Yours, LORD, is the greatness

and the power and the glory

and the majesty and the

splendor, for everything in

heaven and earth is yours.

Yours, LORD, is the kingdom;

you are exalted as head over

all. 1 Chronicles 29:11 NIV

Prayer corner 1-23-2021 Learning to pray using a prayer journal –

God longs to be with us every moment, He longs to know us and desires us to know him. In 1 John 5:14 we

are assured, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.” ....and so we spend our lives learning to pray as we draw close to the God who loves us.

The act of writing, pen on paper, word by word, gives time for the heart to say its truth. In the time it takes

to shape the letters our mind can begin to articulate deeper thoughts of the spirit. Praying by pen records

the pleas of the heart for tomorrow’s meditations and provides a place for recognition of God’s provision.

It is easy to start a prayer journal with few required tools. A bible, a tablet and a pen is all you need to begin

a prayer journal. There are no rules to writing prayers and I have discovered a variety of methods that work

with my many moods and prayer needs. The most important is to keep going and starting over whenever life

gets in the way.

Writing out our thanksgiving is a good place to start. The Psalms offer many thanksgiving prayers as starting

places to write our own prayers. Writing out prayers of thanksgiving for a few minutes a day will change our

lives. Here is an example of using psalm 86:12 as a beginning to write our own prayer.

Psalm 86:12 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart and I will glorify your name forever.

...and from here we can go on with our own thanks to God.... Thank you, God, for generous provision, for a

new morning and opportunities to see you in every part of my life.

Dear God, thank you for......

Ann Fitzgerald

THE LORD OF HEAVEN’S ARMIES IS HERE AMONG US

January  1 0, 2021

Speak peace, speak peace to the people, speak peace to your heart, know peace in the

  middle of chaos know peace. The answers are not in the words of man, nor is

  safety found in violence.

Psalm 62:1,2 wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him.

  He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be

  shaken.

Say to one another, Shout it from your roof, say it when the sky turns dark and the

  moon turns red like blood. God will never turn his back on us, forever is his love.

Psalm 46:5,10-11 Be still, and know that I am God!

    I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the  

  world. The L ORD of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is

  our fortress.

Ideas for digesting God’s words and meditating on the truth found in Pray – simple

  prayers, prayers that reveal the fear in our hearts. See Psalm 62:8 “pour out your heart  

  to him for God is our refuge.”

1. Scribe scripture – Copy Psalm 46 or 62 word by word – paper and pen –
2. Memorize – see Psalm 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.  
3. Write out names and characters of God seen in these psalms, explore scripture for names of God in scripture
4. Sing scripture – songs that you learned or make up your own tune using scripture
5. Walk in nature – carry scripture on small cards to read aloud in a park, among the trees, at the ocean. Don’t forget to breathe
6. Read aloud to another person – face to face, over the phone, by zoom

Ann Fitzgerald

FEBURARY 14, 2021, Transfiguration Sunday... “Glory That Transfigures You and Me”

January 24, 2021 Pastor Pat's Sermon Notes ...Great commissioning

Some times when I think of the notion of God’s calling, I can’t help but think of Moses and the burning bush. First thought: Don’t you wish you had such an obvious experience of God’s direction in your life as Moses got that day?! And maybe not! But look at what happens with Moses. He gets into a debate with God about just how capable he felt he was at accomplishing what God was sending him to do. Moses objects to God’s call first on the basis of his lack of ability: “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11) His next objection is that he lacks authority: “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” (3:13) His third objection is that of veracity: “What if they don’t believe me or listen to me?” (4:1) Finally he gets practical: “O Lord, I have never been eloquent… I am slow of speech and tongue.” He seems to be saying, “But Lord, I st,st,stutter!” (4:10)

Inevitably it seems the answer Moses attempts to give to get out of his Great Commission is, “Here I am, Lord, send Aaron!” “O Lord, please, send someone else to do it!” he says in Exodus 4:13. God equips Moses for his work; first he gives Moses 2 assurances: “I am with you, and you and the Israelites will make it back to this mountain alive to worship me.” (Exodus 3:12), presence and promise; then he gives him a name to proclaim: “I am who I am; I am has sent me to you”; and finally an angry rebuff: “Okay, take Aaron, but you’ll put the words in his mouth!” (4:14-15)

Predictably, Moses accepts the call, lives out his great commission, and God uses him to rescue and deliver Israel from slavery and lead them to the doorstep of nationhood in the Promised Land, 40 years later.

God calls, and people respond in many different ways. I’ve always wondered, hypothetically of course, if others were approached along the way to be a part of God’s great plan but turned him down, and their names were thus never recorded in scripture. Of course, I think God knows who will respond to his call and so there’s no wasted motion in the process. But still, I don’t think my idea is without precedent.

There is a strong contrast in how one responds to God’s great commission in our lessons today. First, take a look at Jonah.

In the mid-eighth century the once powerful Assyria is suffering through a time of decline. Its capital city is Nineveh, and for many centuries this nation has been the despised enemy of Israel. Jonah is called to be sent as a prophet of impending doom to them, and, to be honest, he’s one of the reasons I think about those whose names are not known by us, because he did exactly what I was thinking about. He chose not to do what God asked and actually fled in the opposite direction. Assyria was to the north and east of Israel; the Mediterranean is due west. Catching the first boat out of there, Jonah tries to get away from God. Stormy seas, a sinking boat, and superstitious but willing sailors throwing him overboard finds our buddy floundering like a flounder in the mouth of a great fish for three days and nights. Jonah actually praises God from the innards of that fish because it has saved him from sinking to Davy Jones locker. Unwilling before his chastisement, Jonah repents and goes to Nineveh. He declares their doom and then sits back and gleefully awaits the fireworks. But, Nineveh repents. Jonah’s less than gracious prophecy has just the effect God wanted, and sadly, Jonah is not pleased.

A couple of points here. First of all, notice that God’s grace is shown to people outside of Israel here - God cares for ALL people, wanting all of them to know his salvation and mercy. Remember, Jesus came to seek and to save the lost among all of humankind, because God so loved the world. Then don’t miss the fact that the same message Jonah carried to Nineveh of their destruction if they were unwilling to repent was given to the people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel in this same time frame… and they refused to repent, thus dooming themselves to the Diaspora, where they are carried off into the uttermost parts of the world, never to be heard from again, AT THE HANDS OF THE ASSYRIANS in 722 BC!  How’s that for irony! 

And then there’s the gospel…

Can I just say at the beginning that I’ve always found this passage to be both an inspiration and troublesome. I’m inspired by how quickly the four fishermen respond. One of Mark’s favorite words pops up twice, in verses 18 and 20: immediately. At once, instantly, without any intervening time or space, these four leave their nets, climb out of their boat, “and followed him.” There’s decisiveness in their response that I hope I would emulate in the same circumstances.

But I’m also troubled by their response because it seems to set the bar so high: leaving everything behind to follow this previously unknown itinerant preacher into… what? Honestly, knowing what I know now, I would jump at the chance; knowing how little they knew then, I find it hard to imagine doing what they did; possibly you might feel the same.

Perhaps that’s the point. We might consider this morning if we can imagine picking up and leaving everything to follow Jesus. Take an honest look at this. How do we stack up in the call-and-response nature of this event? Perhaps most of us would find it very hard to leave everything behind, family, friends, occupation, and all the rest to venture out on an unknown and uncertain path with this guy… Does that mean we’re less faithful than Andrew and Peter, James and John? And is that the reason, the purpose that Mark offers this story in the first place, to set an example for us to follow? And if not to do exactly the same thing, what kind of example might he be intending?

I think we are meant to be inspired by the example of these four faithful fishermen, willing to follow immediately. Yet I’m certain Mark doesn’t mean for us all to ditch our everyday lives in quite the same way. Mark’s writing 20-25 years after Jesus walked the earth, so the possibility of physically following the Master in the same way is readily not accessible to his readers and to us. That time has come and gone. But following is certainly important enough for Mark to tell the story. So perhaps his message is more about following Jesus in general than in the specific way that these four did.

I mean, we do follow him in particular and distinct ways, and they may not be like the first disciples. Our following takes many designs, perhaps as a teacher, a volunteer in the Pantry, or as one who reaches out to the outsider to invite them in. Perhaps our following is doing our jobs in the workaday world to our best ability and to the glory of God. Maybe it’s seen in our generosity of treasure and time, or by listening to those around us and responding with grace and care. You get the idea, I’m sure. There are any number of ways that following Jesus plays out in our world. 

Seminary professor David Lose, in his article, “Following Jesus Today” writes

What seems at the heart of the matter is that we can follow Jesus in all of these different situations    and circumstances precisely by trying to imitate him – by trying, that is, to treat others with the  same regard, love and patience that he did, including all manner of people but especially those who  were overlooked by society. This, I think, is at the heart of what it means to be a Christian: to try to live and treat others as Jesus did, embracing the values of inclusiveness, love, forgiveness, and healing that he radiated in word and deed. 

But there is still another way that our following is displayed, and it is more important than any of these other ways. It is in how we share the truth about our Lord. Listen to this song by Big Daddy Weave, “This Is What We Live For,” that David turned me on to this past week:

This Is What We Live For

What can I do with this fire on the inside

I'm burnin' up with a truth I can't hide

You're the reason for this hope in my life

I'm gonna let it shine

I have to let it shine

This is what we live for to go where You say go

To let the whole world know

You're light in the darkness oh oh oh

This is what we live for to love the way You love

So God be lifted up

Come be light in the darkness oh oh oh

This is what we live for oh oh oh

This is what we live for oh oh oh

This is what we live for oh oh oh

Oh oh oh

When You breathe even dry bones come alive

When You speak God You shut down every lie

You're the reason for this hope in our lives

I'm gonna testify

I have to testify

Chasing Your Heart and all that You are

We surrender surrender all

Your favor with us Your presence in us

Now Jesus Your name above it all

Whatcha gonna do with this fire on the inside

I said whatcha gonna do with this fire on the inside

This is what we live for oh oh oh

This is what we live for oh oh oh

This is what we live for oh oh oh

Oh oh oh

CCLI Song # 7133641

Jonas Myrin | Matt Redman | Michael Weaver

© 2019 Capitol CMG Paragon (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

Son of the Lion (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

Integrity Worship Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing (Integrity Music, David C Cook))

Said And Done Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing (Integrity Music, David C Cook))

Weave Country (Admin. by CURB | Word Music Publishing)

Curb Word Music (Admin. by WC Music Corp.)

For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com

CCLI License # 587498

The song’s lyrics say: 

What can I do with this fire on the inside

I'm burnin' up with a truth I can't hide

You're the reason for this hope in my life

I'm gonna let it shine

This is what we live for to go where You say go

To let the whole world know

You're the light in the darkness

The fact is, we each and all have a story to tell, our story of what Jesus has meant in our very own lives. And we each and all have a network with whom we can share this great Good News. And that is our commission, to go and make disciples by telling them our story of how following Jesus has meant peace and hope and service and joy to us.

It’s like the examples we’re given this morning are the two ends of a “spectrum” where Jonah represents one self-involved, unwilling prophet, until threatened, seeing a positive effect from his work, and even then missing the point. And on the other end of the scale are the four fishermen who willingly and “immediately” get out of the boat and answer the call to follow, although their discipleship certainly has its struggles along the way.

And we have a call as well, we have a “Great Commission,” to tell the story as it has come to be known by us. And we find ourselves somewhere along that spectrum of response, where one end of it is the ideal, the other end of it is faulted, but both ends end up doing their part to let God’s will be known. We pray, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven,” with the addendum that it come and be done in this place as well, right here, right now.

And then there’s Paul, who invites disciples of Jesus to refocus their agendas, to re-prioritize their lives around the importance of telling the story, “For the world, as we know it, is passing away.” (1 Cor. 7:31b)

In the closing passage of his monumental “The Quest of the Historical Jesus,” Albert Schweitzer – theologian, doctor, Bach scholar – offers a similar insight that I think is still both poignant and relevant. Having come to the conclusion about separating the “real” or “historical” Jesus from the “Christ of faith,” Schweitzer nevertheless discovers that we can come to know Christ Jesus fully and authentically only by following Christ. As he writes,

He comes to us as One unknown, without a name, as of old, by the lake-side, He came to those men who knew Him not. He speaks to us the same word: “Follow thou me!” and sets us to the tasks which He has to fulfill for our time. He commands. And to those who obey Him, whether they be wise or simple, He will reveal Himself in the toils, the conflicts, the sufferings which they shall pass through in His fellowship, and, as an ineffable mystery, they shall learn in their own experience Who He is.

As we learn who he is by walking in his promised presence, we discover that following also means inviting, that discipleship also means sharing, that our commissioning also means showing the way to the One who brings near the fullness of the Kingdom of God. In this process, be aware that “I am” is with you always, that your destination is secure and that your commissioning in baptism includes empowerment for that witness, as the Holy Spirit comes to reside within you, to teach and guide, to give you words to speak, to embolden and inspire your testimony for the One whom we follow, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

January 17, 2021 Pastor Pat's Sermon Notes

In the book, In the Eye of the Storm , Max Lucado tells this story on him

One summer while I was in high school I worked laying pipe in the West Texas oil field. At lunchtime the workers in the oil field would tell jokes and play cards. “For 30 minutes in the heat of the day,” [Max writes] “the oil patch became Las Vegas – – replete with foul language, dirty stories, blackjack, and barstools that doubled as lunch pails.”

One day during lunch a supervisor walked toward us. Did he have a job for us and couldn’t wait? we wondered. “Uh, Fellows,” he said. We all turned and looked up at him. “I, uh, I just wanted, uh, to invite…” We could tell he was uncomfortable with whatever he was trying to tell us. He tried again. “I just wanted to tell you that our church is having a service tonight and…” “What?” I thought to myself in disbelief. “He’s talking church? Out here? With us!?” “I wanted to invite any of you to come along,” the supervisor said.There was a silence among us. Several stared at the dirt. Others just looked at each other. No one said anything.

“Well, that’s it,” he said. “If any of you want to go… Let me know.” After saying that he left. We all began to laugh. Five years later I was a college sophomore struggling with a decision. I admit I drifted from faith. I wanted to know Jesus again. But the price was too high. My friends might laugh. That’s when I thought of the supervisor in the oil field. That supervisor’s love for God had been greater than his concern for his reputation. “So I came home,” Max concluded.

Throughout the pages of the Bible we find a God who loves us and wants the very best for each of us. Sometimes God speaks to us directly. At other times God speaks to us through others, such as that supervisor. In either case we must respond to the voice of God. God does speak.  This morning we have in our lessons two cases in which God speaks and calls, from which we can learn how to answer when he calls on us. In the first lesson, in the time of the prophets, before the kings of Israel, when Israel was led by what were known as judges - think Othniel and Deborah, Gideon and Samson, we hear the story of Samuel’s call; this prophet and judge would eventually anoint first Saul and then David as kings of Israel. Then, in the gospel lesson, the call of the first disciples is exemplified in Jesus’ invitation to Nathaniel. Let’s take a look at those two vignettes: Samuel was just a young boy when he went to live in the Tabernacle with the old priest Eli. Samuel’s mother, Hannah, had dedicated her son to God’s service, even before his birth. His name means “Name of God.” Samuel had all the energy and enthusiasm of a child. We are told Eli was old and his eyesight had grown dim. Eli’s sons were next in line to be high priest, but they were not like Eli. In fact, they were outright frauds. And, the writer of Samuel tells us, “The word of the Lord was rare in those days.” Perhaps there was simply no one worthy to hear it. 

Samuel’s sleeping quarters were in the Tabernacle – right near the famed Ark of the Covenant. I’ve always wondered about this. Our text says, “Samuel was lying down in the Temple of the Lord, where the Ark of God was.” On the one hand, it would certainly be exciting to be welcomed into the inner sanctum of the tabernacle, into the Holy of Holies. On the other hand, I can’t help but remember, that’s where a quick glimpse of God nets you the end of your story. But there little Sammy sleeps, and one night, while Eli and his sons were sleeping in their tent nearby, God called the young Samuel, “Samuel! Samuel!” And the young boy was startled awake. The sanctuary was a strange place for a boy. And his mother was not nearby to comfort him. He was alone in this extraordinary place and he had heard a peculiar voice calling his name. You might imagine he would have been alarmed.

His first thought was that it must’ve been Eli. Eli must need something. Who else would be calling him? Samuel got out of bed and raced to Eli’s tent. “Here I am,” the young boy says, “for you called me.” Now Eli was sound asleep, along with his sons. But it hadn’t been Eli who called him. Samuel’s commotion must’ve been equally disturbing to Eli. You can almost hear Eli thinking in his disturbed sleep: had this sort of thing happened before? Was Samuel prone to hearing voices in the night? Did he often have nightmares? Was he going to be too much of a bother to have around? I can imagine Eli didn’t like being awakened in the middle of the night like this. “I didn’t call,” he says brusquely to Samuel. “Go and lie down!” Dejectedly, Samuel went back to bed. But he was certain someone had called his name.

As he began to fall asleep, once more he heard the voice calling his name: “Samuel.” Again, he raced to Eli’s tent. This time he was sure that someone had called him. Again Eli sent him back to bed, somewhat exasperated for these disturbances to his sleep. After the second time, we are told Samuel “did not know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.” And we shake our heads and think, “how silly of him,” knowing, of course, we would’ve been able to distinguish right away who was calling, right? But still, Samuel had no idea who was calling him that night.

Then it happened a third time. Again Samuel rushed to Eli’s side.

God does speak; the problem is that maybe we don’t really listen. It took old Eli three times before he realized that it was God who was calling Samuel. You would think that a priest who had devoted most of his life to God’s service would realize sooner who was on the line. Perhaps for Eli, too, it was because “The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread,” that he failed to get it the first three times. To Eli’s credit, he finally tells Samuel that if he hears the voice again to reply, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

Why would God be calling Samuel? Samuel was just a young boy, perhaps as young as seven or eight. Probably hadn’t even yet made his Bar Mitzvah! But notice that God calls persons of all ages; we are never too young; we are never too old. Samuel returns to bed. If he hears the voice again, he will respond as Eli has instructed.  And of course, God speaks. What prevents us from hearing? Could it be that we fail to listen? Maybe we need to discipline ourselves to hear the still small voice of God, and then invite him to speak when we recognize his voice, saying “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” Perhaps we have missed God’s call because we’ve been too busy being in control of our own lives. God speaks. Some of us haven’t been listening. That brings us to the point of this ancient but well-loved story. 

“Here I am” is the ready response. After waking old Eli up for the third time, Samuel goes back to bed. Samuel would be called one more time that night. This time when God calls, “Samuel! Samuel!” young Samuel pops up saying exactly what Eli instructed him to say, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” And God spoke to Samuel.  One reason we might be reluctant to hear God’s call is the changes he might require of us. That night in the tabernacle, God spoke to young Samuel and gave him some rather disturbing news. Samuel would become a prophet, indeed, the last of the Judges. Eli was on his way out. God told Samuel, “I am about to punish his house forever.” God had had enough of Eli’s sons. Samuel would take Eli’s place. Samuel probably didn’t want to hear that, but God assured him he would not be alone. 

We need to understand as well that if God calls us and we respond, “Here I am,” there might be changes in store for us, too, but we are never left alone.  You might imagine Samuel wasn’t able to go back to sleep that night. He had been awakened four times in one night. Now he had this heavy message to consider. More than likely he spent the rest of the night awake. Everything happened just as God told him it would. Later, with the news that Eli’s sons had been killed, Eli himself died. In the closing verse of chapter 3 we discover that, “All Israel… knew that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the Lord.” 

Moving on in God’s story, did you ever stop to think about how Jesus put his team together? No MBTI evaluations, no references, no headhunters, not even an application process, very much like an NFL draft, without the scouting or the combine. And what an unlikely group of “leaders” Jesus chooses: some fishermen, a few whose jobs we never hear about, and a tax collector; among them, possibly one of royal blood, descended from David himself, and at least one, perhaps two malcontented Zealots, who hate Rome and everything it stands for, and wouldn’t think twice about out and out rebellion, even murder – imagine the initial snarling match between Simon the Zealot and Matthew the collector of Roman taxes – talk about building friction, tension, and strife into your team! And not a scholar among them.

Jesus rolls out his IPO with what appears to be little actual employment strategy, leads them in practical application training and seminars for three years, then, just before he disappears before them into the clouds, tells them to wait in Jerusalem for something special to happen, which they do in heightened fear and anxiety. Suddenly, as they’re considering just how they ought to celebrate Pentecost, one of the high festivals of Judaism, the Holy Spirit falls on them, and Jesus’ choice of them seems to be genius, because from the first day on, the church goes viral.

Now that’s a rewrite of the Gospels and of the first chapters of the book of Acts, more or less. But I’d like you to notice something very important in this whole call process. Jesus could call just about anyone simply because what the family business is all about is going to be empowered and anointed by the gift of the Holy Spirit, and not by any particular strength or wisdom on the part of those chosen

Oh, please don’t misunderstand. God can and will use the specific way in which you are SHAPEd, but he’s certainly not restricted by that. If he can use a donkey to preach to Balaam, a Midianite diviner and prophet, he can use me to preach, or you to pray, or sing, or share, or fund his kingdom work, or, horrors, do outreach.  So trust the Holy Spirit to work in your life and in Christ’s church. 

That brings us to the story of Nathaniel’s call some 1100 years after Samuel. It doesn’t appear to be quite so startling a revelation; it doesn’t take place in such a holy location; the call was a good deal easier to hear and respond to. Nonetheless, its message is just as important.

Do you have a favorite place to go, a place nobody else knows about other than you? Is it a secret place where you can be alone, maybe to write in a diary or pray to God or just do your own thing? If you have such a place, then you can understand the reaction when Jesus of Nazareth told Nathaniel Bartholomew that he had seen him under the fig tree.

It makes sense to guess that there was a fig tree in Nathaniel’s yard where he was accustomed to reading Scripture and praying in private. Fig trees grow well in climates such as Israel. In the summertime, the fig tree is a big leafy, shady tree whose figs weigh the branches down until they hang quite low. It was cool under that fig tree, cool and shady on even the hottest summer afternoon. I suspect Nathaniel’s tree was just like that, a quiet place of refuge and of meditation, far from the prying eyes of neighbor or passerby. But not far from the view of one who sees all and knows all – Jesus our Lord.

Thus it is the Lord who broke in on Nathaniel’s happy, carefree life, and changed it forever with merely a word of recognition. “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you,” Jesus told him. It was enough of a call for Nathaniel; it was enough of a reason to leave everything and follow, and it was a call that changed his life.  Whatever his prior occupation, he left its security to follow Jesus. Whatever his prior reservations – remember he had said to his brother, Philip, scoffing, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” – he left any reservations behind to follow Jesus. Whatever his prior commitments, however full his weekly reminder, he gave them up to follow Jesus. 

Scripture tells us little more about this Nathaniel, son of Tholmai, Bartholomew, other than that he was one of the dejected disciples who accompanied Peter when he decided to go fishing after Jesus death and resurrection. Nathaniel was there when the fishermen toiled all night long only to catch nothing. He was there as Peter swam to shore to meet Jesus, left behind to pull in the teeming net of fish capsizing the boat. He was there to hear Jesus restore Peter to leadership in the group, and he ate of the fish Jesus had prepared for his fishermen, even as he had shared with them and eaten of the Sacrament promising both forgiveness and life to those who believe in Jesus.

Nathaniel had his decision to follow vindicated, for he was doubtless present at Pentecost to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Tradition tells us that he lived his life as an apostle, being martyred in India rather than giving up his preaching. Somehow such a response seems characteristic of one whom Jesus found to be “… an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” Nathaniel Bartholomew had discovered that something good could come from Nazareth – something no less significant than his Savior and his Lord. Accepting Phillip’s invitation to “come and see,” he began a glorious adventure with Jesus, an adventure we too share.

For, along with Nathaniel, we’re seen by Jesus under our “fig trees,” and the one who sees us there calls us to repentance and to service. And as we learned last week that in Baptism we receive from God both his affirmation of affection and his proclamation of purpose, so too in the Lord’s call we receive affirmation of our worth and notice of our mission. And, like Nathaniel, we may recognize our Savior and King, and we may also hear him call us to serve him in this life and in the life to come.  God speaks to us in many ways. We need to spend more time listening. And we must be prepared to follow and to change, to allow for the transformation the Holy Spirit brings, and to become, by the grace of God, new people. 

The next time you hear someone calling you in the night, it just might be God. When the invitation comes to leave the comfort of your secret place, the Lord might be inviting you to a greater adventure. When you hear that call, respond as young Samuel did, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” Follow along as Nathaniel did, and witness God’s marvelous grace at work in your world. Once we have encountered God in our lives we will never again be the same.

January 10, 2021 Pastor Pats Sermon Notes

Genesis 1:1-5; Acts 19:1-7; Mark 1:4-11

The Baptism of Our Lord

I suspect that, having made it to mid-January, you would say that you have successfully survived the holidays, even though somewhat muted this year because of the circumstances, which for many of us means we’ve also, so far survived covid! The celebrations of our Savior’s birth – Christmas; then the New Year; and finally the Feast of the Three Kings, on January 6, Epiphany, or as it has come to be known for many of us, The Feast of Taking Down the Decorations, have all passed. This morning I want to suggest that there is one more holiday we should be observing – THIS day, the one the liturgical calendar designates to remember the baptism of our Lord. If the witness of Scripture is to be taken seriously, this day must be even MORE important than those others. After all, only Matthew and Luke record anything about Jesus’ birth, but all FOUR Gospels report his baptism, PLUS acts and Romans. In fact, in centuries past the church DID celebrate this day even more than the days remembering the holy birth, but we have drifted away from that practice. 

It’s sad, really, because in the process, we have relegated to minor importance an event that, when properly understood, can give us a sense of enthusiasm, encouragement, and absolute joy.

Think about the scene for a moment. We are down by the Riverside… the Jordan. There is a throng of people from all walks of life who have made this mini-pilgrimage into the countryside. They had come to see an itinerant preacher who is more than just strange – a coarse camel’s-hair tunic with a leather belt around his waist, the uniform of a prophet since the days of Elijah. A diet of locusts and honey, one I’m certain would not be approved by the FDA as a possible weight reduction regimen! But maybe so – our son Ken received a gift of dried crickets, with various spices, I suspect to cover the taste, for Christmas from his wife this year. Not sure exactly what she’s meaning…

Back to our scene - it was longing and anticipation that brought this mass of people out – there was a sense that something was missing in their walk with God, so they were ready to listen to a new voice. And John the Baptists is a powerful new voice: according to the other Biblical sources he shouts, “You pack of snakes! Who warned you to run from the anger of God that is coming on you? Clean up your act! And do not presume to rely on the fact that you are Israelites – God’s chosen people – to save you. Get right and do right.” The crowds asked what to do. He responded, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” Tax collectors were told, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” Soldiers were instructed, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.” It was a message that affirmed what they already knew: if they would be right with God, they had to be right with, not only God, but God’s children as well. Then as a sign of their commitment to repentance and a new way of living, they made their way down into the river, allowed John to “bury” their old ways under the water in baptism, then raise them again to a better life. Neat ceremony. Wonderful symbolism. And in the hands of a dynamic personality… so forceful and impressive that some were led to think that John was the promised Messiah finally come. So forceful and impressive in fact that sometime later in the Book of Acts, recorded in our Epistle lesson today, Paul runs into a band of believers who know nothing about the Holy Spirit’s promised coming in baptism and know only the baptism of John, yet are described as believers in Jesus. Paul sets them straight, baptized them and then laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied, in other words, they experienced Pentecost themselves and it completed their baptism in Jesus!

But, back to the Jordan - there John the Baptist debunked the notion of his own preeminence out of hand: “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I’m not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Then one day it happened… Jesus comes. The request for baptism is made of John. John is initially reluctant, then acquiescence follows. Finally, the dramatic climax. As our lesson has it, “And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’” What an image! It is as if God the Father, confined to heaven at this fantastic moment, in euphoric frustration rips open the very fabric of the universe to lay claim upon his Son. It is a cosmic yes, arms raised high and feet dancing. It is love spilling out, the cup overflowing. Not celebrating the conclusion of a work well done, but before anything at all was done by Jesus, who is only now about to embark on his ministry.

THIS CHANGED EVERYTHING! Jesus’ baptism ushered in a new baptism. Christian baptism became not just a washing away of sin, as John’s baptism was, but the baptism that brings a special relationship with God and the power of the Holy Spirit for witness. Why? For no reason other than God chooses to do it. Now, that’s worth a holiday in my book.

Perhaps we should be used to this by now, but once more, all our high and holy religious expectations are trashed. It started with the ruler of the entire universe entering this world how? As an all-powerful potentate? No. An utterly helpless infant. The King of creation being born where? A palace? No. Among the animals. As life went on his best friends were who? The privileged and powerful? No. The down and dirty, the outcasts, those on life’s fringes, the nobodies. And, of course, at the end of it all, instead of doing what the world would consider the really smart thing, and not dying, he dies. Then three days later, SURPRISE!!! Empty tomb! Why should we be amazed when we learn that God loves us for no more reason than good parents do: just because. No surprise, because, actually, God is love.

And this is half the message of Jesus’ baptism and our own – we are loved. Most folks understand that, and that is why they get all warm and fuzzy when it comes to presenting their little ones for the sacrament.

I read a definition of grace that I think is powerful and applicable here. Grace is the willing transmission of an unmerited blessing to an unworthy recipient at great cost to the Giver. And God does that because He loves the world so much…

But there is another side to this baptism event, and it is this: WE HAVE WORK TO DO. Remember, this happened at the start of Jesus’ ministry. This was his commissioning service. Now, almost 20 centuries later, when someone is baptized in the church (infant or adult), it is no different. There is surely the affirmation of God’s incredible and unconditional love and… and this is a big AND… a commissioning to service in the name of Jesus Christ, the One into whose name we are baptized. That is why we take so seriously the promises that new disciples make or their parents make on their behalf – to live the Christian faith, to teach that faith to the children. We even go for extra help: as we present the baptized to the congregation with the proclamation, “Through baptism God has made these new sisters and brothers members of the priesthood we all share in Christ Jesus, that we may proclaim the praise of God and bear his creative and redeeming Word to all the world,” you, the ministers in this place, are called upon to add your affirmation, “We welcome you into the Lord’s family. We receive you as fellow members of the body of Christ, children of the same heavenly Father, and workers with us in the kingdom of God.” New disciples have work to do, and they will need all the help they can get. So we invite them to stand beside us in ministry and mission.

Both of the elements are important: the affirmation of affection and the proclamation of purpose. Lacking one or the other, we are incomplete.

Among the millions of Jews imprisoned by the Nazis in the death camps of the 1930s and 40s was Viktor Frankl. In spite of the horrors and the odds, he survived. Around him, next to him, each day of his ordeal, dozens, hundreds, thousands of fellow Jews, and others, died, many of them, of course, in the ovens – but many others died by giving up hope, losing heart, overwhelmed by horror and fear and hopelessness. Frankl survived, he said, because two forces sustained him: one was the certainty of his wife’s love. The other was an inner drive to rewrite the manuscript of the book he had completed after years of labor – but the Nazis had destroyed. Frankl’s imprisonment was lightened by daily imaginary conversations with his wife and by scrawling notes for his book on all the bits and scraps of paper he could find. And Frankl has written eloquently of these two insights to cope with life: first, the discovery and certainty of being loved, and, second, having a clear and controlling purpose in life. Both are the messages we receive in Christian baptism: the affirmation of affection and the proclamation of purpose.

A blog from a pastor I read recently said:

Quote “I think of the story that appeared a number of years ago in the midst of the upheaval in the former Soviet Union about the fact that Gorbachev’s grandmother had had him baptized as an infant, and what that meant as far as his willingness to see and do things differently. I think of the conversion and baptism of the former slave trader, John Newton, and his ministry of healing and grace which continues through his hymns, which include, “On Our Way Rejoicing,” and “Amazing Grace.” I think of how important Luther’s remembrance that “I am baptized” was to him in moments of trial and despair… I will be honest. I tremble and grow weak when I do baptisms… And I weep. Not because of some cute-little-baby-warm-fuzzy-isn’t-this-a-nice-family picture kind of feeling, but because I think it is the most radical and dangerous thing I do. And maybe because it is so radical, so dangerous, so threatening, that people either flee the church as they get older, or they weep when we have the opportunity to reaffirm our baptismal vows.” End quote…

The Baptism of the Lord was a big deal, and much bigger than we have given it credit for in its implications for you and me. Perhaps if we celebrated this day as a holiday… a HOLY day… we might reclaim the importance of the sacrament. After all, what we do in those sacred moments at the font has the potential for unleashing incredible power. The message is: you are loved and you have a purpose; that combination makes you very special.

You’re all familiar with the Rev. Jesse Jackson. No matter what folks think of Jesse’s politics, most everyone will agree that he is an incredible speaker and can genuinely communicate. Jesse speaks in many different settings, and one of those he enjoys the most is school auditoriums – he loves addressing students, particularly those who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, to give them a sense of their own worth and a vision of a better future. Some years ago, he began concluding his speeches by having the youngsters respond to his urgings with a litany of self-affirmation. He would say something or ask some question and he would have the kids respond, “I am somebody!” Over and over again, the youngsters would be asked about themselves and the response would be, “I am somebody!” By the time Jesse would be done, those students would be positively bellowing, “I am somebody,” and they would leave with a sense of worth that, for many, would be brand-new.

The first message of your baptism and my baptism is that, in God’s grand scheme of things, I am somebody… you are somebody. The world asks, “Who are you?” And because of your baptism you can proudly proclaim, I am somebody in Christ. The world says we have no interest in you, but you can say, “World, you had better pay attention,” because you audaciously affirm, “I am somebody!” Your detractors can say that they can ignore you, but because of your baptism, you can say, “You dare not, because I am somebody!” Society says we have no need of you, but you can say, “Oh, yes, you do, because, in Christ, I am somebody!”

The second message of your baptism and my baptism is that, in God’s grand scheme of things, we are called, empowered, and sent for the purpose of declaring God’s great love for all humanity, to show the way, “making the paths straight,” as John the Baptist was commissioned, for any and all others to come home to God. At our baptism, God pours His Holy Spirit into us so that we have power to witness to his grace and majesty, wherever we are.

We take this moment to consider our baptisms. When you do, you tell me whether or not this day that recalls the baptism of the Lord deserves a holiday. I think absolutely! Because at its heart it teaches me that my own baptismal status, in spite of all my fears and failures, in spite of any worry and wonder, once and for all, in the eyes of the God of all the universe, I am somebody! You are somebody! And because we are somebody, we are in Christ and we have work to do, for Jesus Christ our Lord.

Let us pray. Gracious Lord, we are grateful to have been chosen, not only for your love, but your service as well. Help us to joyously celebrate your affection, but then equally joyful, set us about the work for that which you set us apart. Your Kingdom come, your will be done. Right here, right now, build your Kingdom and use us. We pray, Father, in the name of Jesus, empower us with your Spirit. Amen!