ONE DEGREE OF GLORY TO ANOTHER

A Sermon for Transfiguration Sunday
February 18, 2007
by Pastor Laura Gentry

Luke 9:28-36
Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"--not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen. (New Revised Standard Version)

2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2
Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness, not like Moses, who put a veil over his face to keep the people of Israel from gazing at the end of the glory that was being set aside. But their minds were hardened. Indeed, to this very day, when they hear the reading of the old covenant, that same veil is still there, since only in Christ is it set aside. Indeed, to this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds; but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit. Therefore, since it is by God's mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart. We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to practice cunning or to falsify God's word; but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God. (New Revised Standard Version)

Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

This morning, we celebrate Transfiguration Sunday. We hear Luke’s Gospel account of this amazing event in which Jesus takes Peter and James and John up the mountain with him and then is transfigured before their very eyes. His face changes and his clothes become dazzling white. In the original Greek, this word is closer to “lightning”. That’s some pretty impressive pyrotechnics, now isn’t it?

Not only that, but the great Moses appears as does Elijah and the three of them begin to converse. Moses, who represents the law God gave to the people, and Elijah, who represents the prophets through whom God spoke and guided the people, appear from beyond the grave and talk with Jesus on the mountain top. No wonder the disciples are awed by the experience. The glory must have been completely overwhelming.

Though we hear this story every single year, I think it is hard for us to relate to. I mean we’ve never seen Jesus in person, let alone see him transfigured in all his glory. We get a sense of this scene being a spectacular, supernatural event of Biblical times that is unfathomable to us in our modern world.

In this way, it become a difficult story to interpret. Peter doesn’t even seem to be able to interpret it correctly and he was an eyewitness. With great enthusiasm (and not too much insight), he blurts out: "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He wants the glory to keep on going. And why wouldn’t he? He doesn’t want Jesus to stop glowing or for Moses and Elijah to go away so he thinks if he can just get some booths constructed quickly for them to hang out in, if he can just get some contractors to throw them up, these two might stick around a while longer. This moment might last. But just that quickly, a cloud covers them and God’s voice says: "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" And then the transfiguration is over.

Luke has written the story in this way because, I believe, he is inviting us into the experience. He beckons us to stand with Peter and James and John and to encounter the lightning-laden glory of the transfiguration. But he doesn’t want us to get fixated upon this event like Peter did, as if it were the only revelation of God’s glory that ever would be. You see Luke is showing us that in the transfiguration, Jesus pulls away the veil for a moment and reveals what our every day lives tend to conceal: that we we are never far from the dazzling and miraculous glory of the everlasting God.

This glory is too wonderful, too omnipresent to pin down. That’s why Peter couldn’t go through with his booth plan. You cannot turn the glory of God on and off like a faucet, as if it were something we could control.

And this uncontrollable and marvelous glory didn’t end when John set down his pen after writing the final book of the Bible—it is ongoing. Through the ages we’ve seen God’s glory continue. We’ve seen glory in the survival and growth of the early Christian church. We’ve seen it in the saints and martyrs, who gave it all for the sake of the Gospel. We’ve seen it in the missionary zeal that spread the good news around the globe.

We encounter this glory today whenever we see a magnificent art work or architectural structure or hear beautiful music or read a moving piece of literature. We experience God’s glory in each glowing sunset, in each glance at the mighty Mississippi that runs through our town, in the dawn of each new day. We see the glory of God in the gift of parents, children, friends, community.

God’s glory is here to inspire us and fill us with awe. It is here to engage us and keep us steadfast in our faith. It invigorates us for doing God’s will. It calms us when we are filled with anxiety. It comforts us in our sorrows.

And the glory of our almighty God calls out to us in this very moment. How dare we think that the glory of the transfiguration was only for that time and place? This glory is the force of truth eagerly waiting to set us free, to transform us into the image of God.

The transfiguration merely reminds that the veil that separates us from God’s revelation of glory is wafer thin. This is what Paul is talking about in his letter to the Corinthians in our second lesson for today. He recalls the story from our first lesson about how Moses had to cover his face because it was still glowing from his encounter with God and how God’s people hardened their hearts to this glory. And there are those who still veil their minds from God’s glory. But when we turn to God, the veil is removed. “And all of us,” he writes, “with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.” This is why we have hope, why we do not lose heart, why we can act with boldness!

And so today as we contemplate Transfiguration Sunday, we are invited to contemplate the glory of God in our own lives. What can we do to unveil our minds so that we can truly be present to the times when God shows up? How can we participate more fully in the Spirit’s work to transform us into that same image of the transfigured Christ—to move us forward from one degree of glory to another? How can we live with deeper hope? These are exciting and glorious questions to explore. May we do so boldly.

Now may the peace of God which passes all understanding keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

© Laura E. Gentry 2007

WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED

A Sermon for the Sixth Sunday after Epiphany
February 11, 2007
by Pastor Laura Gentry

Jeremiah 17:5-10
Thus says the Lord: Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make mere flesh their strength, whose hearts turn away from the Lord. They shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when relief comes. They shall live in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit. The heart is devious above all else; it is perverse-- who can understand it? I the Lord test the mind and search the heart, to give to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their doings.(New Revised Standard Version)

Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Jeremiah began his ministry in Jerusalem around 627 BCE and he witnessed the final years of Jerusalem before it fell to Nebuchadrezzar in 597 BCE. He had a very difficult job because he had to declare a lot of warnings to the people of God. For this reason, he is known as the weeping prophet. In this prophetic statement, he declares a timeless curse and a blessing to the people of God of every time and place. I am going to paint the illustration that he gives us as I talk about it in hopes that this visual can bring the message home, so it can make a difference in our lives today.

First, he says “Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make mere flesh their strength, whose hearts turn away from the Lord.” In some way or another, this applies to all of us. We so often place our trust in things other than God. These are all unreliable things to trust. They are like branches of a tree without root, without stability. When trouble comes, they cannot help us. Let’s explore some of these branches as I paint them.

STRENGTH
We try to rely upon our own strength. Jeremiah calls it “flesh”. It might make sense to trust in our strength to protect ourselves, but even the most strong body builder in the world cannot save himself with his strength alone.

INTELLECT
In our technological world, intellect seems a more important commodity than just strength. We try to think our way through life. And while thinking can do a lot for us, it cannot save us.

SENSE OF HUMOR
Many rely upon a sense of humor to get through life. Laugh it off. Joke with people and make them feel comfortable around you, that’s all it takes. Jeremiah reminds us, though, that nothing but God can be truly trusted.

POSITIVE THINKING
Sometimes, we turn to positive thinking to get us through this difficult life, to make it through the desert. I love positive thinking and I’ve read many books on the topic but it is a trap to think that it can save us. The idea that if you just think about things the right way, if you just put a positive spin on it you’ll be fine, is a myth. No matter how “right” our thoughts may be, we are saved by the grace of God alone.

FINANCES
I think this is one of the biggest traps of all. Every bit of advertising tells you that you need money to be secure. Our culture values it so much that we tend to think that finances can save us. But not even the best 401K plan or ROTH IRA can get us through the deserts we will surely face.

OTHER PEOPLE
What would we do without our family and friends? We love them and appreciate them and there is no doubt that they help us. But this is another trap, another empty branch to think that people alone can save us. If we can just find the right friends, marry the right person, have the perfect children, then we’ll be fine. This line of thinking doesn’t hold up. The perfect friends, spouse, and children simply don’t exist.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
As a culture, we put a lot of eggs into this basket. Science keeps finding more cures for the diseases of the planet. They say that if this keeps up, life expectancy in the future can extend well beyond 100 years, maybe even 200 at some point. And with our technological advances, we have more and more gadgets to do our work. But sometimes these good innovations tend to produce more problems than they solve. Now that we can genetically alter a human being, for example, is it a good or ethical thing to do? We simply cannot trust these things alone to save us.

HUMAN INSTITUTIONS
We love to trust our human institutions. But even the best schools or systems of government cannot save us. Not even the church can save us. Though we do God’s work together in the church, we are human beings and we don’t always get it right. If we trust in the church, it can become an idolatry. God alone deserves our worship.

Not one of these things can help us when we encounter the deserts of our lives. They are like this tree without roots, without future. Why do we think we can put our trust in anything but God? It simply does not work.

But the prophet goes on to offer a blessing:

“Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, says Isaiah, whose trust is the Lord. Notice the repetition for emphasis. It is about trusting in the Lord. Those who do so shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit.”

When we trust in the Lord, our trees send out spiritual roots to give us support, to give us real stability and nourishment. As Jeremiah says, our roots are like those of trees planted by streams of water. Then when the storms and droughts come, we do not not wither or perish.

In my painting, you see there are streams flowing underground and the roots spread out deep into these waters. This is a powerful image of those who trust in the Lord.

It is like the song we are about to sing, “We’re like a tree that’s planted by the water, we shall not be moved.” When we trust in God above all else then no storm can move our faith. We are firmly planted.

May Jeremiah’s image give us inspiration to be like this tree, rooted and nourished by God alone. We shall not be moved!

Now may the peace of God which passes all understanding keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

© Laura E. Gentry 2007


(Above) Pastor Laura Gentry in the midst of preaching and painting

WHO'S GOD GONNA CALL?

A Sermon for the Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
February 3, 2007
by Pastor Laura Gentry

Isaiah 6:1-13
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory." The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: "Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!" Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: "Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out." Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I; send me!" And he said, "Go and say to this people: 'Keep listening, but do not comprehend; keep looking, but do not understand.' Make the mind of this people dull, and stop their ears, and shut their eyes, so that they may not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and comprehend with their minds, and turn and be healed." Then I said, "How long, O Lord?" And he said: "Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is utterly desolate; until the LORD sends everyone far away, and vast is the emptiness in the midst of the land. Even if a tenth part remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak whose stump remains standing when it is felled." The holy seed is its stump.(New Revised Standard Version)

1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you--unless you have come to believe in vain. For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them--though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe. (New Revised Standard Version)

Luke 5:1-11
Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." Simon answered, "Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets." When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people." {When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him. (New Revised Standard Version)

Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

In a popular eighties film, the theme song would describe all kinds of ghost scenarios and then pose the question: “Who you gonna call?” to which there was the great big response: “Ghostsbusters!” Ever since, the phrase “Who you gonna call” is really overused, especially in advertising.

And yet, as I was thinking about all of today’s scripture readings, that silly question and tune kept popping into my head—because these stories are all about callings. They give us examples of the kinds of people that God calls to carry on God’s amazing work. So they are fascinating stories to explore.

In our Old Testament reading, who’s God gonna call? Isaiah! In the Jerusalem temple, Isaiah has a vision, which reads like a science fiction thriller. It is so overwhelming that it is downright scary. Understandably, Isaiah is terrified about encountering the glory of the Lord and responds: "Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” God’s not going to take no for an answer, it seems, and so an angel takes a smoldering coal from the altar with a pair of tongs and sears Isaiah’s lips it to purify them so he will be ready for his prophetic career. Then God asks, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" And Isaiah responds: "Here am I; send me!"

Then, we have another calling described in first Corinthians. Who’s God gonna call? Paul! Now this guy, like Isaiah does not see himself as worthy of the calling. Paul thinks back about how he had persecuted and killed many Christians before his conversion. He is horrified about his past actions and explains, “I am the least of all the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle." Even after he answers God’s call and is busy doing God’s work, it seems his violent predisposition plagues him and he says—in present tense—”I am the worst of sinners!" It is only because of God’s grace that Paul’s effective ministry is happening.

Finally, we have the story of Jesus inviting the men to become disciples and follow him. Who’s God gonna call? Simon Peter! You see the fishermen have worked all night and caught nothing, but then Jesus comes along and tells them to sink their nets into deeper waters. When they do so, their catch is enormous. Archeologists recently uncovered a fishing boat from that region and era that was 26.5 feet long, 7.5 feet wide, and 4.5 feet high. We must assume that this was about the size of Simon Peter’s boat. People in those days were smaller and most stood no taller than 5’5”, which made the boats extremely deep for them, with great capacity to hold fish. This story says that two boats were so filled with fish that they began to sink. A phenomenal amount of fish, this is indeed.

It so impresses Simon Peter that he says to Jesus, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" Like Isaiah and Paul, he does not feel worthy to be called by the God of the Universe. But Jesus isn’t really interested in taking no for an answer. He presses him: "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people." And so Simon Peter and his friends leave their boats and everything else to answer this calling.

Is it any wonder that these three stories from different time periods in the bible were put together for today’s lectionary readings? I can see the theme, can’t you? Who’s God gonna call? Normal people! People like you and me. People who are not perfect. People who didn’t sign up for this sort of thing. Still, God calls.

Sinfulness, failure, and inadequacy—none of these is an obstacle to God’s call. God can use broken people. God can transform our shortcomings into useful qualities. God’s grace, as Paul discovered, is sufficient.

That is the epiphany, the shining truth in these lessons. God has been and is continuing to call us and it doesn’t matter how unworthy we may feel. God is ready and eager to use us. We are invited, like Simon Peter and the other disciples, to leave it all behind and follow. Just what does that mean in our modern world? Most people don’t drastically change their lives when they receive Christ, unless, of course, they decide to move to the other side of the globe and become a missionary or pull up stakes and go to seminary.

And it is easy for us to read these dramatic callings and think about how nice they are, but feel they simply don’t apply to us. So we go back to our old fishing nets, so to speak, instead of answering the call to a deeper discipleship that God is offering us. I mean, isn’t it possible that we could be transformed right where we are? Isn’t it in God’s power to completely revolutionize our hearts so that the way we interact with the people in our lives is different? Our God is an ever-present God and a God who’s ways are unexpected. God surprises us by accepting us as we are, healing us and then sending us forth to carry on the mission.

I remember reading a story in Reader’s Digest about a jewelry store employee named Melodie Hartline. She described how she would help couples ordering wedding bands to decide about putting a special inscription on the inside. She once asked a bride-to-be what she would like inscribed inside her fiancé's ring.

"We aren't very romantic," she replied. And she even explained that they were marrying on her fiancé's birthday just so that so he wouldn't forget the date!

Melodie persisted, "Isn't there something you'll want him to remember as he looks inside his ring?"

"There sure is," she said. And that's how "Put it back on!" came to be inscribed inside her husband's ring.

I think as we hear the calling stories of Isaiah, Paul and Simon Peter, we hear a call from God for us to recommit to our own callings, to “put it back on.” We so easily want to wiggle out of the call that God has placed upon our lives. It is a demanding call and we struggle with feeling inadequate. “Get someone else, God! Get someone who can do a better job.” But God says, “No, I want YOU! Put it back on. Put on your commitment to your calling. I have the grace to take you all the way!”

Who’s God gonna call? YOU! Today, let us answer this incredible invitation with the willingness of Isaiah: “Here I am Lord, send me.” Amen.

Now may the peace of God which passes all understanding keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

© Laura E. Gentry 2007

SHATTERING OUR VIEWS

A Sermon for the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
January 28, 2007
by Pastor Laura Gentry

Luke 4:21-30
Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, "Is not this Joseph's son?" He said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, 'Doctor, cure yourself!' And you will say, 'Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.'" And he said, "Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet's hometown. But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian." When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way. (New Revised Standard Version)

Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Today, we move into our fourth week in Epiphany, and as we do, we continue to experience the light of God’s glory being revealed to us. Today’s gospel, is a continuation of last week’s—kind of like a soap opera that gets continued in the next episode. In the first installment, Jesus returns to his hometown of Nazareth where he reads the scriptures to the people which caused some eyebrow raising. But today, Jesus goes much further than simply telling them that the scripture has been fulfilled in their hearing, implicitly claiming to be the long-awaited Messiah. He goes on to tell them some stories that enrage the crowd. They are very short, one-sentence stories and so it is quite easy for us to miss how upsetting they are to the crowd. This audience is so offended, in fact, that they run Jesus out of town—his own townspeople, relatives and family friends drive him to the outskirts of the city in an attempt to hurl him off the cliff. I’ve been to Nazareth and believe me, the city has quite an elevation. You would not want to get hurled off the cliff there. This is a serious situation. Jesus' prophetic words have caused this major explosion!

What in the world is going on here? How could Jesus upset the people so quickly? Well, the first upset is the Epiphany that Jesus fulfills the prophet’s foretelling of a Messiah. But the even more disarming upset is that mini sermon which causes the congregation to react by dragging Jesus out to kill him. Why do these good, faithful churchgoers of Nazareth—his own hometown folks—turn instantly from respectable citizens into a lynching mob? What is it that gets them so riled up? What’s wrong with this Epiphany?

The problem with Jesus, for many people, was that he always told it like it was. Here, Jesus is not acting like the sweet little boy-next-door they were expecting. Instead, he leaves tact at the door in order to assume the greater role, that of Messiah and Prophet—he must speak out the word of God. And prophets, as you know, are not popular. As R. C. Collingwood said of the artist, the prophet "tells his audience, at the risk of their displeasure, the secrets of their own hearts…As spokesman of his community, the secrets he must utter are theirs... for no community altogether knows its own heart." The prophet must, in the light of God's final truth, reveal the misguided notions of his own community.

You see, it's easy to read this scripture and automatically commiserate with Jesus. "Poor guy—he gives a lovely little impromptu sermon at his own synagogue and almost gets killed for it. Those wicked Nazarenes! Why can't they be more civil like us? We sit through all kinds of sermons and never try to stone our pastor." And while I am personally very glad you do not stone the pastor here, I would like to suggest that to think this way, means we don't get it. I've heard it said that whenever our reading of a biblical passage makes us feel self-righteous, we can be confident we have misread it.

To understand what was really going on that day in Nazareth, we need to put ourselves in the position of the congregation. What were those people feeling when Jesus went into prophet-mode? Well, we now know because of a recent discovery among the Dead Sea Scrolls that this passage from Isaiah was a crucial one for many Palestinians of the first century because it was a key to unlocking the mystery of the final judgment. Some Jewish sects apparently called themselves the Poor, with a capital P, because they were convinced that this passage applied to them, and described how God would bless them in the final judgment. The Essenes, for example, always understood that the blessings of the Old Testament applied to them and the judgments would befall their enemies, those "others" outside their community. Nowhere in the scores of documents we now have from the eleven Qumran caves do the Essenes interpret Scripture as a judgment on themselves or as a challenge to their ways of thinking about themselves. In this regard they were a normal denomination.

So what does this say about the folks in Jesus' synagogue? You must understand that it had been a century since the Romans had taken over Palestine, demanding taxes and depriving the people of their freedoms. They felt very much like the poor and the dispossessed of which Isaiah spoke. So when Jesus reads from this passage in Isaiah and immediately thereafter proclaims, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your ears," it thrills the congregation at first. "This is it. The herald is here! This is the year God finally stamps out these awful Romans and blesses us." Yes, they like the words about God's grace from Isaiah very much because, like the Essenes, they assume the words apply to them and them alone.

But Jesus bursts their bubble when he brings up two biblical stories in which people outside the faith are included in God's mercy. By doing so, Jesus, is directly challenging their narrow views of God. And Luke reports that everybody in the synagogue who hears the sermon is filled with wrath. They are furious! Jesus had, in effect, said that in the final analysis God would not honor them as the sole possessors of truth. This is a prophetic challenge to their limited view of God—he was asking them to recognize that God is bigger and more loving than they'd figured it—big enough to love and even save people outside their faith. God is the God of all people, not just a partisan god who only cares about us.

Therefore, if we really read this passage as it ought to be read, it should hit us with great force as well. As Jesus prophetically unmasks the piety of his congregation who thought they were really the only ones God loved, it unmasks us too. It exposes our narrow and self-centered views of God. Just because we come to church doesn't mean that God loves us more than those who sleep in or go out to coffee or go out ice fishing instead (I hate to admit this to you!). Just because we remain faithful doesn't mean that God will treat us any better than those who don't in the final judgment. And this seems absolutely unfair! We really don’t know just how things will turn out that last day, but Jesus drops some pretty serious hints here, that the "in" crowd won't be the only ones to make the final cut. There’s reason for us to believe that Lutherans won’t be the only ones in heaven. What will cause us to be saved, after all, is God's mercy and not our human merit (which we humans love to rely upon). So we have no room to boast that we are more worthy of this mercy than anyone else—in fact, we come to church precisely because we are not worthy, because we come to beg God’s mercy, mercy which we do not deserve. No wonder those faithful members of Jesus' church got upset at him.

So this story truly challenges us to admit that our understanding of God's truth is too exclusive, too limited. We are called to recognize how much we are like the Nazarenes who's limited view of truth was shattered to pieces. May it shatter our view too. And in having it shattered, may our eyes be opened up, may our view be expanded so that we have a much bigger concept of God, whose all-expansive and inclusive love is so unfathomable that it's offensive! Amen.

Now may the peace of God which passes all understanding keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

© Laura E. Gentry 2007

SET THE CAPTIVES FREE

A Sermon for the Third Sunday after Epiphany
January 21, 2007
by Pastor Laura Gentry

Luke 4:14-21

Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

Today, our scriptures describe two readings from the law and the prophets. They are powerfully dramatic readings that, if we really hear them, will pull at our heartstrings.
 
First, from the book of Nehemiah, we hear Ezra reading from the Mosaic law. The audience to which he is reading is the group of exiles returning to Jerusalem. And this is not a short reading like a one hour church service we’re accustomed to today. No, he reads to them from early morning until midday. What is exciting about this story is that the listeners really “get it”—they really understand what is being taught to them. They hear the law and they weep. They are so touched that they fall on their faces to worship the God who has delivered them from exile. Nehemiah reminds them that this is a holy day and a cause for joy and celebration and for sharing with those who have nothing. In the 12th verse, it goes on to say that all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions to those in need and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them. Doing God’s will by caring for others is delightful. It gives them great joy!

The Gospel reading we heard today comes several centuries later. The people are no longer exiles but they are suffering again. This time, they are oppressed by Roman occupation of their country. The scene takes place in the synagogue in Nazareth, where God’s people have gathered to hear readings and preaching from the holy scriptures. Jesus is a hometown boy who has returned as an adult. He’s been baptized in the Jordan River, tempted in the desert, and has called his disciples to join him in ministry. Now, back in his own home church, it is his first public speech and he chooses to read from the prophet Isaiah.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. God has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.

Then, Jesus sits down. They would have expected him to stay standing and give them a sermon based upon this scripture. That was the custom. But Jesus sits down. And then he says the most amazing words: “Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” What? They must have been a bit confused. This is Joe and Mary’s boy. He grew up next door and played with the neighbor kids. Now he is telling his townspeople that he’s a prophet? And he’s not just any prophet, he’s the one foretold by the great Isaiah and he’s not just here to do a casual, sweet little ministry. He make it clear that he is going to take on poverty, discrimination, incarceration, and all other forms of oppression!

Often times, our culture paints a picture of Jesus as meek and mild, as a nice religious figure. It seems we’ve tamed him over the years. But if we look closely at the Jesus of scripture, he is anything but tame. He is a fierce radical who is not afraid to take on whole systems of oppression for the sake of those who are in need. He won’t tolerate the sin of oppression. And he’s not afraid to catch fire for his views. He’s not bothered by being a troublemaker in order to do his Father’s will. Jesus is playing for keeps.

Why, then, should we try to tame Jesus? Why should we not take seriously his mission and carry it on as the mission of the church? Why are we not on fire with this work? Why are we not like the audience of Ezra who fall on our faces when we hear this message, and understand it and take it to heart and go out and do it?

This morning, I believe Jesus is calling to us. He is stirring us from whatever complacency we have gotten stuck in and inviting us to join him in his passionate vision for justice. He knows that this work will bring us joy. And he knows that the Spirit of God is upon us too, and has equipped us for this work.

As I was thinking about this call to service, I stopped by the website for the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS). This is an advocacy organization of our church that works tirelessly on issues of oppression. Since 1939, they have been carrying on this ministry to welcome and advocate for refugees and other migrants. Did you know, for example, that there are 20,000 asylum seekers imprisoned in our country though they have committed no crimes? They have been forced out of their own countries for reasons beyond their control and when they seek help from the United States, they can be imprisoned for over four years? LIRS is working to advocate on their behalf to make sure there is enough funding to deal with their needs quickly and fairly to either repatriate them back into their own countries or become free and established in this country.

And what about this issue of slavery? Did you think it was over and done with? Think again. The United States estimates that up to 175,000 men, women and children are trafficked into our country each year and forced to work in homes, farms, sweatshops and commercial sex industries? About half of these people are children. Congress passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act in 2000 to prosecute traffickers, prevent trafficking and protect victims. LIRS assists the federal government to help care for trafficked children who have been liberated so that these young people can be placed in foster programs to enable them to rebuild their lives. Click here to read more about this problem and what you can do to help: Trafficked Children Initiative.

These are just two examples of urgent issues of justice for the oppressed, issues upon which Jesus calls us to take action. Martin Luther King Jr. once said: "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." Jesus is calling us to be alive, to be radiant with joy, to be vocal about things that matter.

Truly, my friends, the Spirit has anointed us to set the captives free! The Spirit blows into our lives and calls us from silence, calls us from complacency, and calls us to do what we can, calls us to take action on behalf of the oppressed. How can we be silent in the face of such oppression when the Spirit has anointed us to do otherwise?

Will you join me in praying for the thousands of refugees imprisoned across our land? Will you take action by calling your Congressmen about refugee protection? Click here for an action alert from LIRS with information about calling your Congress people regarding this issue: Action Alert. Will you pray for the children enslaved in our country through illegal trafficking? Will you find out what you can do to help them? Will you seek other avenues of bringing Christ’s freedom to those who are captive?

Today, Jesus said, this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing. Today—not just in Jesus’ day. Today—not in some distant future. Today—Jesus calls us to allow the Spirit’s power to work through us to joyfully participate in the work of liberation. Today—may it be so among us!

Let us pray:
Radical, lifesaving Jesus, be present to us today. Call us to the actions that you urge us to take on behalf of those who are captive. Be with all who are in prison, who are refugees, who are enslaved in this and other countries, who are oppressed in any way. Open our eyes and our hearts to those who are forgotten and unfairly detained in our world. Anoint us with your Holy Spirit again and again, so that we will be empowered to bring your good news to all those who need it. Embolden us to be a part of the exciting and wonderful work, which you began, of setting the captives free. Amen.

© Laura E. Gentry 2007

THE JOYFUL WINE

A Sermon for the Second Sunday after Epiphany
January 14, 2007
by Pastor Laura Gentry

John 2:1-11
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward." So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now." Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. (New Revised Standard Version)

Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Here we are in the beginning of the church year, in the season of Epiphany. The liturgical calendar takes us through the story of God’s creation of all things, of God’s calling and forming of God’s people, of Jesus life, death, and resurrection, and of the growth of the early church.

This morning, our Gospel focuses us on the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry, on the performance of his first sign, as John calls it. In this Gospel, seven or eight signs are described, depending upon how they are counted. These signs are more than just miracles—they are miracles with lessons and deeper, symbolic meaning that help us understand who Jesus was and what he was all about. So let’s dive into the sign of the wine and see what mysteries are being revealed in it.

Jesus, his mother and his friends are attending a wedding in the village of Cana. Ancient weddings, you must understand, were quite a party. Music played a big role in these celebrations. The Song of Songs preserves some of the singing that occurred at the festive weddings. One song, for example, that the groom would sing goes like this:

Arise, my love, my fairest!
Arise, and come away!
Lo, the winter is past,
the rain is over and gone.
Flowers appear in the land.
The time for singing has come,
the voice of the turtledove calls,
the fig puts forth figs
and the vines are in bloom.
Arise, my love, my fairest!
Arise, and come away!

There was great joy and revelry at these events in Jesus’ day. But in the midst of the celebration in Cana, there is suddenly a problem. The wine has run out! There’s no hiding the fact and news of it has begun spreading among the guests. They are, perhaps, saying things like, “Oh my, how can the groom provide for his new wife when his family can’t even provide for this wedding feast?”

This is a great embarrassment for this otherwise respectable feast. This could ruin the whole event! So Jesus’ mother, in an effort to save the day, looks at her son and says, “they have no more wine.” Clearly, she knows that it is within his power to change the situation.

Jesus responds by saying, "Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come."

But Mary knows better. She knows that it has. She doesn’t even try to talk him into it. Instead, she just goes over to the servants and gives them orders. "Do whatever he tells you," gesturing toward her son.

Mary is not their master and neither is Jesus, but they are guests of the master and so they take orders from him. “Fill these jars with water,” he tells them.

Now here is the shocking part that we are likely to miss. Those vessels of water that Jesus is referring to should already have been filled with water in order to fulfill the law of Moses. The water in them was used for ritual washings. But now we find out that they are empty! They are a pretense. The family is pretending to keep the tradition, but they do not. Their religious integrity is as empty as the jars.

The servants must be embarrassed now that the truth is out. It probably took some prodding to get them to go fill the enormous jars. But the jar-filling is an extremely important part of this sign. They must be filled for the miracle to take place. It symbolizes the fact that unless the tradition of the prior age is fulfilled, the new age cannot come.

The other Gospel writers explain this message in a different way. Matthew documents Jesus saying, “I came to fulfill the torah and the prophets.” Luke tells us of a son who came to redeem the people of the Jewish tradition, to validate all that they had lived for over the centuries. That’s what John is saying with this story of the empty jars. They remind us Jesus has come to fulfill the covenant that God made long ago with their ancestors, a covenant that they broke again and again. Only after Jesus had fulfilled the covenant could they taste the wine of new life, the wine of the resurrection.

Having filled these vessels with water, the servants serve water to the steward. They are probably shaking in their boots that he will be upset with them for serving water when wine is called for. But their obedience to Jesus is what makes the miracle possible.

And now comes the huge surprise—the climax of the drama! As the water is poured out, it becomes fine wine. In the giving, in the offering, the miracle occurs.

The guests are going to be overjoyed with this good wine. The steward goes to the bridegroom and says: "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now."

This is metaphorical language. What’s going on here is that there are two bridegrooms here and a true Father. The first bridegroom has fallen short. He couldn’t supply enough wine. All he could boast were empty vessels that made it look like they were religious people. But along comes the truer Son and the party is saved. This Son realizes that the empty jars have to be filled and then emptied in order to produce joy for everyone. As the water is poured out for the guests, so this Son pours himself out for the sake of the world. He offers his very self as wine for the world.

The story ends here, but it is now an end—it is the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. In this sign, Jesus has revealed his glory and now his disciples believe. He has revived the party, he has brought joy and gladness. He has shown us, as he did throughout his ministry, that this is the dawn of a new age.

In this new age, my friends, we are not judged as we deserve. That’s the good news we celebrate throughout our church year. Jesus, the bridegroom offers his life for the salvation of the world. He reveals himself to be the joyful wine that will never, never run out. As the bridegroom, Jesus calls to his beloved church: “Arise, and come away! Lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. Flowers appear in the land. The time for singing has come!”

And that is an Epiphany of glory that should make our hearts rejoice! Amen.

© Laura E. Gentry 2007

THE SPIRIT IS CALLING

A Sermon for the Baptism of our Lord
January 7, 2007
by Pastor Laura Gentry

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."…Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." (New Revised Standard Version)

Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Today, we heard the story of the baptism of Jesus. He is baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist and the Holy Spirit descends upon him like a dove and there is a voice from heaven, which says, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” It is as truly a miraculous moment for all who have gathered at the river. At this point, Jesus is ready to begin his public ministry.

And as we celebrate the baptism of Jesus, it invites us to take a closer look at our own baptisms. Just what does it mean to be a Baptized Christian?

Sometimes, I meet families who don’t belong to this or any other church but they would like to have their child baptized. Usually, they request that the baptism be done privately in a little ceremony at a home or park. One person recently put it this way: “Would you consider performing a back-alley baptism?”

As enticing as these offers might sound, I categorically advise against it. Baptism is just too important to hide away in a private ceremony. That’s why in this church, we schedule the baptisms in the middle of the worship service when we are all gathered together as a congregation. What God does in baptism is so exciting, we all want to be here to witness it.

And just what is it that God does? What God does in our baptism is the same thing God did in Jesus’ baptism: declares us beloved and gifts us with the Holy Spirit. Martin Luther, in the small catechism, explains it this way:

In baptism, God forgives sin and delivers from death and the devil and gives everlasting salvation to all who believe what he has promised.

In the life-giving water of baptism—water which is not just water, but water connected to the Word of God—God declares us delivered. We are adopted into God’s eternal family. In that moment, God calls us by name. As God says through the prophet Isaiah: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you, I have called you by name, you are mine.” We are loved and saved forever! What a gift!

Now many people say to me, “Why do we baptize infants in the Lutheran church when Jesus himself was baptized as an adult?” And this is a question that persists in theological debates. The most helpful answer to this question, I believe, is because we understand baptism to be a gift. Martin Luther said that there is no clearer picture of the undeserved grace of God than an infant at the baptismal font. This baby in arms has done absolutely nothing to earn God’s salvation. Nevertheless, God reaches out to this newborn little person and says, “This is my beloved!” Whatever age at which we are baptized, this truth remains. We are miraculously saved—not by our own doing—but by God’s gift of grace.

Then, we are sent forth with God’s Spirit to guide us. And day after day this Spirit goes to work on our hearts. This Spirit transforms us into people that are pleasing to God. It makes us holy, despite our unholiness. And this, we call sanctification, which literally means: holy-making.

Early on in Jesus’ ministry, he stood up in the synagogue and found the place where the prophet Isaiah wrote:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because God has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor,
God has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free
and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.

When Jesus sat down he told the crowd, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." The Spirit’s power within Jesus was calling him to work passionately for justice. This is his ministry. This is his vocation.

He dives headlong into this Spirit-driven vocation. Jesus cares about bodies wracked with pain or crippled by evil powers. We watch him touch people that no one else will touch. We see him feeding hungry people and eating with those who had been left out. We hear Jesus tell a story of the Samaritan who stops to help a hurting a stranger; it was Jesus' inclusive way of defining what it means to be a neighbor. And we see Jesus go all the way to the cross in faithfulness to God who sent the Spirit upon him. Three days later we rejoice with the women who bring news that Jesus is alive again. What a baptismal vocation Jesus was given!

What about our baptismal callings, our vocations? Now that we have been claimed as God’s beloved, now that we are equipped with the Holy Spirit, what are we doing? That Spirit fire within us is calling us.

Remember the story of the Pentecost? The Holy Spirit comes upon Christ’s believers in wind and fire! People suddenly hear the untrained disciples speaking fluently in all kinds of languages. And Peter stands up and preaches a sermon so powerful that it moves 3,000 people to be baptized. What Spirit experience! And those who were baptized devoted themselves to the breaking of bread and the prayers. All those who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.

From that story alone, we can see that the Spirit is serious stuff. We shouldn’t meddle with it if we’re not ready to be utterly transformed. That’s why back-alley baptisms aren’t what we’re about. We baptize publicly because it is so important. Baptism claims a person and shapes his or entire life with a calling to do God’s will.

And so as we celebrate Jesus’ baptism, we are urged to remember our own baptisms—to ponder anew what it means to be a baptized child of God. We rejoice that we have been delivered from the evil forces of the world, forgiven and promised eternal life. And we have the responsibility to use the gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Through our baptisms, the Spirit continues to call us. Let us listen and follow! Amen.

Now may the peace of God which passes all understanding keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

© Laura E. Gentry 2007