The first time I ever talked formally with a pastor about my sense of call to ministry that pastor prayed with me. The second time, she handed me a book called “What Shall I Say?” This was a slim black paperback with a leaf pictured on the cover. It is the book put out by the ELCA that describes the various opportunities for ministry in the church. “What Shall I Say?” describes what an ordained pastor does, what a diaconal minister does, and so on. When I read the book, for the first time, I really saw in print what someone would expect of a pastor and how the church will guide people in different ministry roles.

The funny thing is that “What Shall I Say?” could be the theme for my ministry training. That phrase comes into my head all the time. If I know I am going to meet with someone, what shall I say? Will the words come that are helpful to this person? When I am preparing a sermon, what shall I say? How can I make this text clear and relevant to the congregation? When I am praying, what shall I say? What are the words that convey the emotions, experiences and expectations I have? Then I have my blog, the newsletter, daily conversations, Sunday School and the whole host of encounters that happen on a daily basis, what shall I say in those?

In my short time here so far, I have been encouraged and excited by the number of people who participate in the ministries of Gloria Dei. People are eager to help with AFACT, with youth, with church gatherings and with other projects. I have also met people who have good ideas about ministry opportunities and are unsure about what to do. There is a desire in the congregation to begin a ministry of visitation, both to members who might be homebound for various reasons and to people who have visited Gloria Dei for worship. Another fruit of the spirit blooms in helping with worship on Sunday morning. If ever there was an easy “burden” or light “yoke”, ushering, lecturing or assisting with communion all fit that description.

“What shall I say?” sums up Moses’ reaction to the burning bush (Exodus 3). The Lord, in the form of the flaming shrubbery, appeared to Moses and told him to go to Egypt, speak to Pharaoh and free the Israelites from slavery. Moses was worried about not being believed and about not being eloquent enough, but God assured him that all would be well and taken care of. As we know from the story, through the actions of a tongue-tied leader (and his siblings!), the Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt.

“What shall I say?” could be the refrain of our lives as Christians. Happily, we never have to say, “What shall I say to make God love/forgive/save me?” We have the blessed assurance that God, through Christ, has done all those things out of love for us and all creation. I realize we are not (too often) freeing people from oppressive slavery, but participation in various activities allows many people to benefit from your talents and for our congregation to grow in many ways. Despite the lack of blazing rhododendrons in my life, I believe God has provided many blessings to me, including the chance to learn from this congregation. As the year progresses, we will all continue in the ministries of this family, Gloria Dei. With God’s grace, may we continue to learn that God provides us with a way to answer “What shall I say?”

Lectionary 26
September 30, 2007

Amos 6:1a, 4-7; 1 Timothy 6:6-19; Luke 16:19-31

Idol Chatter

Peace and grace to you in the name of the Holy Trinity who gathers us together here, nourishes us and will go forward with us into the world.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” What does the pursuit of happiness entail? How will you know when you have attained that which you pursue?

Our culture tells us there are many things we need to make us happy. Maybe we are not receiving advertisements for beds of ivory or wine bowls, but we do need a Victrola…a hi-fi…an eight-track player…a cassette player… a Walkman… a CD player…a Discman… an I-Pod. There is always something newer, better, faster, bigger to be had. It’s not even to keep up with the neighbors anymore. It will make our lives better. We’ll save time, be healthier, be smarter, have shinier hair, whiter teeth, a better marriage, deeper sleep, a free pet turtle… it’s always something.

I am not saying progress is bad. That we should shun technology and retreat or that we need to divest ourselves of all our belongings, but what good is it if we gain the whole world and lose our souls? Too easily life can become about what we have. Please look at the back of your bulletin at the second lesson. “Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.”

Godliness combined with contentment? What does that mean? Let’s think of contentment as satisfaction- a fullness of heart and spirit. Godliness can be described as humbleness in communion with the Creator. So there is a deep sense of fulfillment in knowing one is walking with God. Yet that phrase still is a little troubling. We know it is God who meets us, who comes to us, who gives us the gift of faith, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. So godliness is an attribute that comes from the top down- from our Maker to us. How can we be anything but content to know that God walks with us in our daily lives?

But what about that parable? Where the rich man goes to Hades? And the poor man, described so graphically, goes to be with Abraham? This parable is preceded by the woman who finds the lost coin, the man who finds the lost sheep, the father who finds his prodigal son and the dishonest manager who was extravagant in forgiving debt. Still when the Pharisees heard all these stories, they scoffed at Jesus. Luke 16:14 says, “The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all this, and they ridiculed him.” Jesus tells them, “… God knows your hearts…” and then this parable comes abruptly.

This parable is interesting for many reasons. There is no introduction or conclusion. Hades was the Greek term for hell. Lazarus doesn’t go to the Father, but to Abraham. There is no mention of faithfulness. What is interesting is that the rich man still thinks he can give orders from Hades. Oh, Abraham… how about sending that man to cool me off? No? Well, send him to my brothers, so that they might be saved.

Jesus is saying to the Pharisees, “You fools! You just don’t get it. Amos said your possessions mean nothing if you do not grieve for the wrong that is in the world. Micah said do justice and love mercy. Isaiah says how beautiful are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, good news and salvation. Everything you need is right in front of you, but you will continue to believe that you are better than others because you dress well, eat well and offer more expensive sacrifices. You just don’t get it and I’m beginning to see that you may not ever.”

While we are able to see Jesus’ point, we can easily forget it. As Martin Luther reminds us, the first commandment is always the easiest to break. We do not mean to have other gods, but when we are distracted by the offerings of the world, when we idolize what is offered here, our hearts are not in the right place. We end up not grateful and we are not content.

This morning we have a baptism. Some of you may be able to remember your baptism, but many of you may not. Baptism is a mysterious of work of God that we have the chance to witness and in which we can participate. We are always encouraged to remember our baptisms daily. And what of those baptismal promises?

The strangest one always seems to be “Do you renounce the Devil and all his empty promises? The forces of evil?” What are we renouncing? That promise reminds us that nothing else in this world can offer us what God offers us in baptism- life, salvation and mercy. We baptize infants because God has called us to welcome all in this way into the family of the Church. When we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Before we have the chance to sin, God’s power cleanses us, showers us with love and fills us with the Holy Spirit.

Here where we are claimed as God’s own- there are certain truths that are self-evident. We are all equal in God’s eyes- beloved and blessed. Through God’s promises we can take hold of the life that really is life. We are freed to love the people around us- to use our possessions, our talents, and our time to help our neighbors. And we are called here again and again to remind ourselves that we are God’s own. That reminder serves as a beacon to guide us in pursuing godliness and contentment. Let your light shine before the world, so that they may see the good things you do and glorify your Creator in heaven.

We all have things, but we must remember they are just that… things. They have no value beyond what they can do for our lives in the very short term. Let your heart be moved by all that God has done for you and do not be swayed by the empty promises of the Devil. Remember God’s miracle for you in the waters of baptism. Solid and sure are those promises combined with water. They do not fail.

In fact, there is only one empty thing that God has ever given the world- the tomb.

This Sunday, there was a grace moment in church- a moment so filled with and blessed by the Holy Spirit that I will always remember it.

The pianist played a beautiful version of ‘Jesus Loves Me’ during the offertory. As the notes rippled throughout the sanctuary, so did another sound… the soft sound of voices singing the hymn, quietly and gently. As I looked out at the congregation, I saw so many people, young and old, singing the song together. Parents encouraging their young children with the words, older people with smiles on their faces at the familiar tune, elderly members silently moving their lips to a song they’ve known for years.

It was such a powerful visual. Almost a liturgical Norman Rockwell painting- the family of God gives their offerings and rejoices in song. Yet there was more than just a nice visual and a sweet sound. There was a genuine sincerity in the music. These weren’t lyrics to puzzle over or a new melody. The song was sung from memory of life experience and spiritual understanding. So, it will always stand as one of the most profound theological moments of my life- watching the group of people I have come to love and feel a part of singing with blessed assurance, “Yes, Jesus loves me.”

For as long as I can remember, I have been afraid of bears. I can remember dreams when I was very young about being chased by bears. I am not entirely sure what that stems from, but needless to say- it’s been a lifelong horror. I am not certain that I could put a fine point on the fear- being mauled, just seeing a bear, being eaten. I’m just afraid of bears.

How ironic that someone who is terrified of bears lives in Alaska. I’ve seen a black bear less than a quarter-mile from my house. Once I was in the path of a running grizzly while in the tundra outside Nome. I’ve seen bears from far away and not far away enough when I’ve been hiking in different places. I generally feel pretty calm about at the time, though my heart pounds.

Why am I thinking about bears now? I have had a hymn going through my head for a couple days. Not a hymn about bears (which one would that be?), but the hymn “My Life Flows on in Endless Song“.

My life flows on in endless song; above earth’s lamentation,
I catch the sweet, though far-off hymn that hails a new creation.
(Chorus) No storm can shake my inmost calm while to that Rock I’m clinging
Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth, how can I keep from singing?

Through all the tumult and the strife, I hear the music ringing.
It finds an echo in my soul. How can I keep from singing? (Chorus)

What thought my joys and comforts die? The Lord my Savior liveth.
What though the darkness gather round? Songs in the night he giveth. (Chorus)

The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart, a fountain ever springing!
All things are mine since I am his! How can I keep from singing? (Chorus)

Like many Alaskans, I love to hike and sometimes I have to do a short one by myself. Though I have resorted to the “Hello…coming through” style of announcing my presence, I like to sing as long as I have the air to do so (some hiking can be too strenuous to allow for melodic announcing). My heart is usually pounding because, though not bearanoid, I do wonder what greets me around the corner.

This hymn gets me through more than just lonely hikes. It’s gotten me through some lonely months. There are six more weeks (I hope) until my husband comes back from overseas. At a recent “reunion training”, family members were told that the last few weeks can be the hardest because you can see the end (and you’re hoping information about extension doesn’t come!). I cannot pretend that I am happy all the time. Some days are harder than others, but I can say that I haven’t felt too alone through the past months. Even in dark days, my life has flowed on in endless song (sometimes a very mournful tune) and I haven’t kept from singing.

Life is full of bears and other things. There are no promises that we will always feel like singing, but God does provide the background music of faith- so that when we catch the “sweet, but far-off hymn”, we can rejoice with all of creation.

I recently went with a friend to see the movie Evan Almighty– the story of a modern man whom God tells to build an ark. He encounters a great deal of ridicule from his friends and even his family as he outlines the plans for the giant boat and begins to appear more and more like a biblical figure each day.

While I wouldn’t recommend the movie for its theological soundness, I do think it had a few good points to consider. In one scene, Evan’s wife is in a diner and is very upset. She left Evan and took their sons with her because she believed he was going crazy and was potentially harmful. As she looks lamentably at her plate, the “waiter” stops by her table. Though she doesn’t know him, the audience recognizes “God” as he has appeared in the movie.

“God” tells her this: How do you think God answers prayers? If you pray for courage, does God give it to you or make an opportunity for you to be courageous? If you ask for patience, does God grant that or show you a chance to be patient? If you ask for family togetherness…

That, of course, was the catchphrase for her. She had prayed for her family to grow closer together, she just hadn’t seen working together on the ark as that heaven-sent opportunity.

Life and faith are not always Hollywood-neat, but I think there is a little bit of sense to this idea. How often have we prayed for this or that and believed our prayer to be unanswered? Admittedly, some of our deepest prayers aren’t for things that call for opportunities- we want someone’s safe return, healing or other specific action. God hears these prayers and is with us in our cries, our anger and our need.

Prayer is yet another mystery in the life of faith and it can be one that is difficult to maintain Martin Luther says because God has called us to prayer, it is okay to ask God for the strength to pray, to remind God of the difficulty of prayer and even to revisit God’s promises to hear our prayers.

May you have strength in your prayers and confidence that you are being heard. May the Spirit open your heart to see when and where God has laid the groundwork for the granting of some of your prayers.

Everywhere you turn today, there are flashbacks and memorials to September 11, 2001. People are talking about where they were, what they remember or how they were affected. Many people are also reflecting on the aftermath of that attack and tragedy, even how it is affecting us today in cautionary actions and in worldwide conflicts.

Driving to work this morning, I wondered about how the apostles might have felt at the Passover – a year after the crucifixion. A few of them might have still be in Jerusalem, since some of Paul’s letters talk about a group of disciples there, but others left that area and went to other parts of the world to spread the message of Jesus. Yet I am sure at Passover, that celebratory meal, they always thought back to that one time, in the Upper Room- when everything was so uncertain. And then three days later, everything they thought they knew was upturned.

We have slowly found the world moving forward from that particular September day. The memorials will probably space out more and we will remember the 10th anniversary, the 15th… Like other events in our national conscience, we will ask each other where we were on that day.

Yet, let us also remember the apostles and be like them. Remember this moment. The blessing of the bread and of the wine. The knowledge and comfort of the presence of Christ in that action. The blessing of it in the dark times of your life.

In a day full of remembrance, take a moment to remember all for which you are grateful and all that has been done for you.

It is hard to believe that fall is here. It is not yet time for sweaters, but I find my hand moving past the lighter shirts in my closet, down toward the longer sleeves and darker colors. My drive from Eagle River has changed too. I have to think about the school traffic and more people driving in and out of the city. Everyone is hoping for one more fishing trip, one more hike, yet another campout- trying to enjoy the vestiges of the summer and the fun that autumn can provide in the short time it’s here.

This month marks a mental change for me. For the past three years, the end of August has meant a return to Connecticut and to school. I had to think about books, class schedules, and travel plans. I was a student.

Now I’m still learning, but from you. This year is my transition from student to pastor and Gloria Dei is helping me over that bridge. Internship brings new levels of authority, involvement in decision-making, surprising ministry experiences and absorbing the nuances of the role to which I have been called.

There is a delicate balance to learning about this position. I have to learn the balance between what I studied in school and what happens when knowledge is applied, between being a leader and encouraging others to lead. I have begun to hear from you about what you like to see in a pastor regarding preaching, visitation, teaching and presence.

In the spirit of learning about my new role, I have taken a new title. According to the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, I can be called pastoral intern, intern or vicar. Though titles are not that important to me, what’s in a name is actually important. Part of internship is learning about being a pastor, but one only actually earns that title through a call to a congregation and ordination.

In the meantime, “pastoral intern” seems like too many syllables to ask you to use. That title was too big. “Intern” does not seem to clearly describe what my role is here; thus, that title is too small. “Vicar” is unusual, but can be explained in its originality. “This is our vicar, Julia. We’re helping her learn to be a pastor.” It does sound very British and it is unfamiliar to most of us, including myself. However, it is the title that best seems to fit the position. It is just right. We will all learn to use it together.

All this change does make me think with gratitude about the unchanging nature of God. No matter what kind of changes I experience, it is blessedly assuring to know God remains the same today, tomorrow and forever. May that thought comfort you as well this month, during a season of change.

Lectionary 22 Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Anchorage, AK
September 2, 2007 Vicar Julia Seymour

Proverbs 23:6-7, Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16, Luke 14:1, 7-14

Peace and grace to you in the name of the Holy Trinity who gathers us together here, nourishes us and will go forward with us into the world.

How many of you have heard about the book coming out that contains the letters of Mother Teresa? It is a collection of letters she wrote to her spiritual advisors over the course of fifty years about her struggle with doubt and darkness. Mother Teresa writes that she continues to believe in God, but that she no longer hears God’s voice and she is no longer assured, as she once was, of God’s will.
These letters date from the time, in 1948, when she began the Missionaries of Charity in India. Before that time, she came to India with the Sisters of Loreto and then she believed she heard Jesus telling her to start a new mission, a mission for Indian nuns to minister to the poor of that nation. When she finally received Vatican approval to begin the new mission, she believed stopped hearing the voice of God.
There have been many reactions to the news of these letters. Many people have expressed shock to know that Mother Teresa felt this way, but I think most people are not surprised. If anything, I think more people will consider Mother Teresa saintly for her struggles than even for her works. Because a struggle with faith is something to which most people can relate.
The Bible is full of people who needed affirmation of their faith, who longed for an extra assurance of God’s presence. The list even includes Jesus who, in His most human moment- suffering on the cross… in His most divine moment, suffering on the cross, said, “My God, My God… why have you forsaken me?”
The theologian Frederick Buechner says God only allows His greatest saints to experience that level of feeling, but I disagree. I do not believe there is a hierarchy among saints and, if I ever needed proof, I find it in the reality that we all have or all will experience that kind of moment in our lives. It is that moment when the rug comes out from under us so quickly… we did not even know we were falling until we hit the floor. Accidents, illnesses, deaths, personal realizations, life changes, and revelations can take our breath away and make us look around and say, “Where is God?”
Later, in reflection, we are able to see God in the people who came to our aid or in the small miracles that helped us make it through one day at a time. Perhaps they did not know that card meant everything to you. Maybe the ability to get out of bed and take a shower seemed like a miracle. Even in something good happening to someone else that reminds us of positive things in the world.
How do we keep going when we feel that way? And what about those times when we are not devastated, but just feel bland, not bad…not good… just waiting for something to happen- something to affirm our faith in a small way.
We can and should be consoled by the realization that faith does not depend on us. It is a gift from God that we could not produce ourselves, even if we wanted to. The small blue book to which members of the congregation contributed, God Provides, is full of stories of people right here who were very worried about various things and God came through… maybe not how they expected, but in a way they were able to experience as a blessing, as divine provision.
The reading today from Hebrews tells us that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is the Word who was with God in the beginning, the man who walked next to the Sea of Galilee, and is the word and sacrament present in, with and under us today. God has promised that will not change… not matter how dark the walk gets.
That’s when I think we need to look again at the smallest things possible. Faith is like the mustard seed… not that we have to plant it and make it grow, but its tiny size grows into a miraculous plant. God gives us that mustard seed each day… in the sunshine, in the ability to make decisions, in the people around us. When you start with the smallest thing possible for which you have to be grateful, your list of blessings can grow to enormous proportions.
Yet, in the midst of that blessedness, we can still have doubts about our relationship with God and even about God’s own self. What to do then? We have nothing to prove to God. God knows us in our innermost selves and loves us despite what’s in there. In the knowledge of that love, we are called in today’s readings to turn to the people around us… to look around our tables, our neighborhoods and our world and say, “What can I do with what God has given me?” This is how Mother Teresa ultimately found her only consolation. She put on foot in front of the other each day and helped the Christ she saw in the people around her. She heard God’s voice in them and responded in the only way she knew how… believing that what she did for them, she did for God.
When I think about the 12 apostles, there is only one I have ever wanted to be. Not Peter…bumbling along. Not James and John, fighting over who will sit next to Jesus. Certainly not Judas. But I wouldn’t mind being Thomas. I would like to have the chance to see and to touch. But instead, you and I are among the blessed who have not seen, but have believed.
Until the day that we do see, when Christ comes again… God has promised to give us faith… to help us in this world to help each other. That faith is not the absence of questions or the absence of doubt. That faith is action in spite of doubt. Actions like, letting mutual love continue… showing hospitality to strangers… visiting those in prison… honoring loving relationships… sliding over and letting someone else have a better place at the table.
When we let these actions fill our lives… when we count the tiniest things with gratitude…when we keep moving even in times of uncertainty and in darkness, we open ourselves to the possibilities of reaching beyond our doubts and fears… to the possibility of entertaining angels… to the possibility of touching Christ in the person right next to us. How do we know he’s there… because God has promised it and God always keeps the faith.

You may have read in the Anchorage Daily News about a new policy regarding certain religious holidays and the scheduling of school activities. If not, a link to the article is here.

The new rules do not mean that school will be out on these new holiday inclusions, but that the Anchorage School District will avoid scheduling activities, like sporting events, on these days. The new list includes Passover, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Eid al–Fitr and Eid al–Adha. They are added to a list which includes New Year’s, Orthodox Christmas and Easter, Good Friday, Easter, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas.

The new holidays may be unfamiliar to some:

Passover is a Jewish celebration, in the springtime, that commemorates the events in Egypt that led up to the Exodus. The name of the holiday comes specifically from the fact that the angel of death “passed over” the houses of the Israelites during the plague which killed the eldest sons of the Egyptians. Passover is a holiday of celebration of freedom and an expression of continued hope about the coming of the Messiah.

Rosh Hashanah is a fall Jewish celebration commemorating the New Year. It is a time to wish happiness and health to everyone you know.

Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement, another autumn Jewish holiday. Yom Kippur is marked by a day (or more) of fasting and expressions of regret for wrong-doing in the previous year. It is a time to try to make amends with family and friends and to forge stronger bonds in relationships.

Eid al–Fitr is a late-autumn/early winter (usually) Muslim celebration marking the end of Ramadan. It is time of celebration to end the fasting, rejoicing in a renewed sense of spiritual accomplishment and thanking God for the help and strength of making it through Ramadan.

Eid al–Adha is a Muslim commemoration celebrating Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Ishmael. For Muslims, Ishmael, the son of Sarah’s handmaiden Hagar, is a significant spiritual figure, believed to be a father of their faith. In Islamic tradition, Ishmael was the son Abraham was asked by God to sacrifice. Eid al–Adha celebrates Abraham’s faith and God’s intercession.

The recognition of these holidays by the Anchorage School District acknowledges the changing face of our city’s religious population. Of course, not everyone in the city falls into the categories of the three Abrahamic faith traditions, but they are the most significant in terms of populations numbers.

There will still be people who may have other spiritual observances that will conflict with school activities and they will have decisions to make. The school district is not required to acknowledge any holidays according to religion, but does so to make things easier for the majority of students.

Is this the right thing to do? Some people argue that Christian students would not get the same treatment in a primarily Muslim or Jewish country. However, I believe that is a strong argument for why we should allow such practices here. Religious tolerance does not mean we have to say all spiritual practices are equal or that all roads lead up the same mountain. In the case of Christians, it can and should mean that we feed the hungry, visit the imprisoned, heal the sick and make some allowances for other beliefs because it is what Jesus would have us do. When we do it for the least of these, we do it for Him.

Jeremiah 23:23-29, Hebrews 11:29-12:2, Luke 11:49-56

Peace and grace to you from God our Father, Jesus our Savior and the Holy Spirit who Moves Us All.

Oh, Jesus.

Why would you say that?
“Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, but rather division!”
My heart sank when I first read those words and in the past couple weeks I read them over and over.
I like the Jesus who heals. The Jesus who tells stories about blessed peacemakers, prodigal sons and found sheep. Maybe even the Jesus who gets a little angry in the temple and tells people what’s what. Scott said sometimes he likes Jesus to stir things up. I do too… when he does it on Scott’s Sunday to preach.
I don’t know what to do with Jesus the divider. I am sure that’s how his disciples felt when Jesus told them this.
The Jewish community in that time was already well divided. The Pharisees who were concerned about the Scriptures. The Sadducees who worried over the rules. The Zealots who were angry about the Roman occupation. Everyone dreamed that the Messiah would come, would free the Jewish people and would unite them all in his leadership.
Instead, here was a humble man from Nazareth… who told the small band of people who were actually following him as the Messiah that he had no plans for unity, but to divide.
Jesus is already worried by this time about being able to complete his ministry before he dies. He’s trying to warn his disciples about what will happen, but his statement reflects his frustration with the situation. This group of fisherman and animal herders knows how to interpret weather signs, seasonal change, but they don’t recognize the signs of a Messiah. But what does this gospel mean for us?

After looking at the gospel for a long time and waiting for clarity that did not seem to come, I moved onto the other New Testament passage. If the gospel confused me, the passage from Hebrews irritated and furthered confounded me.
I do not want to be tortured or have horrible things happen to me in order to obtain a “better resurrection.” In this whole list of named people, there is one totally upstanding person, one righteous prostitute and several less-than-ideal leaders of Israel. I divide them into the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

Let’s start with the Good: Samuel the prophet: nothing blemishes his record. From the time his mother Hannah gave him to the temple as a very young boy to when he died during the reign of Saul, he was completely honest with people, lead righteously and was such a exemplar to the faith that Saul even committed the forbidden act of going to a fortune-teller just to have Samuel consulted after the prophet had died. Samuel is a clear witness to our faith history.

Then there’s the Bad: Rahab was a prostitute with her house stuck in the walls of the city of Jericho. Though she might have known many men, Rahab knew enough to recognize the two spies who came from Israel to scout out her city. She hid them in her house, so they would not be killed. In turn, they saved her family when the city was destroyed. Maybe her initial resume seemed spotty, but Rahab did the right thing when no one else had a clue- a shining star in the mantle of faith heroes.

Now we have the Ugly: Gideon, a judge over Israel, was so nervous and unsure that God actually was speaking to him that he tested him not once, not twice, but three times. God set fire to food in front of Gideon and twice made a piece of fleece wet, while the ground around it remained dry. Even so, Gideon was still nervous about doing what God asked and sometimes performed his tasks in the middle of the night so people wouldn’t see him. Some brave, faithful leader…

Then Barak, from Judges Chapter 4. Barak was the general of the Israelite army and when Deborah, the judge of Israel (that’s right! A woman judge!), told him to go forth in battle, he squirmed and said he would not go unless she led him. So, she left her job to lead him on his job, but told him because of his reluctance the largest victory in the battle would go to another woman. A woman named Jael killed Sisera, the leader of the opposing army. Ah, Barak… a moment’s indecision and your glory is stolen by a woman.

Samson- there’s a real man for you. No woman is going mess up his destiny… oh, wait. Samson was dedicated by his parents as a Nazarite, which involved a certain kind of lifestyle and certain prohibitions. Samson pretty much broke them all- he married a foreign woman, he drank wine at his wedding, he touched a dead lion and ate honey from its body and he was generally known for his short temper. Then there was the whole Delilah fiasco.

The saddest story is that of Jepthah. He was the head of a group of rogues and the leaders of Israel came and asked him to fight for them against their enemies. Jepthah said he would. He prayed to God to give him victory and promised he would sacrifice the first thing that came out of his house upon his victorious return. Sadly, Jepthah’s only child, his daughter, came out to meet her father. Despite prohibitions against child sacrifice, Jepthah did as he had sworn to do because God had given him victory.

Finally, there is David. I have mixed feelings about David. His affair with Bathsheba, his killing of her husband, his abandoning of Israel and the Ark when the city was attacked by his sons,… David, David, David…

Some great cloud of witnesses there. So far we have some colorful faith heroes and a divisive Savior and… some broken windows.

It’s hard to know what to say about the vandalism that occurred this week in church. The damage is shocking and upsetting. It is sad that we are to the level of resignation that we utter the phrase at least they did not do x or y. At the least, this is the result of someone who does not have anything else to do. In the worst, this is malicious action. We all have the question “Why”, but I’m sure how many of us actually want to know the answer.

With all of these thoughts turning over and over in my head this week… divisive Savior, broken windows, sketchy faith heroes… I really felt at a loss about what to say this morning.
In desperation, I turned to the calendar that lists the Scripture passages for each week of the church year. In addition to an Old Testament passage, New Testament passage, a Psalm and a Gospel… there is also a theme mentioned. My eyes widened when I saw this week’s theme…
“If God himself be for me…”

If God himself be for me… who can be against me?

That is a word, like in Jeremiah, a word like a fire that burns in your heart
If God be for us… who can be against us?

The Lord says through the prophet, “Am I God nearby and not a God far off?”
God is a God of this moment and of history,
of this place and of all creation,
Of us and of the people who move against us.

Jesus divides not because he is angry or because division is his desire for the world, but it is a result of who He was and is in the world. There are so many people who believe they are the most genuine followers of Christ, but when we believe we have it right… we get it wrong.
The separation within churches today is sad because it has the potential to harm the Gospel. If we were one united church, we would believe that we did it ourselves. In our brokenness, we are able to come together in organizations like AFACT and make changes in a community, changes for good… because we believe it is what Jesus would have us do and because it is what God is doing through us.

At the AFACT meeting this weekend, we saw a display of over thirty headlines from local media outlets from the past 3 years… headlines that talked about the work AFACT is doing in the community… it was nearly an average of a story a month.
That work together unites people even over differences about ordination, communion, baptism, or the Bible. Our divisions unite us because we know we depend on God to strengthen those relationships and to guide our work.

When God is for you, it doesn’t matter what your history is… God can use you.
Listen… for the voice nearby, for the burning in your heart, for the echo in your spirit.
The person who broke into the church is a witness to our faith. We have not abandoned the building. We have not given up hope. We know that God is for us.

It does not mean that God is against those who trouble us, but nothing this world can present can separate us from the love of God. Jesus goes before us as the perfector of our faith, the faith that God gives us to run with grace and patience the race of faith- living our lives.
God goes before us in the cloud of witnesses who built this congregation, witnesses like Dalia and Betty, whose faith in service we celebrate today.

God roots for us as the current witnesses to God’s power in this congregation and community. God is present for us- here at God’s table and with each other.

Martin Luther says the most powerful words, the only words that matter at the table, are the words “For you.” These are words we should carry away from the table. Words we should say when divisions seem to overwhelm us. When we see the broken windows.

The mystic Julian of Norwich said she heard the Savior say to her: “Sin is here, but all shall be well, all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well.” Do you know how we know that?

Because God has said He is nearby and far away. God unites us in our division. God uses the Good, the Bad and the Ugly for his glory and for the good of his creation.
Because if God is for us… things cannot ultimately be anything but well.
So beloved witnesses to God’s love,
Say to yourselves
God is for me… who can be against me?
Say to your neighbor, “God is for you… who can be against you?”
Say it to your other neighbor.
Let us say it together “God is for us… who can be against us?”
These are words of fire, like those from Jeremiah. Let them burn in your heart.
God is for us… who can be against us?
Witness to it in spite of everything. When you go out these doors, past the broken windows… the message to carry to the world is…
God is for us… who can be against us?

Amen.