SPIRIT HOLES

A Sermon for Pentecost Sunday
May 27, 2007
by Pastor Laura Gentry

Acts 2:1-21
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’ All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But others sneered and said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’

But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: "In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." (NRSV)

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

Today is Pentecost Sunday, the birthday of the church. We hear the story of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the first reading from Acts. Let us imagine, for a moment, what it would have been like to witness this dramatic Spirit encounter first-hand. So let’s pretend we are the disciples gathered in a house following the ascension of Jesus. Suddenly a huge wind roars through the room, like a terrible storm. A tongue of flame appears and hovers in the air above us. Before we even know what’s happening, this giant flame splits into smaller flames that hovers over each one of our heads.

About the time that we’re ready to phone the volunteer fire department, our mouths open and we start preaching in different languages. Strange. We never studied these languages. How can it possibly be that we are speaking in them? And we’re not just speaking like you do in a foreign language class with simple phrases like “Hello, what is your name?” No, we are preaching, preaching passionately about the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ. And we go out and proclaim these words in various languages and the foreigners gathered around can understand and believe. And 3,000 people are converted and baptized!

What an absolutely amazing story and how thrilling to put ourselves into the shoes of those disciples to whom it happened. But there is a danger here in thinking that the Pentecost story is just a tale from the past. There is the trap of considering it another one of those miracles of the Bible that don’t happen any more.

But the reason we celebrate Pentecost day, followed by the lengthy season of Pentecost, is that we hold fast to the fact that the Spirit’s outpouring is on-going. Jesus made this amazing promise to his disciples: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our dwelling with them.” Jesus assures us that, by the Spirit, he and the Father will come to us—will dwell with us.

This Spirit speaks for us, on our behalf. “Advocate” is only one translation of the Greek word, which can also be translated as “intercessor,” “teacher,” “helper,” and “comforter.” Notice that all these words refer to someone who is called upon to aid another person and to defend them. The Spirit advocates for us and this same Spirit, in turn, urges us to advocate for others.

This Spirit of advocacy didn’t first show up on Pentecost Sunday. When Jesus first preached in the temple, he read from the Prophet Isaiah, who declared: "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." Jesus, led by the Spirit throughout his time on earth, preached good news to the poor. He tirelessly advocated for those who here helpless, defenseless, the economically poor, the poor in Spirit. Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit precisely for such a mission: and he in turn poured out the Spirit on his disciples so that they might continue the same mission.

And so on the day of Pentecost, the powerful Spirit of advocacy anoints the disciples for service as well. They become able to speak in other languages, not just for dramatic effect, but to reach out to all, especially those most in need. That’s why the early believers lived together and shared their possessions, giving to all, as any had need.

These early believers who first received the Holy Spirit show us that the poor are the first priority of the infilling of the Spirit. The Spirit is not just for our inward blessing, it is also for outward service to those in the world. The Spirit blows through us and convinces us to care for others.

In the middle ages, churches would sometimes leave a gapping hole—a Spirit hole—in the ceiling of their sanctuary as a sign that they were still open to the Holy Spirit. This hole was a reminder that they wanted the Spirit to fall afresh upon them, to advocate for them and to urge them to be advocates for others.

Now we don’t have a hole in our ceiling. It would be very messy on rainy days. But it is an interesting image, isn’t it? Do we have Spirit holes in our hearts? Do we leave room for the Spirit? Do we want the Spirit to come in and take hold of us? Someone once criticized the preacher, Dwight Moody, for speaking so extensively on the Holy Spirit. They said, “Does he think he has a monopoly on the Holy Spirit?” and someone—in his defense—said, “No, but the Holy Spirit has a monopoly on him.” The question for us to ask ourselves this morning is: Does the Holy Spirit have a monopoly on us? Jesus said that his followers would do even greater works than he did because of the power of the Spirit.

This Pentecost, may we widen the Spirit holes in our hearts and say yes again—yes to the fiery, windy, powerful Spirit of God that blows where it pleases. May we renew our commitment to working for peace and justice on behalf of the poor as Jesus did. And may the Spirit call us to an even deeper life of faith and service.

Let us pray: God of glory, your word is like a fire, like a hammer splitting rock. Your word in me is a burning fire, burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in. Let it burst from me like fire and flame to transform the earth and all its people to the glory of your name. To you be glory and praise, celebration and song, forever and ever. Amen.
(by Miriam Therese Winter from Woman Prayer, Woman Song)

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

FREED TO FREE

A Sermon for the Seventh Sunday of Easter
May 20, 2007
by Pastor Laura Gentry

Acts 16:16-34
One day, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortunetelling. While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.” She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour. But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities. When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, “These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe.” The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods. After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely. Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them outside and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay. He brought them up into the house and set food before them; and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God. (NRSV)

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

Today, on our last Sunday of the Easter season, we hear an amazing story from the book of Acts. Paul and Silas are going about doing their ministry and they run across a girl who has been possessed by a demon. Paul miraculously removes her power of divination. He sets her free. But her master is upset about the loss in revenue it will cause him. So he drags them to the magistrates. They are beaten with rods and thrown into jail. Not only that, but they are fastened with stocks.

We’ve all had days like this, haven’t we? Okay, maybe it’s never been quite that bad for us, but we can certainly relate to Paul and Silas at this point. Sometimes life just throws us a curve ball and we think how unfair and outrageous it is that we should have to suffer such a thing. Our experience can be pretty painful and a pity party would definitely be in order.

But here is where we can really learn something from the scripture lesson. We hear not one little peep of complaint out of Paul and Silas—at least the way the story is written. Despite the pain and exhaustion of the beatings they must feel, it says that they begin to pray and sing songs of praise to God. Wait a minute? Did we hear that right? They are beaten up, in stocks, in jail, at midnight and they are just singing their little hearts out to God.

What do they know that we don’t? I mean, would we be happily singing songs in the middle of the night if we’d just been through what they’ve just been through? This is absolutely remarkable! They are completely undaunted. They are still filled with joy of the Lord despite their bleak circumstances. Many people think that the miracle of the story is that God frees them from prison by an earthquake and that’s certainly miraculous, but I consider their boisterous cheerfulness in the midst of adversity the most amazing miracle. It is obvious that these men are filled with faith to behave in such an astonishing fashion. They must know the God of love—they must really know the truth of the gospel in their hearts. And because of this, it seems to me that they are already free. Nothing can really imprison them because they know that the power of God is bigger than any shackles they’ll ever have on.

And then, the earthquake shakes the place. Earthquakes can be quite terrifying. I’m glad I got out of California before the “big one” hits. This earthquake, however, is a freeing one. It bursts their chains and Paul and Silas are freed—fully freed! But they don’t run away. I think it is because they were already free in their hearts. They behave in most strange fashion. They stick around. And when they see the jailer about to kill himself because he fears what his superiors will do to him if they find out he’s let the prisoners go. Paul yells out to him and convinces him not to do so. This so baffles the jailer that he ends up accepting Christ, being baptized and inviting them to his home where he tends their wounds. This is another completely unexpected turn of events. What a drama we’ve been offered!

This passage demonstrates the degree of change that is possible in human life. Paul and Silas act in a way that defies normal behavior. They act in faith and joy and deep compassion. They teach us about being intentional agents of change in our society. They could have hated the jailer for being a part of their oppression, they could have run away—protecting their own self-interest. Instead, they open their hearts to him and he, in turn, opens his heart to them and to Christ. More miracles.

As Christians we are called to a ministry of reconciliation, transformation, and renewal. Our own behavior and our own willingness to effect that change is defined by our relationship to the risen Christ. Is Jesus alive in you? It is obvious by your actions when he is.

The capacity to be different and to act differently because Christ is the center of our being is one of the most effective ways of sharing the Good News. Don’t just talk about Jesus, live his truth. Our commitment to recognizing and appreciating the best that is possible in others reflect the best qualities of what it means to be truly human.

As human beings, we find ourselves captive and imprisoned by a number of things that separate us from Christ and from one another. We may be imprisoned by fears, prejudices, attitudes, anger, and a other feelings that well up during times of stress.

At times like this, when we are unable to manage the complexities of life or circumstance, may we be freed by the power of the Holy Spirit, as Paul and Silas were. May we be set free so that we can free others.

In all things may the mind of Christ, through the Holy Spirit, direct us to fulfilling the God's work during the course of our lives. May the Holy Spirit work within us to bring a sense of joy, centered peace, and a deep sense of compassion in our work and witness with others, in the name of Christ.

And now, may the peace which passes all understanding keep our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

© Laura E. Gentry 2007

LIVING SHALOM

A Sermon for the Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 13, 2007
by Pastor Laura Gentry

John 14:23-29
Jesus answered him, "Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me. "I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, 'I am going away, and I am coming to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe. (NRSV)

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

In the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, there is a wonderful scene where One day Calvin and Hobbes come marching into the living room early one morning. Calvin’s mother is seated there in her favorite chair, sipping her morning coffee. She looks up at Calvin—amused and amazed at how he is dressed. Calvin’s head is encased in a large space helmet. A cape is draped around his neck, across his shoulders, down his back and is dragging on the floor. One hand is holding a flashlight and the other a baseball bat. “What’s up today?” asks Mom.

“Nothing, so far,” answers Calvin.

“So far?” she questions.

“Well, you never know,” Calvin says, “Something could happen today.” Then Calvin marches off, “And if anything does, by golly, I’m going to be ready for it!”

Calvin’s mom looks out at the reading audience and she says, “I need a suit like that!”

Some days feel like that, don’t they? Life can be so difficult and chaotic that we need a suit like Calvin’s in order to be ready for it. In our stressful world, where violence, prejudice, anger, poverty, hatred and war pervade, we need something to be ready for it. And Jesus knew this. That’s why he gave the disciples a very special gift before he left them to ascend to the Father.

In this morning’s gospel, we hear part of Jesus’ farewell address to his followers. He knows that he will soon leave them and he needs to get them ready for his departure. Jesus explains that he will ask the Father to send them the gift of the Holy Spirit to lead them and remind them of all Jesus taught them. Then, he said to them, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”

What an amazing gift he gives to the disciples and to all of us—peace! In Greek, the word is Shalom, which means peace beyond anything we could desire or imagine. It is a peace that encompasses justice and peace among all people. It demands respect for the dignity of every human being. Shalom, God’s peace, means becoming a people who seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves.

So as Jesus gives us this Shalom, this peace, he makes us stewards of it. We are responsible to share this Shalom with the world. Next week we will celebrate Ascension Sunday—reminding us that Jesus has returned to the Father in heaven and so it is up to us, with the Spirit’s power, to carry on his vision of Shalom for all people.

This vision runs all the way through to the very end of the Bible in the Revelation of John of Patmos: There will be a New Jerusalem whose gates are open and never closed to anyone or anything. It is a vision of opening our doors to peoples and nations beyond ourselves. And through it all runs the river of the water of Life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.

Beside this river is a tree with all kinds of fruit. And the leaves of this tree are for the healing of nations: for the healing of nations—no HMOs; no co-pay policies; no troop deployments; no suicide bombers; no coercion by violence, no threats of domination. Just pluck the leaves of the tree and be healed. It is a new kind of healing. It is a new kind of reconciliation. It is a new kind of health care delivery system. It is a new kind of Peace. It is God’s own Shalom. What a marvelous vision!

When Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you,” he is commissioning us to be those who bring this vision of God’s Shalom to all people and to all the nations. In giving us this parting gift, Jesus invites us to bathe in this river that flows through the New Jerusalem.

Do we come here today to bathe in this river bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb?
Lydia does. She who sells purple cloth, expensive, royal, purple cloth, sold only to those who can afford it. Our lesson from Acts this morning tells us about Lydia who is a successful merchant. Lydia and the women of Philippi are down by the river at a “place of prayer” outside the gates of the city.

God opens Lydia’s heart, just as we pray for God to open our hearts. Yes, Lydia’s heart is opened, and Paul helps God to pour in this love. Lydia and the women welcome this foreign missionary who interrupts their prayers and shares with them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They are baptized in the river. Lydia and her entire household are baptized.

This is significant because Lydia is the first European to be baptized. Lydia’s may be the first gentile house, that is non-Jewish, that Paul has ever entered. Paul had read the Bible and had been taught to avoid any contact with people like Lydia. Paul had been instructed and believed he should bar the gates and shut off the flow of the water of life to any and all gentiles. Paul had been taught not to be seen in public with women, let alone gentile women.

So Paul is making a leap of faith. Paul is entering into a life of Shalom, God’s peace that passes all understanding. Contrary to custom, Paul is welcomed into Lydia’s household. Thus, Lydia makes a leap of faith in offering this Jewish missionary the hospitality of her home.

All distinctions of clean and unclean, acceptable and unacceptable are passing away. Healing is indeed taking place, down by the river. God is doing new things through Paul and Lydia. This healing and these new things exceed all that we can desire or even imagine!

All of this comes about because Paul has a dream, a vision. He imagines he can go to Macedonia. He goes expecting to find a man there, but surprise: he finds Lydia. And as a result, the world is changed down by the River of the Water of Life.

Down by the river of the water of life, all things are possible. It is even possible that we, too, can be changed. We, too. can lay aside long held assumptions, preconceptions and prejudices. Like Paul, we too can lay aside old understandings of the Bible that limit God’s love and power. Like Paul we too can have the vision to go to people beyond the four walls of our church, beyond the boundaries of our community, beyond state lines, beyond the United States of America, and let God’s ways be known upon the earth, God’s saving health among all nations.

We may notice the location of all this activity: Jerusalem and Macedonia, two pieces of God’s real estate still under dispute and heated contention. We are invited to imagine God’s Shalom, God’s peace, even in such violent places as Jerusalem and Macedonia.

 We are those people who can imagine all of this and more because we have these stories. Paul and Lydia had to be frightened to death to be breaking with all convention. Lydia is baptized only because she and Paul were able to suspend their understanding of what their cultures and the Bible had taught them. They were willing to  suspend all the rules, regulations, and customs that governed their world in order that God’s greater Shalom might rule.

They had to let go and sing the new song God was calling them to sing. And they had to open their hearts and minds to see everything in a new light. That light is the light of the Lamb. John of Patmos in the book of Revelation imagines a day when “the nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring it glory.”

Don’t be fooled, though, Paul and Lydia were not extraordinary people. They were just like us. Can we imagine all of this and more? Can we see ourselves opening our hearts and minds to strangers? Can we imagine old hurts and old wounds being healed by the banks of the river of the city of God? Can we open our hearts to let the Light of Christ shine into all its dark corners and drive all fear and anxiety from our midst? Can we allow ourselves to be drawn closer and deeper into the world of God’s Shalom?

Jesus wants to give us all of this. Jesus wants to give us all of this and more than we can either desire or imagine. Listen as he calls us: My own Shalom I give to you; I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. Peace I leave with you. It is yours to have and to give to the rest of the world. Amen.

And now, may the peace which passes all understanding keep our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

© Laura E. Gentry 2007

BE A GOOD ONE

A Sermon for the Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 29, 2007
by Pastor Laura Gentry

John 10:22-30
At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”

There was an article in National Geographic shortly after the great fires of Yellowstone National Park. It explained an interesting discovery made by the forest rangers who were assessing the inferno's damage.

One ranger found a bird literally petrified in ashes, perched statuesquely on the ground at the base of a tree. Somewhat sickened by the eerie sight, he knocked over the bird with a stick.

When he gently struck it, three tiny chicks scurried from under their dead mother's wings. Clearly, mother bird must have been aware of impending disaster and so she brought her offspring to the base of the tree and gathered them under her wings, instinctively knowing that the toxic smoke would rise and she could save them.

She could have flown to safety but she refused to abandon her babies. When the blaze had arrived and the heat had scorched her small body, the mother remained steadfast. Because she had been willing to die, those under the cover of her wing were enabled to live.

I think this story so beautifully illustrates what Jesus, our Good Shepherd, has done for us. When sin and death were threatening to destroy God’s beloved children, the Good Shepherd stepped in and allowed himself to be sacrificed, that we might live. Just like the mother eagle, he was willing to die in order to save his beloved. When Isaiah spoke of the coming of the Messiah, he worded it by saying: "He will feed his flock like a shepherd! He will gather his lambs into his arms." That’s exactly what he has done.

And our Good Shepherd continually calls to us. He calls to draw us near to himself, to beckon us into his arms, that he might lead us. Certainly that’s what we desire: a life led by Jesus.

The call of our Lord is sometimes difficult to hear, though, because we don’t know our shepherd as well as we ought and we don’t always know what we’re listening for—there are so many other voices crying out for our attention. Other would-be shepherds seek to draw us away from the Good Shepherd—away from his forgiveness and unconditional love.

I read a story about an American tourist, traveling in the Middle East, who came upon several shepherds whose flocks had intermingled while drinking water from a brook. After an exchange of greetings, one of the shepherds turned toward the sheep and called out, "Manah. Manah. Manah." (Manah means "follow me" in Arabic.) Immediately his sheep separated themselves from the rest and followed him.

Then one of the two remaining shepherds called out, "Manah. Manah." and his sheep left the common flock to follow him. The traveler then said to a third shepherd, "I would like to try that. Let me put on your cloak and turban and see if I can get the rest of the sheep to follow me."

The shepherd smiled knowingly as the traveler wrapped himself in the cloak, put the turban on his head and called out, "Manah. Manah." The sheep kept grazing as if they hadn’t even heard him. He cried out again and again, trying his best to emulate the shepherd’s voice, but try as he may, the sheep would not respond to the stranger's voice. Not one of them moved toward him.

"Will the sheep ever follow someone other than you?" The traveler asked.

"Oh yes," the shepherd replied, "sometimes a sheep gets sick, and then it will follow anyone."

So with the sheer, there are some who know the shepherd’s voice, who follow him and only him. And then there are those sheep who will follow anyone. We have seen that in humans, too, haven't we? Battered by the storms of life and distracted by voices urging them to go this way and that—they have lost their bearings and they don't know where they are or where they are going. When they become confused, spiritually, they will follow anyone who will promise a moment of happiness, a brief feeling of peace or forgetfulness, a sense that they are someone.

But the call of Jesus the Good Shepherd is, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life." There is no better way, no greater truth, no deeper joy. Our Lord reaches out to us in love that we might follow him into pastures green.

Pablo Picasso is named by Guiness Book of World Records as the most prolific painter ever. He invented cubism and, now over 30 years after his death, his work remains popular and he will forever hold a vital place in art history. The story goes that Picasso once said: “My mother said to me, ‘If you become a soldier, you’ll be a general; if you become a monk, you’ll end up as Pope.’ Instead, I became a painter and wound up as Picasso.”
 
I’m sure he would have agreed with Abraham Lincoln inspirational saying that goes: “Whatever you are, be a good one.” And as the sheep of God’s pasture, we should strive to be good sheep. We should be the Piscasso of listeners when it comes to hearing God’s voice.

In this month’s bible study for women, we’ve talked about prayer and about how it involves listening. At both of cicles, the women had interesting conversations about the things God has done in their lives, of how they have heard the voice of their Sheherd in many and amazing ways. It was so powerful to hear these stories and I think we ought to be telling them to one another more often. How has God spoken to you? What have you done to tune your hearts to God’s voice? What blessings have come into your life as a result? I encourage you think carefully about these questions and I hope you find opportunity to share your answers with one another. As the church, we are to be here for one another—to provide support and encouragement in the faith.

As we celebrate the goodness of our Shepherd who has laid down his life for us, let us be inspired to work on being good sheep—to tune our hearts to hear his voice, that we may follow wherever he leads.

And now, may the peace which passes all understanding keep our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

© Laura E. Gentry 2007

TAKE IT INTO THE WORLD

A Sermon for the Third Sunday of Easter
April 22, 2007
by Pastor Laura Gentry

John 21:1-19
After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathaniel of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, "Children, you have no fish, have you?" They answered him, "No." He said to them, "Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs." A second time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go." (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, "Follow me." (NRSV)

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

Today, on this Third Sunday of Easter, our Gospel tells us of an experience Peter and a group of other disciples have with Jesus. By this time, they have had several of these witnessing-the-risen-Christ experiences. Last Sunday we heard about how Thomas, who had missed the first appearance but not the second, learned a great lesson about faith. We would think that after these appearances—proof of Jesus' resurrection from the dead—the disciples would immediately have hit the road to proclaim the incredible news of the resurrection—that they would have been so charged up that they couldn’t wait another moment to begin their new lives.

Well, this hasn’t happened yet. In this last chapter of John's Gospel, and only a short time after the resurrection, we find the disciples gathered again on the shores of Galilee. This is exactly where they had been when they were found by Jesus three years earlier. What are they doing back there? Shouldn't they be doing something different with their lives after spending three years with Jesus and witnessing him in his astonishing resurrected form?

We don't know what was going through the minds of those disciples gathered on the beach. They have seen Jesus, they know he is not dead, but instead of doing something about it, they have returned to what they knew best, to what was most comfortable for them. Perhaps they were still trying to come to grips with what’s happened. Perhaps they needed to gather once more in a place that was familiar so they could work out some of their thoughts and questions by doing something they knew by heart: fishing.

Here the story sounds like one we have heard before. The disciples spent the night fishing but caught nothing. Just after daybreak they had heard someone call them from the shore, "Children, you have no fish, have you?" A strange question. Evidently the person standing on the shore knew they had no fish. "Throw the net on the right side of the boat and you'll find some." A strange command but, again, one we have all heard before. We know the rest of the story. They hauled in a boatload of fish, the net did not tear despite the weight of the catch, and suddenly they recognize the Lord.

Jesus is on the beach with breakfast ready for them. He instructs Peter to add a few fish from the catch they had just brought in. And as they share this simple breakfast on the shore, their lives change radically. In this moment captured in the Gospel we see them sharing a meal with Jesus, similar to the last supper they had with him before he died. This meal launches them into action to go out and begin spreading the Good News.

Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me?”

Peter responds, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you."

Jesus says to him, "Feed my lambs."

Just when you think the conversation is over, Jesus asks him again, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"

Peter insists, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you."

Jesus says to him, "Tend my sheep."

But, my goodness, Jesus asks poor Peter the question a third time, “Do you love me?"

By now, Peter feels hurt because it seems like Jesus doesn’t believe him. Exasperated, he says, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you."

Jesus says again, "Feed my sheep.”

Now, I must admit, this part of the story has always bugged me. It just reminds me of when I was a kid and my mom would use this scripture against me. She would interrupt whatever I was doing and say, “Laura, do you love me?” and I would say “Yeah, Mom.” And she would say, “Clean your room.” And, believe me, this little routine of ours would usually go on more than three times until I would eventually be worn down and I would finally stop what I was doing and go clean my room.

So why does Jesus ask Peter that question three times? Is he trying to wear him down like my mother did to me? Doesn’t he believe him the first two times? Does it have to do with the fact that, at the time of the crucifixion, Peter denied Jesus three times? What?

Jesus, it seems, has a mission here. He knows that Peter is a sinner, an imperfect disciple who got going when the going got tough, but he also knows that he can use him to proclaim the gospel. But he demands of Peter that his love be not simply a warm feeling—but that his love be transformed into action to “feed my sheep”. Jesus’ work of sheep feeding has just begun. Now, it is up to Peter and the other disciples to take over the job. Following is about feeding.

We, too, are charged with the same commission he gave the disciples: continue the work begun by Jesus. We too must realize that the good news is not just for me—it is for everyone. Remember, last week Jesus said to the disciples, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." We are part of that blessed group who have not seen Jesus in the flesh, and yet we do believe and want others to believe, too.

We have just been through the season of Lent and have celebrated the great Sunday of Easter. Lent is a time when we, like the early Christians, should consider the promises we have each made in our Baptismal Covenant. Have we been living out those promises? Where can we begin again to live them more faithfully? The eyes of our faith still need to be opened as we work on sharing Jesus' message with others.

The disciples had a long road ahead of them. They couldn't begin to imagine how their preaching and teaching would continue through the centuries. They couldn't imagine how society would change and how people would have to change with it—while still keeping the message of God's love constant and true.

We have many opportunities to further the reign of God today in our church and our world, to feed God’s sheep—but many things to distract us from it. We are called to continue in the apostles' teaching, to persevere in resisting evil, to proclaim by word and example the Good News, to serve Christ in all people, to strive for justice and peace, and to respect the dignity of every human being. In the wake of the tragedy at Virginia Tech, many people are searching for hope and meaning. We wonder how we can find our humanity again when such barbarism occurs. We wonder how we can find peace in a violent world. Jesus says to us, “Feed my sheep.” Reach out to the hearts that are hurting and give them my love. Don’t keep it to yourself.

Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), the world-famous violinist, earned a fortune with his concerts and compositions, but he generously gave most of it away. So, the story goes, when he discovered an exquisite violin on one of his trips, he wasn't able to buy it. Later, having raised enough money to meet the asking price, he returned to the seller, hoping to purchase that beautiful instrument. But to his great dismay it had been sold to a collector. Kreisler made his way to the new owner's home and offered to buy the violin. The collector said it had become his prized possession and he would not sell it. Keenly disappointed, Kreisler was about to leave when he had an idea. "Could I play the instrument once more before it is consigned to silence?" he asked. Permission was granted, and the great virtuoso filled the room with such heart-moving music that the collector's emotions were deeply stirred. "I have no right to keep that to myself," he exclaimed. "It's yours, Mr. Kreisler. Take it into the world, and let people hear it." 

This is what Jesus says to us: My love is yours. You can enjoy and and find peace in it, but you can’t keep it to yourself. You’ve got a bigger call than that. You must take it to the world. Take it into the world, and let people hear it. 

And now, may the peace which passes all understanding keep our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

© Laura E. Gentry 2007

HOLY HILARITY SUNDAY

A Sermon for the Second Sunday of Easter
April 15, 2007
by Pastor Laura Gentry

John 20:19-31
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.(New Revised Standard Version)

Grace and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ.

Easter is God’s great joke on death. What is a joke? It is something that turns the tables on the expected, something that hinges on the unpredictable. The resurrection is comedy of the best sort, the unexpected reversal of expectations. What a wonderful surprise—Jesus isn’t dead as we expected! He is alive!!!

In fact. some have said that the empty tomb is the "banana peel" of the Christian faith. Easter is the cosmic pratfall as God pulled the rug out from under the powers of darkness and death by the resurrection.

We can imagine God laughing out loud on Easter morning. And we can laugh too! We can laugh at all the things that try to hold us back, to snuff out our joy, we can even look death in the face now...and laugh! Because it has no sting, no power over us any more.

Church historians tell us that there is considerable evidence that during the early centuries of Christianity, Easter celebrations went on for days and even weeks. And the tradition of Holy Hilarity Sunday, of post-Easter lightheartedness, goes back a very long way, and is especially rooted in the religious life of Eastern Europe.

Saint Paul wrote that we should all be "fools for Christ." The cross is foolishness to those who do not believe; it is salvation, hope, love, and joy to those who do. Some have argued that April Fool’s Day should really be included in our church liturgical calendar! How fun to know that we can be fools for Christ.

St. Francis of Assisi advised many years ago: "Leave sadness to the devil. The devil has reason to be sad." We don’t! And G.K. Chesterton wrote: "Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly!” So, let's fly around with the angels for a moment by way of some levity!

Now, you’ve probably seen the funny church bulletin bloopers like: "the peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been canceled due to a conflict," or "The senior choir invites any member of the congregation who enjoys sinning to join the choir."

Now my favorite Easter joke. Perhaps you’ve heard me tell this one before. If so, please bear with me and laugh loudly at the end.

Three blonds die and arrive at the gate of heaven. Saint Peter meets them at the gate and tells them they’d be allowed in if they can just answer this question: what is Easter all about?

The first blond quickly answers, “I know, I know, it’s when we all eat turkey and cranberry sauce!”

I’m afraid not, says Saint Peter, looking sad.

“Well, I know what it is about,” chimes the second blond. “It’s when you open presents around a decorated fir tree and sing carols and eat cookies.

“No, I’m afraid that’s not it either,” replies Peter, his head downcast.

Finally, the third blond steps forward and says confidently, “Easter comes at the same time as the Hebrew holy day of Passover. The Roman Soldiers crucified Jesus after mocking him and putting a crown of thorns on his head. He was buried in a cave and a large stone was placed over the entrance.”

St. Peter smiles approvingly, nodding in spite of himself.
She continues, “And then, once a year, they roll the stone away and Jesus pops out and if he sees his shadow, we’ll have six more weeks of winter!”

And then, of course, we have some Easter egg jokes:

Q: Why shouldn’t you tell an Easter egg a joke?
A: Because it might crack up!

Q: Why did the Easter egg hide?
A: He was a little chicken

And some Easter bunny jokes:

Q: What is the best way to send the Easter bunny messages?
A: hair mail

Q: What do you call rabbits that marched in a long sweltering Easter parade?
A: Hot, cross bunnies.

Q: What do you call ten rabbits marching backwards?
A: a receding hareline.

Q: What is the difference between an irate rabbit and a counterfeit bank note?
A: One is bad money and the other is a mad bunny!

There’s a one-liner about the Easter story. A neighbor asked Joseph of Arimathea why he gave his beautiful hand-hewn tomb to the followers of Jesus to bury him there. Joseph replied, "Well, he only needed it for the weekend."

Then there are true stories to make us laugh. One pastor recalls a time he as trying to get his congregation excited about Easter and so he invited everyone to sing and shout out whatever would make them joyful such as "Praise the Lord!" or "Thanks be to God!" One small boy had his own prescription for joy; he yelled right out, "I want to go home."

Another story goes that a pastor’s wife wanted to impress her husband by teaching their children to respond to the Easter cry of “Christ is Risen!” by saying “He is risen, indeed!” But her young son got so excited that Easter morning, he ran into his parents room, shouting “ Daddy, daddy, God’s back!”

This morning, we heard the story of doubting Thomas. Poor Thomas, though he went on to do such good work, we always think of him as Mr. Doubtful. The other disciples have seen the risen Christ and so they believe. But they tell Thomas and since he wasn’t there, he just won’t believe that Christ is risen. He tells them: "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

Perhaps Thomas' real problem was that he was so devastated by what had happened that he could not see the wonderful reversal that God has accomplished in the resurrection. He was blind to the miraculous power of God. Even his friends shiny, happy faces could not convince him. Thomas could not connect to their joy.

No doubt there are some of you here today in the same boat. Life has dealt some crushing blows — financial struggles, loss of loved ones, insurmountable problems, diseases, depression, the list goes on and on. We so desperately want to be Easter people we look around and at times, it looks a lot more like Good Friday. Hope seems to have dried up and our joy is no where to be found.

The message of the story of Thomas is: open your eyes! You might not see it at first, you might doubt it, but the resurrection is real! The resurrection if for you! Celebrate! Go ahead and laugh!

We need this reminder so much. Life can be so hard and we can get so down that we forget which way is up. And then along comes Holy Hilarity Sunday and we are given the chance to have laughter and light-heartedness, for comedy and silliness. We can throw our hearts into celebrating the victory of the resurrection. The psalmist says that God "sits in the heavens and laughs," and I believe God invites us to do join in the heavenly laughter. God wants us to have joy.

So here’s one more bit of Holy Humor to close my sermon. It was following the resurrection and disciples were still scattered about Jerusalem and the surrounding villages. John finds Peter and runs up to him. Excitedly he says, "Peter, Peter! I've got some good news and some bad news."

Peter takes hold of John and calms him down. "Take it easy, John. What is it? What's the good news?"

John says, "The good news is Christ is risen."

Peter says, "That's great! But, what's the bad news?"

John, looking around, says, "He's really steamed about last Friday."

Happy Holy Humor Sunday! Be joyful. Let us never live another day as if Jesus were dead. Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed, so let’s laugh! 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

ALIVE & AHEAD OF US

A Sermon for Easter Sunday
April 8, 2007
by Pastor Laura Gentry

John 20:1-18
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her. (New Revised Standard Version)

Grace and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ.

In the midst of the early morning darkness, Mary Magdalene makes her way to Jesus’ tomb. She is devastated by his death. She would rather the horrific event of his crucifixion had never happened. Now, all she has are the memories of him and this grave to tend.

And then, a turn of events occurs. The resurrected Jesus appears to her in one of the most devastatingly moving moments of the bible. Her first instinct is joy that he has returned to life. Now things can be like they used to again. His whole death and burial can fade into her memory like nothing more than a bad dream. His body has not been taken to some unknown location, he is here with her. She grabs a hold of him, overjoyed that her life makes sense again. Mary doesn’t even stop to ask questions about how he came back to life or what it all meant, she just clings to him.

But Jesus gently tells her, “Do not hold onto me, for I have not yet ascended.” Do not hold on to me? What does this mean? Jesus returns to her but now she can’t hold onto him. Why is he going on another journey? Hasn’t he had enough journey already?

Jesus is trying to tell his befuddled disciple that things aren’t like before. He has not come back to just pick up where they left off. Now that he has passed from life to death and back to life again, something amazing has happened and things can never be as they were before. Mary wants a nostalgic return to the past, but Jesus wants to lead her into the future.

We are prone to the same attitude about Easter as Mary demonstrated on the first Easter. We love to think about the Easter Sundays of the past. We gather each Spring for Easter worship, but do we gather to celebrate the resurrection or simply to relish in the nostalgia of this holiday—remembering our childhood traditions of Easter: the Easter egg hunts, the new outfits, the chocolate bunnies, the Easter brunch, the family gatherings? We cling to the tradition of Easter rather than the message of Easter. In the end, however, this attitude reduces Easter to nothing more than a Kodak moment, like the resurrected Jesus is just another pleasant picture in the family photo album. This clinging to the past lops off the power of Easter. B.B. Taylor once wrote: “You can’t nail Jesus down. We tried once but he got loose.” Jesus did not spring from the tomb just so we could eat chocolate bunnies!

But we, like Mary, are unsure about the uncertainty of the future Jesus talks about. We’re not sure what he means about going to the Father. We like to cling to the comfort of what we know, rather than the uncertainty of a new life in Christ. We must accept that Jesus is not dead and behind us but he is alive and ahead of us. This is the good of the good news—we no longer have to remain as we are! But because Jesus lives and is going to the Father, we have a chance at finally becoming the people we have been created to be.

If we limit our understanding of Jesus and reduce him to a series of old memories, then we limit his power in our lives. If he can’t be for us the risen Christ, then we cannot benefit from his resurrection. Easter is a time to grow, blossom, advance—to be Easter people.

When I was a child, playing on the banks of the Mississippi, my sister and I used to love dragonfly season. For a couple of days each summer, ugly prehistoric looking bugs clumsily trudge out of the river. They perch on a rock or a wall and then their backs begin the bulge like some monster in a science fiction movie. And then, suddenly, a big-eyed dragonfly face pops out. In a little bit, its wings unfurl and it pulls itself the rest of the way out of the old shell and flies away. Big, beautiful, dramatic dragon flies come out of goofy looking bugs! You can hardly believe it unless you see it for yourself. And the shell they leave behind looks just like their old selves, except that it is hollow and can be crumbled in your fingers.

As I think about being an Easter person, I am reminded of the metamorphosis of the dragonfly. While, we long to cling to the old shells of our lives, of the people we used to be, Christ compels us to be the transformed dragonflies. He wants us to be free and joyful and filled with new life.

To be Easter people means that our lives can no longer be business as usual. We must throw our lives into the hands of our resurrected Savior. We must have the courage of Mary who followed her Lord’s command to go and tell the others, the share the good news that Jesus is alive and will always be alive. Jesus is not dead and behind us, he is alive and ahead of us—freeing us to be all that we were created to be. He is leading us into an unknown, but marvelous future. If we must cling, let us cling not to things that are fleeting but to the power of the resurrection and our own new lives!

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