Galatians 5:1, 13-25
Luke 9:51-62
“Why Are We Like This?”
Preached Sunday, June 29, 2025
Here’s my Sunday morning confession to you: I don’t always talk to myself with kindness. As a pastor, and just as a friend, I often tell people to talk to themselves as they would a good friend or even a small child. Don't berate yourself. Give yourself grace. Negative self-talk does no good. We are commanded, after all, to love neighbor - as self. While we are going to talk about loving our neighbor this morning, sometimes we also have to start with loving ourselves.
And yet, and yet…almost all of us do it, negative self-talk, berating ourselves. I have a particularly infuriating habit of losing earbuds. I just can’t keep track of them. In the last week or two I’ve misplaced them so many times, I found myself in a spiral of negative self-talk. Including the lament, “Why am I like this???”
Which is also the sermon title I chose for this week - a lament against the state of humanity, found some 2000 years ago in our Scriptures and in the headlines and our lived reality today.
We start with the scene of Jesus rebuking his disciples.
“When his disciples James and John saw this, they said, ‘Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?’ But he turned and rebuked them.”
Some people didn’t respond to Jesus the way they would have hoped - a rejection instead of acceptance. And James and John…they ask, “Should we kill them???” - or “Should we pray for God to kill them?”
I want to be flabbergasted at this. Like, “Excuse me, what?” But then I look at the course of human history and our world today - how quick and how often we rain fire down from the skies on each other. In addition to that, they were spurned by Samaritans - already the enemy. How quickly their disdain and hate for them bubbles to the surface in anger and violence at even the smallest slight. It is the same for us - how quick are we to call for the elimination of all who oppose us? Of those who don’t think like us? Of the “other”? So instead I sigh and ask, “Why are we like this?”
I wish the words of Jesus’s rebuke were written down in Scripture. I wish they had been transmitted through the ages down to us today. Although I can imagine what he said, especially when I look at today’s reading from Galatians:
“For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.”
Maybe these words are an echo of Jesus’s rebuke. Something along the lines of: “What part of love your neighbor as yourself don’t you understand??? You are going to bite and devour one another and all of you will be consumed by violence, sin, and death.”
After Jesus’s rebuke we then have what seems like a slight change in topic in today’s Gospel lesson - but it is all related.
Jesus encounters some would-be disciples on his way:
“As they were going along the road, someone said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’
And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’
To another he said, ‘Follow me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’
And Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’
Another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.’”
We don’t have the actual answers of these possible disciples. Did they heed Jesus’s words and leave everything to follow him…or did they get stuck in their “buts”?
I’d follow you…BUT that sounds too demanding.
I’d follow you….BUT let me bury my father.
I’d follow you….BUT let me say goodbye to my family.
But…wait, actually, don’t these sound more like good reasons to us rather than excuses to not follow Jesus?
Biblical scholar Chelsea Brooke Yarborough frames it like this:
“Now naturally, Jesus could let them do these things that feel so crucial and necessary. I would also want to bury my parent or tell my people at home that I was leaving. However, the reason these were recorded was to show that this following is costly and time-sensitive.
I don’t know that I would suggest we should not bury those we have lost in honor or take time to be with family and friends. Yet, thinking that following Jesus and living in a radically loving and wholly inclusive way won’t cost us something is misguided. Jesus is saying, ‘Do you truly want to follow me in practice, or do you want to be seen following me as perception?’”
Because the thing is - there will always be good reasons - or even bad reasons - excuses - as to why we should not follow Jesus. As to why we should not love our neighbor, even our enemies, as ourselves, as to why we should not make costly sacrifices or changes to our lives in order to follow Jesus.
A costly sacrifice like one that James and John may have been challenged to make - in order to follow Jesus, we have to let go of our sin. Our penchant towards violence. Our hate towards our enemy.
In Galatians , “the works of the flesh” that we are called to reject are offered up. “The works of the flesh” always sound so…well, “Biblical.” “Christian-ese.” What these really are, are the sin-sick condition of humanity.
“For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these.”
What struck me is the line “Now the works of the flesh are obvious…”
I want to ask - are they? Are they really? Were the works of the flesh obvious to James and John when they wanted God to reign down fire on their enemies? Were the works of the flesh obvious to those who made excuses to not follow Jesus? Are the works of the flesh obvious to us in our world today?
Here’s the thing…are they so obvious? Or do our excuses sound like pretty good, justified reasons? Well, that sounds reasonable to act this way…we can twist ourselves in knots to justify our sin - as individuals and a society - and then deny in the face of all the evidence that we are so contorted that we lose sight of which way is up. We hear things in this list from Scripture and like to focus on the sins that we think are the sins of “others” - well **I** don’t engage in debauchery...but what about strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, and factions…? Well…
I think it’s almost impossible for us, in this day and age, to be born into our world, and not only not engage with “the works of the flesh” but to even try and justify them. And so again, we may find ourselves asking, “Why are we like this?”
For some the answer is original sin or total depravity. That is the theological concept that every human is born sinful by our very nature, passed on through the seed of Adam, that inertly, we are totally depraved.
This is certainly one answer for “Why are we like this?” And we have Augustine to thank for that…and to be honest, it is not my favorite theological concept. Original Sin has so much baggage about how humans are made that I simply don’t think sin is something passed on like a gene. And total depravity ignores God’s statement when humanity was made, “and indeed, it was very good.”
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, offered up an alternative to “Original Sin” called “Inbeing Sin.” Basically that the world we are living in is so sick, so polluted with sin, that we can’t help being affected by it, made sick by it. Sin is simply in the air we breathe, the water we swim in. Now, I think it may be helpful to stop here and define sin. We have that list of things that are “works of the flesh” from Galatians and there are certainly other lists - the 10 Commandments and such in the Bible…but I think sin can all be summed up in understanding the Greek word used for it, hamartia. Which literally means, “missing the mark.” It’s used to describe when an archer fails to fit the bullseye target. Sin is missing the mark… What is the mark then? The two greatest commandments: loving God and loving neighbor as self. All else is interpretation.
Humanity is capable of great evil and selfishness, of being sin-sick…of so much we certainly deserve a rebuke from Jesus. The answer to “Why are we like this?” Is that we are sin-sick, and our sin-sickness, our missing the mark, our failure to love God and neighbor as self, our failure to love our enemies, our failure to follow Jesus…our inbeing sin - this is the answer to “Why are we like this?”
Except perhaps…perhaps it is not really the answer that we seek when we ask this question. Perhaps we don’t need the answer - we know why we are like this…what we need instead is the assurance that we don’t HAVE to be this way. We can change. We can be healed of sin-sickness. We can love God and neighbor as self. We can even love our enemies.
I am going to repeat this because I feel like at this point in the sermon, and at this time in our world, we need to hear the Good News of the Gospel. So here it is one more time: We don’t HAVE to be this way. We can change. We can be healed of sin-sickness. We can love God and neighbor as self. We can even love our enemies.
Humanity has a great capacity for evil, yes. And we have an amazing capacity for good as well. For love. For kindness and generosity - for getting it right. For hitting the mark. For following Jesus, the embodiment of the God who is Love.
And if we get ourselves so twisted, so contorted that we don’t know which way is up anymore, if we don’t know how to choose the good over the bad, if we are so sin-sick in our sin-sick world that we don’t know how to follow Jesus…what are we to do? Look to the fruit. This is what Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits.”
Our reading from Galatians offers important insight to what this good fruit is: “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
It looks like loving God and loving neighbor as self. This love will bear that fruit.
The answer to our sin problem? The answer to “why are we like this?” The response we really need to hear is… There is a better way. We don’t have to be like this. So, stop making excuses - just follow Jesus. That means loving your neighbor as yourself, and yes, even your enemy is your neighbor.
We don’t need to be like this. Instead of being polluted by a sin-sick world, we can find a cure in the Spirit. Abide in the Spirit, spend time with God, worship God, let the Spirit shape and change you, even at great personal sacrifice, until you produce the fruit of the Spirit. Until our lives and our hearts look more like Jesus.
Instead of a world marked by biting and devouring one another, may our world be marked by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
May it be so. Amen.
Monday, June 30, 2025
Monday, June 23, 2025
“What Does Your Soul Long For?” a sermon on Psalm 42-43
Psalm 42 - 43
“What Does Your Soul Long For?”
Preached Sunday, June 22, 2025
What does your soul long for?
Asking yourself this question is part of adopting a breath prayer, as it was taught to me. A breath prayer is a way of praying through breathing. There are many ways to go about doing a breath prayer and the way I was first taught was something like this:
Shut your eyes or still your mind. Go ahead and do so, if you feel comfortable.
Breathe in, breathe out.
In. Out.
In. Out.
Picture yourself in a safe and sacred place. For me it would be Camp Asbury or at the lakeshore, perhaps for many of you it is right where you are, the inside of this beautiful sanctuary, or maybe curled up in a favorite chair in your home - wherever it is, bring that place into mind and the safety, comfort, and sacredness it brings with it.
Breathe in, breathe out.
In. Out.
In. Out.
Hear God saying your name. Hear the voice of God, ringing in your ears, your heart, mind, and soul - calling you by name.
Breathe in, breathe out.
In. Out.
In. Out.
Now hear God’s voice saying to you, asking you by name, “What do you want? What does your soul long for?”
“Allison, what do you want? What does your soul long for?”
Breathe in, breathe out.
In. Out.
In. Out.
Let the answer well up within you, perhaps from a place that feels tender, vulnerable, a place beneath all the noise of this world - what, beneath it all, in the depths of your soul, what do you want?
Breathe in, breathe out.
In. Out.
In. Out.
Now, think of your favorite or go to name for God, say that name as you breathe in…and as you breathe out, pray for the deep longing of your soul.
Lord, give me peace.
God, help me feel your love.
Jesus, make me whole.
Whatever your prayer is, pray it in rhythm with your breath…breathing in and breathing out… Saying the name of God as you breathe in, your prayer as you exhale.
Breathe in, breathe out.
In. Out.
In. Out.
Let’s gather our attention back to the present, pulling it back out from deep within us and focusing on the present and our surroundings. This method that we shared is one of the ways to form a breath prayer. Once you have a breath prayer you can always carry it with you. You can do it in the middle of a work day, in a crowded space, at the breakfast table over coffee or tea. You can do it walking or hiking, at night right before you fall asleep - any time and everytime you find yourself paying attention to your breath, you can turn that breathing into prayer. You can pray the same prayer as long as it feels right or true - until one day, you may find that prayer was answered or you may find your soul is now longing for something else that needs to be named before God.
So what is it that your soul longs for? I asked this question on social media this week and the replies came pouring in. Now, first of all, I think some people mistook their stomach for their souls as doughnuts and nachos were among the answers. Still others shared hopes for our church - how we as a church community can foster connection, how we as a church can be a safe and inclusive space for youth, how we as a church can expand our reach beyond our building… These things certainly affect the soul. I will say, I once called eating the best doughnut of my life a religious experience and the church community can be the means through which we and God work together to give our souls what they need…
…But as for the soul, specifically, here’s what the more serious answers were: What does your soul long for?
Rest
Self-acceptance
A world without drama, war, and hate
Kindness
Connection
Love
Spiritual fulfillment
Purpose
Inclusion
Direction
Empathy
Wholeness
Authenticity
Community
A stronger connection to God
Justice
Tranquility
Just for people to be nice to one another
Healing to wash over the earth
For every child to have a safe, stable, love filled home
Equilibrium
For all to recognize their belovedness
A life without pain
Peace
“What Does Your Soul Long For?”
Preached Sunday, June 22, 2025
What does your soul long for?
Asking yourself this question is part of adopting a breath prayer, as it was taught to me. A breath prayer is a way of praying through breathing. There are many ways to go about doing a breath prayer and the way I was first taught was something like this:
Shut your eyes or still your mind. Go ahead and do so, if you feel comfortable.
Breathe in, breathe out.
In. Out.
In. Out.
Picture yourself in a safe and sacred place. For me it would be Camp Asbury or at the lakeshore, perhaps for many of you it is right where you are, the inside of this beautiful sanctuary, or maybe curled up in a favorite chair in your home - wherever it is, bring that place into mind and the safety, comfort, and sacredness it brings with it.
Breathe in, breathe out.
In. Out.
In. Out.
Hear God saying your name. Hear the voice of God, ringing in your ears, your heart, mind, and soul - calling you by name.
Breathe in, breathe out.
In. Out.
In. Out.
Now hear God’s voice saying to you, asking you by name, “What do you want? What does your soul long for?”
“Allison, what do you want? What does your soul long for?”
Breathe in, breathe out.
In. Out.
In. Out.
Let the answer well up within you, perhaps from a place that feels tender, vulnerable, a place beneath all the noise of this world - what, beneath it all, in the depths of your soul, what do you want?
Breathe in, breathe out.
In. Out.
In. Out.
Now, think of your favorite or go to name for God, say that name as you breathe in…and as you breathe out, pray for the deep longing of your soul.
Lord, give me peace.
God, help me feel your love.
Jesus, make me whole.
Whatever your prayer is, pray it in rhythm with your breath…breathing in and breathing out… Saying the name of God as you breathe in, your prayer as you exhale.
Breathe in, breathe out.
In. Out.
In. Out.
Let’s gather our attention back to the present, pulling it back out from deep within us and focusing on the present and our surroundings. This method that we shared is one of the ways to form a breath prayer. Once you have a breath prayer you can always carry it with you. You can do it in the middle of a work day, in a crowded space, at the breakfast table over coffee or tea. You can do it walking or hiking, at night right before you fall asleep - any time and everytime you find yourself paying attention to your breath, you can turn that breathing into prayer. You can pray the same prayer as long as it feels right or true - until one day, you may find that prayer was answered or you may find your soul is now longing for something else that needs to be named before God.
So what is it that your soul longs for? I asked this question on social media this week and the replies came pouring in. Now, first of all, I think some people mistook their stomach for their souls as doughnuts and nachos were among the answers. Still others shared hopes for our church - how we as a church community can foster connection, how we as a church can be a safe and inclusive space for youth, how we as a church can expand our reach beyond our building… These things certainly affect the soul. I will say, I once called eating the best doughnut of my life a religious experience and the church community can be the means through which we and God work together to give our souls what they need…
…But as for the soul, specifically, here’s what the more serious answers were: What does your soul long for?
Rest
Self-acceptance
A world without drama, war, and hate
Kindness
Connection
Love
Spiritual fulfillment
Purpose
Inclusion
Direction
Empathy
Wholeness
Authenticity
Community
A stronger connection to God
Justice
Tranquility
Just for people to be nice to one another
Healing to wash over the earth
For every child to have a safe, stable, love filled home
Equilibrium
For all to recognize their belovedness
A life without pain
Peace
I actually got almost 40 replies and at least a fourth of them or more were peace. I think that is so telling of the world we live in and how far we are from the world God wants for us.
So those here worshiping with us today, what does your soul long for? Did you hear the desire of your soul on that list? Or is yours something else, calling out from within you? When I read what people wanted, what they longed for, beneath everything else: I heard God. It all boils down to the God who is Love. The God who accepts us. The God who brings us into relationship and community. The God who gives us rest. The God who is the Prince of Peace. The God who calms the storms of the sea and our hearts. Every answer that was given boils down to that our souls long for God and all that God is.
The Psalmist, mostly likely King David as it’s from his point of view, the Psalmist says as much in the opening lines of our Psalm from this morning:
“As the deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”
I can’t say or read that line from Scripture without thinking of the hymn: “As the deer longs for the water so my soul longs after you. You alone are my heart’s desire and I long to worship you.”
“You alone are my heart’s desire.” You alone. We had a long list of things that our heart’s and soul’s desire - and they all come down to God. The God of peace, community, safety, wholeness…The God of Love.
And I want to point out that to say that God is the desire of our souls is far from a trite platitude. It’s not a happy face Christian-ese saying that attempts to brush the reality of our pain and the pain of this world under the rug. The next lines in the Psalm are “When shall I come and behold the face of God? My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me continually, “where is your God?”
Other lines in the psalm include “Why are you cast down, O my soul and why are you disquieted within me?” and “I say to God, my rock, why have you forgotten me?”
The Psalmist is wrestling with tears, sadness, enemies, fear, violence, feeling forsaken - adversaries from within and without.
Maybe we can relate to that. In our world today there is tragedy, evil, violence, injustice, war…It’s easy to look around and wonder where God is. Perhaps we’ve been asked by those in our lives who wonder how or why we believe in God, asked the same question King David was asked, “Where is your God?”
And then inside of us, there is depression and anxiety. Doubt and fear. Reacting to the world around us. Depression and anxiety are at extremely high levels in our society - both studies and anecdotal evidence shows that anxiety is setting in at younger and younger ages in our children. Elementary school aged children are having panic attacks. And it makes sense when they practice active shooter drills, being told their lives depend on a locked door and not making any noise. When they see a virus rip through families and communities. When they hear our hateful and divided rhetoric in our country and world. We see the anxiety in our children and in ourselves and we may ask, “My God, why have you forsaken me?”
To say that God is the only desire of our souls is not to dismiss this - it is a life vest in a sea of storms, rest in a busy world, a steady light as the darkness tries to overcome. Even as the Psalmist says he is subsisting, surviving off of tears and looking for God, he is reminding himself of God’s goodness and God’s promise.
“Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.”
“By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me.”
“O send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling.
Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy; and I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God.
Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.”
To say that God is the desire of our souls, among all the strife within and without, is to give us an anchor, a stronghold. It is an invitation to breathe, to center ourselves, and let our breath be a prayer.
To remember that in our baptismal vows in which God claimed us as God’s children, we vowed to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves. That through the gift of the Holy Spirit, our efforts for good and against evil are not futile. With God’s help, we are a force of Good in this world.
And it is also a call to care for ourselves, including seeking mental health care for our anxiety and depression and whatever else ails our hearts, mind, and souls - just as we seek care for our bodies. To love God and neighbor as self includes loving self. God is all our souls long for…and we can have Jesus and a therapist. Amen to that? Amen. Part of finding the wholeness in God that we long for involves holistic care of our lives.
To say that the desire of our souls is God is also an invitation to remember God’s glory and all that God has already done for us - all the ways that God has met and is actively meeting the desires of our souls - as King David remembers how he poured himself out to God with glad shouts and thanksgivings and dancing as the arc was brought into the temple.
To stop and breathe, to acknowledge the longings of our souls before God, is a protection against helplessness. It keeps us from being stuck in a downward spiral of cynicism and hopelessness - one that so many in our world fall into.
So today and every day, let us breathe and let us pray.
Even if our prayers are tears. Even if our prayers are saying to God ‘Why have you forsaken me?”
Or even if your prayers are only your breath because you just can’t bring yourself to talk to God - those are all still prayers heard by God.
God is there in our breath, God is there, meeting the desires of our soul with God’s holy presence, God is there. So let us breathe and say, “As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after you. You alone are my heart’s desire and I long to worship you.”
Breathe in. Breathe out.
In. Out.
In. Out.
Amen.
So those here worshiping with us today, what does your soul long for? Did you hear the desire of your soul on that list? Or is yours something else, calling out from within you? When I read what people wanted, what they longed for, beneath everything else: I heard God. It all boils down to the God who is Love. The God who accepts us. The God who brings us into relationship and community. The God who gives us rest. The God who is the Prince of Peace. The God who calms the storms of the sea and our hearts. Every answer that was given boils down to that our souls long for God and all that God is.
The Psalmist, mostly likely King David as it’s from his point of view, the Psalmist says as much in the opening lines of our Psalm from this morning:
“As the deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”
I can’t say or read that line from Scripture without thinking of the hymn: “As the deer longs for the water so my soul longs after you. You alone are my heart’s desire and I long to worship you.”
“You alone are my heart’s desire.” You alone. We had a long list of things that our heart’s and soul’s desire - and they all come down to God. The God of peace, community, safety, wholeness…The God of Love.
And I want to point out that to say that God is the desire of our souls is far from a trite platitude. It’s not a happy face Christian-ese saying that attempts to brush the reality of our pain and the pain of this world under the rug. The next lines in the Psalm are “When shall I come and behold the face of God? My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me continually, “where is your God?”
Other lines in the psalm include “Why are you cast down, O my soul and why are you disquieted within me?” and “I say to God, my rock, why have you forgotten me?”
The Psalmist is wrestling with tears, sadness, enemies, fear, violence, feeling forsaken - adversaries from within and without.
Maybe we can relate to that. In our world today there is tragedy, evil, violence, injustice, war…It’s easy to look around and wonder where God is. Perhaps we’ve been asked by those in our lives who wonder how or why we believe in God, asked the same question King David was asked, “Where is your God?”
And then inside of us, there is depression and anxiety. Doubt and fear. Reacting to the world around us. Depression and anxiety are at extremely high levels in our society - both studies and anecdotal evidence shows that anxiety is setting in at younger and younger ages in our children. Elementary school aged children are having panic attacks. And it makes sense when they practice active shooter drills, being told their lives depend on a locked door and not making any noise. When they see a virus rip through families and communities. When they hear our hateful and divided rhetoric in our country and world. We see the anxiety in our children and in ourselves and we may ask, “My God, why have you forsaken me?”
To say that God is the only desire of our souls is not to dismiss this - it is a life vest in a sea of storms, rest in a busy world, a steady light as the darkness tries to overcome. Even as the Psalmist says he is subsisting, surviving off of tears and looking for God, he is reminding himself of God’s goodness and God’s promise.
“Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.”
“By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me.”
“O send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling.
Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy; and I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God.
Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.”
To say that God is the desire of our souls, among all the strife within and without, is to give us an anchor, a stronghold. It is an invitation to breathe, to center ourselves, and let our breath be a prayer.
To remember that in our baptismal vows in which God claimed us as God’s children, we vowed to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves. That through the gift of the Holy Spirit, our efforts for good and against evil are not futile. With God’s help, we are a force of Good in this world.
And it is also a call to care for ourselves, including seeking mental health care for our anxiety and depression and whatever else ails our hearts, mind, and souls - just as we seek care for our bodies. To love God and neighbor as self includes loving self. God is all our souls long for…and we can have Jesus and a therapist. Amen to that? Amen. Part of finding the wholeness in God that we long for involves holistic care of our lives.
To say that the desire of our souls is God is also an invitation to remember God’s glory and all that God has already done for us - all the ways that God has met and is actively meeting the desires of our souls - as King David remembers how he poured himself out to God with glad shouts and thanksgivings and dancing as the arc was brought into the temple.
To stop and breathe, to acknowledge the longings of our souls before God, is a protection against helplessness. It keeps us from being stuck in a downward spiral of cynicism and hopelessness - one that so many in our world fall into.
So today and every day, let us breathe and let us pray.
Even if our prayers are tears. Even if our prayers are saying to God ‘Why have you forsaken me?”
Or even if your prayers are only your breath because you just can’t bring yourself to talk to God - those are all still prayers heard by God.
God is there in our breath, God is there, meeting the desires of our soul with God’s holy presence, God is there. So let us breathe and say, “As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after you. You alone are my heart’s desire and I long to worship you.”
Breathe in. Breathe out.
In. Out.
In. Out.
Amen.
Friday, June 13, 2025
Call to Worship based on Luke 11:1-13
P: We dare to ask: Be with us, Lord.
L: It will be given unto you.
P: We are seeking for you, Jesus.
L: You will find him.
P: Holy Spirit, we are knocking at your door.
L: We will be let in.
P: For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
L: We come before God today in prayer.
All: Let us worship. Amen.
L: It will be given unto you.
P: We are seeking for you, Jesus.
L: You will find him.
P: Holy Spirit, we are knocking at your door.
L: We will be let in.
P: For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
L: We come before God today in prayer.
All: Let us worship. Amen.
Thursday, June 12, 2025
Call to Worship inspired by Luke 10:38-42
Leader: We come together this morning to sit at the feet of Jesus.
People: We want to be in worship together.
L: We come this morning, ready to rest for all the work that has been done…
P: We’ve been busy being the hands and feet of Christ.
L: We come this morning to focus on the one thing needed.
P: We come to be with God and one another.
L: Let us worship our Holy God.
All: Amen.
People: We want to be in worship together.
L: We come this morning, ready to rest for all the work that has been done…
P: We’ve been busy being the hands and feet of Christ.
L: We come this morning to focus on the one thing needed.
P: We come to be with God and one another.
L: Let us worship our Holy God.
All: Amen.
Call to Worship inspired by Colossians 1:1-14 & Luke 10:25-37
Leader: We gather together this morning to hear the Gospel.
People: We are ready to receive God's Word.
L: Love God. Love neighbor.
P: We've heard this message before!
L: We have heard this message before - the Gospel bears repeating.
P: May we open ourselves up to it anew.
L: May the Gospel touch our hearts and lives.
P: May we bear its fruit.
All: Let us worship, Amen.
Tuesday, June 10, 2025
End of Year/Start of Summer choir blessing
God who reveals Godself in Beauty, Thank you for those who have given us the gift of music this year. Bless them in their singing. Bless them in their rest. Bless all of us as a church body as we enter this summer season. May our voices rise up to the heavens to greet you and may our worship draw us closer to you and closer to one another.
We pray this in the name of our Triune God, Amen.
We pray this in the name of our Triune God, Amen.
Monday, June 9, 2025
"The Church You Can't Control" a sermon on Acts 2:1-21
Acts 2:1-21
“The Church You Can’t Control”
Preached June 8, 2025
It is the day of Pentecost. The day we celebrate the movement of the Spirit, coming as a violent wind and tongues of fire. The day we celebrate the expansion of the Church, the spreading of the Gospel - across barriers of language, nationality, race, gender, and age. The one day a year I get to dawn my red stole, first worn at my Ordination, and our altar is beautifully decked out in red…Although there has been a movement to see Pentecost as a season, not just a day - and to leave the red up a little longer. Let it breathe a little - as the Spirit breathes among us.
It is the day of Pentecost. Last week we celebrated the end of the Easter season, 50 days after his Resurrection, celebrating that we are an Easter people. Forever changed by the Good News that Life wins over Death. Also, a day we did not observe in worship, but fell on May 29th on the liturgical calendar, 40 days after the day of Easter, was the Ascension. Jesus ascended into heaven, marking a time when Jesus was no longer physically with his disciples, no longer present bodily in this world.
So to re-cap: 50 days ago we met in this space and we flowered the cross, we sang Alleluia, and we rejoiced in the resurrection. That joy and Good News has been living with us for 50 days. And then, 10 days ago (liturgically speaking), Jesus ascended into heaven and the Disciples were left staring up at the clouds. We like the disciples, often find ourselves staring up, looking at the clouds, waiting for Jesus to return. But the message of the Ascension is not to look idly up in the clouds but to look around at our world and get to work. The Ascension should fill us with conviction to be the hands and feet of Jesus in this world. As Jesus ascends, he passes off the baton to his disciples, to the Church, to us. It is a recognition that WE, the CHURCH, are now the only body Christ has in this world. Christ has ascended but Christ is still physically present IF we choose to embody his love. The Church is in our hands. The world will only know Christ as we embody him.
Which brings us back once more to today. It is the day of Pentecost.
Jesus rose. Jesus ascended. And now….and now what? The disciples were asking themselves this question on that day of Pentecost following the resurrection and ascension. Now what? For so long Jesus was with them, they had purpose in following him and being his disciples. Then he died and the despair and grief nearly ripped them apart - but Jesus came back! There was joy beyond any joy they had ever known…but now, now he left them again. Now they had a mission…but they didn’t have Jesus with them. How were they going to do this? How were they going to lead? How in the world would things work out for them?
It is the day of Pentecost, and we, along with the disciples, are called to wrestle with what the reality of being the body of Christ, of being the Church, in this World means.
It is the day of Pentecost and the Good News of Pentecost is that God sends us a little help! That God did not abandon us. That God is still with us.
This is such Good News…because can you imagine what The Church, big C Church, the whole body of Christ in this world…can you imagine what The Church would look like if God left it all to us without any help? If human beings were solely in charge of the Church? Personally, I think we would be a whole lot less kind, less diverse, less beautiful, less open - less of all the things that Jesus calls us to be.
Human beings make up the Church but we are not in CHARGE of the church - not even pastors or Bishops or the Pope if you’re Catholic. That designation, for all churches and denominations, belongs to the Spirit. Thank God. But a lot of us have a hard time accepting this, because we like to control things.
Now me? I used to think I was this laidback person, Type B with a come what may attitude… I have no clue why in the world I ever thought that about myself. Every week I make 5 categorized to-do lists. I live by my calendar. I have a color coded family calendar on the fridge. I meal plan for every day of the week. When things don’t go the way I want them to go, I can get very frustrated.
One thing I have had to work hard on as a pastor is not doing everything myself. I can’t do everything myself. I fight against the “If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself” mentality. Because to be clear, that’s not a healthy way to live as an individual or as a pastor or as a church community. No one individual is called to carry the weight of the church on their shoulders…together, we make up the body of Christ, this is a team project, and the One in charge is not any of us.
This desire to control things, to be in charge, to have things in their “right” and “proper” order is not just one I have - it seems to be a pretty prolific human trait and we especially see it in the institutionalized church.
And, well, in a lot of ways, I don’t think this innately a bad desire. God knows that people with good administration skills are often a huge blessing to the Church! Sometimes managing things and taking charge helps things get done - even succeed.
And…here’s the but. When we try and control things, and specifically when we try and control people through laws or rules - when we try and control the Church and the direction she will take based on human measures of successes and proprietary - we limit the possibilities. Because all we have is our own experience, our own biases, our own intended outcomes to influence us. And our Churches begin to look like us - and only us. It begins to only be our way…or the highway. When we try to control the Church, we end up excluding who and what the Spirit wants us to include. Christian author and thinker Anne Lamott famously said that we know we have made God in our image when God hates who we hate. I would add that we know we have had too firm a grasp, trying to control the Church, when we can only imagine it our way, only imagine the Church looking like what we expect it to look like, and when the church excludes those who we exclude.
Let’s put a pin in this for a moment before we return to it.
The other thing that happens when we try and control things is, we get EXHAUSTED. A ministry that is controlled by only one or a few people very tightly may be successful in some measurable way for some time…but for how long? We get burnt out. We get exhausted. We can’t do everything, forever. Think of the daunting task of being the body of Christ in this world. The only body Christ has is you and me. The only way people know who God is, that God cares for them, loves them, and is full of mercy and grace is if we show and tell them – with our words, our actions, our hands, our feet – and even our ears as we listen to the needs of our neighbors.
This is a convicting task. It is an exciting one. It is one that can spur us out into the world in ministry and mission…but for how long can we do it all on our own? It’s a HUGE task. It’s a heavy one. It’s one if we try and do it on our own, if we try to do it all as one person, we will get exhausted, burn out, and fail.
God knows this. God knows our limitations. God knows that when we try and control things – we hold too tight and end up excluding instead of including – and God knows that when we try and do things on our own? We get burnt out. God knows this, and God responds in the best possible way: The sending of the Holy Spirit, coming in a violent wind and tongues of fire. Wind and fire – uncontrollable forces, just like the Spirit herself.
At first this may not seem like the gift we want, when you really consider what the Spirit can do: the Spirit breaks down barriers that we try and put up, barriers that are a construction of our own humanity, not God’s creation.The Spirit will take us places we may have never chosen to go ourselves. The Spirit is this all-consuming, unpredictable source. For people who like things our own way, who like to be in control…we may balk at the uncontrollable gift of the Spirit.
Yet we know that God gives good gifts to God’s children – and the Spirit is a good gift! The Spirit is a part of God just as much as Jesus is a part of God, indistinguishable from the Godhead, as much God as Jesus is God – Jesus ascends, but God loves us so much that God can’t leave us alone. God loves us so much that God comes down to be with us -- again, to fill our lungs with air, to light fires in our hearts, to fill the space between us that separates us and makes us one. This is the work of the Spirit; this is the work of God among us.
God created all of creation, forming us in God’s image with love.
God took on human form in Jesus to live and walk among us, love incarnate.
And then God came in the sending of The Spirit to move, empower, and refreshen us – to fill the Church and to break down barriers so that no one would be excluded from God’s love.
This is the work the Spirit, that uncontrollable force, takes on at Pentecost:
The Spirit allows those from Medes and Elamites and the residents of Mesopotamia, Judea…and all the place I can’t pronounce and that makes a Scripture like this a liturgist’s worst nightmare – but the point is, God allows ALL nations to have the Gospel, the Good News, presented to them in their own language. God meets people where they are. The Spirit breaks down borders of language, nation, and race.
And then as the Scripture continues, Peter says, that sons and daughters will prophecy – The Spirit breaks down barriers of sex and gender.
The young shall see visions and the old shall dream dreams – The Spirit’s message is for all ages.
Even upon slaves will God pour out the Spirit – for what is socioeconomic class to God?
Every single wall that we make as humans: The work of the Spirit is to tear them down. There is no barrier, no distinction, no force that can keep The Spirit from working to bring love to all of God’s children, all of God’s creation.
We hear this! We hear the Pentecost story and we marvel at who God is and what God can do! We celebrate this day with bright colors, red! Bold and audacious. It is also tradition to confirm youth or receive new members of the church on this day. Some churches celebrate this day with cake - calling it the Birthday of the Church. It is a day of celebration! And… if we take the message of Pentecost seriously, it may also scare us.
It is the day of Pentecost - which means we’re not in charge. We can try to exclude and the Spirit will intervene and work toward inviting all into the Church.
We can try and make the Church look the way we want it to look, and the Spirit will intervene and take the Church in the direction the Spirit chooses.
We can try and do it all and get exhausted and burnout or even cynical and bitter…and the Spirit will say, “Church, sweetie, breathe a little bit. Let go. Breathe me in, breathe everything else out. I’ve got this.”
Because that’s what makes The Spirit a really really good gift – we’re not in this alone. We are still the only Body Christ has in this world. We as the Church are still called out into ministry to be the hands and feet of Jesus in the world… AND God doesn’t abandon us in this work. God calls us, equips us, sends us out, strengthens and renews us through The Spirit. Now that is something to celebrate! We are not alone in this.
“The Church You Can’t Control”
Preached June 8, 2025
It is the day of Pentecost. The day we celebrate the movement of the Spirit, coming as a violent wind and tongues of fire. The day we celebrate the expansion of the Church, the spreading of the Gospel - across barriers of language, nationality, race, gender, and age. The one day a year I get to dawn my red stole, first worn at my Ordination, and our altar is beautifully decked out in red…Although there has been a movement to see Pentecost as a season, not just a day - and to leave the red up a little longer. Let it breathe a little - as the Spirit breathes among us.
It is the day of Pentecost. Last week we celebrated the end of the Easter season, 50 days after his Resurrection, celebrating that we are an Easter people. Forever changed by the Good News that Life wins over Death. Also, a day we did not observe in worship, but fell on May 29th on the liturgical calendar, 40 days after the day of Easter, was the Ascension. Jesus ascended into heaven, marking a time when Jesus was no longer physically with his disciples, no longer present bodily in this world.
So to re-cap: 50 days ago we met in this space and we flowered the cross, we sang Alleluia, and we rejoiced in the resurrection. That joy and Good News has been living with us for 50 days. And then, 10 days ago (liturgically speaking), Jesus ascended into heaven and the Disciples were left staring up at the clouds. We like the disciples, often find ourselves staring up, looking at the clouds, waiting for Jesus to return. But the message of the Ascension is not to look idly up in the clouds but to look around at our world and get to work. The Ascension should fill us with conviction to be the hands and feet of Jesus in this world. As Jesus ascends, he passes off the baton to his disciples, to the Church, to us. It is a recognition that WE, the CHURCH, are now the only body Christ has in this world. Christ has ascended but Christ is still physically present IF we choose to embody his love. The Church is in our hands. The world will only know Christ as we embody him.
Which brings us back once more to today. It is the day of Pentecost.
Jesus rose. Jesus ascended. And now….and now what? The disciples were asking themselves this question on that day of Pentecost following the resurrection and ascension. Now what? For so long Jesus was with them, they had purpose in following him and being his disciples. Then he died and the despair and grief nearly ripped them apart - but Jesus came back! There was joy beyond any joy they had ever known…but now, now he left them again. Now they had a mission…but they didn’t have Jesus with them. How were they going to do this? How were they going to lead? How in the world would things work out for them?
It is the day of Pentecost, and we, along with the disciples, are called to wrestle with what the reality of being the body of Christ, of being the Church, in this World means.
It is the day of Pentecost and the Good News of Pentecost is that God sends us a little help! That God did not abandon us. That God is still with us.
This is such Good News…because can you imagine what The Church, big C Church, the whole body of Christ in this world…can you imagine what The Church would look like if God left it all to us without any help? If human beings were solely in charge of the Church? Personally, I think we would be a whole lot less kind, less diverse, less beautiful, less open - less of all the things that Jesus calls us to be.
Human beings make up the Church but we are not in CHARGE of the church - not even pastors or Bishops or the Pope if you’re Catholic. That designation, for all churches and denominations, belongs to the Spirit. Thank God. But a lot of us have a hard time accepting this, because we like to control things.
Now me? I used to think I was this laidback person, Type B with a come what may attitude… I have no clue why in the world I ever thought that about myself. Every week I make 5 categorized to-do lists. I live by my calendar. I have a color coded family calendar on the fridge. I meal plan for every day of the week. When things don’t go the way I want them to go, I can get very frustrated.
One thing I have had to work hard on as a pastor is not doing everything myself. I can’t do everything myself. I fight against the “If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself” mentality. Because to be clear, that’s not a healthy way to live as an individual or as a pastor or as a church community. No one individual is called to carry the weight of the church on their shoulders…together, we make up the body of Christ, this is a team project, and the One in charge is not any of us.
This desire to control things, to be in charge, to have things in their “right” and “proper” order is not just one I have - it seems to be a pretty prolific human trait and we especially see it in the institutionalized church.
And, well, in a lot of ways, I don’t think this innately a bad desire. God knows that people with good administration skills are often a huge blessing to the Church! Sometimes managing things and taking charge helps things get done - even succeed.
And…here’s the but. When we try and control things, and specifically when we try and control people through laws or rules - when we try and control the Church and the direction she will take based on human measures of successes and proprietary - we limit the possibilities. Because all we have is our own experience, our own biases, our own intended outcomes to influence us. And our Churches begin to look like us - and only us. It begins to only be our way…or the highway. When we try to control the Church, we end up excluding who and what the Spirit wants us to include. Christian author and thinker Anne Lamott famously said that we know we have made God in our image when God hates who we hate. I would add that we know we have had too firm a grasp, trying to control the Church, when we can only imagine it our way, only imagine the Church looking like what we expect it to look like, and when the church excludes those who we exclude.
Let’s put a pin in this for a moment before we return to it.
The other thing that happens when we try and control things is, we get EXHAUSTED. A ministry that is controlled by only one or a few people very tightly may be successful in some measurable way for some time…but for how long? We get burnt out. We get exhausted. We can’t do everything, forever. Think of the daunting task of being the body of Christ in this world. The only body Christ has is you and me. The only way people know who God is, that God cares for them, loves them, and is full of mercy and grace is if we show and tell them – with our words, our actions, our hands, our feet – and even our ears as we listen to the needs of our neighbors.
This is a convicting task. It is an exciting one. It is one that can spur us out into the world in ministry and mission…but for how long can we do it all on our own? It’s a HUGE task. It’s a heavy one. It’s one if we try and do it on our own, if we try to do it all as one person, we will get exhausted, burn out, and fail.
God knows this. God knows our limitations. God knows that when we try and control things – we hold too tight and end up excluding instead of including – and God knows that when we try and do things on our own? We get burnt out. God knows this, and God responds in the best possible way: The sending of the Holy Spirit, coming in a violent wind and tongues of fire. Wind and fire – uncontrollable forces, just like the Spirit herself.
At first this may not seem like the gift we want, when you really consider what the Spirit can do: the Spirit breaks down barriers that we try and put up, barriers that are a construction of our own humanity, not God’s creation.The Spirit will take us places we may have never chosen to go ourselves. The Spirit is this all-consuming, unpredictable source. For people who like things our own way, who like to be in control…we may balk at the uncontrollable gift of the Spirit.
Yet we know that God gives good gifts to God’s children – and the Spirit is a good gift! The Spirit is a part of God just as much as Jesus is a part of God, indistinguishable from the Godhead, as much God as Jesus is God – Jesus ascends, but God loves us so much that God can’t leave us alone. God loves us so much that God comes down to be with us -- again, to fill our lungs with air, to light fires in our hearts, to fill the space between us that separates us and makes us one. This is the work of the Spirit; this is the work of God among us.
God created all of creation, forming us in God’s image with love.
God took on human form in Jesus to live and walk among us, love incarnate.
And then God came in the sending of The Spirit to move, empower, and refreshen us – to fill the Church and to break down barriers so that no one would be excluded from God’s love.
This is the work the Spirit, that uncontrollable force, takes on at Pentecost:
The Spirit allows those from Medes and Elamites and the residents of Mesopotamia, Judea…and all the place I can’t pronounce and that makes a Scripture like this a liturgist’s worst nightmare – but the point is, God allows ALL nations to have the Gospel, the Good News, presented to them in their own language. God meets people where they are. The Spirit breaks down borders of language, nation, and race.
And then as the Scripture continues, Peter says, that sons and daughters will prophecy – The Spirit breaks down barriers of sex and gender.
The young shall see visions and the old shall dream dreams – The Spirit’s message is for all ages.
Even upon slaves will God pour out the Spirit – for what is socioeconomic class to God?
Every single wall that we make as humans: The work of the Spirit is to tear them down. There is no barrier, no distinction, no force that can keep The Spirit from working to bring love to all of God’s children, all of God’s creation.
We hear this! We hear the Pentecost story and we marvel at who God is and what God can do! We celebrate this day with bright colors, red! Bold and audacious. It is also tradition to confirm youth or receive new members of the church on this day. Some churches celebrate this day with cake - calling it the Birthday of the Church. It is a day of celebration! And… if we take the message of Pentecost seriously, it may also scare us.
It is the day of Pentecost - which means we’re not in charge. We can try to exclude and the Spirit will intervene and work toward inviting all into the Church.
We can try and make the Church look the way we want it to look, and the Spirit will intervene and take the Church in the direction the Spirit chooses.
We can try and do it all and get exhausted and burnout or even cynical and bitter…and the Spirit will say, “Church, sweetie, breathe a little bit. Let go. Breathe me in, breathe everything else out. I’ve got this.”
Because that’s what makes The Spirit a really really good gift – we’re not in this alone. We are still the only Body Christ has in this world. We as the Church are still called out into ministry to be the hands and feet of Jesus in the world… AND God doesn’t abandon us in this work. God calls us, equips us, sends us out, strengthens and renews us through The Spirit. Now that is something to celebrate! We are not alone in this.
As pastor of this church - I know the Spirit is at work in this place and through you as a congregation. And I know only a fraction of the work this Spirit is doing through and among us. How is the Spirit moving among you? Where is the Spirit trying to lead you? Where is the Spirit trying to lead us, where will the Spirit take us if we just loosen our grip a little and let God be in charge, calling us and sending us out into ministry?
We always have one foot in the church of the past and one in the church of the future. I love the Church – with a big C and with a little c – I love this church – and I also know that where the Church will go in the future is an unknown. I know that by the time I retire from ministry, the Church as a whole will look very different. And in future generations, the Church will continue to take on a different shape and form. Sometimes when I think about this – it freaks me out! It causes me anxiety. I want certainty. I want what I know. I like a ten year plan more than most.
But then I try and remember to breathe deeply. Because the Spirit is moving. Can you feel it? 2,000 years ago with a sound like a violent wind and today – God is not done breaking down barriers. God is not done spreading a message of love. God is not done raising up new leaders. God is not done with the Church. God is creating something new this Pentecost, and we, The Church, the Body of Christ, are invited to be a part of that.
It is the day of Pentecost. Some 2000 years after that day when the Spirit was first given to us…and The Spirit is still at work. The Spirit is still leading, to work every day to embody the love of Jesus in this world. It’s terrifying because I can’t control it – and it’s also exhilarating because I know the Spirit has plans for me, for you, for us, for the Church.
And so Church, this Pentecost I ask, will you join me in this uncontrollable, Spirit led journey of being the Church, of being the body of Christ in this world?
May it be so. Amen.
We always have one foot in the church of the past and one in the church of the future. I love the Church – with a big C and with a little c – I love this church – and I also know that where the Church will go in the future is an unknown. I know that by the time I retire from ministry, the Church as a whole will look very different. And in future generations, the Church will continue to take on a different shape and form. Sometimes when I think about this – it freaks me out! It causes me anxiety. I want certainty. I want what I know. I like a ten year plan more than most.
But then I try and remember to breathe deeply. Because the Spirit is moving. Can you feel it? 2,000 years ago with a sound like a violent wind and today – God is not done breaking down barriers. God is not done spreading a message of love. God is not done raising up new leaders. God is not done with the Church. God is creating something new this Pentecost, and we, The Church, the Body of Christ, are invited to be a part of that.
It is the day of Pentecost. Some 2000 years after that day when the Spirit was first given to us…and The Spirit is still at work. The Spirit is still leading, to work every day to embody the love of Jesus in this world. It’s terrifying because I can’t control it – and it’s also exhilarating because I know the Spirit has plans for me, for you, for us, for the Church.
And so Church, this Pentecost I ask, will you join me in this uncontrollable, Spirit led journey of being the Church, of being the body of Christ in this world?
May it be so. Amen.
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