Westminster By The Sea Sermons

01-22-12 STITCHING SCOTLAND TO THE SAVIOR

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STITCHING SCOTLAND TO THE SAVIOR

Jonah 1: 1-10; Mark 1: 14-20

One of the things I have learned while taking my most recent class at Columbia Seminary, the theological training ground of the Rev. Peter Marshall, who is credited with creating the Kirkin' O’ the Tartans service, is that traumatic events experienced early in life have a lasting influence on a person. That is so with John Knox, the man credited with bringing the Protestant Reformation to Scotland. It is not too much to say that Knox brought the Bible as the Word of God back into the Christian pulpits of Scotland’s Churches. His fiery sermons were thundered from the pulpit of St. Giles Kirk, and he took on everyone from the devil to Mary, Queen of Scots. What were the things that happened to Knox as a young man? In his book KNOX THE MAN, Gordon Donaldson lists two of them:

"One was his association with George Wishart, [a distant relative of the late Ron Taylor of this congregation.] Knox, you remember, carried a two-handed sword before Wishart for his protection. But when Wishart was arrested, [for preaching without a license!] he advised Knox not to seek to join him in martyrdom saying, 'One is sufficient for a sacrifice.’ It rather recalls our Lord's rebuke of Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane, when he bade him put up his sword. Wishart's advice, I suggest, may have implanted in Knox's mind the idea that he would be of more service alive than dead, and this is an idea which, I believe, influenced his later actions. [Can you imagine an age when government, highly controlled by the throne at that time, would put people to death for preaching the gospel? Wishart was burned at the stake.] The other episode which affected [John Knox] was his experience in the galleys." [Edinburgh, St. Andrews Press, 1975, p. 3]

Knox was on ship at sea, as Jonah was, but there the comparison ends. Jonah tried to run from God, would not preach when God called him to preach, and would not call for repentance from people he loathed. John Knox, by contrast, was an unwilling passenger on a French galley (or slave) ship for 19 months, and his experience there might have hardened the heart and steeled the soul of this opinionated and outspoken man. But unlike Jonah, he did not flee from God’s call to preach, he seized the opportunity! He stoked the boilers of his soul and set forth, like a refiner’s fire, to preach repentance in the footsteps of John the Baptist. He had cleansing to do! He had change to bring about for God in Scotland! It was treacherous territory like the land itself could be, because of those in power. Although his mentor was John Calvin—the father of Presbyterianism, the man who he believed taught and administered the finest Christian School in the world—he was living a treacherous life, almost like the fiery John the Baptist. We heard in God’s Word for today that John was arrested, and imprisoned also by a ruler, Herod Antipas. He later was given a capital punishment sentence. Knox had watched as the same thing happened to the faithful Christian leader, George Wishart, who guided Knox’s thinking, saying he could do more good for the Reformation of the Church alive than dead. But it did not quell his fiery voice or accusative stands. The group that will go to Scotland with Rev. Gee in May will certainly stop at St. Giles Kirk in Edinburgh; take time to stand near the bust of John Knox, or step into his pulpit if you are allowed to do so! What history happened there! What Godly preaching worked to change an entire country of clans, and herdsmen, and warriors, and scholars!

As Knox read Scripture from the giant Geneva Bibles that were in the Kirk or in his study, he would have read our passage today about the call of the disciples countless times. His Savior passed along a sea; virtually any man in Scotland was a man of the sea; many made their living from the sea; trade necessarily came from the sea; and the winter winds that chilled and summer breezes that blew made inhabitants ones who were in touch with the sea. Knox could have related to his Savior. And alongside the Sea of Galilee, his Savior walked. Why was he there? Was Christ there to contemplate; was he there to catch fish for a meal? Yes perhaps: but more than that he was there to call; notice he did not ask: “Would you like to join me for an adventure?” No! Our Lord’s call is not a question; it is an imperative: Follow me” he said first to Simon (Later nicknamed ‘Peter’) and his brother Andrew. Did they know him? Almost likely they did, all of them growing up in the same small region. But if they did know him, why not question him? Who among us asks friends to come with them without the friends asking “What for?” But there was something about this man from the Galilee, this man from God, this man from Mary, that somehow spoke to their souls. They must have known they were not being asked to go to lunch or do an errand or have a discussion. Scripture says a word that appears often in Mark’s gospel: immediately. Immediately. When was the last time you did something immediately without questioning? Don’t almost all children question, or sit awhile longer when their parent wants them to move now? The passengers on the Costa cruise ship tried to move immediately last week when their captain delayed the order to abandon ship. But do people move immediately when someone yells fire? And yet, these men whom Jesus was addressing, probably fatigued from casting nets—an exhausting job—went immediately after him! There were no questions asked as the story is related in any of the gospels. But if the Lord Jesus has claimed you, or brought you to your knees with the power of the Almighty in his voice, perhaps you followed him immediately too. What will you do when Christ’s call falls on your ears?

Next we notice something remarkable: they left their fishing equipment at the shore. These were not wealthy men: the life of a fisherman was often hand to mouth. Certainly buying or replacing fishing nets was not cheap. And if they were left at the shore, would they have been taken by another person who noticed they had been abandoned? What careful fisherman would leave his gear? My son-in-law Brian is a fisherman and he is careful to maintain his boat, his trailer, his fishing poles and tackle, and his electronic equipment. Few fisherman I know would leave there equipment behind. Did Simon and Andrew do so with some inner feeling that they were being led to a new way of life? Did Simon and Andrew get a feeling from Jesus that he needed them right then? Have you dropped your former life—your sins, your job, your habits—when Jesus called you to follow him? Or have you tried the exhausting and equivocating balancing act of trying to hold on to an old life and also live a new life with Christ? It won’t work friends: many wonderful Christians have learned that over the years: the Apostle Paul preached it in his second letter to the Corinthians saying: “Anyone who is in Christ becomes a new creation. The past is finished and gone; everything becomes fresh and new.” [5:17] Paul became new in Christ. John Calvin, a Frenchman trained as an attorney, became a new creation as he moved to Geneva Switzerland and brought Christian theology and polity to a city that was spiraling downward. And thanks be to God that John Newton, the author of the hymn “Amazing Grace” was changed by Christ. He was indeed wretched in his mind as he looked back on his own life of working and beating and killing slaves. He was delivered from his hellish life. You too can be delivered from a life of mediocrity or ambivalence; from a current life that is eating you up or dragging you down. You can imagine yourself symbolically by the Sea of Galilee, going about your business, doing your work, providing for your family. And then a voice, a warmth, a power, a presence comes near you, and you are strangely drawn to him. Follow Christ: he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Jeffrey A. Sumner January 22, 2012

Posted by Westminster By The Sea Sermons at 1/22/2012 11:00 AM

01-15-12 HERE I AM

Download | Duration: 00:12:14

"The word of the Lord was rare in those days...."

That sounds familiar, doesn't it? We tend to think of the word of the Lord being pretty rare right now, don't we? But did that mean that God had really withdrawn from Israel? Historians can stack up the reasons why God might well have decided to ignore those people at that time. But then again, they certainly were not behaving in a way that indicated that they had been listening. Had God continued to be reaching out, and they just were too busy listening to their own voices and desires to pay attention? Are we?

Henri Nouwen states, "We live absurd lives." Then he talked about the meaning of that word "absurd." Surd, Nouwen says is from the Latin word for "deaf." When you look the word up in the dictionary you will find, "not to be heard, dull, deaf, insensible, laughably inconsistent with what is judged as true or reasonable." It is our inability to hear, to listen, that creates the conditions for an absurd life. Nouwen goes on: "A spiritual discipline is necessary in order to move slowly from an absurd to an obedient life, from a life filled with noisy worries to a life in which there is some free inner space where we can listen to our God and follow his guidance." Absurd living is simply not hearing and not listening to God. We need to avoid absurd living.

When we feel lonely, abandoned, stuck in a situation without solution, can we hear God's voice? Or, when we feel complete, secure, satisfied, do we bother to listen? Whose voice do we listen to when we are trying to make a decision?

Specialists in communication speak of “active” listening. Active listening being something that takes a lot of effort and focus. We often avoid the effort it takes to listen to others fully. And when it comes to God, listening is more like an act of trust. We simply have to wait for things to unfold in God's time. Hearing what God has to say to us is a long process, even an eternal one. If we don’t hear and understand immediately, even tomorrow or next week, we are called to persist in our listening, treasuring the fragmented, even sometimes distorted pieces we get in any given moment.

That trips us up sometimes, doesn't it? We get impatient. We don't want to put in the effort and the time to wait for all of what God is saying to us. We assume we already know and go ahead and do, rather than waiting for God to finish. We'd rather get our answers right now, wouldn't we?

Or maybe it's hard for us to say "Here I am" that openly because we aren't really ready for God to come into our bedrooms and our dreams peeking into our innermost selves. Oh sure, Lord, we scrub up and come to church on Sundays, but don't ever call on us in the middle of the night or in our businesses or our marriages or our friendships. Please, Lord, we're not ready for that. Here we are hiding our secret sins in a room that not even God can enter, or so we think. We say casually, "Here I am, Lord. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening." But are we really all that ready for God to come in? Not that room, Lord. Any room but that one!

You and I have to face up to ourselves and this self-revelation often occurs in the middle of the night as it did for Samuel. Until we do that we will have trouble hearing God calling our names and leading us into new ministries and new lives. Other words will block God's redeeming and cleansing word of grace. Samuel didn't hear it the first time or the second time or the third. Maybe he was having a hard time hearing it because no one else was hearing it in those days.

And it doesn't stop with listening in the story does it? God tells Samuel what he needs to do – condemn the sons of the man who is raising him. Listening isn't even the hardest part when it comes to God's call. We have to then go and do what God is calling us to do. That can be even scarier.

After the vision, Samuel goes back to bed rather than running to Eli with the bad news God has given him. He is afraid to speak. Can we really blame him? After all, the words he has been given to speak are against the family of his mentor. After all, Eli was Samuel’s guardian. In the social values of that time, Eli had authority to beat Samuel, fire him, even put him to death. Children and slaves were property, for the master to dispose of as he wished. I wonder some times why then we assume that responding to God’s call will always be easy and/or fulfilling for us.

When morning breaks, it is Eli who calls Samuel to his room and commands him to speak the word that he has received from the Lord. Eli really wanted to hear God's message, no matter how bad it was. I think that's pretty amazing of Eli. After all, how many people are there who really want to hear God's disturbing news? I'm afraid most people don't want to be challenged. They don't want God to disturb their set ways of thinking.

I think dismissing Eli in this story is a mistake. Yes, his spiritual eyes were dim, and he had not heard the word of the Lord in a long time. And he did not recognize it at first when he did hear it. But he did finally recognize it. And when the young boy Samuel sought answers to his questions, Eli was there to guide him in the right direction. Even amid all the changes that were unfolding here for the nation, the new leader born and called by God to bring new light to the people needed the guidance of the blind Eli to know how to respond and what to do. Even though the old ways were dying, they still had a role in guiding the new generation into their calling as God’s people.

Remember, Samuel hears God’s voice, but he does not recognize it on his own and he does not know how to respond to it properly. Only when Eli tells him the right words to say can Samuel be in a position to receive God’s oracle. It is Eli who first realizes that God is attempting to speak to the boy, Eli who tells Samuel how to proceed and Eli who responds in pious humility after Samuel later tells him the contents of God’s message: “It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him.”

Eli recommends seven simple words of prayer, "Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening." It's a request that God help us to hear what he has to say –– hear his still, small voice among the many other competing voices in a noisy society. It's a conscious effort to tune out the distracting babble of billions of fellow beings, and tune in the divine calling of Almighty God. Its an exercise in active listening. It's a prayer that we will be able really to listen to the Lord, and determine together what he is calling his people to do and to be today.

I wonder about Eli in the days ahead. His reaction to Samuel's news makes me wonder. After all, Samuel was still just a boy. Did Eli stay with him? Did he continue to mentor him in the ways of the Lord? I think he did. I think that's part of the reason for Samuel’s success

In a New York Times article about friendship, the author describes a 2008 study with 34 students from the University of Virginia. Each student was taken to the bottom of a hill and given a weighted backpack, then asked to estimate the angle of the hill’s steepness. The students who were standing alone estimated the hill to be much steeper than those who were standing with a friend. And the longer they’d known the friend, the less steep the hill seemed to them.

When we know someone “has our back,” even if they can’t shoulder our weight for us, our climb is easier, our steps are surer, our load is lighter, our day is less troublesome. With Eli to guide him, to support him in the beginning of his call, Samuel could do things that would be daunting to an adult, let alone a child.

We are all capable of being intermediaries between another person and the holy. We can be intercessors when there is trouble, channels of encouragement when days are wearying, agents of peace when worry rules, instruments of hope when life seems broken. We need to remember that being that intermediary, being the mentor, is just as important a call as Samuel's was.

We must first listen, and listen actively. Without hearing God's call we can never go any further. But we can't just stop there. “Speak for your servant is listening.” Your Servant Lord. It is not enough to hear. We must have the courage respond. Whether we are like Eli or Samuel, we are all a part of that new future that God is bringing.

Listen to where God is calling you in your life. Whether you are called to speak hard words or to mentor those who are in need of it, God will call you somewhere. God knows you, loves you, and calls you to God’s work. May you have the courage to say. "Speak Lord. For your servant is listening."

Posted by Westminster By The Sea Sermons at 1/15/2012 11:00 AM

01-08-12 A PARENT’S PLEASURE

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A PARENT’S PLEASURE

Isaiah 62; Mark 1: 4-11

In his book TELLING SECRETS, author and Presbyterian minister Frederick Buechner lets the cat out of the bag that in his family they told and kept secrets; they did it all the time; and the secrets had to be respected. One secret that kept his emotional wings clipped from childhood, to teenage years, to marriage years was that his father got up one day, went into his garage, closed the garage, turned on the engine and ended his life. Buechner was taught it was that which was not talked about. So not only did he not know his father, really, not knowing his father, or hearing any words of guidance or affirmation from his father, kept him rather emasculated in his marriage, his ministry, and his fatherhood. When his daughter developed anorexia, she began to grow thinner until she was skin and bones. He wrote: “The only way I knew to be a father was to take care of her, as my father had been unable to take care of me, to move heaven and earth if necessary to make her well, and of course I couldn’t do that. I didn’t have the power or the wisdom to make her well.” And about his father, he wrote “The sadness was I’d lost a father I had never fully found.” What power was drained from that man by never getting to know, but yearning to know, the man who was his father. On the other hand we know that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was haunted and even tormented by his stern and judging father, perhaps adding to his illness and early death. Novelist Franz Kafka, who was born in Prague, wrote some brilliant short stories before succumbing to a lung disease at age 41. But he was known to be hypersensitive and introspective, and he too felt emasculated by his domineering father. On the other hand, Lyman Beecher, the famous preacher and educator, was a well grounded and moral man with a robust nature and a courageous spirit. He had thirteen children, and one of them was the free-minded and self-assured Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of UNCLE TOM’S CABIN. Another of his children was Henry Ward Beecher, political orator, social reformer, and renowned preacher of a huge urban church in Brooklyn. He, like most of us, was tremendously influence by his parents and his surroundings. He thrived on the good guidance he had. Discerning readers also may have picked up that Louisa May Alcott chose to write autobiographically for her novel LITTLE WOMAN. She had a strong ethical backbone and a sense of self that she credits her mother for giving her. Literature is packed with good and poor examples of parenting.

What do we know from the Bible about the power of parenting, good or bad? Genesis itself is chocked full of stories some of which seem to show less than stellar characters. Abraham once raised a knife to his son, Isaac; Isaac married Rebekah, who, when she had twins, chose to have her husband bless the younger one-Jacob-instead of the older one-Esau. She and God had their chosen one! Jacob, then tricked by Laban, marries not Laban’s daughter that he loved-Rachel- but the daughter Laban wanted him to marry first- Leah. Leah bore him children, but he was still in love with Rachel. Finally he got to marry Rachel but she is barren until, at long last, she bears a son for Jacob named Joseph. Jacob was so taken by that child that came from Rachel—the love of his life—that he made it known to all his other children that Joseph was his favorite: a bad idea. Nevertheless, Joseph knew he was loved, and he had a close relationship with his parents, even if it was a distant one from his brothers. He grew in stature and God blessed his work and his life.

In each of these cases, what a difference was made when and if the parents, or other primary caregivers, exclaimed their pleasure about their children! What a difference that can be from all correction and ridicule! And can you imagine God’s pleasure over you, or do only words of holy judgment ring in your ears? Isaiah 62 is a wonderful source of changing the way you might be experiencing God! God rejoiced over his people Israel, even after enduring the consequences of their sin. God also rejoices when our sins and consequences are over, and God can simply be pleased to be in our presence. Isn’t it odd to talk about God being in our presence, but God is so glad to be invited into our lives and to be in relationship with us! God came to earth in Jesus to experience what we feel, and walk a mile in our shoes. God is thrilled to be invited into the often private parts of our lives. God never barges in, but comes at our invitation. It delights God when you or I open the door of our heart and say, “O God come in and share my joy,” or “O Jesus, come in and rule my unruly life.”

We can now imagine what a red-letter day it was as the Heavenly Father watched as his son on the day of his baptism! He was a grown man, ready to begin a fateful ministry. What might the Father’s emotions have been? Perhaps his emotions were mixed: Glad, on the one hand, to celebrate a day when he could say to his son, in the presence of witnesses, how pleased he was with him! But, on the other hand, it would start the clock ticking toward the cross. Still, the Heavenly Father wouldn’t miss that day for the world; there was no, “Sorry son, but I’m working out some peace issues in the far east,” or “I’ve got weather issues to face in the north” or “I’ve got so much on my plate that I can’t be there.” No; our Lord Jesus had his tremendous sense of blessing because he had been tremendously blessed by a prayerful and a guiding relationship with his Father; both of them actually, the one on earth and the one in Heaven. Good fathers often say to their child about a special event in which they will soon participate: I will not miss it; I will be there! And he was. Jesus was tremendously ready for his task because he had been intentionally blessed so that he could be a blessing to others; he was; and he is. But that day, it was all about him; even John focused attention on Jesus. Finally it was his time. The invitation to gather at the river had gone out, and the crowds had arrived. He, like others there, went into the water and then lifted his head out of the river. Perhaps the water was just dripping out of his ears when his Heavenly Father could contain his pleasure no longer. God broke some supernatural boundaries that day, perhaps out of joy: not only did his son hear his voice, the voice from heaven was surely heard by the crowd as well! In Mark’s gospel we get these intimate words: “You are me beloved son; with you I am well pleased.”

Drink that in; imagine that you can you hear your father’s voice; or your mother’s voice. Or imagine your grandparent’s voice; or a teacher’s voice, or a pastor’s voice or a Scout leader’s voice or a coach’s voice saying something like this to you: “You are amazing; I am so proud of you!” Mr. Rogers, who was a Presbyterian minister, had the television ministry called Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood. On his show, he would look right at the television camera and say to my children, and to me, and to others watching, “I like you just the way you are!” He blessed millions of viewers who were hungry to hear that. It’s great that such commendation came from a television personality. But it is priceless to get your blessing from a close family member who you love. And today you should hear it also from Heaven: God so loved you! Not just the world; not the ball of dirt; but the created ones. That’s what John 3:16 means: God loves you! May those words ring in your ears and sink into your heart, a heart that, perhaps, has longed to hear it said for ages.

Let us pray: Dear God of mercy and love: like a puppy we long to hear praise from our master. There are countless times you say such things to us, but only some or none when we actually hear them. Open our ears and eyes to hear and experience your affirmation, even through the words and actions of others. In the name of Jesus, who was affirmed in a most outstanding way. Amen.

Jeffrey A. Sumner January 8, 2012

Posted by Westminster By The Sea Sermons at 1/8/2012 11:00 AM

01-01-12 DEDICATION SUNDAY

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DEDICATION SUNDAY

Luke 21-40

It is the first day of a new year, a day some use for resolutions, some use to reminisce about “Auld Lang Syne” or “the good old days,” and almost all wonder about and hope for a better year ahead. Today we will do all of these. As we think about the Bible today—the written account of God’s relationship with the created ones—today we can also think about clues that the Bible lifts up for a day such as this. First, faithful people of the Bible honored, celebrated, or marked significant events in our lives by praising God. Since we will not pass this way again, we will do the same. And second, the Bible shows us that the end of our earthly life is not a finish line, it is a step into life again. We might consider it our step into a new Eden, a place where we can experience the tree of life, according to Revelation, and not the Genesis tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If we read the end of our Bibles, we find phrases like: there is a new heaven and a new earth; and heaven comes to earth adorned like a bride; God wants to live with us; so God comes down to transform earth at Christmas, rather than us leaving the mess we have made of the earth to go to heaven instead. Those who believe in the rapture and flying away will want to check those verses in Revelation out again; God comes to join the faithful in the end, not pull the faithful from the earth! Perhaps our later days are not up in heaven apart from earth, but here in a radically transformed world that will become heaven? The transformed picture in Revelation 22 is that there is a river, as in the beginning, and there is a tree of life that this time is life giving, rather than the tree of knowledge which was choice-creating. There will be nothing more that is accursed, and all will be light, and the Lamb of God will provide the lamplight.

In the amazingly popular show “The Lion King,” lyricist Tim Rice wrote these words:

From the day we arrive on the planet

And blinking, step into the sun

There's more to see than can ever be seen

More to do than can ever be done

There's far too much to take in here

More to find than can ever be found

But the sun rolling high

Through the sapphire sky

Keeps great and small on the endless round

It's the Circle of Life, and it moves us all

Through despair and hope, through faith and love

Till we find our place, on the path unwinding

in the Circle, the Circle of Life.

Joni Mitchell called it “The Circle Game” when “The seasons they go round and round … we can’t return, we can only look behind.” And today we cannot return to 2011, and many would say “Good!” We can only look behind, and look to 2012 with faith, hope, and love. Troubadour Harry Chapin wrote “All my life’s a circle, but I can’t tell you why; seasons spinning round again, the years keep rollin’ by.” So here we are, at the beginning of another new year. This is first new year for infants; but for the rest of us we have done it before, and we may, by the grace of God, do it again.

This message about circle is not about reincarnation; it is about seeing every season of life as leading into a new season. But there is one other thing that happened all through the Bible that makes our thoughts and hopes different from what we get from a folk song or a New Year’s Eve song: that is, marking significant events in life. The people of Israel, when they experienced an exceptional event that blessed their lives, erected standing stones in the ground so that when people walked by, they knew that God had done something extraordinary there. It is a good practice; we usually mark events with a piece of paper called a certificate; and often it is with pictures, or with shared videos. The marking of events in our faith may include a baptism certificate, or a dedication certificate. In today’s Scripture from Luke you’ll recall that Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to Jerusalem to be dedicated, that is, to present him to the Lord. That was expected in order to express thanks to God for the gift of the child, and to dedicate the child’s life back to God. We still mark such special days in churches; we have certificates of Baptism and certificates of membership-when someone connects with this Christian community and with God; we also have certificates of Christian Marriage, when someone says before God and witnesses that they will pledge their life and love to the one who stands beside them; and we have certificates of ordination, when people are set apart for special work as ministers, elders, or deacons. Those are highlight days. But as I said to the children, when they play a game, they might win, or they might lose, but they can always start a new game at the end. They cannot change the outcome of the game they’ve just played, but they can learn from that game and perhaps play it better the next time. Life is something like that; unless we had time machines, we could not go back and re-do or undo our mistakes. And what if we could? We would never give thought to our actions because they could always be undone. Instead, God made it so our choices matter. We weigh our decisions before we make one, and at the beginning of this New Year, it is time to start weighing our 2012 decisions. God does not offer us do-overs for our mistakes; God offers us grace instead, to move us down the road of learning and maturing, and ultimately we can ask for forgiveness. Forgiveness is costly when God offers it, and it carries a painful price when humans offer it as well; but it is the way of moving on without untold anger, grief, or bitterness. Today we can emotionally mark this day with a spiritual standing stone: a note in a diary, a kept bulletin, or a prayer. We are not starting life over, nor is life really just a circle, but we are trying to live this year in a way that is better than the way we lived last year. We try to grow toward God’s hope for us. We will still be celebrating Easter and our birthday, and Thanksgiving in new ways. Therefore today we leave 2011 behind; now with our words of confession and our best intentions, we are starting 2012. We will begin with Holy Communion, remembering our God who loved us so much that he came to earth in Jesus. He wanted to be with us on earth; and God still wants that. And then, for those who would like the blessing of anointing, we will anoint you with the sign of the cross on your forehead that the Lord may bless and keep you in this new year. Life may seem like a circle, but it is also filled with milestones. Jesus had a dedication day. Today can be a dedication, or rededication day, for you.

Let us pray: O God of New Beginnings: the bread and cups have been prepared, and the oil is ready. Only you know the souls that are ready to start anew. Bless and keep them this day and in the new year. We pray in the name of Jesus, born so long ago to save us. Amen.

Jeffrey A. Sumner January 1, 2012

Posted by Westminster By The Sea Sermons at 1/1/2012 11:00 AM

12-25-11 CHRIST IS BORN!

Download | Duration: 00:16:34

CHRIST IS BORN!

Luke 2: 1-20

Today we celebrate the birth of Jesus, who Christians call Christ! For us it is the continuation of God’s care and love for us, shown from the beginning of the Bible. It is the culmination of God’s salvation story, not that there won’t be more people saved, but Jesus is the Savior! Although countless stories are read at this time that inspire the listeners—perhaps even to live better lives—there are few accounts of God’s salvation story that are better than those in the Bible. But with 39 books in the Old Testament, and 27 in the New Testament for a total of 66 books, how does one make a concise story of all that pointed to and led up to this day: that led up to the birth of Christ? One way is called “The Jesse Tree.” Some Christians have done what we have done with trees in our church: created Chrismons, Christ monograms, to adorn our tree during Advent and Christmas. Some people found Christmas trees to be more celebrative, but some are not distinctly Christian. Some thoughtful Christians, therefore, created what is called the “Jesse Tree.” Our Christian Educator, Mary Ann, created just such a tree in 2007 and gave our children home versions of it. Today you will get to hear—and see—the passages and symbols that show God’s irresistible grace, many of which point to Christ, especially on a day like Christmas. Let’s read our Bibles through the lens of the Jesse Tree today.

Once upon a time … at the beginning of time, God chose to create heaven and earth. It is recorded in Genesis chapter one. The Jesse Tree symbol is the sun. God, as we come to read, not only wanted creation to be wondrous and ordered; the pinnacle of creation was mortals; human beings, made in God’s image: man, woman: God’s masterpiece, in part, because God gave them (that is, us!) the ability to make moral choices; to not just act out of instinct as the animal world did, but to be able to choose between right or wrong. God did this knowing that the humans could choose their own way and not just God’s way. But it was a risk God took, because God wanted a relationship with and love returned from such mortals. We are reminded in Genesis chapter 3 of the story of Adam and Eve. The Jesse tree symbol is an apple. These first two created ones were the original ones to deflect responsibility that was rightfully theirs onto others when they did wrong. This is when the blame game started! It has been happening ever since. God saw that trouble was already brewing. In short order things went from bad to worse and God decided to start the world over, this time saving a faithful man: Noah, and his family. The Jesse Tree symbol is an ark. As you know it rained for 40 days and nights in Genesis 6 as Noah and his family continued to do what God asked. One of God’s first covenants was made with mortals using the sign of the rainbow. But God made even more promises after that. One was with Abraham in Genesis 12 and the Jesse Tree symbol is a tent. In Genesis God found a man, Abraham, who trusted him so much that he left his hometown and his family and his friends to travel to a land he had never seen or known simply because God said to do it. We imagine his wife Sarai had wished her husband had listened that closely toher requests and less closely to God’s, but Abraham’s ears were tuned heavenward! God said that because of Abraham’s trust, he would have more descendents than there were stars in the sky. Then in a supreme test of trust, symbolized on the Jesse Tree by a ram, Genesis 22 records the time that God showed Abraham that the child-sacrificing ways of the Canaanites who used to populate that land were passed, and God showed a supreme act to honor Abraham’s trust: a ram was provided for a sacrificial meal and the boy was spared. It was a test that makes most of us shudder. The son Isaac later marries and has two sons, Jacob and Esau, but through a series of tricks, Isaac blesses the younger son, Jacob. Jacob had not earned the blessing that he had received from his father, but there was a time, recorded in Genesis 27, when Jacob wrestled with an angel of God until God’s blessed him. The ladder is the Jesse Tree symbol. How important it is for us to feel blessed! Jacob himself had many sons, but he was not the best parent. He made it known that he liked his youngest one best! It is recorded in Genesis 37. Joseph was spoiled and his father gave him a coat of many colors. The Jesse Tree symbol is a coat! Later his jealous brothers sold him to Ishmaelites going to Egypt. Joseph grew to be respected by Pharaoh, later forgiving and saving his brothers. God continued to try to save others who were slaves under the Egyptian pharaoh. God chose Moses to be his leader in Exodus 3 and the Jesse Tree symbol is a burning bush. Moses tried to protest, but when God calls, it is hard to resist. God’s first deliverer had been chosen. Later God showed the wideness of holy mercy with the story of Ruth. The Jesse Tree symbol is a heart, one that connected Ruth to Boaz, whom she married. They had a son, whom they named Obed. Guess who he was the father of? Jesse! Later the prophet Isaiah in chapter 11 said “A shoot will spring forth from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.” Most people think Isaiah was talking about Jesus! And it starts to fit together when Jesse also had a son, and guess who he was: David! And the Messiah came from David’s lineage! And guess who was in his line? Joseph, the man who agreed to adopt Jesus as his own son and be wed to Mary! But I’m getting ahead of myself! God had some wonderfully faithful people leading up to Isaiah. One of them was Samuel, symbolized on the Jesse Tree with a lamp. His story is in 1 Samuel. He listened to God call him to service. Another servant of the Lord that I mentioned was David, the shepherd king who is credited with writing many of the Psalms, the songbook of the Bible. His story also begins in 1 Samuel. He is symbolized on the Jesse Tree by a harp. Another great leader of God’s was David’s son, King Solomon, who is symbolized by a crown on our tree. His story begins in 1 Kings. One of the great prophets was Elisha, the very productive successor of the prophet Elijah. Elisha is symbolized on the Jesse Tree by a dove and his story begins in 2 Kings. And then we finally recognize the prophet Isaiah, who talked about a coming Messianic King so much; Isaiah is symbolized by a rose and his story is in the book named after him. A young prophet, sometimes called the weeping prophet, who proclaimed that God would make a new covenant with his people, was Jeremiah. His symbol is the Word of God. His story is also in the book named after him. But we must not forget Nehemiah, another man of God; he is famous for rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and instituting social reforms. God honored Nehemiah for that and his symbol is the Temple and his story is in Nehemiah! God also honored some priests over the years that had visions of God’s glory, and one of them was Ezekiel; his symbol is a wheel, taken from the dream in the book of Ezekiel in which he saw a wheel and God in Heavenly glory! It was spectacular! There were more fantastic stories of faithful people too, including Daniel, symbolized by a lion, and we know why, don’t we? Daniel had survived being in a lion’s den because he trusted in God. It was an amazing story in the book named for him! Unfortunately God had some prophets that tried to run away as well, the most famous one was Jonah. His symbol, of course, is a whale!

As we cross over to the New Testament, we find one of the people who pointed to Jesus better than anyone else! His name was John, and he’s known as “the Baptist.” His symbol is a baptismal shell and he’s described in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John! He had people trying to follow him, but with the integrity that God honored eternally, John said he was not the light of the world or the Christ, but he would show people who was. And he did! He pointed to Jesus, and called him “the lamb of God.” That title was both an honor and a burden: it foreshadowed Jesus’ later death. But God’s plans for Jesus to be born to save would never have been completed had he not found, and had the consent of, a young pure, virgin girl named Mary. Mary was God’s choice to bear his Son. She must have had a wonderful heart, and a good spirit, but also a steadfast faith. Her symbol on the Jesse Tree is a lily and her story is in Luke. As I said earlier, the pieces of the Old Testament puzzle would not have fit together if a man from David’s lineage, Joseph, hadn’t been chosen to be Mary’s husband! And he agreed to these extraordinary circumstances! His Jesse Tree symbol is a saw since he was a carpenter and his story is in Matthew and Luke. Mary and Joseph made the journey and the arrangements described in Luke chapter two. It must have been terribly difficult on them to make a journey of more than 7 days, with crowds on all the main roads going to their hometowns for the census. Mary certainly didn’t know exactly when she would have her baby, but she knew it would be soon! Likely she was very tired and uncomfortable. And the Bible tells us where he was born, doesn’t it: in a manger! Jesus was indeed born in the town of Bethlehem according to Luke chapter 2. And his Jesse Tree symbol is a manger! To some it might have just been an inconvenient birth. But to certain shepherds, to angels, to wise men, and to Mary and Joseph, they knew he was more than a newborn child: he was a newborn King! There were wise men, also called Magi, on their way to see the King! They knew he was going to be born! They had seen it in the stars and their symbol is, therefore, a star. Their story is in Matthew. “Where is he who has been born King of the Jews?” they asked Herod. It must have rankled Herod, who already was king, to hear such a question! But by that time Jesus had already been born. Jesus was what the New Testament calls “Christos” or Christ; what the Old Testament called “Messiah.” The Gospel of John describes him. The Jesse Tree symbol is the chi-rho, the monogram for Christ. He was the one to change the world. And he has. No other one born on earth has affected the world as much as that one solitary life. May the celebration of his birth today fill you with faith, hope, and love. God came to us as a Savior! His name is Jesus. And he will rule the new world with truth and grace! What a gift! Thanks be to God!

Jeffrey A. Sumner December 25, 2011

Posted by Westminster By The Sea Sermons at 12/25/2011 11:00 AM

12-18-11 MARY IS TOLD

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MARY IS TOLD

Luke 1: 26-38

This last week Dr. Alan Wolfelt, Director of the Center for Loss and Life Transition in Ft. Collins Colorado, was in town to share insights with both grieving persons and with those who counsel or comfort grieving persons. It was evident from the beginning that grief, even unmanaged grief, happens to people of every class, every background, and every age. He told the story of a very powerful and wealthy executive who called and booked a three hour time slot with Dr. Wolfelt. He flew to the Center on his company Lear Jet. Upon arrival, Dr. Wolfelt said before they could begin a session, he wanted him to take a chair on the porch of the lodge-like offices, nestled in the Rocky Mountains, and just breathe, look out, and gather his thoughts. The man, obviously wanting to get on with talking, nevertheless did as requested. As he sat down, two beautiful Siberian Huskies quietly and slowly walked to the chair where he was sitting. One was on his right, and one was on his left and, as if on cue, they laid their heads down on his lap, looking straight at each other, nose to nose. For 15 minutes, this busy executive had two well training or perhaps instinctive dogs on his lap, still, breathing steadily, calming him down, and giving his subconscious time to reflect. Then after that time, the dogs arose and left. It was time for the man’s appointment. He spent the next couple of hours in therapy, but at the end his said “Dr. Wolfelt, as good as I know you are from reading your books, the most transformational time for me today was not our conversation, it was sitting there with two beautiful animals next to me and then gently resting their heads on me. What a gift that was.

How few people, from children to youth to adults, find sitting for 15 minutes anything but boring, but in those few minutes of stillness, the man found peace. Most dogs that listen and follow commands have been well-trained; I have seen dogs that were not trained and I’ll take the trained ones any day. Likewise, we have seen children and teenagers, who perhaps reflect a lack of good training or upbringing. Perhaps they are disrespectful, perhaps they bully; some can’t put a proper sentence together or handle simple math. Some have parents who have been unable to parent effectively, or parents who are tired and have given up, or parents and children who fight constantly. Television is filled with the images of rock and sports stars who exhibit extreme narcissism; that is, they act like the world revolves around them. Narcissus was a teenager in Greek mythology who fell in love with his own image when he saw it in the still waters of a pond. That’s what narcissism looks like. Those who fall into that deep hole of darkness often find some of their idols have used drugs to get ahead. The world notices ruefully that court sentences court given out to stars seem to much lighter than they are toward regular public. Yet some still long for that life. Of all the time that children and youth spend in their lives, many of the hours are spent talking or texting on their phones, checking Facebook, or hanging out with friends. So the information they are getting about life is from peers, many of whom are not the clearest source of wisdom; the other place they put great weight is on shows or movies that are created with enough sordid details to make teenagers the greatest source of revenue for the film industry. This is the world that is teaching many of our teenagers.

But, there are those unsung people who are not noticed by many; to the teenagers who are here today, you might sometimes feel unnoticed or unappreciated; or you might be the target of taunters in school. Children may get that in their elementary school too. Are you one of those girls who quietly goes about your work, listening to parents and teachers, and getting good grades? Are you in some good after school activities? Or are you one of those boys who does some of the same things? Long ago, God was not looking for someone who was the most popular at school, he wanted someone who listened at home; he was not looking for someone who had a hundred friends, he was looking for someone who knew Him. God was looking for someone who had been brought up in a good home, had a decent relationship with relatives, and someone who did her chores. On some days this special girl might have even asked herself: “Is this all there is to life: listening, responding, following instructions, and doing for others? God searched the entire planet earth, with eyes better than Google Earth, with a heart who knew the ones he had created, and with a knowledge of his children so complete that he even knew how many hairs were on their heads, how many freckles were on their body, and where they focused most of their attention. God knows and sees you today in the same way. With all the importance of teaching that Santa Claus “sees you when you’re sleeping; he knows when you’re awake, he knows if you’ve been bad or good so be good for goodness’ sake,” it is so much more important to know that God is watching you, and perhaps even deciding whether to choose you for something special or not. God doesn’t do “American Idol” searches or “America’s Got Talent” searches; God searches souls, and situations, not just highways, but also the byways.After all, in the first century he was searching for a human being, a girl, to be the mother of his Son, a Son who would be human-yes, but also be God. He would also need to find the right family where the man would agree to marry this woman carrying God’s child; a man who would still agree to raise this child as if he were his own. It was a tall order. No one knows how long God looked, but God must have looked; and looked; and looked. Of all the wise men or women in the world back then, few if any would have guessed that the mother of God’s son would come from a no-place town like Nazareth. A couple of hundred people their, maybe. And God chose her? God chose him? God chose them? How odd; or was it?

In today’s text, if we read carefully, we find that Mary came from a good family system. Most readings, even ours today, begin with verse 26: “In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.” First, we know God wanted someone from “the house of David” since prophets said the messiah would come from that line. Check. Second, Joseph would have to adopt this boy as his son to make it so. Check. Finally, Mary had to be pure as the driven snow. Check. So much is contained in that one sentence! What is the significance of the sixth month? We have to read the verses before it to find out that her relative (probably a special woman to her) named Elizabeth, had been a person who prayed. Her husband was a priest in the Temple and he also believed strongly in God. Their lack of children would have made people in town, (like the media of today) presume that God had forgotten them or was punishing them. Still their faith taught them not to give up hope, even as they got to be quite old. Then they learned that they, old as they were, were going to have a child: a son! He was to be named John! The Bible says Elizabeth hid herself from the public until her fifth month, perhaps waiting to be sure she would carry the child to term. She did not want to share her joy with others if she was going to have her heart broken again. But her heart wasnot broken; not only was she finally able to share her joy with others, she learns in her sixth month—there’s where the sixth month comes from, it was Elizabeth’s sixth month carry her child—that Mary is being sent to her because she in her young age—perhaps 13 -15 years old—is carrying a child even before she is married! Certainly she is betrothed—that is, engaged, which was much more of a promise than our engagements today, but she had not gone through the marriage ceremony yet. She was ushered out of town, way out of town to Ein Karem where Elizabeth and Zechariah lived. That kept Mary from facing the possible taunting of friends or finger-wagging of neighbors, She would have the support that only God could have planned: a new safe home for the time being with a trusted relative, one who had faith and wisdom to share, one who would nurture her knowledge of God, help her connect the dots of he family tree, and one who could share all the changes of body that a woman has when she is expecting a child. God had arranged for her to be where she could hear human affirmations instead of criticism, a place of joy instead of heartache. And she could connect with God in ways beyond the dreams that a virgin girl might have had a few months before. At her age, most of her friends were innocent as she was; it was only at that age that wise Jewish parents started to find a husband for their daughter. In those days over half the population died before they were 15, so having a girl with many child-bearing years in front of her was ideal. Her parents would look for a man who came from “good stock” as my Georgia aunt used to say; they would check out his parents, and make sure he was good at his trade; and they would see if they could get along with them. They would likely pick a young man a bit older than their daughter so he could protect her, provide for her, and have a little more wisdom than most girls had at that age. It was a loving matchmaking process, although some today may resent their lack of choice in the matter. But check the divorce stats for the first century and compare them with our century before you condemn arranged marriages! God had found the right family: Mary was likely a good learner, a faithful daughter, a girl respectful to her rabbi, and one who did as she was directed to do. Sometimes teenagers who do as their parents or teachers tell them to do today without arguments are called nerds or geeks, and some are teased or tormented at school. But God, and parents, and teachers, and later employers, will call you special; they will call you a blessing, and a joy to have around. I know some excellent students who once did poorly on some tests just so they could get the poor grades, keeping them from being tormented by those who hadn’t studied. But those of you who do well, dear teenagers and children, you will be leading the companies where poorer students may one day be applying for entrance level positions! You keep at being excellent; be quietly excellent. There is so much poor information and damaging information you will find on your social networks; the one God chose years ago was not in a popularity contest, but later she was lifted up as the most revered mother in the world; and I myself lift up Joseph as one of the most revered men in the world: what were his qualities? He was patient; he was able to listen to God and to wrap his mind around something miraculous; and he was also faithful even when his arranged marriage was so different and his wedding plans so altered from what he must have pictured. But he went along with God’s angel. I admire that; the world admires that; and the world honors Mary. Extraordinary things happened to them; it all began to fit into place when they said yes to one of God’s messengers. It might not seem like it now, my teenage students who are here, but when you get through the petty words and actions or insecurity of other students, God—who has known you from the beginning, and has watched your reactions to torment or teasing with tears in his Holy eyes—God will meet you at the end of your torment, or perhaps take you from your torment and say: You; you; do not be afraid; I have been watching how you handle your world. You stand out to me; and I have good plans for you.”

May you go about the good work of listening to your parents even if your friends don’t listen to theirs; may you go about learning when others only want to play; and may you take time for God, by reading your Bible not just owning one; by coming to church, and by talking about your questions to me or to Cara, or to your parents, even if your friends would laugh if they learned you were doing it. God may have more in store for you than you have even dreamed! Don’t let glamorized, over-paid, drug influenced persons on television be your idol! The people the world will never forget, long after the light of the world’s superstars has faded, are Mary and Joseph: chosen by God, to teach our Savior Jesus. God still has plans for the world, and they could include you in some special way! Thanks be to God who, in this busy world, comes along side of us and invites us to stop texting, to stop watching television, to just be still, even for 15 minutes, like a couple of Husky’s taught a busy business man. Sometimes we need someone to just sit with us and be with us. Thanks be to God for those teenagers who choose a different path from the crowd.

Jeffrey A. Sumner December 18, 2011

Posted by Westminster By The Sea Sermons at 12/18/2011 11:00 AM

12-11-11 JOHN PREPARES

--- audio to be added at a later date ---

JOHN PREPARES

John 1: 6-8; 19-23

Many years ago, ocean liners were used for safe travel to far places, not just for cruises. The story is told of a liner making its way across the north Atlantic in normal seas. There were people dancing after dinner, others were at shows, and children were in the play area with a care giver nearby. Before long the weather got remarkably worse; a message from the bridge told people to prepare for rough seas ahead. Indeed they did get rough; plates crashed to the floor, waves smashed onto the front of the promenade deck, and a sense of panic began to rise. Crew members were trying their best to hang onto something while assisting passengers. Some were getting sick while others cried. There were people wondering if the ship would break or capsize. On the whole ship there was virtually no one who was still playing, or dancing, or eating; no one except one young girl. At 9 years old, she was playing with a dollhouse. Although the ship was swaying, she was still playing, apparently unafraid. A mother in came to pick up her daughter who was crying. The mother looked over at that girl and said: “We’re going through terrible waves, aren’t you afraid?” “No ma’am” the girl replied. To which the woman replied, “For Heaven’s sake, why not?” And the girl said to her: “Because my father’s the captain.”

When your father is the captain of the ship, and you have trusted his strong back, his steady hand, and his wise decisions all your life, then you can ride out the storm. Then it does not matter what you know, it matters who you know and if you trust that person. When I need help, I have a file that includes the names of people I call to help in different situations. Do you do that? Do you have people you consult, or that you would recommend to others? I try to fill my life with people I can recommend. My children say to others, “Dad always knows a guy.” I know and trust the one who sells me cars, the one who fixes my air conditioner, the ones who replaced my roof, and the one who put in my landscaping and sprinkler system; I also trust the one I have gone to for pastoral counseling. And I know and have recommended realtors, attorneys, and financial consultants. I am less anxious knowing there are experts I know and trust. I know people who will steer me back on course if I start drifting. I am married to a person I trust and I have children I trust; I have a staff I trust and people in the church I trust. What do people do when they have gotten consistent bad advice, have consistently had bad relationships, or have regularly made poor life choices? Where do those people turn? What can they do? Or do they just begin to trust no one?

One of the ways Christians—good and faithful ones, not the ones who just say they are Christians—can guide others is by reflecting the light of Christ in what they do. Are you and I on someone else’s list under a heading like “faithful Christian friend,” or “a real Christian?” Might people turn to us as ones who point to Christ as Savior; who trust Christ to guide our lives; or who can give advice when a friend’s life seems off course? I have spent my life getting to know Christ and making him known. You probably have a story to tell about your finding Jesus as your Savior as well. Was it at a church camp or retreat; was it when you hit your lowest point in your life; or was it just because a neighbor invited you to come try his or her church? Someone, or something, led you to Christ. It happens every day and it first happened long ago.

It was a man named John (known as the Baptist, not the writer of the gospel) who first led people to Jesus. John was a charismatic man; many people followed him; he was a purist, he was an orator, and he had two clear purposes: one was to expose any who were hypocrites, and the other was for sinners to repent. “You brood of vipers!” he cried out. “Bear fruit that befits repentance, and do not begin to say, ‘We have Abraham as our father!’” [Luke 3: 7-8] Translation for us today: “Turn back! Turn from sin! Do not try to hide behind the title ‘Christian’ unless your life reflects that truth!” But John was treated as an expert: he knew Scripture, and even more, he knew Jesus. Just six months older that Jesus, John was one who knew him well; he watched him grow up, and now John began to fulfill his God-given mission: to identify Jesus as Messiah. Even John’s mother, Elizabeth, identified the child her kinswoman Mary was carrying as “blessed.” That child was Jesus! When people came to John asking for advice; advice like “Who has the truth?” “Where is the light?” or “Who should I follow?” John fulfilled God’s plan for his life. He was one who preached, and also one who baptized; but mostly he directed people to Jesus. His message was “Prepare!” and “Repent!” But his actions lead others to the Christ.

Isn’t the purpose of nearly every Christian the same thing? Aren’t we also called to encourage those we know to get ready, because we have witnessed the sudden deaths of others and learned that we do not know the day or the hour that will be our last? Isn’t our role also to reflect the one who is light of the world with our actions and words? Part of our role is to help people see that the Kingdom of God is beginning to break in even now. The world is filled with people who just live in the moment; they rarely plan for what may happen. Sometimes it’s because of poor planning, or sometimes because of choice, and other times because of poverty, but I am amazed at how many people walk around with virtually no insurance. Many don’t plan for their demise or for possible catastrophes and others simply chose not be plan; but we can be like John: we can urge others to be ready. We may have a better idea of how to get a home ready for guests than how to get human hearts ready to welcome Jesus. Welcome involves things like a rugged self-examination of our own life; an acknowledgement of sin; a desire to live a better life; and the consulting of an expert: perhaps another Christian or a pastor to help you get started. This is when your non-Christian acquaintances might be turning to you. You, this season, can be like John or like Philip( who I’ll describe in a moment) : they both honored and pointed people to Jesus. If we are poor witnesses, never inviting others to know Jesus, or never pointing others to him, or forgetting to constantly reorient our own lives toward the one who is “The Way,” then we indeed are not like John. But we are called to be like John: to point to Jesus with our lives and our lips.

Let’s look briefly at what John and Philip did: The Gospel of John says this about John the Baptist: “There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light …. He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.” God is not praised by egotistical people thinking they are the light of the world! But God is praised by someone who is spiritually lost, or looking for a referral, coming to you for help. The classic definition of a person connecting another person to Christ was written by D. T. Niles. He says inviting others to know Christ is like “One beggar showing another beggar where to find bread.” I wonder how many opportunities present themselves to us each week that slip through the cracks of our distractions, or our unwillingness to get involved, or our rationalization that a lost person just needs space, when really they need the light? The Bible has many witnesses; John the Baptist is just one of them who, in our text today, rightly turned away self-aggrandizing titles and said instead, “I am the one crying in the wilderness.” There are plenty of people lost in America today in the wilderness of December. Your Christianity is your tether, your lifeline; it is your mooring to the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. It is incumbent on us to know our faith and to know our Lord. If people really challenge you about your Christian knowledge or faith, what kind of answer is it to say: “Ask Jeff, or Cara, or Richard?” We are not the light; show others how you know Jesus as your light. If you’re not sure how, plan to come along side of those who ask you and learn more about Him together; or you can plan to study more next to other such beggars. Many who follow Jesus are not preachers or prophets; they are simply followers. Philip was also a follower. Right after Jesus invited him to be a disciple, Philip also invited someone else to also come and meet the Messiah! “I have found the one of whom Moses wrote!” Philip said, and he immediately hit by a negative comment, like might happen to us when we invite someone else to try our church. Nathaniel scoffed at him, but Philip persisted: “Come and see.” He didn’t have to do anything more than to challenge him “Come and see.” He pointed a reluctant friend to Jesus. Philip is like any one of us: an ordinary person. He was called by Jesus, but so are you; he had a choice of following or just being a bystander. “No thank you,” he could have said to Jesus. But he didn’t.

Certainly December can be an invitation time for the world. “Prepare” is supposed to be the work of the uncommitted, the unbeliever, or the uninvolved person. It is not supposed to be for the Christian who already knows Jesus. But if you have failed to live by your baptism vows; or if your zeal for your Lord lapsed a while ago, or if there is a danger of Jesus saying to you face to face one day “I don’t know you,” then you prepare. Prepare again; or prepare for the first time. Then reflect the light of Christ, and refer people to him, and let them know that he is your anchor, your lighthouse, on life’s stormy sea. Let them know that he is your captain. If your Bible knowledge of Jesus knowledge is shaky, commit this season to start to know him better. You have lists of people you trust and call in many times of need; could you be on someone else’s list of who to call for spiritual help? Does someone else see Christ reflected in you? You can tell them about the true God: the one who loved us so much that he came to earth in Jesus to save us; the God who always is looking for the return of any prodigal children. Bear witness to the light of the world; his name is Jesus.

Jeffrey A. Sumner December 11, 2011

Posted by Westminster By The Sea Sermons at 12/11/2011 11:00 AM

12-04-11 ISAIAH FORETELLS

Download | Duration: 00:13:31

ISAIAH FORETELLS

Isaiah 40: 1-11

The mother called down the hall to her son who was apparently still sleeping in his room. “Son!” (No answer) “Time to get up and get ready for church!” (No answer) “I’ve made breakfast for you!” (Still no answer.) She went down the hall and opened his door. “I don’t want to go to church” he said to her, his head facing away from her, his body under mounds of covers. “But son, you have to go to church” she said. (Silence) I’ll give you two good reasons why you have to go: First, it’s Sunday and it’s the right thing to do to go to church. And you know the second reason: “You’re the Pastor!” Can you imagine a pastor who needed the comfort of his dark room instead of the confrontation of his congregation? I was there in 1987, and that dreadful time from which I was finally delivered gave me the topic for my planned doctoral thesis. When I became the Moderator of our Presbytery in 2002, I told others about the time of my need for comfort, the dreadful dark night, and the burnout that had hit me those years earlier. Three other ministers came up to me that day to say that they too were about to break. Those ministers needed comforting words from God, or from someone. Even Pastor Rob Bell, the author of several books being studied here on Wednesday nights and the creator of the NOOMA DVD series, told about his experience at the huge church that he had founded: One Sunday morning, before the 11:00 service, he recalled “I could feel my car keys in my pocket, and all I could think about was how far I could be by 11 a.m. How much gas was in my tank? How fast could I drive? Sitting in a chair in a storage room behind the sound booth, I could hear the room filling with people, and all I wanted to do was leave. What do you do when you’re a pastor of a church, it’s Sunday morning, the parking lot is filling with cars, people are finding their seats, the service is about to start, and you are scheduled in a few moments to give the message and you realize you have nothing to say? How did it come to this?” [VELVET ELVIS, Zondervan, 2005, p. 096] Rob Bell also needed comforting words from God, or from someone. He would not be the first or last preacher to need comfort. You might remember the story of Elijah who was a prophet. In 1 Kings he battled and won against the prophets of Baal. Afterwards King Ahab, and especially his wife, Jezebel turned all their subjects against Elijah; he felt alone; he wanted to die; he could fight no longer. He climbed into a cave. It’s recorded in 1 Kings 19. Elijah needed comforting words from God too, or from someone. And in the Gospel of Mark, we read that Jesus, in his first grueling preparation for ministry, was driven into a wilderness for forty days of hunger, thirst, and temptation by Satan. At the end of the time he was fragile and weak. And Mark 1: 13 says “And the angels ministered to him.” Jesus needed comfort from someone, and angels did the comforting.

Before we jump into the words recorded in Isaiah chapter 40, we need to decide how to say it, how to do it, and to whom to offer it. “How to do what?” you may ask; how and when to COMFORT. The first 39 chapters of Isaiah describe the catastrophic fall of the Southern Kingdom of Judah and its capital, Jerusalem, to the Babylonians. Like the smoke and ash in New York City after 9/11; or the tremendous destruction caused by hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, or the destruction caused by an American bomber over Hiroshima Japan to help end World War II, the results were sheer devastation. That’s what Jerusalem would have been like. In addition, the Temple-the house of God-was not only destroyed, it was desecrated with foreign idols and sacrifices. Was God still with his people? Was God dead? Did God care?

It was years later, after a generation or so of Jews had moved away from the rubble of Jerusalem to livable Babylonian cities that life had changed forever for them. They not only had to mingle with unclean Babylonians, some even married them. They had to get Babylonian jobs and play by Babylonian rules. It was years after the first devastating changes set in that Isaiah’s words reached new ears. The people had lost all sense of self, and purpose, and of connection to their God: perhaps its the way some people you know have done after a disaster or a war; or after a child or spouse dies; perhaps its the way some you know have reacted when a fire destroyed everything they owned; or it may have been the way someone acted when a disease took a special life. Think about something, anything, that desperately crumbled you; or that brought you to your knees in prayer. How long was your agony? A month; a year; a lifetime? Are you still stuck in that darkness? Or do you know someone who is? Like the years that went by for Judah, God’s word can come to you today, and to those you know, as it came to God’s people over 500 years before the birth of Christ. At long last, Isaiah did not just bring God’s warning. This time, Isaiah was bringing God’s c-o-m-f-o-r-t. Say it slowly; say it gently, like you’re offering it to shaking puppy or a bunny; or a terrified child; or a man with a nervous breakdown. Comfort. Let it envelope you, or the broken person you know, like a blanket; like a comforter. Isaiah said to Judah that her warfare was ended; what has been the source of your own personal warfare or anguish? What must it have been like for prisoners of war to finally, finally get word that their war was over? That’s what Isaiah declared: The war is over! Now the nerves of the people, for the first time in years, could start to come down from the ledge. People could start to eat more normal meals; they could hug their family. Still, some things might haunt them forever.

At Advent, we cannot truly receive God’s word of comfort, with all it’s meaning, unless we re-imagine the time we were so terribly uncomfortable. Dare to remember those times today; remember them if you can, whatever it was for you; and then imagine God sending angels to comfort you. What was your pain; or what is your pain today? What is the shadow side of you that keeps you from looking forward to anything at Christmas? See what you can name of anything that has frightened or unnerved you. Go back to the time when you felt alone, or vulnerable. If you can go there in your mind, you can also step somewhat into the shoes of the Jews of long ago; their homes were pillaged, their women were molested, and their sacred spaces were profaned. Finally the Persians defeated the Babylonians, and King Cyrus of Persia permitted people to rebuild their faith and their city. Shell shocked, they began to do so. And you can too; perhaps you already have rebuilt your life from what devastated it. But if you haven’t yet, you can. Others here can walk with you. And as with Jesus, who once was parched, starving, and tempted, you too can experience God’s angels ministering to you. Open your eyes to watch for them; then close your eyes in regular prayer to God. And finally, know that in this month and throughout the year, you can be, and are, surrounded by angels sent to comfort you, and by a loving God, who will not let you go.

Jeffrey A. Sumner December 4, 2011

Posted by Westminster By The Sea Sermons at 12/4/2011 11:00 AM

11-27-11 KEEP AWAKE

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Today is the first Sunday of Advent which is also the first day of the Christian New Year. This year, the Christian Year, marks and celebrates the presence of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Advent proclaims the coming of Jesus the Christ at Christmas, the incarnate presence of God in human flesh, whose life is fulfilled in his resurrection on Easter Day.

And to celebrate the beginning of this wonderful season, we have this strange passage from Mark which is sometimes called the “Little Apocalypse.” It doesn't seem very focused on the holiday, now does it? Instead of joyful cheer, we get this passage about the future and destruction and the coming of Christ. While we are waiting for this momentous event, we have a call to keep awake!

Keep awake? We can do that. We're down right good at keeping awake, staying long hours at work and play. We stay awake on Black Friday to buy more or to stand in more and longer lines. On other days, we stay awake to surf the Internet mindlessly, check our work e-mail from home while we give our children dinner, or work a few extra hours because the house feels too lonely. We keep awake, keep moving, keep consuming as much and as quickly as possible so we can get lost in the succor of noise and department store lights that masks our deep spiritual lack, our profound loneliness and our agitated listlessness.

But the command of Jesus isn't to keep awake and keep moving. Rather it is to keep awake and to wait. And wait. And wait still. This is the discipline of Advent, and, in some ways in our modern culture of frenetic activity, it is more difficult even than the penitence and denial of Lent. Advent is about waiting actively.

So what does it mean to “keep awake?” Being spiritually awake is a state of awareness. This awareness sees life as God desires us to see it, full of its hopes and possibilities; as well it’s suffering and longing for completeness. It is an active waiting and watching. Buddhist thought calls this an attitude of mindfulness.

In Living Buddha, Living Christ Thich Nhat Hahn writes, “In Buddhism, our effort is to practice mindfulness in each moment – to know what is going on within and all around us. When the Buddha was asked, ‘Sir, what do you and your monks practice?’ he replied, ‘We sit, we walk, and we eat.’ The questioner continued, ‘But sir, everyone sits, walks, and eats,’ and the Buddha told him, ‘When we sit, we know we are sitting. When we walk, we know we are walking. When we eat, we know we are eating.’ Most of the time, we are lost in the past or carried away by future projects and concerns. When we are mindful, touching deeply the present moment, we can see and listen deeply, and the fruits are always understanding, acceptance, love and the desire to relieve suffering and bring joy. When our beautiful child comes up to us and smiles, we are completely there for her.”

Have you ever waited for someone when you weren't quite sure when they would arrive? When any passing car might be them? In our world of cellphones this is something that not everyone has to go though. But when I was a kid, waiting for my parents to pick me up at the community pool, I didn't have the luxury of a phone call. I would pace and watch and keep all of my attention focused towards the road I knew they would be driving down. Every time a car would start down the road I would tense, looking to see if it was my folks. All of my senses were focused in one place. That is active waiting.

That’s the kind of waiting this passage has in mind, an active waiting that has come to know full well that the one who is coming is recognizable, even before fully arriving. Jesus’ message about his appearance encourages advocacy, not idleness. Expectancy means looking alertly for opportunities to come alongside Christ and embody Christ’s purposes in the present, as well as in the future. We expect he’s all around us.

And here's where Mark's otherwise confusing and alarming passage has something to say. Because after all the predictions about the end, Jesus says that no one will know the day or the hour and so we have to keep close watch. He goes a little further, actually, and compares our situation to that of servants who do not know when their master will return and yet are expected to be prepared for it. One way to read this mini-parable is as a call to constant vigilance. And I think there's something to that. We are indeed called always be on the look out for our Lord – whether at the end of time or, as we noticed last week, in the face of our neighbors' need.

Because Christ is coming. But Christ is always coming. Christ is always here. Christ is present when we gather. Christ is present in the hungry that we feed or the poor that we clothe. This passage is a reminder of what it means to prepare for Christ. Advent is more than just a time of decorations and presents. Of festivity and cheer. It is a time when we are actively anticipating Christ. A time when we seek to get ready for him. Christ is coming! And the world is far from being in good shape for him, is it?

On this First Sunday of Advent the Church chooses readings which concentrate on theme of watchfulness and staying awake and aware. We begin a new liturgical year by reflecting upon the ultimate reason for our existence, the journey back to God. We do not like to think about death, do we? It can leave a bad taste in our mouth. Yet, it is only through death that the great Christian paradox, that eternal life comes through death, can be experienced.

We remember Jesus' words: "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." In order to appreciate fully the significance and power of the Incarnation, the Church asks us to consider our mortality and need for God while exhorting us to vigilance and preparedness in our day-to-day Christian journey. The parable of the doorkeeper challenges us to wait patiently and be ever watchful for Jesus' coming, for we do not know the day or the hour.

Just for a moment here at the beginning of advent, I want to take a moment to ask what if. What if we all needed to prepare for the end? What if you knew you had only one month left in your life? Would you finish up important matters at work? Would you travel to a place you always wanted to go? Would you pray more, go to church more, do that generous act you always wanted to do for others? Would you find ways to leave a mark on the world? Would you reconcile a fractured friendship?

When we start answering yes to these questions, we indicate that in our last days we would be better stewards of all the things God has given us in this life. We would be better at it than we are now. In the intensity of last days, we would live better, be better. We would be more generous, more focused on the most important things in life. The question is: Why do we need to be under threat of death to prepare for Christ?

Yes, there’s an impracticality to living as if it were the end when it’s really not. If I knew my life would really be over in a month, I probably would jump on a plane and visit some places I’ve longed to see. But since as far as I know, I’ve got much more than a month, I know I have bills to pay and obligations to tend. Living entirely as if it’s the end would be irresponsible. But does our best stewardship have to exist only in our imaginings of 'what ifs'?

I think we find here that Jesus calls us to do both: to live with the intensity of last days while living our regular lives. He reminds us that we are not just for this world, and he liberates us to work with courage, with hope. End times, whether personal or world wide, call for tall towers of hope. They call for a complete reordering of priorities. End times call for alertness, sharpness, a mindful awareness. They tingle with expectation. The way this passage tells us to live all of our lives. It’s not about the end of world, but about the living in it.

Once asked what he would do if he believed the world would end tomorrow, Martin Luther is said to have responded, "I would plant a tree today." Luther knew that preparing for Christ meant taking care of the world around him. We also, confident of God's love and sure of God's promises about the future, can also invest in the present, in the everyday and the ordinary, in the people and causes all around us. For we have God's promise in the cross and resurrection of Christ that in time God will indeed draw all of God's creation not just to an end, but to a good end.

What I am trying to get at is this: Rather than get bogged down trying to describe final events in detail, rather than cringing in fear or going to excess in the pursuit of pleasure while we have a chance, we are to continue living each day no matter what may come. But we are to move ahead wide-eyed, using our gifts, talents, abilities as fully as possible, flexible enough to be molded by the circumstances and opportunities and challenges that may be part of an uncertain future. We are called to live lives of joyous mindful awareness. “And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”

Posted by Westminster By The Sea Sermons at 11/27/2011 11:00 AM

11-20-11 HONORING THE LORD OF HARVEST

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HONORING THE LORD OF HARVEST

Matthew 25: 34-36

This past week 36 of us joined together in a guided pilgrimage of the Land of God known as Jordan and Israel. Our time together taught us about the land, and about history, about the Bible, and about each other. But it was in a most unusual way that a new insight came to me about today’s parable. It is known as the last judgment; also called the story of the sheep and the goats, and it features the words of a King, Jesus himself, who said “whatever you have done to the least of these, you have done to me.” A wonderful Christmas story in our church library is called “Shoemaker Martin.” It was written by the great Russian author Leo Tolstoy, originally in a story for all ages called WHERE LOVE IS, THERE IS GOD ALSO. It describes how a man, wanting to see Jesus, did not realize how he had seen is Lord through helping a poor woman, a young boy, and other. But in the Holy Land this time, my perceptions of this parable of the sheep and goats changed. Today I’m asking you to join me in considering why Jesus would have chosen these particular animals as descriptions of the type of human beings who one day would be on his left and on his right.

First, goats are useful, sheep are helpless. Goats can be left on hillside and they will eat nearly everything in sight with no harm to themselves! Perhaps a cure for diseases may one day come from examining the lining and the make up of a goat’s digestive track. They are remarkably resilient. They can also get out of the way of many predators; some have horns to defend themselves; and, they can be a source of milk, meat, and fur. Fur. You might wonder about that one! But as our guide told us and showed us on Mount Nebo, Bedouin men who live off the land cut the hair from goats in order to weave it into a virtually weatherproof piece of material, the kind of material that they used to make tents, large ones in which families could live. The goat hair is naturally water resistant, it breathes to allow circulation, and yet it also acts as insulation in cold weather to keep warmth in. When we were on Mount Nebo, we were exposed to the weather that was rather chilly with a brisk wind one morning. But when we entered a goat-haired tent the size of a large dining fly, the wind chill rose at least 20 degrees; we were comfortable and dry. Our guide said in the summer the goat-haired tents had the opposite effect: when the sun created scorching heat, the tent this time lowered the temperature at least 20 degrees. It is likely that the Apostle Paul used goat hair among other materials to make the tents that were part of his trade too. So goats are useful for their hair, their milk, and their meat. By contrast, sheep also are useful for their fur, their milk and their meat but the similarity stops there. Put sheep on a hillside and they too will eat everything in sight, but 90% of it will make them sick or kill them! They have tender stomachs, are helpless and nervous around predators, and they need constant supervision. How interesting, so far, that the choice qualities Jesus describes for human beings are to be like sheep; what is it about sheep that our Lord loves?

Perhaps we have a clue now: point number two: goats are independent, sheep are dependent. As I have taken our children years ago into petting zoos, they soon found the little goats their wanted to jump on them and chew their clothes. And if they had a bottle of formula with which to feed them, the goats became persistent pests. Sheep, on the other hand, listen for the voice of their shepherd; sheep know the voice of the good shepherd and only trust the steady and ever-present care of their shepherd. Sheep need a shepherd to, as Psalm 23 says, prepare the tableland for them, pulling up poisonous weeds and leaving the good grass; sheep need the shepherd to dam up flowing water so they can drink because running water gets up their nose and stagnant water attracts insects and germs. The sheep need the shepherd to protect them from enemies, and the shepherd uses a rod, a staff, and perhaps a slingshot to do so. And sheep need ointment, a kind of natural insect repellent, applied to their forehead to keep biting flies away. When flies pester them, they lose weight and the owner blames the shepherd for their poor condition. Sheep need a shepherd; a goat needs none of that special attention, preferring to live independently. In fact goats thrive with independence. They are also the animals that can climb sure-footedly into the high reaches of jagged mountains, thwarting all but the most skilled predators. Goats are amazingly well-equipped by their Creator God! So the goats, or the people like goats, are on the left—the hand of curse—and the sheep are on the right—the hand of blessing? How can this be?

Let’s look at one more angle. Point number three: goats are opportunists, sheep are loyalists. Goats look for the next thing to eat, the next thing to try, and the next thing to destroy. Sheep, by contrast, are always looking for their shepherd, especially when they get into trouble, which is constantly. A good shepherd might need a good dog to help round up the sheep, or a good animal to ride to keep up with their sheep, which may unexpectedly encounter danger. Sheep cannot defend themselves; nor can they eat safely without their shepherd, or spot danger. Their fur has to be regularly cut to control the heat in their bodies; not so with goats. Perhaps the picture of the sheep and the goats is starting to take on meaning for their human counterparts.

For the last two summers our Mayberry Bible Study has been extremely popular. In the first episode of the Andy Griffith show, Andy, a single father, is trying to get his boy, Opie, used to his Aunt Bee coming to live with them. Aunt Bee helped raise Andy, and he could see he needed her to help to raise Opie. But Opie, like a goat, would have no part of it at first. He and his “paw” were doing just fine without her help. She would try to cook his favorite foods and he wouldn’t eat them; she would try to fish with him and she didn’t do it right; she would try to play ball with him and she was all thumbs. Then in the last scene, as Aunt Bee is leaving because she can’t get Opie to get attached to her (he was acting more like a goat than a sheep!) Aunt Bee says to Andy “He’s a very smart little boy.” Just then Opie, who had overheard the conversation, runs down from his bedroom in his pajamas. “Don’t go Aunt Bee, I don’t want you to! I want you to stay!” His stand surprises both his pa and his aunt. His pa asks him if he means it, and if so, what changed his mind. “Well if she goes, what’ll happen to her?” Opie explains. She doesn’t know how to do anything: play ball, catch fish, or hunt frogs: she’ll be helpless!.... So, that’s why she’s gotta stay; so I can teach ‘em to her.” And the turning to his Aunt he throws his arms around her and says: “You need me!”

Like a loving aunt who couldn’t find a place in her nephew’s home until Opie’s heart opened up, Jesus is our good shepherd, but he is very ineffective with goats; human ones, who stubbornly keep their arms, and their minds and their hearts closed to the need for a shepherd. Human goats can be opportunistic, stubborn, and self-serving. Human goats are willing to feed, clothe, or visit other people only if others are watching and they are sure that their efforts will count with God! They only act when it serves their business goals, or when someone they want to impress is looking! But when the eyes are turned away, or the camera is shut off, or they are not getting credit for a planned philanthropy, they are all about their own business, not the business of caring for others. Human goats are “self-serving.” Attitudes and motivational reasons are different between human goats and sheep. The human sheep are not self-serving; they are “Son-serving.” They do what Jesus would do, even if no one is looking; they care for others even if no one is keeping score. And they think about others more often than they think about themselves. Human sheep are dependent, rather than human goats that thrive on independence. Like Aunt Bee needed to be needed and wanted in order to be a good surrogate mother, God needs to be needed and wanted by us as well. Our good shepherd knows us, and we need to be tuned in to his voice above all others! Those who don’t need God are more like goats than sheep. Those who plan their own life rather than working the Master’s plan are more like goats than sheep. And those who are helpless without a good shepherd are just the ones that Jesus wants to claim, Once he claims you, you can receive his insights and the Holy Spirit. Jesus needs us, and others, who will be, like sheep, in his flock. He wants you; he hopes you need him as well.

This parable has one group who helped others saying: “Lord we didn’t even know it was you!” It has another group who helped no one that said “Lord, if we had only known it was you, we would have helped them!” When the Son of Man returns in his glory and sits on his glorious throne, on which side of Jesus will you be found?

Jeffrey A. Sumner November 20, 2011

Posted by Westminster By The Sea Sermons at 11/20/2011 11:00 AM

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