Balaam and the Donkey

Bible Characters You've Never Met Like This:

Balaam and the Talking Donkey

Sermon:  June 16, 2013

"Unusual Characters of the Bible" Series

We've decided to spend the summer looking at some Bible characters that you may have never heard of before...  Maybe somewhat "odd" stories...  The stories that make you wonder, "why on earth is that in the Bible?"

Well...  If the Bible is meant as a way for God to speak to us about who God is - and who we are - and who we are in relation to God....  Then there might as well be some odd stories, right?!  Let's face it...  We've all got our own brand of "odd" going on.  So, yes, even as we look at the story of a pagan - or unbelieving - seer...  One who has an interesting story with his donkey who spoke to him...  It is possible to see glimpses of ourselves...  We just might have to look a little closer than usual.

Have any of you ever heard of the Christian musician Rich Mullins, write of "Awesome God"?  He was hitting his stride in the late '80s and '90s - a wonderful singer/songwriter!  (Unfortunately, he died a tragic death in a car accident in 1997...  Way too soon.)  But one thing he liked to say, is that the Bible is full of "weirdoes." 

He liked to point out that the Bible is full of odd characters and odd events.  And because of them being "odd" - we tend to just skip over them and pretend they're not there.  We go onto the stories that seem familiar and somewhat normal...  But really?  Think of the most well-known stories in the Bible - the Christmas story for instance.  It seems normal to us, because we tell it over and over and over.  But it was anything BUT normal when it was first told!  The same with the Good Samaritan.  The word "samaritan" had exactly the opposite meaning in Jesus' day - but now it's always linked to "good."

Interesting stuff, right?  Well, as we continue our summer quest of looking at some of the weirder stories and characters in the Bible...  Today we'll meet one that may make you scratch your head and wonder why on earth God works the way God does sometimes...  Because, like I said, I think there's a lot to learn from even these ordinary, messed up, sometimes odd people in scripture because it helps us to realize that even when we are ordinary, messed up, and little odd- God can work in our lives, too.  Just like God worked in theirs.  So welcome today, to the world of Balaam and his donkey!

In the book of Numbers, chapter 22, we begin the story of Balaam and his donkey - and without the context and what led to this incident, it may seem like a tall tale, a fable, or folklore...  So let's take a look at what has brought us to this story...

Basically, you have the people of Israel, who have been wandering in the wilderness, through the desert for 40 years - and now they are starting to approach the Promised Land.  Their wandering is coming to an end...  Finally!  But they have a few countries left to travel through, first.  Edom, Ammon, and Moab.  They tried to ask for peaceful passage through these places - but the nations were scared of such a large nation of people and made war on them instead.  But scripture tells us, that God was with God's people and helped them defeat these nations and conquer their lands.  (Take that, you who don't want to cooperate with God's chosen people!)

Well, one of these countries was Moab - just on the other side of the Jordan River from the Promised Land...  So close, yet so far!  The king of Moab was a man named Balak - a man a little wiser than the other kings.  He knew the Israelites victories weren't from their own strength - and that he would need something more to defeat them...  So he sent for a prophet, Balaam, to come and help him.

Now Balaam, himself, is an interesting kind of guy.  He wasn't one of the Israelites - so not a follower of God...  Yet, he did act as a prophet of God.  It's always interesting to me when we find these people in the scriptures that were not God's people - yet God was able to work through them and change their hearts to God's ways - one of my favorites is Rahab...  People who God spoke to in their unbelief and in the midst of lives and settings that were anything but loyal to God - and God was still able to speak truth to them. This could be our first lesson from this story:  There is always hope for us, no matter where we may find ourselves on the spectrum of belief.  God can speak to us, and others, wherever we may find ourselves - no matter the setting or circumstance!

But back to Balaam...  Balaam received Balak's messengers, heard their request, and his answer?  I have to check with God first about whether I should go or not.  Interesting...  So he went off and prayed, and when he received his answer, he came back to the messengers and replied that he could not go.  So, they went on their way - and that was the end of the story.

Right?  Nope...  Balak was a stubborn man and knew his best chance at cursing the Israelites was with Balaam's help.  So he sent his messengers back to Balaam - with the promise of a great reward if he comes.  This gets Balaam thinking...  And he agrees to ask God again. 

(And this is when things start to go awry for poor Balaam!  He had asked God.  God said no.  But like a little kid, with hopes of reward, he decides to ask again...  Don't we all do that when we don't like the answer we are given?  I know I do!  Ask my husband, Mike!  How many times do we find ourselves bargaining with God - hoping to get our own way?  Or how many times do we find ourselves ignoring the answer we're given - because it's not the answer we wanted?  We don't like it!  Lesson number two - watch how this works out for Balaam...)

God doesn't want Balaam to go...  God's made this clear.  But after the second request, God decides to let him go.  With one condition - Balaam must do exactly as God says.

Woohoo!  Balaam's looking forward to his reward and gets started on his journey...  And this is where we will pick up scripture today.  We'll be reading Numbers 22:22-35.  (Found in your pew Bible on page 140.)

²² God’s anger was kindled because he was going, and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the road as his adversary. (Not a pretty, ethereal, beautiful angel the way we think of them...  They never were in this context.  This angel was fierce and ready to strike Balaam down if he disobeyed God!)  Now Balaam was riding on the donkey, and his two servants were with him. ²³ The donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand; so the donkey turned off the road, and went into the field; and Balaam (who could not see the angel) struck the donkey, to turn it back onto the road. ²⁴ Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on either side. ²⁵ When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it scraped against the wall, and scraped Balaam’s foot against the wall; so he struck it again. ²⁶ Then the angel of the Lord went ahead, and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left. ²⁷ When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam; and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff.

Here again, you might find yourself in the story...  How often have you punished someone for doing something that was actually good for you?  Maybe they were warning you?  How often have you - in your own stubbornness (and I may be the queen of this), refused to see what those around you see, and were unable to hear them or be open to their council in the midst of a situation?  We can learn from Balaam and his donkey, that sometimes it may be worth paying attention to those around us...  Even when we'd rather not.  Sometimes, they can see a situation more clearly than we can.  Sometimes, they may know something we don't.  Sometimes, God may be nudging them to warn us, teach us, guide us - God working in our lives...

Here is where the story gets a little fun... 

 ²⁸ Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” ²⁹ Balaam said to the donkey, (he gets really mean now - now that he has someone who talks back!  First incident of road rage?!) “Because you have made a fool of me! I wish I had a sword in my hand! I would kill you right now!”  (Balaam had to be pretty upset that this was happening in front of Balak's messengers...  Sound familiar?  Have you ever found yourself treating strangers better than your own family?  Have you ever worried so much about what a stranger thinks of you, that you treat those who love you and know you best in a horrible way?  There's something a little messed up and odd about that way of being - isn't there?  Balaam was worried about his image - we worry about our image.  We worry about what people think...  And then those closest to us, get our exhausted, frustrated leftovers...  Lesson three from Balaam...  Don't let strangers get the best of you and loved ones get the worst.)

 ³⁰ But the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, which you have ridden all your life to this day? Have I been in the habit of treating you this way?” And he said, “No.”  (Hmmm...  Good point, huh?)

³¹ Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed down, falling on his face. ³² The angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? I have come out as an adversary, because your way is perverse^[b] before me. ³³ The donkey saw me, and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away from me, surely just now I would have killed you and let it live.” (And Balaam begins to see the whole picture...  What he thought was making him look foolish, was actually saving his life.  He quickly realizes his error - the danger he was in - and repents!)   ³⁴ Then Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now therefore, if it is displeasing to you, I will return home.” ³⁵ The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men; but speak only what I tell you to speak.” So Balaam went on with the officials of Balak.

Lesson four from our oddball friend, Balaam:  Sometimes, the whole picture becomes clear - and God can use any number of ways to show us that big picture.  But when we recognize our messed up, crooked, foolish path - we know we don't have to stay on it.  We can choose to follow the path God has laid out for us instead.  Because isn't that what it's all about?  In the big, over-arching, story of God's love - God has proven to always be with us, for us, and loving us through it all.  In Balaam's smaller story - God led an unbeliever to do the right thing for God's chosen people.  And when Balaam thought there might be a better way - he asked again.  Yet, God still protected him - through the nudges offered by a donkey. 

God had a path for Balaam - just as God has a path for each of us.  We learn what that path is through following God - worshipping with other believers, reading the scriptures - even the crazy stories of the oddball characters - and learning about who God is and how God relates to little 'ol me.  We learn about God's path for us through paying attention to the often ignored "nudges" of the Holy Spirit present in each of our lives...  Through friends and family, through strangers...  who knows?  We may not have talking donkeys making things crystal clear for us - but we do know that God works in mysterious ways!

So, today we learned four important things from our oddball friend, Balaam:

1.  No matter where you are on the spectrum of belief, today, at this moment, right now...  No matter what the situation or where you may find yourself - God can always be there, seeing you through, speaking truth into your life.

2.  Sometimes, we receive an answer from God that we don't like.  I have - have you?  And we try to override it and think we know better.  In my life, that hasn't panned out so well.  It didn't for Balaam either.  Maybe we could all do a little better at following God's path, instead of our own...  A hard lesson to learn, I know!

3.  Pay attention when others try to warn, guide, or love you through a situation...  They may be attuned to what is happening more than you know...  They may see the situation clearer than your emotions allow you to...  God may be speaking through them!  (And don't put your image in front of strangers before your relationship with loved ones...  No one wants to be the donkey in the story!)

4.  And lastly, we never have to stay on a crooked path.  God is always there, ready to steer us back to the path of abundant life!  We just need to step back, see the big picture, open our eyes to where God is leading us - and take the next step.

Here's some questions that may help you to ponder the meaning of this story for your own life...  Feel free to pick one and pray about it this week...

1.  Where do you identify with Balaam the most?  (Do you tend to ignore God and go ahead with your own plans?  Put your own motives first - but with the best of intentions, of course!?  Is the path of difficulty the only way God can get your attention?  Is that the only way you recognize the holy in God?  Or are you willing to turn back when God says so?)

2.  How do you respond when life gives you a midcourse change in direction?  (Do you get mad at God?  Get defensive?  Lash out at others?  Beat up on yourself?  Or ask for forgiveness?)

3.  What could help you choose the path God hopes for you to follow?  (Read and learn about more of these characters that are more similar to me than I would have thought?  Trust in what I do know about God and my relationship with God?  Pay attention to God's nudges?  Pray more?

Remember that singer I was telling you about earlier?  Rich Mullins?  He used to say that we could learn something from Balaam's donkey.  He reminded us that God used a donkey to speak.  And God may still speak through "donkeys" today.  So when we feel that God is speaking through us - or to us - from the world us around us....  Pay attention.  They may not be what or who we would hope to be teaching us, guiding us, showing us the path...  But Balaam certainly didn't expect a donkey to set him straight, either!

You just never know what oddball way God might work in your life today!

Let us pray:

Gracious, and surprising God, we thank you for all the ways you break into our lives when we least expect it!  We thank you that we are blessed in knowing that you are with us no matter how far away we may feel - no matter how hard-to-reach we may seem...  That you never give up on giving us the abundant life that you see for us.  We ask you, Lord, for the courage and the strength to see you in the world around us - to discern when it is you leading us and guiding us towards the path of life - and for the wisdom to know when to follow and when to take a different road.  We ask for blessings on those relationships that are loving and healing and forgiving - that we strive to treat them with love and respect and always put them before the "image" we create for others.  Help us, Heavenly Parent, to be the people you see we can be.  Help us to listen, to notice, to follow, to guide.  Help us to be your voice in the world...  Sometimes unexpected...  But always in love.  Thank you, God.  Amen.

Sticky Faith

Sticky Faith

Sermon 04/14/13

"Sticky Faith" Sermon Series

 

Today we begin a conversation about "Sticky Faith."  What does it mean to be Sticky?  What does it mean to share our faith?  What does it mean to, especially, share it with younger generations?  Do you have to be a child's parent to impart messages of belief?  Do you have to be their grandparents, aunt, or uncle?  Is the job only left to Sunday School teachers and Pastors to raise our kids in faith?  Is it always "somebody else's" job?  Or do we truly believe in the "it takes a village" sentiment?

Here's where I would like us to start...  Close your eyes.  Picture an adult from your life, a moment from your life, that made a difference in your faith.  Maybe it was a family member.  A church member.  A teacher.  A friend.  A neighbor.  Picture that person.  What did they do or say that encouraged you?  Supported you?  Made you wonder?  Made you feel loved, valued, accepted?  Made you feel like you weren't alone?...

If you've got somebody in mind, I want you to write their name on the post-it note in your bulletin.  Take it home - pray for them, if they're still alive, write them a thank you note.  And put the post-it somewhere where you will see it every day over the next month, as we talk about why Sticky Faith is important.  That person made a difference in your life...  How can you pass it on?

As I was thinking about why this idea of Sticky Faith is important to me...  I realized it's because I had so many people throughout my life come alongside and guide me in the moments I needed it most.  And every one of them played a part in who I am today.  If it had just been left up to my parents - I would have gone to church, but maybe would have stopped going after high school, like so many (up to 70%) of kids do.  If it was just up to my Sunday School teachers, I would have quit church in 7th grade. (There's a story there - but we don't have time to get into it.  Let's just say, my Sunday school teacher is in prison...  Crazy!)

We moved a lot as I was growing up - we started attending church full time when I was 5.  It was a huge, old, stone church in a small town in Ohio.  It was dark inside...  and the sanctuary had a cavernous feel.  It intimidated a painfully shy little girl.  But upstairs, and around the corner, there was a classroom with two little old ladies who knew my name the first day, who were always happy to see us, who sang and laughed with us every week.  (Most of the funny childhood church songs I still know, I learned from them!)  I don't remember their names, but I can picture them in my head - with their perfect white wispy curls and colorful church dresses.  They made me feel accepted and welcomed, just because I was there.

In fifth grade, I got to move into the "cool" class.  Ms. Nancy was my teacher.  She was cool and hip, and made us all laugh - even while teaching us lessons about the Bible.  She liked to make our class memorize things - which I have always been horrible at!  We had to memorize the 12 disciples names and the 23rd Psalm, among other things.  It always took me weeks longer than the rest of the class to complete the assignment...  Everyone would get stars on a chart when they did it - and my spot was left open for a while...  But the thing about Ms. Nancy?  When I finally did get it - it wasn't "well, it's about time!"  No...  She made it sound like I got the winning homerun of the game!  As soon as I could recite the verse - she'd throw a party.  It wasn't about me - it was about the whole class - but she never made me feel like I was holding things up.  She made me feel loved, valued, and accepted no matter what.  And in getting the rest of the class to cheer me on - she made sure I never felt like I was all alone.  When we moved away from Ohio, she gave me a card with a handwritten note about how much she enjoyed knowing me - to a painfully shy kid?  That meant the world!  I still have it...

My 5th grade teacher, Ms. Leffel, also went to my church.  It was a weird mix of worlds as a 5th grader...  I found myself watching her more carefully at school - and noticing that she was a little different from some of my other teachers.  She was warm, happy, welcoming, excited to see us - and she laughed, a lot.  Which I loved about her.  She didn't necessarily talk about her faith at school - but knowing she had faith made all the difference in how I viewed her.  She was kind - always.  She made every kid in class feel loved, valued, and accepted - no matter what.  And she always had this way about her that made it seem like we were all on the same team.  Never alone.

We moved to California when I was in 6th grade - and I found a new teacher that had a profound effect on my life.  Mrs. Langer was a quiet older lady...  Short and a little messy.  I was starting a new school and once again, painfully shy.  But she was interested in art and music.  She would spend big blocks of time in class introducing us to artists like Georgia O'Keefe and MC Esher - both of which drew my attention.  She'd play classical music while we read or wrote.  She made us write our own books - complete with illustrations.  She noticed my creative talents - and encouraged them, giving me a voice and an identity.  She saw into me and noticed gifts and talents I didn't even know existed at the time.  She loved, valued, and accepted me.  And in her guiding, I knew I was never alone.

Next, we moved to Minnesota in the middle of my 7th grade year.  (We only lived in California for a year and a half - my family refers to that time as the "extended family vacation.")  This was a hard move.  Junior High kids can be mean.  I was coming from a different way of life and was suddenly being judged for my clothes, what folders I had, where I lived, what my hair looked like...  It was rough.  And I wanted nothing more than to go back to California.  But we started going to Eden Prairie United Methodist Church - and I found a place that I could be myself in.  I had a Sunday School teacher that I still run into occasionally.  He talked about real life, actually read from the Bible and challenged us with questions about what the scriptures meant, he shared his thoughts from his weekly Bible Study - and was always thrilled to see us!  He knew I craved a little deeper discussions, and wanted to learn about prayer and devotions - and he always took the time for me.  He was patient.  Kind.  And willing to share his faith journey with a bunch of teenagers - no matter what their response might be.  Drake, and his wife, Terry, were special people to me at a time when I could have easily decided I didn't need to go to church anymore - they knew me.  Noticed me.  And noticed if I wasn't there...  And that meant something!

This weekend, our Children's Ministry Chair, Leslie Watkins, and I attended SPLASH - a children's ministry conference - and I had another reminder of an adult who made an impact on my faith life.  The summer between my junior and senior year of college, my home church in Eden Prairie was going through a Youth Ministry crisis - the Youth Director had quit and they needed someone to keep the momentum going through the summer.  I applied and they hired me as an interim youth director.  I had a blast that summer - but really didn't know what I was doing!  The Children's Ministry chair, Deb, took me under her wing and showed me the ropes.  Deb had known me since I was in 7th grade - and was excited to work with me and teach me knew things.  I learned all kinds of things from her - as well as a bit about her own faith journey.  She was my "partner in crime."  I hadn't seen her in many years, and yesterday as I scooted into a workshop a little late - one seat was open in the class, and halfway through the presentation I really looked at the person next to me...  And guess who it was?!  Deb!  We had a great laugh - and shared ministry stories.  So fun to be reunited with someone who played a role in where I am today - and gave my faith a nudge at just the right time in my life as a young adult...

I could go on and on with examples of adults who played an important role in my faith life.  There were neighbors who invited me to their Vacation Bible Schools, the people who sat next to us in the pew every week and always wanted to know what I was up to - and noticed if we missed a Sunday, older church members who treated us like we were their own grandkids...

What was it about these people that made them so important to me?  What was it about the person you remembered a few moments ago that made them so important to you?  Did they have seminary degrees?  Did they know all the right answers?  Were they hip and cool?  Were they related to you?  Most of the people I mentioned didn't have any of these things.  That wasn't what mattered.  What mattered was that they saw me.  They knew my name.  They accepted me as I was.  They valued what I had to offer.  They loved me - for just who I was at that moment.  And I never felt alone when they were around - they never would have let that happen.  They made sure I knew that they were there for me.

That's what sticky faith is all about.  It's about sharing our lives and our faith with those around us.  We talk a lot about sharing the good news with co-workers, neighbors, friends...  But we forget that our youngest church members need to hear and see about God's work in the world - and in our lives - too.  We take for granted that if they're in our building somebody's teaching them...  so we think we don't have to worry about it.

We may be a "multi" generational church - but it takes work, and love to be an "inter" generational church.  Remember family gatherings?  Sitting at the "kids table?"  I hated that as a kid.  I wanted to hear the stories the adults told.  I was curious about their lives and what was important to them.  I studied them to learn how to behave at the table...  But though I craved to be part of that world - I still got stuck at the kiddie table...  Isn't that what we do to our kids at church?  They can come in and look cute for a few minutes - but then they are sent down the hall to rooms that many of you have probably never even visited...  Do you know the names of 5 of our kids?  Do you know what they are interested in?  What makes them laugh?  Do they know your name?  Would they feel like they could ask you for help if they needed it?  Something to think about...  What if everyone in our church was valued?  And what if - we all decided to share our lives and faith together? 

Because here's the deal - the idea of Sticky Faith is totally Biblical.  Jesus said, "let the little children come to me."  Jesus said we have to become "like children" to enter the kingdom of God.  (And who's going to teach us - and remind us of what that means, if not our kids?)  God loves children - and asks us to share that love with them - with each other.  This idea of Sticky Faith is bigger than Youth Directors everywhere wanting more help with our youth.  It's bigger than me and my dreams for what our church could be.  This is God's vision for us.  So don't just trust me - trust God.  Because God can and will give us all the wisdom, guidance, courage, and ability to reach out to others in love - even our kids!

At some point, each and every one of our kids will get to an age where they get to start deciding if they come to church...  And with today's busy schedules and array of things competing for their time - the only way a youth or young adult will make their church community a priority, is if they feel like they matter there.  They need a community that values them - and not just says they value them, but lives it out in words and actions.  They need a place that has purpose for them.  Why do they need to be here?  What do they have to offer?  I think all too often, we give youth especially, the idea that they're not quite good enough.  The littlest kids are cute and entertaining to have around.  But once you hit 7th grade - we don't understand you.  We're a little intimidated by not knowing your language, your technologies, your interests...  And so, instead of asking and taking the time to get to know them - we keep our distance.  Which tells them they aren't important and we assume their parents and youth director are all they need.  But it's so not true....

Sticky faith is about helping our youngest members to develop an internal faith and an external faith - a faith that is their own, and that is lived out in decisions and actions.  Something we definitely learn by witnessing how others live, learning by example from trusted friends.  Sticky faith is personal faith - but also communal.  It's about being part of a community - and we learn about being part of a community when we are invited in, cared for, and given a purpose within that community.  Sticky faith is about spiritual growth - the process of always learning and growing.  We don't continue growing on our own - we need one another.

And we certainly don't have to be perfect to come alongside a youth or child - and just be their friend.  I love the quote, "people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people never forget how you made them feel."  All those people I mentioned from my childhood?  Half of them I don't remember their names, or specifics about their lives....  But I know how I felt when I was with them - and that's what made all the difference.  Everyone of us can be that for our kids. 

The Sticky Faith book and resources comes out of research done at Fuller Youth Institute - research into young people's faith as they exit high school and enter college - and beyond - and the practices that can lead to lifelong faith and service.  I'll be honest, the statistics in the first chapter are daunting.  And it feels a little hopeless at first...  But I love what the authors wrote about why they wrote the book:  "a major reason we wrote this book was our deep desire for kids to journey through life with the God who loves them more than they can even imagine.  You - who are reading the book and part of the conversation - are more than a launching pad for that journey; you are also an ongoing companion, guide, and fellow journeyer."

If you have a single kid in your life...  Read this book.  It tends to talk about things from a parent's perspective - but any of us can use these ideas with the kids we know.  And it's practical.  There's no silver bullet to giving a kid a life of faith - but there are ideas in how to be that guide along the journey.  And does it mean my life has to be perfect?  That I have to have all the answers and never have made mistakes?  Absolutely not!  It means I have to be willing to listen, to share, to hear what they are saying, to question things with them...  To know their names.  To accept them for who they are.  To value what they have to offer. 

You see our littlest kids every Sunday during the children's chat - and occasionally when they sing for our worship service.  They're cute, full of giggles and smiles.  They come with silly answers and sometimes big questions.  Sometimes, they like to tell Pastor Penny that she gives them the same blessing every week!  We see bits of their individual personalities shining forth - and it's easy to say hi to them, because they're cute and little and bounce on by!

But what about our youth?  We have some great youth in our church!  They tend to sneak around under the radar...  I'm guessing they talk to very few adults on a Sunday morning.  But for goodness sakes - say hi to them!  They are funny, smart, full of interesting thoughts and ideas.  They're creative and willing to try all kinds of new things.  They're willing to be silly one minute and work hard to serve others the next.  They're in every sport under the sun.  And they can surprise you in all kinds of ways.  The girls in youth group asked for a book study about spirituality...  Whoa!  We started last week and had a blast together!  (The boys prefer paintball for Jesus - but that has its moments too!) 

Here's the thing - they're technically still kids.  Their brains are still developing - and body chemistry is messing with them something fierce right now.  Sorry guys - but it's true.  That's part of what makes people your age intimidating to some.  You're learning how to be in the world - and it's a process, so it's ok to be in the "kid" category...  And adults - that means it's still your job to reach out.  It's not their "job" - but yours.  It's your job to notice the youth that sit in the pews around you.  The kids that are in line for treats in front of or behind you.  Tell our acolyte what a fine job they did today!  Instead of watching the kids scurry through the entry way into the youth room - say "good morning!"  Ask their names.  Names matter.  Using someone's name says "I see you" and "I know you."  Tell them your name - and quiz them on it the next week!  They like games! 

Why is all of this such a big deal?  Why does it matter if our kids come to church - if they decide to stay a part of a faith community throughout their lives?  Is it about making sure our numbers are "up" in the coming years?  No...  Not at all.

For me, it's about our kids knowing a God that will always be with them.  Revelations 1:8 says, "I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."  Pastor Penny likes to remind us once in awhile, that if you live and breathe, you will have trouble in life.  We all do.  The gift is in knowing that God is with us when that trouble strikes.

I moved a lot as a kid.  I was lonely.  But not at church!  I started suffering from migraines in 3rd grade.  They got reallllly bad in college - so bad, I became depressed when my grades faltered, I had to give up volunteer positions, and I worried about jobs and friendships.  I developed insomnia - and no one, not even counselors took any of this seriously.  Life got hard.  It got dark.  And really scary for awhile....  Bad choices were made.  And life got even harder.

And you know what got me through?  My faith.  In those hopeless moments, opening my Bible to the verses I learned as a kid.  Dragging my butt out of bed and going to church.  Prayer.  No one really taught me how to pray...  But I read somewhere that it was just a conversation with God - and I remembered how Drake prayed at the end of our Sunday school classes...  And I started to pray on my own...

What would have happened to me if all those people along the way hadn't seen me?  Hadn't encouraged me?  Noticed me?  Valued me?  Accepted me?  Let me know that they were with me?

What if they had never shared this thing called "faith" with me?  The message that God is with me - God has always been - God will always be.  That God has been with them in their darkest days - and continues to be with them as they live their everyday, ordinary lives...  That God celebrates the bright and shiny moments with them - and cries tears of heartbreak when it all falls apart.

Because that's what I think matters - yes, it's fun to debate the big theological questions - and kids are great at asking them.  But in my mind - God's too big to ever know those answers!  It's the everyday that matters most to me...  It's the everyday love and acceptance that I try to share with our kids.  And that's something we can all share with our young people!

The author Anne LaMott shares a story about when she was a little kid.  She had been out playing and going farther and farther into the neighborhood, until she realized she didn't know where she was anymore...  She was lost.  In her wanderings, she found a police car and told the officer she had gotten lost and the officer asked if he could take her home.  She said yes, climbed in, and when he asked where her home was...  she said the name of her church!  She couldn't remember her address - but told the officer if he took her to her church, she could always find her way home!

Isn't that what we want for all of God's children?  A life oriented from a sense of "home" in God's family?  A purpose and community - where we are loved, valued, and never alone?  Where in those darkest moments of life - our souls have been opened to knowing God's love - in the midst of it all?

How can you be a person who helps to nurture that in our faith family?  How can you pass on the gift that your person (on your post it) gave you?  If we believe that God truly was, and is, and is to come - the beginning and the end - isn't that a truth worth sharing?!  Amen!

Jesus and the Adultress

Traveling with Jesus:  No One is Innocent

Sermon 2/17/13

First Sunday of Lent

 This past Wednesday, we once again entered the season of Lent.  We observed and experienced the holiness of Ash Wednesday...  We picked up stones - reminding us of the "hardness" that brings weight to our lives.  We were marked with the ashes - a remembrance that we are "dust to dust," that life is short, that there will be sorrow and darkness in this journey.  We were blessed with the words "Believe in the Gospel.  God loves you."  A reminder that through those days of darkness and drear, God is with us.  And on our way out of the sanctuary, we dipped our fingers in cool, refreshing water.  A symbol of being washed clean, new beginnings, forgiven, and free.

Ash Wednesday can be seen as a marker...  Another year has passed.  It's a time to begin examining our faith journey once again.  In the past year, birthdays and anniversaries have been celebrated.  Jobs and careers have shifted or ended.  We've seen tragedies and joy.  Throughout all of our life experiences, we have been changed.  We are not the same people we were at this time last year.  And so we come to another season of Lent as changed people with new eyes and a new heart.

As I was reading one of my favorite blogs last Wednesday, I loved how she spoke of this as a day to consecrate the moments and not just the grand gestures...  A wonderful vision to have as we move into our scripture reading today.  Here is what Sally Howell Johnson (a pastor at Hennepin Ave UMC) wrote:

These seasons and rhythms of the church year are a way of reminding us to do just this.  To pay attention to the moments and not just the grand gestures.  Easter will be the grand gesture and certainly an important one.  It is the day most churches pull out all the stops to tell the story of who they are.  But the truth is we live our lives in the moments.  And it is the moments that beg to, long to, deserve to be consecrated.

Consecrate: to set aside or declare sacred...  It is not a word we use very often in every day speech.  We can tend to imagine that consecrating is something people, usually ministers or priests, do and others cannot.  And yet, at least for me, what I believe is that when those ordained in their faith consecrate... bread, water, wine, people...  what is really happening is the recognition and honoring of the sacred nature that already exists in these thought-to-be-common elements.  It is a deep recognition of the presence of God in all.

{On Ash Wednesday} we take the ashes, black and sooty, a substance that resembles soil and consecrate it.  We say words and make music and hold this black substance at the center of the worship we make.  Finger touches ash and then the forehead of each person who comes to be reminded of the fragile, precious life they are living.  The invitation is to pay attention to how Jesus' life...  going into the wilderness, temptations, healing, laughter, storytelling, time spent with friends, encounters with enemies, betrayal, commitment to God, suffering, death...  informs our own living of these same experiences.  Most of these are not grand gesture times but moments in which, if we are aware, hold seeds of the sacred... 

And so the journey begins...

Beautiful words to lead us into this season of Lent.  For the next several weeks, in our Sunday worship, we will be traveling with Jesus in those last weeks of his life.  We'll be noticing moments that held sacred seeds of teaching...  See people who were consecrated in love, by Jesus.  Be witnesses to small details of the story that happened so long ago - but that affect how we live in this moment, today, right now.

We begin with the story of Jesus meeting the adulteress - a reminder that we all live with a little bit of shame...  Maybe it's the private kind - something that eats at you behind closed doors.  No one knows.  But you know.  And that's enough.  Or maybe your shame is public -  a label put on you by society, a failure, a disease - it could be an imagined shame that you put on yourself or something very real - but whether it is private or public, imagined or real, shame is always painful.  And it doesn't get better until you face it.  Today, this adulteress that we meet represents the shame in our lives.  Many characters in the Bible can.  But we're going to let her embody them all today - a story of failure.  A story of abuse.  A story of shame...  But also, a story of grace.

Reading from John 8:1-11.

Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple.  A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them.  As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and Pharisees brought a woman they had caught in the act of adultery.  They put her in front of the crowd.

"Teacher," they said to Jesus, "this woman was caught in the very act of adultery.  The law of Moses says to stone her.  What do you say?"

They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger.  They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, "All right, stone her.  But let those who have never sinned throw the first stones!"  Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.

When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman.  Then Jesus stood up again and said to her, "Where are your accusers?  Didn't even one of them condemn you?"

"No, Lord," she said.

And Jesus said, "Neither do I.  Go and sin no more."

We like this story, don't we?  But why?  Some of us relate to the Pharisees...  We like to recognize the wrong doing - and do the finger pointing.  For some, we see ourselves as the woman because we realize who is forgiven in this story.  But many of us would prefer to be the crowd...  Neutral.  We want to appear to be followers of Jesus gathered around him to listen to his teaching...  But how do we live out the teaching, once the excitement starts?

Let the story sink in, as I read it in the words of Max Lucado...

That's her, the woman standing in the center of the circle.  Those men around her are religious leaders.  Pharisees, they are called.  Self-appointed custodians of conduct.  And the other man, the one in the simple clothes, the one sitting on the ground, the one looking at the face of the woman, that's Jesus.

Jesus has been teaching.

The woman has been cheating.

And the Pharisees are out to stop them both.

"Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery."  The accusation rings off the courtyard walls.

"Caught in the act of adultery."  The words alone are enough to make you blush.  Doors slammed open.  Covers jerked back.

"In the act."  In the arms.  In the moment.  In the embrace.

"Caught."  Aha!  What have we here?  This man is not your husband.  Put on some clothes!  We know what to do with women like you!

In an instant she is yanked from private passion to public spectacle.  Heads poke out of windows as the posse pushes her through the streets.  Dogs bark.  Neighbors turn.  The city sees.  Clutching a thin robe around her shoulders, she hides her nakedness.

But nothing can hide her shame.

From this second on, she'll be known as an adulteress.  When she goes to the market, woman will whisper.  When she passes, heads will turn.  When her name is mentioned, the people will remember.

Moral failure finds easy recall.

The greater travesty, however goes unnoticed.  What the woman did is shameful, but what the Pharisees did is despicable.  According to the law, adultery was punishable by death, but only if two people witnessed the act.  There had to be two eyewitnesses.

Question:  How likely are two people to be eyewitnesses to adultery?  What are the chances of two people stumbling upon an early morning flurry of forbidden embraces?  Unlikely.  But if you do, odds are it's not a coincidence.

So we wonder.  How long did the men peer through the window before they barged in?  How long did they lurk behind the curtain before they stepped out? 

And what of the man?  Adultery requires two participants.  What happened to him?  Could it be that he slipped out?

The evidence leaves little doubt.  It was a trap.  She's been caught.  But she'll soon see that she is not the catch - she's only the bait.

"The law of Moses commands that we stone to death every woman who does this.  What do you say we should do?"

Pretty cocky, this committee of high ethics.  Pretty proud of themselves, these agents of righteousness.  This will be a moment they long remember, the morning they foil and snag the mighty Nazarene.

As for the woman?  Why, she's immaterial.  Merely a pawn in their game.  Her future?  It's unimportant.  Her reputation?  Who cares if it's ruined?  She is a necessary, yet dispensable, part of their plan.

The woman stares at the ground.  Her sweaty hair dangles.  Her tears drip hot with hurt.  Her lips are tight, her jaw is clenched.  She knows she's been framed.  No need to look up.  She'll find no kindness.  She looks at the stones in their hands.  Squeezed so tightly that fingertips turn white.

She thinks of running.  But where?  She could claim mistreatment.  But to whom?  She could deny the act, but she was seen.  She could beg for mercy, but these men offer none.

The woman has nowhere to turn.

You'd expect Jesus to stand and proclaim judgment on the hypocrites.  He doesn't.  You'd hope that he would snatch the woman and the two would be beamed to Galilee.  That's not what happens either.  You'd imagine that an angel would descend or heaven would speak or the earth would shake.  No, none of that.

Once again, his move is subtle.

But, once again, his message is unmistakable.

What does Jesus do?  (If you already know, pretend you don't and feel the surprise.)

Jesus writes in the sand.

He stoops down and draws in the dirt...  And as he writes, he speaks: "Anyone here who has never sinned can throw the first stone at her."

The young look to the old.  The old look in their hearts.  They are the first to drop their stones.  And as they turn to leave, the young who were cocky with borrowed convictions do the same.  The only sound is the thud of rocks and the shuffle of feet.

Jesus and the woman are left alone.  With the jury gone, the courtroom becomes the judge's chambers, and the woman awaits his verdict.  Surely, a sermon is brewing.  No doubt, he's going to demand that I apologize.  But the judge doesn't speak.  His head is down, perhaps he's still writing in the sand.  He seems surprised when he realizes that she is still there.

"Woman, where are they?  Has no one judged you guilty?"

She answers, "No one, Sir."

Then Jesus says, "I also don't judge you guilty.  You may go now, but don't sin anymore."

Lucado continues, saying:

If you ever wondered how God reacts when you fail, frame these words and hang them on the wall.  Read them.  Ponder them.  Drink from them.  Stand below them and let them wash over your soul...

...{Let God} retell the events of the darkest nights of your soul.

And then listen.  Listen carefully.  He's speaking.

"I don't judge you guilty."

A seemingly small moment...  Jesus even seems to purposefully avoid the grand gesture.  He speaks quietly, calmly, looking at the ground.  Consecrating this woman with his love and forgiveness.

But this small moment is a lesson in life - both then, and today.  Jesus challenged the accusers - before you condemn her, take a look at your own life.  Before you punish her, list your own faults.  Was she guilty?  Probably.  But were her accusers innocent?  None of us really are...

Let's be honest.  It's easy to condemn others.  To see faults, errors, misjudgments.  Our society thrives on this!  Look at our media - almost every news story is about pointing the finger and calling out blame and sin.  But, as Christians...  As the ones who follow this man, Jesus, who writes in the sand and says, "I don't judge you.  Go and sin no more."  Are we more like him - do we follow his example - when we condemn?  Or when we show grace?

He didn't let her off the hook.  She called him "Lord."  She knew who he was...  Can you imagine?  Caught in your worst moment - the moment you hoped would never reach daylight...  To be brought face to face with the one who is called the Son of God?!  Even when everyone else left the scene...  She stood there.  Waiting for the harsh words he would have for her, I'm sure.  But instead, he shows her grace.  "I don't condemn you."  Yet... His next words hint that he knows she was guilty... and expects her to change.  "Go, and sin no more."

You see, the order of Jesus' words is very important.  He didn't say, "Sin no more and then I won't condemn you."  That's what we often say, isn't it?  "Clean up your act and then we will accept you."  Nope.  Jesus says, "I will forgive you and give you the power to clean up your act."  Judgment says, "change or you will be condemned."  Grace says, "You are forgiven.  Now let me also change your life."  We don't change in order to be accepted; we change because we have already been accepted.  Nothing motivates a new life like grace received into the heart.  Grace does what rules can never do...

See?  That's what Lent is all about!  We all have things in our hearts we wish weren't there...  Things we thought, said, did.  The ways we hurt people we loved.  Bad choices.  Mistakes in judgment.  We're human.  We're imperfect.  And that's ok...

This beautiful season of Lent asks us to take the time, to remember Jesus' life and his teachings, to notice the small moments of grace and love, to get quiet in our life and examine where we are today.

Where have I gone wrong?  What choices have I made that have steered me away from my relationships with God and those who are close to me?  Where do I feel that soul-robbing feeling of shame?

When we recognize these deepest, darkest secrets of our souls - we can do something about it.  In our faith life, there is never an absence of hope.  We can confess our troubles, we can ask for forgiveness, we can ask for strength and guidance in turning away from that which haunts us.  And we can count on God to be there...  Writing in the sand...  Such a small moment...  "I do not judge you.  Go, and sin no more."

But what a grand gesture! 

Will you pray with me?

Gracious and loving God, you give us these glimpses into the life of Jesus - in those final weeks leading up to his death...  You give us the glimpses in order to see how we were meant to live.  We learn what it is to give grace to others - to allow room for mistakes and bad choices - and still love the other person.  We learn what it is to truly follow you in how we live our lives.  And yes, we are amazed at the stories of such overwhelming grace and forgiveness.  We think that this is someone else's story - that I could never receive that same gift.  But somewhere, deep in our hearts, we also know that you do offer each and every one of us this amazing gift!  A re-start.  A chance to turn away from whatever holds us in its grasp.  A release from shame, from doubt, from self-hatred.  A release into your waiting arms - open, loving, and forgiven.  For you have said, "I do not condemn you.  Go and sin no more."  Help us, Lord.  Each and every one of us - to believe these words, to feel them deep into our souls, to know that we are yours - forgiven, loved, and free.  Amen.