believed the Good News. God seemed to not discriminate. So why should man?

So there was a meeting in Jerusalem, a summit, what would later be called a synod. At this point Jerusalem was still the center of the new sect. Peter's testimony was recalled. But Luke says there was lots of debate. I assume some people were strongly emotional, voices raised, maybe even some name calling. But Paul and Barnabas stood their ground. They felt they were right. Experience and God's inspiration plus there are some Old Testament scriptures foretelling the Gentiles coming to praise the One God. They felt these scriptures were being fulfilled.

Finally James spoke. He warned of putting barriers in the way of faith. This is still good advice today. What barriers do our churches put in the way of faith? What unnecessary barriers? Circumcision and dietary laws would have been very hard on Gentiles. It would have been offensive.

What things do we put on new prospective converts that could be offensive? Language barriers? Reading barriers? Some people may not be able to afford the unwritten dress codes some churches demand. They may not own suit and tie and dress shoes. Must they get new clothes before they will be accepted?

How are our churches making an effort to reach out to prospective converts? How are we making it easier for them to fit in? Our church makes a conscious effort. Regular members are expected to dress casually. We do our service singing in English and Spanish. We are expected to greet and include newcomers. In what other ways can we be more inclusive?

travel frustrations - Psalm 43

Right now I am waiting in an airport for a delayed flight. So far none of these travel links has gone exactly to form. I am frustrated. A lot of the time it was my fault. I did not look at the reservation details. I got caught in cost overruns. Time changes and the stress of travel have been tough on my wife and I.

This travel link today from Kansas City to Houston seemed to be set up to be quick and easy and then to the house. But its not turning out that way. Flights that get delayed due to repairs often get cancelled. We could be here all day and get out tomorrow. We are praying not.

Psalm 43:1-5 ^ Vindicate me, O God, and plead my case against an ungodly nation; O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man! ^ For You are the God of my strength; why have You rejected me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? ^ O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your dwelling places. ^ Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And upon the lyre I shall praise You, O God, my God. ^ Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.

God says count it all joy when people revile you for His name's sake. Well is it for him or is just because I am a selfish person? God only knows where one begins and the other ends. My Kfest experience involves both, I am afraid.

I am tempted to think all the problems with travel are God saying this was all wrong. Your traveling days are over. Or maybe this three week two locations "vacation" was just too much. As I go through all the stress I am tempted to ditch it. Why bother? What have I accomplished? More importantly, how has God been glorified in all of this?

I have felt at sea spiritually in all this. Was this simply my own selfish whim or was God involved with this? As I look back at little more dispassionately I can remember that God loves me and my whims. They are usually his whims too. In most ways is up to God to get glorified and he did. Thank you God for that encouragement.

"Why are you in despair O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God. For I shall praise him again. He is the help of my countenance. He is my God!" How wonderful an ending to this psalm! This is a prayer. It is a prayer of man under stress. But he is trusting in God despite the circumstances. Yes it is my prayer too.

I am thinking in the future I have to choose in July, Kest or Hippos did. I cannot choose them both in one year. DW had a pretty tough time this time. But it was mainly her medicine change right before we left. Perhaps another year it would be better.

A woman is also waiting for the delayed plane. She has bedded down right by me over in this corner. She put down a towel, took a pillow and used a coat to completely cover herself. Now she is fast asleep. I hope she knows how to wake up when he plan is called.

Fortunately this airport, like Toronto has free internet. I am enjoying it.

feelings

These last few weeks I have felt everything but spiritual. Aren't you supposed to feel spiritual in the Holy Land? Perhaps not. But I think it is ironic. I am having trouble getting excited about reading the Bible. I am having trouble praying. Sadly I am doing it less. Not none but less. That is sad. My feeling should not affect my behavior. It does not change the truth. I am God's son. God's beloved. God's chosen.

Well anyway. I am reading Luke. After the sermon snippets we get several healings. A sermon I read recently mentioned a common element in the healings around Luke 7. They are done at the behest of someone else. They are done because of the faith of someone else.

Specifically we have Luke 7:1-10, the healing of the centurion's servant. Here we have the religious leaders in agreement with Jesus. This does not happen often. This centurion's petition for help should be granted. I'm sure it was for different reasons. The religious leaders were impressed that this man gave to the synagogue. Jesus was impressed with this man's heart, his respect for God, his faith in Jesus' ability to heal. Does it seem ironic to you? These same leaders would doubt Jesus' ability and his righteousness, but here they implore his help, for earthly, selfish reasons.

Luke is writing to a Gentile audience. So anytime he can compliment the faith of Gentiles he does. Here Jesus marvels at the amazing faith of a Roman centurion. The Roman sees the similarity between his giving orders and Jesus ordering things in the spiritual realm. Would we make this connection so easily? Romans are known for being practical. This Roman sees that a man in higher authority can take it as given that people under him will do his bidding, without question. But Jesus calls it faith. I think that would have surprised the centurion. Jesus calls it greater faith than he has even seen before.

I think that is true for all of us. Often we just take our faith for granted. After we have been following Jesus for a while we expect God to act. We pray as a matter of course. We know God can do it. He is done it in the past. We know God's faithful character. We trust him even when things don't make sense or we feel out of control. That is faith. And God enjoys seeing it in us. Praise God!

do not judge

Luke 6:37-42 ^ "Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. ^ Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure-pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return." ^ And He also spoke a parable to them: "A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit? ^ A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher. ^ Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? ^ Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye.

I hope you reread this portion. There is so much to glean. The commentator says we will not be judged so much by God's standards as our own. It is a truism that we hold other people to a much higher standard than our own. Jesus says "don't do it!"

Do not judge. Do not condemn. This means do not hold grudges. Forgive, pardon. So in this context "give" means give good will, give forgiveness. Give love, compassion. It is not about money at all. In short be like you Father in heaven who loves you.

So if you give you will be given back abundantly. But if you judge by any standard, by that same standard you will be judged.

Be careful. What standard are you judging others? Can you live with that same standard? Perhaps you think you can in some areas. But there are other areas where you lose out. I think we forget some areas where we are blind. That seems the concept of the speck and the log. We have blind spots. All of us do. We need to remember to be humble. And we should keep self examining ourselves. Ask God to show us our blind spots and how we are haughty enough to judge others in areas where we ourselves are weak.

Let us be humble before we start to mentor others. Often I try not to give myself to leading someone unless someone else invites me. This does not happen often. So I do volunteer myself. I'm sorry I can't help it. But when I do I hope I am humble about it. If the person I volunteer to help does not want it I try to back away gracefully and not get offended.

There is so much in the passage that I have glossed over. Read it again and see for yourself what God is reminding you of.

Barbara at site

Barbara up on the mountain Sunday.