People of the Promise: Elizabeth

Advent 3, 2024

There are no “small” roles!

When Elizabeth discovers that Mary is pregnant with Jesus, Elizabeth does something amazing (Luke 1:39-55).  Instead of feeling threatened that her own pregnancy would be overshadowed, she rejoices and magnifies Mary’s joy.

What allows Elizabeth to do the almost divine thing here, to celebrate, free of jealousy, for another’s humans success?  Perhaps it is her conviction that she had a part to play in God’s unfolding drama in Jesus Christ.  Elizabeth knows in this story, every role, every person matters.  This allows her to rejoice in her own role and rejoice to discover how God works in the lives of others.

That said, in Elizabeth’s life, there were many times when she wasn’t sure what her role actually entailed.  In our lives too, we don’t always know.  Instead, we must live by the promise, that we matter to God and that God’s mercy is from generation to generation.  For the stuff that Mary sings about — the world turning upside down — doesn’t happen overnight and requires our faithful actions over the generations.

People of the Promise: Mary

 Advent 2 (Dec 8, 2024)

Pastor Rob begins his sermon by admitting that he has an obsession with correctly loading the dishes.  It turns out for that task — and for many others — we need information.

Mary is given the world’s biggest task, namely, bear the son of God in her womb.  Yet, God gives her an incredibly little amount of information.  Why is this?

Pastor Rob reflects on the call of Mary as well as our own callings in life and reminds us that ultimately, if we follow the call of God, we will discover the cross.  If we knew all about the crosses we would face in life, we might never get out of bed, much less say yes to God’s call to love and serve our neighbor!

Instead of information, Mary is given two things.  First, a friend who is wise.  Second, the promise that “Nothing will be impossible with God.”

These two things God also gives to us.  And with them, we can say, like Mary:  “Lord, Here I am.  Let it be with me according to your Word!”

Easter Eggs for Advent

 

Advent 1 (December 1, 2024)

Did you know that Barbie was launched on March 9, 1959?  It turns out that the makers of the Barbie movie made the odometer of the car read “030959” in homage to this date.  This is one of many “Easter Eggs” in the film; many films have “Easter Eggs”, references to other films or historical events.  You likely miss them the first time, but when you replay the movie, they bring a smile and recognition that the director is good and creative.

In life, God drops lots of Easter Eggs for us — small things that point us to the fact that life’s “director” is faithful, creative, if not even humorous.  

Yet, we miss them!  And even when we see them, we often struggle to believe that they are revelations of God’s goodness in our lives.  

In the story of Zechariah meeting the angel Gabriel in the temple (Luke 1:8-20), Zechariah struggles to believe.  Zechariah’s struggles of faith are like ours, as life grinds us down, closing off our heart to God’s work in our lives.

Pastor Rob reminds us that the solution of the angel for Zechariah’s unbelief is silence. Likewise, the medicine for our inability to see the “Easter Eggs” is silence.  This Advent, these weeks leading up to Christmas, we too are invited into silence, to contemplate the Easter Eggs both in Scripture but also our lives.  For God, in Jesus Christ, has promised to be faithful to us, even when we struggle to believe.

The Love of Power or the Power of Love?

 Christ the King Sunday (Nov 24, 2024)

The trial scene of Jesus before Pilate has two witnesses, one testifying to the power of love (Jesus); one testifying to the love of power (Pilate).

After reflecting on how we see these two worldviews colliding throughout history, both in secular society but also in the church, Pastor Rob brings it back to our lives. 

What does your life bear witness to:  The power of love or the love of power?

This testimony is first borne out in our lives.

This testimony is also borne out at the communion rail, where we acknowledge both our tendency to give into the love of power, but also confess our ultimate hope in the power of love, who is Jesus.

The image of from James Tissot’s work:  Jesus Before Pilate, Second Interview (Jésus devant Pilate. Deuxième entretien), 1886-1894

Giving as Obedience and Defiance

 

November 10, 2024

Jesus praises a poor widow for giving two small coins to the temple treasury.  In itself, this is a powerful story of sacrificial giving.   What really makes it striking though, is that this very temple is declared to be corrupt by Jesus.   Yet Jesus still praises her.

When we give as Christians, we do so in a world in which there is corruption, greed and hardness of the human heart.  Yet Jesus still commands and praises generosity.  Why? 

— Giving is an act of obedience to a faithful God; it declares human sin will not limit God’s action
— Giving is an act of defiance to a faithless world; it declares human sin will not limit our action

The sermon ultimately focuses on the faithfulness of God, for Jesus’ teaching and life — as well as the ministry of St. Paul congregation — bear witness to how God works in, with and under generosity.

Sunflower on the Road

All Saints Sunday 2024 (Nov 3)

The sunflower on the maintenance road didn’t get the memo — it didn’t belong there and it was too late in the season.  Yet it was there, and for the folks walking by, it became a beautiful symbol of God’s faithfulness.  In spite of how broken our world is, there remains enough signposts and sacraments, signs of God’s goodness, that we are forced to reckon with the reality of God’s presence and faithfulness in our lives.

This All Saints Sunday we reflect on the sunflowers on the road of our lives — the people whose presence bore witness to God’s faithfulness in our lives.  We link back to Jesus meeting people on the road of life’s sorrows (John 11:32-44) as he becomes the chief sunflower on the road for us.

Freedom to Serve Others

 October 20, 2024

Jesus offers us a freedom that at first seems like a strange freedom:  The freedom to serve others.

We are inclined to think of freedom differently, as the ability to do what we want, when we want to, because we want to.  Yet, precisely if we’ve swum in those moral waters, the “do what you want” waters, we realize that freedom is not freedom and is not life.  We are hungry for a different kind of freedom.

This freedom is the freedom Christ gives – the freedom to love and serve others.

To reflect on this freedom, we look at the life of the Apostle John.  He had many chapters in his life – chapters of arrogance, chapters of grief, chapters of rivalry.  Yet he writes a book whose chapters are about humility, resurrection and fellowship.  What happened to him?  He followed Jesus, who was not simply his teacher, but his ransom, who set him free to serve others.

(Note, in the middle ages, people would often symbolize John with an eagle, for his Gospel “soared” above the others.  John certainly had insight and talent, but it would need to be set free, free from his own agenda, his grief and his rivalry.  This striking image was found on Flickr; the artist, Lawrence OP, as beautiful photos of church art.)

Am I rich?

 October 13, 2024

“I am the rich Jesus is talking about???”

When Jesus says, “It is easier for a camel to enter through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God” many of us as Americans get uncomfortable…

Are they for us?  Are we the rich Jesus is addressing?  Or do the rich refer to the “Scrooge McDuck”s of the world, the people obscenely wealthy?

Pastor Rob offers two questions to wrestle with in determining whether our money is a problem

1. Do our possessions possess us or do we possess our possessions?
2. Is our identity wrapped up in our wealth and possessions?

Toward the end of the sermon, Pastor Rob offers two powerful words of grace

1. We are works in progress, trying to figure out faith and finances
2. We are worship in progress.  Life is about more thing than consumption of things, it is about worshipping the Lord!

I believe, help my unbelief!

 

October 6, 2024

“I believe, help my unbelief!” cries the father who has brought his sick son to Jesus (Mark 9:24).

Like all who have long prayed for a suffering family member, the man is brought to the brink.  While he sees the strength, conviction and love of Jesus — before his very eyes — he acknowledges the forces against him are ancient, mighty and hideous.

A reflection on what we do when we find our own prayer the prayer of this father — “I believe, help me in my unbelief.”

This artwork is from an artist named Judy Cooley.  

What we do in life echoes in eternity

September 29, 2024

“What we do in life echoes in eternity” – a stoic philosopher said it first (Marcus Aurelius) but most of us know it through the movie Gladiator.

When one hears the Gospel today (Mark 9:38-50), one could argue that Jesus seems to say something similar, as he both promises blessing and warns of condemnation based on our actions.  It is true that our actions can have a huge impact on the world around us and long into the future.

However, it is a bit more marvelous and subtle that this, because Jesus has made a choice that echoes throughout eternity as well, namely, he chose to go to the cross, condemn evil and then bring forth new life.

Servant of All...One Person at a Time

 

September 22, 2024

Jesus today offers words we like want to soften:  He calls his disciples to be last of all and servants of all (Mark 8:30-37). 

At first, this sounds impossible. The only person who ever was servant of all was Jesus.

Yet, Jesus does show us a way forward.  Right after calling the disciples to be servant of all, he embraces one child.  Jesus is servant to all…one person at a time.

Likewise, Jesus invites us to serve others, one person at a time.

 

Our Father in Heaven, Our Kingdom Come

September 15, 2024

Peter has committed his life to follow Jesus.

Peter is the shining student, confessing Jesus as the Messiah (Mark 8:27-38).

Then, all of the sudden, Peter is being rebuked by Jesus.

What gives?

Most Christians do not succumb to blatant worship of idols; but we often lose ourselves, even when pursuing the faith, hope and love.

A reflection on our capacity to make the good into a false god…and God’s capacity to cause repentance and resurrection.

The image is taken from a church website about our tendency to make idols.

We are Works in Progress

September 8, 2024

As Jesus is healing a man’s blindness, the man says “I can see people, but they are like trees walking.”  (Mark 8:14-26)  This prompts Jesus to work more on the man’s eyes.

It turns out that Jesus really has to work to heal the man!  The story serves as a key to understanding Mark’s Gospel in that Jesus repeatedly has to work on the disciples to open their eyes and hearts.

Like the original disciples, we too are works in progress.  We are beloved, capable — saints; but we are also broken, selfish — sinners.   Our whole life Jesus is working on us.

If we take it that we are, indeed, “Works in Progress”, what doors to relationship does allow for?  And what does it mean for us that our society remains a “Works in Progress”?

Perhaps the short answer is — our hands are going to get dirty!

Calories are both Physical and Spiritual!

 September 1, 2024

Once again, Jesus is criticized by religious leaders for his mealtime practices (portions of Mark 7).  Turns out, he is always being criticized for WHO eats with him, WHAT he eats and HOW he eats.

It would be easy for us to judge the religious leaders of his day, but turns out, in our world today we have lots of rules, judgement and shame around the WHO, WHAT and HOW of food.

So what do we do?  We can’t quite give up on food!

Pastor Rob picks up the idea of “spiritual calories” and our need for spiritual nourishment.  While there are many ways to find “spiritual calories”, this particular Sunday we are invited to consider ways in which we might reclaim our eating as a spiritual practice.  In so doing, our physical nourishment also becomes our spiritual nourishment.  Ultimately, we cannot give up on food and eating as spiritual, for Jesus himself does not, choosing to become our physical and spiritual bread.  In so doing, he turns our shame into joy!

Do you also want to leave?

 

August 25, 2024

A google search on “Sunday Morning” comes up with a lot of images — but almost none of them church (or the Bible)!

As we live into this time – a great unchurching of the United States – we hear the question of Jesus to the disciples:  “Do you also want to leave?”

For many of us, though, we say no, we want to stay in the community of faith, we want to follow Jesus.  

Why?  Why do you attend and participate in a community of faith?

You Only Live by Grace!

 August 18, 2024

“Take heed therefore — making the most of your time”  St Paul, letter to the Ephesians (Chapter 5:15-16)

YOLO — You only live once.  This is what is often said now when someone wants to encourage us to pursue adventure and indulge ourselves!!  In short, play hard!  This is especially true in our post COVID world, one that has realized how preciously short and fragile this one, holy and previous life that we have is. 

But is YOLO the Christian response to the shortness of our life span?  

Pastor Rob reflects on how for Christians we are called not simply play hard; or do avoid play altogether, but discover where our play and work meet each other.  When our work and play become each other, then we discover we are praising our creator.

Yet…there are times when work and play do not overlap.  What then?  We discover we need something more than YOLO — We need YOLG — You only live by grace!!

Grace, Taylor Swift and a neighborhood bully

 August 11, 2024

“Be gracious, as God graced you in Jesus Christ”  Paul, to the Ephesians.

What does grace look like in our lives?  (Standing out in the rain listening to Taylor Swift concerts from the city park?)  How do we extend grace to others?  (Including neighborhood bullies?)

A reflection on how God gives us our daily bread, the grace that forgives and opens our hearts to forgive others.

Less Politics, More Neighbor

 July 7, 2024

The Presidential debates of this past June were met by many with frustration and anxiety; they felt like one more sign of the dysfunction and malaise hanging over our political world.

Pastor Rob reflects on Mark 6 when Jesus sends out his disciples. The world they lived in was a world of brutal political and social realities.  Yet Jesus still sent them out.  

It turns out, that Jesus has sending his disciples out over the past 2,000 years, even though the world has been — at all times — complex, fragmented, broken and sinful.  This includes countless Christian women — who couldn’t vote in the 19th century — making quilts to guide slaves along the underground railroad.  The political dysfunction of society does not limit the capacity of disciples to be faithful to God. 

Pastor Rob exhorts us to focus less on the political reality we live in and give more heed to what we can do for our neighbor.

The sermon concludes with a reflection on what this might look like for us to live as a people of hope in this time and place.  

The artwork is from the Smithsonian Museum website.