Luke 15:11-16
Matthew 4:8-10
“Enough: Simplicity & Financial Wisdom”
Preached Sunday, September 28, 2025
Today begins a three-week sermon series called, “Enough: Discovering Joy Through Simplicity and Generosity.” And I’d like to set the scene for this sermon series… As of June 2025, SSRS reports that 74% Americans are worried about the economy and 58% believe we are headed towards a recession. As of May 2024, PEw reports that only 4 in 10 Americans think they are in a good or excellent financial position.
We may hear the evening news or read the headlines and ask: How can we talk about “Enough” at a time like this? I would say that in uncertain times like these, these topics of conversation are more important than ever.
This sermon and worship series is not going to ignore that there are systemic issues that affect our cost of living, income, and overall well-being. By just our location in this country and in the global economy, we are put into a system that is beyond our control, and often has us in over our heads…and many of us are truly doing our best with the hand that was dealt to us.
And, it is at times like this, when the system is stacked against us - to consider what personal choices we can make and what voices we should be listening to - to cultivate contentment, joy, and generosity - in a world where the odds stacked against us.
We might need to acknowledge that the American Dream, for many, has become the American Nightmare.
By the American Dream I am not referring to the founding father’s dream of the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I am not referring to the inscription on the Statue of Liberty, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free…” I am not referring to Martin Luther King Jr’s dream of equality shared in his famous, “I have a dream…” speech. These are all “American dreams…” but when people talk about “THE American Dream” - it is usually in reference to suburban houses, white picket fences, and achieving a personal level of success where life is more than comfortable - where we have everything we need and more.
Alexis de Tocqueville, wrote in the 19th Century about Americans: “[they] are extremely eager in the pursuit of actual and physical gratification. As they are always dissatisfied with the position which they occupy…they think of nothing but the means of changing their fortune, or of increasing it…” While this was written almost 200 years ago, it could be said of us today.
Indeed this ideal of the American Dream and the pursuit of wealth in happiness brings us to the temptation of Jesus that we heard in the Gospel of Matthew today: “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and he said to him, “All these I will give you…’”
Every single day, multiple times a day, we are tempted to try and achieve all the kingdoms of the world and their glory…We are tempted by the American Dream of success being tied up with what we earn, what we spend, what we have.
Consider how many ads we see in a day. This week in response to getting a text message ad my one friend said, “I am tired of always trying to be sold something.” I get a bunch of text message ads so it made me wonder…how many ads do I see in a day? As I am writing this sermon I have several tabs open on my computer - social media, Google, the Bible gateway…my phone is sitting next to me. I decided to spend ten minutes looking at my open internet tabs and phone and counting every advertisement I saw. Friends, after three minutes, I was at 50 advertisements. I was so weary, I could not go 7 more minutes…I regularly look at my phone and computer much longer than this…but I have never stopped and counted the ads before. And here’s the really sad thing, I took a typical day of phone use and saw that I was on social media for about an hour and a half abd on Google for a half hour…so just on my phone usage alone that would even out to maybe…1500 ads a day. That is not even counting “Influencers” - people whose whole job it is to create posts on social media to sell your products or ideologies in ways that don’t look like ads. In addition, the day before writing this sermon I got half a dozen ads via text, and 50 promotional emails. Now, before you say, “I’m not on social media” - consider the ads you see on TV, the product placements, billboards, radio commercials, and more… Google will tell you that we see or hear anywhere from 4,000 to 10,000 ads a day.
This is part of what makes the American Dream, the American Nightmare. We are constantly being sold something. But behind each advertisement we see is the voice telling us: if we just bought this product, if we just signed up for this service…we could finally be happy. We could finally have enough. We could have finally made it…but of course, that’s not how any of this works. The promise of more never stops. We spend beyond our means, hoping this next purchase will finally be the one…it never is. As a society, we have so much stuff, too much stuff, that we can’t even store it all in our homes. In 2025, there is 2.3 billion square feet of self-storage space in America. In Boardman, we see how many self-storage facilities there are in our area alone. This drive for more is called “Affluenza” - and it is being facilitated by another illness - credit-itis. As of mid-2025, total U.S. credit card debt is around $1.21 trillion. I literally gasped when I first read this number.
We become wasteful in our pursuit of happiness. In pursuit of “enough.”
Which brings us to the second Scripture we read today, “The prodigal son.” We often think that “prodigal” means one who wanders…but Prodigal means “wasteful” - a son who thought he could finally be happy, go and have fun - and maybe we did for a time, but before long, his wastefulness left him lost, alone, and hungry…
There are more statistics I could share…These illnesses of affluenza and credititis - along with the systemic issues of inflation and a growing class gap - have left us wrung out, in dire straits, and unhappy in body and spirit. We may have to admit that not only is our system broken, but the sin inside of us, which distorts our desires, leaves us broken on the inside as well. We talk about the seven deadly sins and at least three of them are related to money and possession - envy (wanting what another has), greed (an intense desire for more), and gluttony (the desire to keep on consuming). We are valuing wealth, material goods, the pursuit of external happiness…over what Christ has to offer: gratitude, thanksgiving, contentment, joy - and yes, even generosity - for generosity can happen in any financial situation - what Christ offers us is simply “enough.”
When the devil offers Jesus the riches and Kingdoms of this world…the same offer is being made to us every day. And when we say yes, it enslaves us to sin. It puts a chokehold on us that cuts the Good News and the freedom of the Gospel out of our lives. This is what Jesus meant by the parable of the sower when he said some seeds fell among the thorns and weeds. Jesus says, “As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.”
So…what’s the solution?
It’s 2-Fold, practical and spiritual.
For the practical - look at what is within your control.
Plan for generosity first. Put God first in your budget and planning.
1. Create a budget - a plan for both where you need and want your resources to go.
2. Simplify your life. Look for ways to live below your means.
3. Work towards establishing an emergency fund to help cut down on credititis.
4. Look closely at the ways you use credit cards - create a plan to pay off debt.
5. Find ways to save for the future.
On the practical end, for myself, this week was a wake up call to how much I am the target of the constant bombardment for more. I am going to be installing ad blockers, setting screen time limits on my phone (again), and work on having intentional phone free Sabbath time. I am tired of being seen only as a consumer. I want to be seen as a child of God. This ties the practical to the spiritual. The world we live in will often reduce my worth to what I earn, what I consume, and thus how much I drive the economy. This has a negative effect on my soul. I was not made by God to just be a maker and spender of money. United Methodist pastor, Adam Hamilton writes, “We were created to care for God’s creation. We were created to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves. We were created to care for our families and those in need. We were created to glorify God, to seek justice, and to do mercy….if this is our life purpose, then our money and possessions should be devoted to helping us fulfill this calling. We are to use our resources to help care for our families and others - to serve Christ and the world through the church, missions, and every day opportunities.” This understanding bridges the practical and the spiritual.
And, of course, the spiritual solution:
1. Admit to God that we all need help. That we have placed the pursuit of happiness in material gain over love of God and love of neighbor.
2. Seek God first. Seek God’s Kingdom and strive to do God’s will.
3. God’s will for us is to glorify God, seek justice, and do mercy. Look hard at your whole life as to how you are using all that you are and all that you have to achieve this.
4. And perhaps, most radically, start praying to God for contentment. Acknowledge that all that you already have - may be more than “Enough.” Indeed, if we only had Christ - it would be enough.
May it be so. Amen.
Monday, September 29, 2025
Wednesday, September 17, 2025
Call to Worship - Stewardship
Leader: We come to worship this morning, seeking to be more like Christ.
People: We want to be fashioned after Jesus.
L: Jesus was called beloved in his Baptism.
P: We too are beloved by God.
L: Jesus was forgiving and merciful.
P: We too seek to forgive as we have been forgiven.
L: Jesus was generous, sharing bread with the poor.
P: We too seek to be defined by generosity.
L: In all Jesus did - he pointed to God the Father.
P: May all of our lives and actions point back to our God.
All: May we be more like Christ. Amen.
People: We want to be fashioned after Jesus.
L: Jesus was called beloved in his Baptism.
P: We too are beloved by God.
L: Jesus was forgiving and merciful.
P: We too seek to forgive as we have been forgiven.
L: Jesus was generous, sharing bread with the poor.
P: We too seek to be defined by generosity.
L: In all Jesus did - he pointed to God the Father.
P: May all of our lives and actions point back to our God.
All: May we be more like Christ. Amen.
Call to Worship inspired by Psalm 63
Leader: We come to worship this morning, longing for contentment.
People: Our souls seek satisfaction in the Lord.
L: And so together, we will echo the words of the Psalmist:
P: “O God, you are my God; I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
L: …My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast,
and my mouth praises you with joyful lips
P: …for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.
L: My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.”
All: May we find contentment and satisfaction in our God. Amen.
People: Our souls seek satisfaction in the Lord.
L: And so together, we will echo the words of the Psalmist:
P: “O God, you are my God; I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
L: …My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast,
and my mouth praises you with joyful lips
P: …for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.
L: My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.”
All: May we find contentment and satisfaction in our God. Amen.
Call to Worship - Stewardship
Leader: We come to worship today seeking wisdom.
People: What does our Scripture say?
L: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.” (1 Timothy 6:10)
P: We come to worship today, seeking wisdom. What does our Scripture say?
L: “As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.” (Luke 8:14)
P: We come to worship today - longing for wisdom to guide us on a path of simplicity and joy. What does our Scripture say?
L: “Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life?’” (Matthew 16:24-26a)
P: These teachings aren’t easy! Yet we know they are wise and true.
L: Our God calls us to a better way of life - a way of self-denial, yes - and also a way of simplicity, contentment, generosity, and joy.
All: May we worship our God who guides us all with holy wisdom. Amen.
People: What does our Scripture say?
L: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.” (1 Timothy 6:10)
P: We come to worship today, seeking wisdom. What does our Scripture say?
L: “As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.” (Luke 8:14)
P: We come to worship today - longing for wisdom to guide us on a path of simplicity and joy. What does our Scripture say?
L: “Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life?’” (Matthew 16:24-26a)
P: These teachings aren’t easy! Yet we know they are wise and true.
L: Our God calls us to a better way of life - a way of self-denial, yes - and also a way of simplicity, contentment, generosity, and joy.
All: May we worship our God who guides us all with holy wisdom. Amen.
“Which One of You…?” a sermon on Luke 15:1-10
Luke 15:1-10
“Which One of You…?”
Preached Sunday, September 14, 2025
Which one of you, when you lost a 25 dollar coffee gift card that you got for your birthday, and you’re worried it got thrown out with the birthday cards, would not carefully comb through the trash and recycling bins until it was found? And once it was found, who among you would not buy drinks for everyone who came into the coffee shop that morning to celebrate together?
Which one of you, when your child lost their school binder, would not, together with them, search the whole house for it, looking under the bed, and in the laundry piles, and sort through all the papers on the kitchen table and when you finally find it, would not throw a party to celebrate for their whole grade?
Which one of you, say you owned a small book shop that had 2000 books in it, if you lost one box of paperbacks, would not conduct a thorough search of every nook and cranny of the store until you found them, and then throw a block party with a sale to celebrate?
The answer to this is…uh…probably none of you!
I’d be sad to lose a 25 dollar coffee gift card. God knows I spend too much on Starbucks and at some local coffee places, but to buy coffee for everyone who came in that morning to celebrate? It’s a nice gesture - sure, and my last church did that as an outreach opportunity at a local coffee shop but it was planned generosity. To do it to celebrate finding 25 dollars? I’d be spending a lot more than I found.
A school binder may be important but it can be replaced. Teachers can be talked to. Work can be made up or minor consequences faced. A parent and a child may still deem it important enough to search the whole house for it…but when it’s found? A party for the whole grade? Heck, even a party for the whole class would still be over the top and much more costly and much more work than replacing a binder.
And the last one, well, to my knowledge none of us here today are the owners of a small book shop. As someone who owns a lot of books, if you are, please see me. I want to go and buy more books from you. But I thought it was important to give an example with someone’s livelihood. So if you were to imagine you owned a small bookshop…surely the loss of one small box of merchandise would not outweigh the cost of a party and a sale!
With these modern day examples in mind, let’s hear Jesus’s words anew:
“Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep.’”
“Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’”
A person who has 99 sheep is a person of modest means. To put 99 at risk by leaving them to go search for one…well, it is doubtful that many shepherds would do that. And beyond that, by throwing a party once the sheep is found, the cost of the party would have outweighed the cost of a lost sheep.
And a woman with ten coins, she lights a lamp - not as easy as flicking on a light switch - using up the resource of oil - to give a diligent search for the one lost coin. 10 coins, or drachmas, would have been equivalent to ten days wages. She is searching for the equivalent of one day’s labor. She finds it! She then throws a celebration - of which the cost of hosting and feeding her neighbors and friends, would have cost much more than the one coin lost and found.
When Jesus says, “which one of you” or “what woman…” to the crowd - he is not expecting anyone to actually say, “Me! Me! I would do that!” Quite the opposite. They would look at each other and think, “Are you crazy, Jesus?” That’s over the top, extravagant, wasteful… But Jesus is saying, in essence - “None of you may be this kind of person. But I am.”
And that, honestly…probably doesn’t help Jesus’s reputation! In Luke 7 Jesus is called a “drunkard and a glutton” - he’s always at a party. The Gospel of Luke has at least five accounts where he’s at different dinner parties and he uses the examples of parties not just in this parable but in others as well - he even calls heaven a big lavish wedding banquet. What can I say - Jesus went where the people who needed his message were - and that was often at a party. Our God in Jesus is revealed to be a joyful God who knows how to have fun. I am actually going to re-iterate that because we so often lose this image of Jesus: Our God in Jesus is revealed to be a joyful God who knows how to have fun!
And in the telling of this parable, Jesus is inviting those who are throwing accusations at him, to move from grumbling to joy.
Our Gospel lesson started this morning with setting the context and the audience of this parable: “Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, ‘This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.’” And so Jesus told them the stories of the lost sheep, the lost coin…and actually the lost son as well, although our Scripture reading this morning didn’t continue on.
They were grumbling…because Jesus was including those they excluded. Tax collectors were generally reviled and, of course, “sinners” is a blanket term here but not applied to the “good upstanding community” that the Pharisees and the scribes saw themselves as part of.
Jesus in turn tells them what kind of man he is - and what kind of God is revealed in him:
God revealed in Jesus tells us that God is joyful and looks for every and any chance to celebrate.
God revealed in Jesus tells us that God welcomes all - and even especially - those on the outskirts of society.
God revealed in Jesus tells us that God is the Good Shepherd who cares for each and everyone of his sheep - including and especially the wayward ones.
God revealed in Jesus tells us that God is persistent and diligent in caring for and searching for each and every one of us.
God revealed in Jesus tells us that God gives no heed to the cost of lavishing love and joy on each of us.
God revealed in Jesus tells us that God who finds the lost and celebrates without restraint.
God revealed in Jesus tells us that God is inviting us to move from grumbling to joy. From being concerned with “the right kind of people” to welcoming and including all.
Friends, I know my job as a preacher is to preach the Good News to you - to proclaim the Gospel. But this morning I have a bit of bad news for you…did you know that church people, “the right kind of people”, us here today…do you know that we have a reputation for being grumblers? It’s easy for us to think we would be at the party with Jesus, or with the choirs of angels erupting at the Good News of the lost sinner being found…but if we’re being honest, a good number of us would be grumbling with the scribes and the Pharisees.
We grumble…that that one ministry team is spending money on x, y, or z.
We grumble…that the pastor is spending too much time on that ministry area and not this ministry area.
We grumble…the church is starting to welcome those kinds of people (maybe like tax collectors and sinners..)
We grumble…that things aren’t like they were several decades ago.
We grumble… because we’d rather the church would look more like the church of yesterday than the church of today or the church of the future.
We grumble, we nitpick, we complain. It’s very common in churches - because it’s contagious too. One dose of negativity and complaining can spread like wildfire. The Good News is - Jesus invites us to move from grumbling to joy. And joy is more contagious than grumbling. Joy is also more inviting than grumbling. Grumbling gives the church a bad name - who wants to be part of a community that is filled with negativity? But the Good News - that our God is a God who celebrates you without restraint, who searches for you regardless of cost, who rejoices in you being present in Christian community with one another, who welcomes you - and goes out of the way to be welcoming to you? That is Good News that people need to hear. And it is the Good News we are working together to proclaim as a Christian community!
Jesus is inviting the scribes and the Pharisees and us here today…to look more like Jesus. To move from grumbling to joy. To be more vile in our embrace of all people.
Some history to explain what I mean by “be more vile.”
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, started as an upstanding and well-regarded clergy person. He was a fellow at Oxford. He was a proper Anglican clergyman. And then…he found that his message of adherence to his faith, to preach to those marginalized by society, to care for the last lost and the least, and to spread this message to as many people as possible - even outside the church doors…he found this started to affect his reputation. People started to grumble. And John had to decide - do things the “proper” and “right” way - or become more vile - more base - more common - for the Good News of the Gospel.
When John Wesley made a decision to preach outdoors - again, doesn't sound that radical to us but was considered paramount to a sin, paramount to eating and drinking with tax collectors, he wrote in his journal - "At four in the afternoon, I submitted to be more vile and proclaimed in the highways the glad tidings of salvation..."
Here is an example of the grumblings that were happening as Wesley sided with those that were considered sinners and outcasts by society - and in one particular case, was supporting a man who was accused of and imprisoned for homesexuality. This complaint about Wesley was printed in the newspaper:
“Wesley and his Oxford friends’ eccentricities might…be tolerated - their excessive religious observance, their closed group intensity, their self-denial and strict code of living reminiscent of some of the wayward Puritan sects of the previous century. Even their lowering themselves to undertake good works in the prisons and workhouse was not beyond the pale. But it seems that when they took up the advocacy of a man accused of homosexual crimes they crossed the boundary between the bizarre but tolerable to the reprehensible.” (Reference: Wesleyan Vile-Tality by Ashley Boggan)
Can you hear the grumbling?
I’d like to take a moment and take the grumbling and change it to joy…
Wesley and the group that formed the first Methodists…they took living out their faith seriously! They prayed and studied the Bible and took Communion regularly with one another! And they humbled themselves to be in solidarity and serve with the last, the lost, and the least - those in prisons and workhouses and even those mistreated and abused for who they are. They used their voices to give voice to the voiceless and they did this all while proclaiming the Good news of Jesus Christ! They took to the streets - standing on the corners and preaching to large crowds - Jesus welcomes you! Jesus rejoices over you when you turn to him! They made themselves more vile for the sake of the Gospel and all of heaven threw a celebration!!
Oh that such things would be said about us here at Boardman United Methodist Church. May we be more vile in sharing the Good News. May we lower ourselves to what was previously unthinkable to welcome all who need the Gospel. May be filled with the joy and celebration that modeling Christ’s radical embrace brings.
Which one of you would…? May we all.
Amen.
“Which One of You…?”
Preached Sunday, September 14, 2025
Which one of you, when you lost a 25 dollar coffee gift card that you got for your birthday, and you’re worried it got thrown out with the birthday cards, would not carefully comb through the trash and recycling bins until it was found? And once it was found, who among you would not buy drinks for everyone who came into the coffee shop that morning to celebrate together?
Which one of you, when your child lost their school binder, would not, together with them, search the whole house for it, looking under the bed, and in the laundry piles, and sort through all the papers on the kitchen table and when you finally find it, would not throw a party to celebrate for their whole grade?
Which one of you, say you owned a small book shop that had 2000 books in it, if you lost one box of paperbacks, would not conduct a thorough search of every nook and cranny of the store until you found them, and then throw a block party with a sale to celebrate?
The answer to this is…uh…probably none of you!
I’d be sad to lose a 25 dollar coffee gift card. God knows I spend too much on Starbucks and at some local coffee places, but to buy coffee for everyone who came in that morning to celebrate? It’s a nice gesture - sure, and my last church did that as an outreach opportunity at a local coffee shop but it was planned generosity. To do it to celebrate finding 25 dollars? I’d be spending a lot more than I found.
A school binder may be important but it can be replaced. Teachers can be talked to. Work can be made up or minor consequences faced. A parent and a child may still deem it important enough to search the whole house for it…but when it’s found? A party for the whole grade? Heck, even a party for the whole class would still be over the top and much more costly and much more work than replacing a binder.
And the last one, well, to my knowledge none of us here today are the owners of a small book shop. As someone who owns a lot of books, if you are, please see me. I want to go and buy more books from you. But I thought it was important to give an example with someone’s livelihood. So if you were to imagine you owned a small bookshop…surely the loss of one small box of merchandise would not outweigh the cost of a party and a sale!
With these modern day examples in mind, let’s hear Jesus’s words anew:
“Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep.’”
“Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’”
A person who has 99 sheep is a person of modest means. To put 99 at risk by leaving them to go search for one…well, it is doubtful that many shepherds would do that. And beyond that, by throwing a party once the sheep is found, the cost of the party would have outweighed the cost of a lost sheep.
And a woman with ten coins, she lights a lamp - not as easy as flicking on a light switch - using up the resource of oil - to give a diligent search for the one lost coin. 10 coins, or drachmas, would have been equivalent to ten days wages. She is searching for the equivalent of one day’s labor. She finds it! She then throws a celebration - of which the cost of hosting and feeding her neighbors and friends, would have cost much more than the one coin lost and found.
When Jesus says, “which one of you” or “what woman…” to the crowd - he is not expecting anyone to actually say, “Me! Me! I would do that!” Quite the opposite. They would look at each other and think, “Are you crazy, Jesus?” That’s over the top, extravagant, wasteful… But Jesus is saying, in essence - “None of you may be this kind of person. But I am.”
And that, honestly…probably doesn’t help Jesus’s reputation! In Luke 7 Jesus is called a “drunkard and a glutton” - he’s always at a party. The Gospel of Luke has at least five accounts where he’s at different dinner parties and he uses the examples of parties not just in this parable but in others as well - he even calls heaven a big lavish wedding banquet. What can I say - Jesus went where the people who needed his message were - and that was often at a party. Our God in Jesus is revealed to be a joyful God who knows how to have fun. I am actually going to re-iterate that because we so often lose this image of Jesus: Our God in Jesus is revealed to be a joyful God who knows how to have fun!
And in the telling of this parable, Jesus is inviting those who are throwing accusations at him, to move from grumbling to joy.
Our Gospel lesson started this morning with setting the context and the audience of this parable: “Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, ‘This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.’” And so Jesus told them the stories of the lost sheep, the lost coin…and actually the lost son as well, although our Scripture reading this morning didn’t continue on.
They were grumbling…because Jesus was including those they excluded. Tax collectors were generally reviled and, of course, “sinners” is a blanket term here but not applied to the “good upstanding community” that the Pharisees and the scribes saw themselves as part of.
Jesus in turn tells them what kind of man he is - and what kind of God is revealed in him:
God revealed in Jesus tells us that God is joyful and looks for every and any chance to celebrate.
God revealed in Jesus tells us that God welcomes all - and even especially - those on the outskirts of society.
God revealed in Jesus tells us that God is the Good Shepherd who cares for each and everyone of his sheep - including and especially the wayward ones.
God revealed in Jesus tells us that God is persistent and diligent in caring for and searching for each and every one of us.
God revealed in Jesus tells us that God gives no heed to the cost of lavishing love and joy on each of us.
God revealed in Jesus tells us that God who finds the lost and celebrates without restraint.
God revealed in Jesus tells us that God is inviting us to move from grumbling to joy. From being concerned with “the right kind of people” to welcoming and including all.
Friends, I know my job as a preacher is to preach the Good News to you - to proclaim the Gospel. But this morning I have a bit of bad news for you…did you know that church people, “the right kind of people”, us here today…do you know that we have a reputation for being grumblers? It’s easy for us to think we would be at the party with Jesus, or with the choirs of angels erupting at the Good News of the lost sinner being found…but if we’re being honest, a good number of us would be grumbling with the scribes and the Pharisees.
We grumble…that that one ministry team is spending money on x, y, or z.
We grumble…that the pastor is spending too much time on that ministry area and not this ministry area.
We grumble…the church is starting to welcome those kinds of people (maybe like tax collectors and sinners..)
We grumble…that things aren’t like they were several decades ago.
We grumble… because we’d rather the church would look more like the church of yesterday than the church of today or the church of the future.
We grumble, we nitpick, we complain. It’s very common in churches - because it’s contagious too. One dose of negativity and complaining can spread like wildfire. The Good News is - Jesus invites us to move from grumbling to joy. And joy is more contagious than grumbling. Joy is also more inviting than grumbling. Grumbling gives the church a bad name - who wants to be part of a community that is filled with negativity? But the Good News - that our God is a God who celebrates you without restraint, who searches for you regardless of cost, who rejoices in you being present in Christian community with one another, who welcomes you - and goes out of the way to be welcoming to you? That is Good News that people need to hear. And it is the Good News we are working together to proclaim as a Christian community!
Jesus is inviting the scribes and the Pharisees and us here today…to look more like Jesus. To move from grumbling to joy. To be more vile in our embrace of all people.
Some history to explain what I mean by “be more vile.”
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, started as an upstanding and well-regarded clergy person. He was a fellow at Oxford. He was a proper Anglican clergyman. And then…he found that his message of adherence to his faith, to preach to those marginalized by society, to care for the last lost and the least, and to spread this message to as many people as possible - even outside the church doors…he found this started to affect his reputation. People started to grumble. And John had to decide - do things the “proper” and “right” way - or become more vile - more base - more common - for the Good News of the Gospel.
When John Wesley made a decision to preach outdoors - again, doesn't sound that radical to us but was considered paramount to a sin, paramount to eating and drinking with tax collectors, he wrote in his journal - "At four in the afternoon, I submitted to be more vile and proclaimed in the highways the glad tidings of salvation..."
Here is an example of the grumblings that were happening as Wesley sided with those that were considered sinners and outcasts by society - and in one particular case, was supporting a man who was accused of and imprisoned for homesexuality. This complaint about Wesley was printed in the newspaper:
“Wesley and his Oxford friends’ eccentricities might…be tolerated - their excessive religious observance, their closed group intensity, their self-denial and strict code of living reminiscent of some of the wayward Puritan sects of the previous century. Even their lowering themselves to undertake good works in the prisons and workhouse was not beyond the pale. But it seems that when they took up the advocacy of a man accused of homosexual crimes they crossed the boundary between the bizarre but tolerable to the reprehensible.” (Reference: Wesleyan Vile-Tality by Ashley Boggan)
Can you hear the grumbling?
I’d like to take a moment and take the grumbling and change it to joy…
Wesley and the group that formed the first Methodists…they took living out their faith seriously! They prayed and studied the Bible and took Communion regularly with one another! And they humbled themselves to be in solidarity and serve with the last, the lost, and the least - those in prisons and workhouses and even those mistreated and abused for who they are. They used their voices to give voice to the voiceless and they did this all while proclaiming the Good news of Jesus Christ! They took to the streets - standing on the corners and preaching to large crowds - Jesus welcomes you! Jesus rejoices over you when you turn to him! They made themselves more vile for the sake of the Gospel and all of heaven threw a celebration!!
Oh that such things would be said about us here at Boardman United Methodist Church. May we be more vile in sharing the Good News. May we lower ourselves to what was previously unthinkable to welcome all who need the Gospel. May be filled with the joy and celebration that modeling Christ’s radical embrace brings.
Which one of you would…? May we all.
Amen.
Tuesday, September 9, 2025
Call to Worship Inspired by Luke 16:1-13
Leader: We come to worship this morning: forgiven, loved, and freed.
People: May we forgive others.
L: We come to worship this morning: forgiven, loved, and freed.
P: May we love others.
L: We come to worship this morning: forgiven, loved, and freed.
P: May we offer freedom to others.
L: We come to worship this morning: forgiven, loved, and freed.
P: May we worship our God who offers us forgiveness, love, and freedom.
All: Amen.
People: May we forgive others.
L: We come to worship this morning: forgiven, loved, and freed.
P: May we love others.
L: We come to worship this morning: forgiven, loved, and freed.
P: May we offer freedom to others.
L: We come to worship this morning: forgiven, loved, and freed.
P: May we worship our God who offers us forgiveness, love, and freedom.
All: Amen.
Monday, September 8, 2025
“Hospitality & Welcoming Children” a sermon on Luke 18:15-17
Luke 18:15-17
“Hospitality & Welcoming Children”
Preached Sunday, September 7, 2025
Wow. What a morning.
We’ve blessed bookbags. We’ve prayed for students, preschoolers, teachers, Sunday school volunteers, and more. We’ve heard about how we can support our local schools - and collected the Noisy Bucket for one specific school. We’ve given out Bibles to third graders - and committed to continue to walk alongside them in faith. We’ve blessed the Pray-Ground, the Family Seating Area, which sends a strong message of welcome to families & children. If you haven’t read this month’s newsletter, I’d invite you to do so as there is an article answering some Frequently Asked Questions about this new area. After church we will invite everyone to go down to the children’s Sunday School Area & Childcare areas and bless those areas. As of today, we have Youth Discipleship Bags for Youth - 6th grade and up - who wish to remain in worship. They and their families have the option to consider what is best for them and their journey with Christ at this age - to go to Children’s Sunday School or join the wider worshipping community on Sunday mornings. We are also continuing to work on our Youth Room and will have a time to bless and celebrate that space once it’s completed - and our new Youth Group launches next week! Not to mention or 5th Sunday Family Gatherings which is still a new ministry and our new Young Adult Group which is having their second meeting ever next week…And there are have been people working so hard to line all this up and make all this happen - and they will be people being faithful in following through and supporting these ministries and all in them. Today in worship is just the tip of the iceberg of how this church is faithfully working to welcome children, youth, families, and young people. And ALL people - regardless of age.
So again - let me say - wow. What a morning.
I could not be more proud of the way we are moving and working together for hospitality and Christian welcome in this church. Actually - can we pause here, before we go any further - it’s a little self-congratulatory, but I really am so so so proud of us, how far we’ve come together and the dreams and goals we have that will take us even farther. Can you please give yourselves a round of applause? You all deserve it for your faithfulness in ministry together.
And so, this morning I want to talk about the Gospel message and Jesus’s statement: “Let the children come to me, and do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.”
Let’s start with that last sentence. Receiving the Kingdom of God as a little child is often misconstrued as believing in Jesus, having faith in God, buying into our whole faith…without asking any questions. And to those preachers and interpreters who have espoused this, to them I want to ask, “have you ever met a little child?” Children are FULL of questions. And questions about God too. Even as a pastor I often get thrown off by all the questions I am asked and how to answer them.
Examples of rapid fire questions I’ve received: “Did God make the world? How long did it take for God to make the world? Did God make cities? Did God make dinosaurs? Why did the dinosaurs die? Did God make bad people? Did God teach us about bad people? Why are there bad people? Can I have a snack?”
And I’ve barely started answering…and the questions just keep coming.
No, receiving the Kingdom of God as a little child is not about asking questions or not… I think it’s about moving forward, entering into the Kingdom of God - that is, getting to know God and the world that God desires for us - with excitement, curiosity, and openness. When I think of little children - and what I experience here with BUMP kids - is certainly this - excitement to know God - and an openness to being loved. By God, by adults in their lives who love God, and even by one another.
Now, in his statement, Jesus says that whoever does not RECEIVE the Kingdom of God as a little child cannot enter it. In order to receive means that someone has to give. The gift ultimately comes from God but the responsibility to pass on that gift falls on our shoulders. Deuteronomy 6 tells us: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise.”
In order for little ones to receive the gift of the Kingdom of God - we have to be the ones extending the invitation. In order for little ones to enter into the Kingdom, we have to be the ones welcoming them in with open arms and hearts.
Unfortunately, this can be a struggle for some people and some Christian communities. And it always has been. Remember Jesus’s harsh words in Matthew, a different version of the events from our reading from Luke today:
“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. If any of you cause one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of things that cause sin! Such things are bound to come, but woe to the one through whom they come!’”
Woe to those who put stumbling blocks before children, who bar them from receiving the Good News that they are children of God, loved and welcomed in…Such things are bound to happen…but may they never happen from us and our community.
We are called to welcome children into the Kingdom of God, to welcome them into our Christian community, and whenever we welcome a child into our midst, we are welcoming Jesus himself among us. There is the old church adage, “If the church ain’t crying, it’s dying.” I would also urge us to every single time we hear the noise of a little one in church we think - that is the voice of God among us.
It is this simple. And it is this beautiful: when we welcome children among us - we welcome God among us.
And who in turn loves the child, they are loving as God loves, and will come to know Jesus through the child - even as we teach that child about Jesus.
In the church, we have the tremendous responsibility, privilege, and joy - to teach children about God and that they are loved - by God and by us. We are called to accept children as they are…and this is decidedly not the old school mentality of children being meant to be seen and not heard. This is not the love, acceptance, and celebration of children that Jesus has when he says, “let the children come to me.” He does not say, “let the children come to me as long as they are in their Sunday best and behave and are quiet.” No, he says, “let the children come to me.” There are no qualifying statements - just to let them come, let them be welcomed in, let them receive, let them be loved.
We are called to welcome children.
Children with sticky fingers.
Children with interrupting voices.
Children with a million questions.
Children who want to go completely off script during the children’s moment.
Children who are trying to break free from the pew and run down the aisle.
Children who are unable to contain their excitement in the Communion line - oh if only we all approached the altar with such unrestrained joy!
Children with their deep desire and need to be known for who they are and loved.
Children as they are.
Children as God made them to be.
We are called to welcome them - and in turn, welcome Jesus.
Not only are we to accept children as they are - we are also to become more like them. What would it look like for all of us, of absolutely any age, to come here, to come to worship, to come to church, as our whole selves?
To come, even if it's been a really bad week.
To come, even if we want to cry.
To come, even if we didn't have time to shower this morning… Or even access to a shower…
To come, even if we didn’t have the mental energy to make ourselves presentable.
To come, with a million questions…And to still come anyway.
To come overflowing with excitement, because we know that this is a place where we are wholly accepted as we are.
To come, because we recognize that we too are beloved children of God. We are seen as children in God’s eyes and we are loved just like a child - wholly and unconditionally. God welcomes us with open arms.
When we welcome children just as they are…we will learn to welcome ourselves just as we are. Welcome others just as they are. To see ourselves and others, regardless of age, as beloved children of God.
This is an immense responsibility. And it also is an immense joy.
I pray that we here at Boardman UMC will be blessed - blessed with the sounds of children, blessed by seeing God in them and through them. Blessed that by welcoming children with open arms - we would find that God welcomes us, as children of God, with open and loving arms.
May it be so. Amen.
Wednesday, September 3, 2025
Call to Worship inspired by Luke 15:1-10
Leader: Jesus is a God of great joy!
People: He welcomes all with open arms!
L: When the lost sheep is found,
P: He throws a party!
L: When the lost coin is found,
P: He had a celebration!
L: And when people grumbled about sinners being welcomed…
P: He invites us to rejoice with him!
L: For what was lost has been found.
All: Let us worship with great joy! Amen.
People: He welcomes all with open arms!
L: When the lost sheep is found,
P: He throws a party!
L: When the lost coin is found,
P: He had a celebration!
L: And when people grumbled about sinners being welcomed…
P: He invites us to rejoice with him!
L: For what was lost has been found.
All: Let us worship with great joy! Amen.
Tuesday, September 2, 2025
“Overlooked Stories: Eutchyus” a sermon on Acts 20:7-12
Acts 20:7-12
“Overlooked Stories: Eutchyus”
Preached Sunday, August 31, 2025
When I was interning at a church in seminary and just starting to preach on a regular basis, a retired minister gave me this advice: “If someone is asleep during your sermon, God knows that person needs rest more than they need your words.”
To be clear…as far as I know, no one was actually sleeping during my sermons…but it made me laugh and reflect on a deep appreciation for those who come to church…even when they are tired. I’ve said this to people throughout my years of standing in pulpits…should sleep take you during a sermon - God perhaps gave you that sleep as a gift.
But really, let’s be honest here, while my sermons are no great show of entertainment, I would hope they aren’t overly boring and at the very least - are not overly long! If I pastor can’t say it in about 15 minutes - then maybe it doesn’t need to be said…
I digress. I say all this because in our reading from Acts this morning, Paul has talked for several hours. We don’t know exactly when Paul started preaching but they gathered for dinner and he was still going come midnight.
It was at this point that Eutychus fell asleep. Unfortunately for him, he did not fall asleep on a hardbacked pew where he might just be a little sore the next day…he fell asleep during Paul’s long speech…and fell three stories to his death. We don’t have many people who sit in the balcony these days and maybe this is why…are you all awake up there? Yeah? All right then - be careful!
Now, Paul stopped preaching, rushed down to Eutchyus, and said “He’s good!” and raised him from the dead. They then sent Eutchyus home and Paul preached through the whole night until morning…
This story could be taken many ways. It could shine the light on Paul’s authority as an apostle - even having the ability to raise people from the dead in the name of Jesus! It could act as a warning for spiritual awareness… I would like to use the story of Eutchyus this morning, not really to talk about him as a Biblical character, as we have the others in this “Overlooked Stories” sermon series…but to look at him as a metaphor of those who “fall from the faith,” “fall from the church,” or de-construct their faith.
How many of you have heard of the term “deconstruction” in regards to one’s beliefs or faith? It basically means exactly what you think it means - if construction is building up - deconstruction would be, tearing down, building down - it means looking at your faith, the Scripture, religion, etc critically - examining each part and, if it doesn’t make sense, doesn’t help, doesn’t lead to abundant life, putting it aside.
In seminary they often make the joke that the whole first year is deconstruction and then the next two years are re-construction.
But I have seen so many of my peers - people my age, give or take some years - I’ve seen them deconstruct, and not be able, willing to, want to reconstruct - and thus they leave behind the church, leave behind their faith. Often these things are tied together. Sometimes they aren’t. They either become the “dones” as in - those done with church and faith and God - or Spiritual nomads - not done with God but not feeling like there is a church or community where they belong.
And part of this is, I don’t think it’s often a “neat” deconstruction but it’s that they fall three stories - or more - from the church, as Eutychus did. Or perhaps even, their faith crumbles around them, and they “fall” in the process.
I want to examine this concept today in light of the story of Eutychus to get us thinking about our own faiths, the faith we pass on, and how we are called to treat those who fall from their faith - or those whose faith crumbles around them.
Epistemology is a branch of philosophy that examines the concept of knowledge. It makes us ask questions like, “How does knowledge work?” “How do we know something is true?” For a long time, epistemology has considered knowledge to be like a wall. You lay a sturdy foundation of knowledge, facts, concepts…and then build another layer on top of that, another lay on top of that, another lay on top of that…you get the point. This is often how we have thought of faith construction too - lay a firm foundation and then build upon it. We even sing hymns about that, don’t we? “The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ the Lord…” Our reading from 1 Peter talks about Christ as a cornerstone and our faith being a building…which really, is just a bunch of walls with a roof.
Let’s talk for a moment and talk about faith as a wall and see how this affects us…and understand how people can fall from this faith and their faith fall to the ground around them.
Let’s build a wall of faith together. Let’s try and build a life-giving faith. A faith that is built on God’s love….that God loves you. Period. That you are a beloved child of God. Full stop. That’s the bottom layer.
And we go up from there.
The greatest commandments, love of God - love of neighbor as self
As Jesus says in Mark 9 and Matthew 25 - have you given a glass of water to someone who was thirsty…
What else? - the imago dei, we are made in the image of God
How we treat others
How we view and interact with Scripture
What our faith says on this issue and that issue
As we go up it gets less and less core value stuff here - right?
So let’s say - let’s say this is someone’s faith - started in childhood - and they are beginning to question their faith, to look at their faith critically, to see how it gives them life and gives it to them abundantly - they might deconstruct some things - I certainly did - we all do this, really - it’s part of growing up and claiming our faith as our own.
So...we pull a piece out - say what the church teaches about LGBTQ people. Or how we understand how the Bible was written - OH Queer people are made in the image of God and loved by God? Cool! The first 5 books weren’t actually written by Moses? I can live with that! The Rapture? - Yeah, that one is getting tossed out...and we deconstruct and continue to re-construct our faith…right, we may add things to our faith, too - not just take them out. Things like…faith practices of serving others or daily rituals or habits of prayer we didn’t have as a child…so we de-construct and we may also re-construct, the shape of our faith is changing, because God is ever complex, and we’re trying to make sense of God in our world with evil and pain, and we’re holding things in tension, learning, un-learning, re-learning…- cause see - we have this solid foundation. And even if some of the top layers fall over, or pieces fall off…we still have that base, right?
But - what if the faith passed down to us - the faith we learned from others - wasn’t primarily based on God’s love, on being loved by God, on loving God and loving neighbor, on giving water to those who are thirsty, on being made in the image of God?
I would like to believe that is the faith I am trying to teach my children. I would like to believe that that is the faith that all of us first encountered in childhood…but that’s probably not the case. Statistically it’s not. In 2009 a study was done that was published in the book, Soul Searching. It found that for the majority of Christians in America, our faith could be summarized with a three word term: “moralistic therapeutic deism.” in other words - faith makes us do the right things (moralistic); it brings us comfort (therapeutic) and, well…there may be a God that is far away and comes after the other two things (deism). The foundation that the church in America has been laying for many years is not based on who God is - that God is love, that God is Good, that God is Just and Powerful and Joyful and with Us, that Jesus is Lord… the foundation isn’t actually based on Christ at all. The foundation that most of us received - and that most will receive is simply this - “Follow the rules and be a good kid.”
And that might even be a best case scenario for some people. What if the foundation that was given to you, taught to you was more about…
Who is the greatest - well, Christians
About Who is in and who is out
About following unquestionable authority of the pastor, of the church, of the Bible
About shame
About fear - from hellfire, from not being loved for being who you are
And as you get older - you realize that not only is this not good for you - it’s harming you and you start deconstructing...
And you’re pulling out pieces left and right and your discarding them - and you’re at a loss and you don’t feel God’s love - especially not from the church that passed on this faith - and you’re pulling our pieces and looking at them and discarding them and pulling them out and pulling them out and the whole thing just falls.
Your faith is in shambles around you, perhaps like the body of Eutchyus who fell from the third floor window…and no one is coming to resurrect you or to help you pick up the pieces of the faith…so it’s easier to just…walk away. And leave a dead faith behind.
How many of us know someone that this has happened to? Too many, too many.
We’re…just gonna leave this here for now.
In her book, “Woven: Nurturing a Faith Your Kid Doesn’t Have To Heal From,” author Meredith Miller, offers us some hope as we look at the pieces of people’s faith that have fallen all around us…she says in her book that faith doesn’t have to be a wall…it can be a web. Webs don’t have foundations. They have core anchor threads that hold the web in place and then internal strands that give it shape and beauty. Moreover, in a web, strands can hold tension and stretch - even without breaking. But if a strand does break, the web doesn't fall apart - it holds together while the spider can re-weave it and make it stronger than before.
When considering the shape of our faith - a wall or a web, Miller puts it like this: “If our faith is a wall, and we learn something new that contradicts our old beliefs about God, we may think the whole thing needs to come down. But our faith isn’t a wall, it’s a web, and sometimes strands break and need to be replaced because they just aren’t true or because they just don’t work anymore. We realize our ways of seeing God don’t match our reality, our ways of experiencing God don’t work like they used to. Our versions of gathered community and collect worship need reimagining. Those strands break, and we can rebuild new strands based on the other parts of the web that are still true, because the whole thing hasn’t unraveled.”
This is all in the abstract so let me give an example: “We may have grown up being told the Bible was trustworthy because of its literal accuracy. But then we hear sermons suggesting that Biblical events are told in a style reflective of the ancient Near East, with its distinct literary styles and genres, meaning, perhaps some events did not literally occur as described. The strand of literalism may break, but other strands- Scripture can be trusted, the God we meet in Scripture can be trusted- keep our web intact while we re-weave our Biblical perspective.”
So Miller stresses that our anchor strands of our web need to be about God and who God is. And whether we are using the analogy of a web of a wall this is vital to a faith that will last. We can only follow God and obey God if we know God and trust God. The anchor strands that Miller suggests are that God is Good, God is Powerful, God is Just, God is Joyful, God is With Us, and that Jesus is Lord.
A faith either built upon or weaved around these core truths about God is certainly one that can weather storms or changes in our world or thinking - for who God is remains steadfast.
So not only does thinking about our faith in this way give us pause as to how we teach the faith we wish to pass on…it should also give us compassion for those who have de-constructed or who have had their faith fall down around them…
Are we coming to the aid of Eutchyus after his three story fall?
And when we get to where he fell, get down to his level - do we scold him for falling asleep during the preaching? Admonish him to act and behave as Good Christian boys and girls do, tell him he must not have believed “hard enough”?…or do we ask why he fell asleep? Do we ask why his faith fell down around him? Do we show compassion and care for his wounds, for “church hurt,” show understanding, willingness even to change our structures and the faith we passed on or inherited… Do we speak Life into what Died? Do we offer to help pick up the pieces, to go slowly, to re-build or re-weave together, journey together in getting to know who God is again…a God that is Good and a God who is Loving…
We are called to show compassion to those who fall from faith or who have their faith fall down around them. We are called to journey together, to discover who God is together, to weave together faiths that are life giving and support one another. It’s not easy…and yet, it’s the work we are called to do. To run down the three flights of stairs, pick up those who have fallen, and continue sharing a God of Love and Life.
May it be so. Amen.
“Overlooked Stories: Eutchyus”
Preached Sunday, August 31, 2025
When I was interning at a church in seminary and just starting to preach on a regular basis, a retired minister gave me this advice: “If someone is asleep during your sermon, God knows that person needs rest more than they need your words.”
To be clear…as far as I know, no one was actually sleeping during my sermons…but it made me laugh and reflect on a deep appreciation for those who come to church…even when they are tired. I’ve said this to people throughout my years of standing in pulpits…should sleep take you during a sermon - God perhaps gave you that sleep as a gift.
But really, let’s be honest here, while my sermons are no great show of entertainment, I would hope they aren’t overly boring and at the very least - are not overly long! If I pastor can’t say it in about 15 minutes - then maybe it doesn’t need to be said…
I digress. I say all this because in our reading from Acts this morning, Paul has talked for several hours. We don’t know exactly when Paul started preaching but they gathered for dinner and he was still going come midnight.
It was at this point that Eutychus fell asleep. Unfortunately for him, he did not fall asleep on a hardbacked pew where he might just be a little sore the next day…he fell asleep during Paul’s long speech…and fell three stories to his death. We don’t have many people who sit in the balcony these days and maybe this is why…are you all awake up there? Yeah? All right then - be careful!
Now, Paul stopped preaching, rushed down to Eutchyus, and said “He’s good!” and raised him from the dead. They then sent Eutchyus home and Paul preached through the whole night until morning…
This story could be taken many ways. It could shine the light on Paul’s authority as an apostle - even having the ability to raise people from the dead in the name of Jesus! It could act as a warning for spiritual awareness… I would like to use the story of Eutchyus this morning, not really to talk about him as a Biblical character, as we have the others in this “Overlooked Stories” sermon series…but to look at him as a metaphor of those who “fall from the faith,” “fall from the church,” or de-construct their faith.
How many of you have heard of the term “deconstruction” in regards to one’s beliefs or faith? It basically means exactly what you think it means - if construction is building up - deconstruction would be, tearing down, building down - it means looking at your faith, the Scripture, religion, etc critically - examining each part and, if it doesn’t make sense, doesn’t help, doesn’t lead to abundant life, putting it aside.
In seminary they often make the joke that the whole first year is deconstruction and then the next two years are re-construction.
But I have seen so many of my peers - people my age, give or take some years - I’ve seen them deconstruct, and not be able, willing to, want to reconstruct - and thus they leave behind the church, leave behind their faith. Often these things are tied together. Sometimes they aren’t. They either become the “dones” as in - those done with church and faith and God - or Spiritual nomads - not done with God but not feeling like there is a church or community where they belong.
And part of this is, I don’t think it’s often a “neat” deconstruction but it’s that they fall three stories - or more - from the church, as Eutychus did. Or perhaps even, their faith crumbles around them, and they “fall” in the process.
I want to examine this concept today in light of the story of Eutychus to get us thinking about our own faiths, the faith we pass on, and how we are called to treat those who fall from their faith - or those whose faith crumbles around them.
Epistemology is a branch of philosophy that examines the concept of knowledge. It makes us ask questions like, “How does knowledge work?” “How do we know something is true?” For a long time, epistemology has considered knowledge to be like a wall. You lay a sturdy foundation of knowledge, facts, concepts…and then build another layer on top of that, another lay on top of that, another lay on top of that…you get the point. This is often how we have thought of faith construction too - lay a firm foundation and then build upon it. We even sing hymns about that, don’t we? “The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ the Lord…” Our reading from 1 Peter talks about Christ as a cornerstone and our faith being a building…which really, is just a bunch of walls with a roof.
Let’s talk for a moment and talk about faith as a wall and see how this affects us…and understand how people can fall from this faith and their faith fall to the ground around them.
Let’s build a wall of faith together. Let’s try and build a life-giving faith. A faith that is built on God’s love….that God loves you. Period. That you are a beloved child of God. Full stop. That’s the bottom layer.
And we go up from there.
The greatest commandments, love of God - love of neighbor as self
As Jesus says in Mark 9 and Matthew 25 - have you given a glass of water to someone who was thirsty…
What else? - the imago dei, we are made in the image of God
How we treat others
How we view and interact with Scripture
What our faith says on this issue and that issue
As we go up it gets less and less core value stuff here - right?
So let’s say - let’s say this is someone’s faith - started in childhood - and they are beginning to question their faith, to look at their faith critically, to see how it gives them life and gives it to them abundantly - they might deconstruct some things - I certainly did - we all do this, really - it’s part of growing up and claiming our faith as our own.
So...we pull a piece out - say what the church teaches about LGBTQ people. Or how we understand how the Bible was written - OH Queer people are made in the image of God and loved by God? Cool! The first 5 books weren’t actually written by Moses? I can live with that! The Rapture? - Yeah, that one is getting tossed out...and we deconstruct and continue to re-construct our faith…right, we may add things to our faith, too - not just take them out. Things like…faith practices of serving others or daily rituals or habits of prayer we didn’t have as a child…so we de-construct and we may also re-construct, the shape of our faith is changing, because God is ever complex, and we’re trying to make sense of God in our world with evil and pain, and we’re holding things in tension, learning, un-learning, re-learning…- cause see - we have this solid foundation. And even if some of the top layers fall over, or pieces fall off…we still have that base, right?
But - what if the faith passed down to us - the faith we learned from others - wasn’t primarily based on God’s love, on being loved by God, on loving God and loving neighbor, on giving water to those who are thirsty, on being made in the image of God?
I would like to believe that is the faith I am trying to teach my children. I would like to believe that that is the faith that all of us first encountered in childhood…but that’s probably not the case. Statistically it’s not. In 2009 a study was done that was published in the book, Soul Searching. It found that for the majority of Christians in America, our faith could be summarized with a three word term: “moralistic therapeutic deism.” in other words - faith makes us do the right things (moralistic); it brings us comfort (therapeutic) and, well…there may be a God that is far away and comes after the other two things (deism). The foundation that the church in America has been laying for many years is not based on who God is - that God is love, that God is Good, that God is Just and Powerful and Joyful and with Us, that Jesus is Lord… the foundation isn’t actually based on Christ at all. The foundation that most of us received - and that most will receive is simply this - “Follow the rules and be a good kid.”
And that might even be a best case scenario for some people. What if the foundation that was given to you, taught to you was more about…
Who is the greatest - well, Christians
About Who is in and who is out
About following unquestionable authority of the pastor, of the church, of the Bible
About shame
About fear - from hellfire, from not being loved for being who you are
And as you get older - you realize that not only is this not good for you - it’s harming you and you start deconstructing...
And you’re pulling out pieces left and right and your discarding them - and you’re at a loss and you don’t feel God’s love - especially not from the church that passed on this faith - and you’re pulling our pieces and looking at them and discarding them and pulling them out and pulling them out and the whole thing just falls.
Your faith is in shambles around you, perhaps like the body of Eutchyus who fell from the third floor window…and no one is coming to resurrect you or to help you pick up the pieces of the faith…so it’s easier to just…walk away. And leave a dead faith behind.
How many of us know someone that this has happened to? Too many, too many.
We’re…just gonna leave this here for now.
In her book, “Woven: Nurturing a Faith Your Kid Doesn’t Have To Heal From,” author Meredith Miller, offers us some hope as we look at the pieces of people’s faith that have fallen all around us…she says in her book that faith doesn’t have to be a wall…it can be a web. Webs don’t have foundations. They have core anchor threads that hold the web in place and then internal strands that give it shape and beauty. Moreover, in a web, strands can hold tension and stretch - even without breaking. But if a strand does break, the web doesn't fall apart - it holds together while the spider can re-weave it and make it stronger than before.
When considering the shape of our faith - a wall or a web, Miller puts it like this: “If our faith is a wall, and we learn something new that contradicts our old beliefs about God, we may think the whole thing needs to come down. But our faith isn’t a wall, it’s a web, and sometimes strands break and need to be replaced because they just aren’t true or because they just don’t work anymore. We realize our ways of seeing God don’t match our reality, our ways of experiencing God don’t work like they used to. Our versions of gathered community and collect worship need reimagining. Those strands break, and we can rebuild new strands based on the other parts of the web that are still true, because the whole thing hasn’t unraveled.”
This is all in the abstract so let me give an example: “We may have grown up being told the Bible was trustworthy because of its literal accuracy. But then we hear sermons suggesting that Biblical events are told in a style reflective of the ancient Near East, with its distinct literary styles and genres, meaning, perhaps some events did not literally occur as described. The strand of literalism may break, but other strands- Scripture can be trusted, the God we meet in Scripture can be trusted- keep our web intact while we re-weave our Biblical perspective.”
So Miller stresses that our anchor strands of our web need to be about God and who God is. And whether we are using the analogy of a web of a wall this is vital to a faith that will last. We can only follow God and obey God if we know God and trust God. The anchor strands that Miller suggests are that God is Good, God is Powerful, God is Just, God is Joyful, God is With Us, and that Jesus is Lord.
A faith either built upon or weaved around these core truths about God is certainly one that can weather storms or changes in our world or thinking - for who God is remains steadfast.
So not only does thinking about our faith in this way give us pause as to how we teach the faith we wish to pass on…it should also give us compassion for those who have de-constructed or who have had their faith fall down around them…
Are we coming to the aid of Eutchyus after his three story fall?
And when we get to where he fell, get down to his level - do we scold him for falling asleep during the preaching? Admonish him to act and behave as Good Christian boys and girls do, tell him he must not have believed “hard enough”?…or do we ask why he fell asleep? Do we ask why his faith fell down around him? Do we show compassion and care for his wounds, for “church hurt,” show understanding, willingness even to change our structures and the faith we passed on or inherited… Do we speak Life into what Died? Do we offer to help pick up the pieces, to go slowly, to re-build or re-weave together, journey together in getting to know who God is again…a God that is Good and a God who is Loving…
We are called to show compassion to those who fall from faith or who have their faith fall down around them. We are called to journey together, to discover who God is together, to weave together faiths that are life giving and support one another. It’s not easy…and yet, it’s the work we are called to do. To run down the three flights of stairs, pick up those who have fallen, and continue sharing a God of Love and Life.
May it be so. Amen.
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