September 25, 2011 - "Brain Scan"

Philippians 2.1-13

Who doesn’t need their head examined now and then?

We’ve all been told that a time or two, haven’t we?

“You need your head examined!”

When my children were young, I’d look in one of their ears, wave my hand and three fingers by the other ear, and say, “By golly, I can see my three fingers. There’s nothin’ in there.

And we’d all laugh, of course … 

A friend of mine had a brain scan, and he jokingly said to me, “They didn’t find one!”

The Scarecrow in “The Wizard of Oz” sings, “If Only I Had a Brain” … I do all kinds of wonderful things.

And, indeed, with a brain, a mind, we do wonderful things … we can fly around the world … and tell a child we love them.

The Bible says: Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

The renewing of our mind is mostly a miracle - by grace we are saved, not by works, lest anyone should boast … 

That’s the glory of infant baptism - God at work, before we know it, before we can do anything about it … God at work in our little souls. 

When we get a little older, there may be a moment when we accept Jesus as LORD and Savior, when we say “Yes!” but long before we accept Jesus, Jesus accepts us.

You didn’t choose me, says Jesus, I choose you!

God loves us first!

Before our decision, God’s decision - before the foundation of the world … can’t get anymore before than that!

Salvation is a gift!

But the Bible also says, Work out your salvation with fear and trembling … 

Working it out is mostly up to us.

We feed our mind with good reading.

We nourish our heart with prayer and worship.

We choose good thoughts and positive ideas.

We strive to be on the right side of history.

We practice doing good.

We forgive, and forgive quickly.

We apologize when it’s our fault, and even if we’re not sure whose fault it is - the power of the word “sorry” covers a multitude of sins.

We work out our salvation day-by-day … in ten thousand different scenarios …

Even Jesus has to work things out … when choices come his way:

A woman, caught in adultery, brought to Jesus by a crowd.

They’re ready to execute her … death by stoning - capital punishment.

Because the Bible says so! 

Are these mean people?

No, they’re law-abiding citizens.

They want to know where Jesus stands on the matter.

“Do you stand on the side of the law?” they ask him. “Are you a law-abiding citizen of Israel?”

The letter of the law, or something more?

Jesus makes it clear that day - there’s more to the law than the letter of the law … 

I came, not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it … expand it, make it larger, beyond the letter of the law, to the heart of the matter … 

When asked about the Law and the greatest of commandments - all 613 of them - Jesus chooses two - Love God with all that you are (from Deuteronomy), and love your neighbor with the same regard with which you love yourself (Leviticus).

And then adds the Golden Rule: Treat others as you would like to be treated.

Elsewhere, Jesus says, There is something greater here than the temple … something greater than Jonah … something greater than Solomon.

It’s the “something greater” that Jesus brings to us … Jesus choose something greater …

No stones for the woman caught in adultery … because of something greater.

Because love wins.

Love is something greater, greater than the letter of the law.

Faith, hope and love abide, but the greatest of these is love!

The mind of Christ for us!

Something greater ...

To let our shine so that the world can see our good works, and give glory to our Father in heaven.

That’s evangelism … works of faith … kindness, loyalty, mercy, gentleness, humility, intelligence, restraint, wisdom and welcome … and courage - Christ Courage - to stand up against the proud and the powerful, and Christ-Courage - to stand with the forlorn and the downtrodden … to build the better world - thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

The mind of Christ for us: Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 

Dear friends, we need our heads examined now and then.

As our Psalmist wrote [139.23-24]:

 Search me, O God, and know my heart;

      test me and know my thoughts.

     See if there is any wicked way in me,

      and lead me in the way everlasting. 

A brain scan … just to be sure … that we have the mind of Christ. Amen and Amen!

February 6, 2010 - "Let Your Light Shine"

Matthew 5:13-20

The love of God is our light.

Let it shine, says Jesus.

Let your light shine … for all the world to see … so that the world will see your good works, and give glory to your Father in heaven.

Let it shine.

Bright and clear.

Pure and beautiful.

Let it shine.

Let it shine for all the world to see.

It’s your light …Covenant Presbyterian Church!

Let it shine.

Covenant, you stand tall for justice.

You have open the doors to all.

You welcome without question.

You are gracious and kindly.

You are loving and gentle.

You are forceful in righteousness.

Thoughtful in faith.

Positive in outlook.

Prejudice and discrimination have never found a home here.

Narrowness and fundamentalism have never taken root here.

You’ve are serious about the things of God.

If I may be personal for a moment, I can only express to you my gratitude … what a joy it’s been for me to be your interim pastor … and how good it’s been for my family – Rachel and Cy and Josh and Donna. We have all found a spiritual home here in Covenant on the Corner.

Your light shines bright and clear.

As for the future, who knows?

The future is not ours you see.

The future belongs to God.

What belongs to us right now is our light.

The light of our faith.

The light of our love.

The light of our hope - because Christ is risen from the dead!

The future is not ours.

What is ours, is here and now.

The present moment!

Right now.

Here and now, today!

And that’s enough.

That’s enough for God to get the job done.

That’s enough for the blessing.

That’s enough for the light.

Our light belongs to us.

Because it’s given to us by God.

And Cathy’s light, as well.

Cathy’s light will join your light in just a few more weeks.

Cathy brings a lot of experience, good credentials, good ideas and a good heart.

Her track record is clear: Cathy’s a hard worker!

But, please, please do me a favor.

Whatever you expect of Cathy, expect of yourself, as well.

Live with high expectations.

But don’t’ impose those on Cathy, all by herself.

Or on anyone else, for that matter.

Whatever you expect of another, expect it first, of yourself.

In the early 70s, when I was looking at moving to a new church, there was still a question in the church information form – “What do you expect of the minister’s wife?” …

One church said, “We want her to be an expert in Presbyterian polity, to lead the Women’s Association and be an extravert.”

Donna said to me, “If you go there, you’ll go without me!”

Well, that took care of that.

And then, one day, we read a church information form that answered the question well: “The ministers wife has the same responsibilities as any member of the church.”

Just like any member of the church.

I like that.

Because no one is more or less important than any one else.

We all have the same responsibilities … to be thoughtful and kind and wise and merciful, and to keep on learning and growing … you’ve heard me say it ten thousand times, we’re all in this together.

Cathy can only be Cathy.

True for any of us – we can only be who and what we are … as God has created us, as life has shaped us.

Colleen is Colleen.

Pam and Willie are Pam and Willie.

Dan and Ruth are Dan and Ruth.

Emily is Emily.

Some of us sing and some of us dance.

Some of us relate to God through our heads.

Some of us relate to God through our hearts.

Some of us relate to God through our hands.

Heads, hearts and hands.

We need all of it, and then some!

As you think about Covenant, think about yourself.

Everyone here is vital to the life of the church.

Be pro-active in you neighborhood.

Has your light been shining as of late?

What do people see when they see you?

What do people hear when you speak?

What do people see of God when they watch you?

Of course, no one is perfect.

But Jesus says, Let your light shine.

Be pro-active with your neighbors, families and friends.

Invite people to church.

It won’t work with everyone.

Some folks aren’t ready when you invite them.

But you can help them along the way.

Invite them to church every now and again.

And one of those days, they’ll say yes to you.

And then go out to lunch with them afterward.

And then do it again.

Invite them over to your home.

And do it again.

And, who knows, they may find Covenant to be a spiritual home … or maybe they won’t Covenant at all.

If someone is hyper-conservative, they won’t be comfortable here.

If someone is fearful of gays and lesbians, they won’t be comfortable here.

If someone wants a church that agrees with everything they already know and want, they won’t be comfortable here.

If someone wants a church that loves glamour and glitter, they won’t be comfortable here.

If someone wants a church to preach Jesus without justice, and a Christ without compassion, they won’t be comfortable here.

If someone wants a church that preaches hell-fire and damnation and eternal punishment, they won’t be comfortable here.

Covenant is a good and faithful church.

Covenant bears witness to the power of the gospel … and God is doing fine things in our midst, just as we are.

Who knows what the future holds?

But this much we know, we hold the light in our hands.

Let it shine, says Jesus.

Let it shine!

Somewhere along the line, as you keep inviting people, working with them, praying for them, you’ll find a connection growing …

You’ll see the light of faith emerge in someone’s life …

You’ll see the hand of God at work.

And that always takes time.

No one becomes a Christian in a moment.

Perhaps in a moment, we make the decision.

But it’s takes a life-time, and then some, to become a Christian – to grow up into the grace of God, and to learn how to carry our cross.

And always the mystery – the great mystery - God brings people TO the church.

From outta the blue.

Folks move here from Timbuktu …

They drive by the church one day.

They see a message title on the marquee.

A bell goes off in their mind.

Something goes “click” in their heart.

And the next Sunday they’re here.

God draws them here.

God fills their heart.

God says to them, Here is your spiritual home.

If someone is progressive, they’ll find a home here.

If someone looks for authentic Christians, they’ll find them here.

If someone wants good preaching, they will hear it here.

If someone seeks peace of mind and spiritual healing, they will find solace here.

If someone is looking for a place to get to work to make this a better world, they will find a spiritual at Covenant.

And more than that, we’re a connected church.

We’re Presbyterians.

We have the Presbytery of the Pacific on our campus.

And a whole denomination spread across the country and wrapped around the world.

We do a million great things because we’re connected.

Connected to a vast network of life and love.

Let your light shine, says Jesus.

And the world will see your good works.

And will give glory to your Father in heaven.

Covenant Presbyterian Church.

Covenant on the Corner.

You have much light.

It shines brightly.

The world see your good works.

And gives glory to your Father in heaven.

You have done well, dear friends.

You will continue doing well.

Let your light shine.

Amen and Amen

Fishing - January 25, 2009

Mark 1:14-20

Christians, we have a task!
Let’s go fishing!

The first disciples … professional fishermen …
Boats and winds,
Ropes and nets …
Sails and storms.

They knew what every fisherman knows …
To get fish, you have to fish …
Sometimes ya’ get skunked …
Sometimes a boat-load.

My brother and I, Raystown Lake, Pennsylvania …
18-foot, white fiberglass, Lincoln Canoe …

In a cove …
Fishing with jigs …
And suddenly a strike …
Pulled in a big Crappie …
Then another, and soon we were hauling ‘em in on every cast … by the time the school passed by, we had 20 or 30 fat Crappie …
Went home happy that evening … a terrific fish fry …

What does it mean to fish for people?


A simple recognition – life without God is a diminished life.
And lots of folks live with little or nothing of God.

Life without God - like a compromised immune system – without God, we’re vulnerable to all sorts of infections.
Victims of the latest fad …
Every promise that comes our way looks good, and off we go …
Longing, looking, searching, seeking … never quite landing anywhere, never finding, always disappointed, and then on to the next effort, until we just grow tired, weary, jaded, cynical … and we sink all the deeper into the quagmire of ourselves.
Lots of folks live with little or nothing of God in their lives, and it’s for their sake we go fishing!

Frederick Buechner writes of a time when a friend asked him for help … Buechner didn’t want to step out, didn’t want to get involved, but then makes a discovery:

To journey for the sake of saving our own lives is little by little to cease to live in any sense that really matters, even to ourselves, because it is only by journeying for the world’s sake – even when the world bores and sickens and scares you half to death – that little by little we come alive. It was not a conclusion I came to in time. It was a conclusion from beyond time that came to me. God knows I have never been any good at following the road it pointed me to, but at least, by grace, I glimpsed the road and saw that it is the only one worth traveling [Jan. 25 devotional].

Why do we fish?

Because there are fish to be caught … people who desperately need to hear the Good News … who need the hope and peace that comes through Jesus our LORD.

Let’s see what we can learn today about fishing …

The Text says, They left their nets.
In order to go anywhere, we have to leave some things behind …

Over the years, I’ve watched Christians struggle to juggle all the loyalties and interests of life … there’s a lot of pressure on us to do everything, see everything, be everything before we take our final breath …

Like children setting out on a trip –
Mom and Dad, can I take along my toys?
You can take just one.
Can I take my favorite books?
Just a few.
How about my iPod?
Sure, but we’re going to disconnect ourselves for a while.

The disciples left their nets … but more than just leaving something behind, they followed him.

The one-two punch, if you will … leave AND follow!

It’s not just about leaving things behind; it’s all about following something … or someone … a reason, a purpose!

Remember the 2007 film, Into the Wild?
The young man left everything behind to live in the wilds of Alaska – he left everything, but he followed nothing, except some vague inner dream to get away from it all!
He left everything … but followed nothing!

Here in this place, we follow Jesus …
Others follow other paths … and God is their companion, too. I’m not concerned about faith different than mine.
I’m concerned about those who struggle through life without faith … with a north star to guide them through the night … without a sense of eternity … without a standard by which to measure their life … a life with little or nothing of God – that’s what I’m concerned about.
People who have nothing to follow, and haven’t a clue what to leave behind!

Here in this place, we follow Jesus.
That’s why we do what we do.
He call us to go fishing!

But it’s the next piece of the story that really intrigues me.
Those early disciples left their nets to follow Jesus … and then did nothing …
They did nothing for a long time!

Sometimes we Christians are way too busy …
Over the years, I’ve heard Christians say, I’m burned out and burned up. I’ve been a deacon and an elder, I’ve served on the Stewardship Committee, the Evangelism Committee, the Building and Grounds Committee – I’ve sung in the choir and I’ve taught Sunday School - I’ve done it all, and now I don’t want to do it anymore.
Maybe some of you’ve said that.

Sometimes we Christians are way too busy.

What did those first disciples do?
They watched!
Jesus didn’t ask them to do anything.
Just watch me, he said.

I wish that we Christians could learn to do that a little better.
To settle down and not be so busy …
To watch Jesus … and watch him a lot.

But preacher, you say, how do we watch him? How can we do that?

Several things:
First, there’s no substitute for the Bible.
In it’s pages, we see Jesus …
And then something from beyond time, if you will, takes hold of us …
The Holy Spirit …
The Holy Spirit takes these words and applies them to our heart …
The words we read begin to read us …
We move from information to formation …
Religion becomes relationship …
The heart is warmed at the fires of God’s grace …
“O God” ceases to be an expression of surprise and becomes the cry of adoration …
Just a closer walk with thee, as the hymn puts it …

How do we watch Jesus?

By watching others who follow him.
Who are your Christian heroes?
Give thought to their life … watch how they do it.
Flesh and blood heroes … like Buechner says of himself, never very good at it, but my heroes work hard at it.
Long ago I learned – it’s not how well anyone does; it’s the love of trying, and trying to love.

Another source: good books.
Reliable Christian authors … pay a visit to Cokesbury in Pasadena now and then …
Check with me …
Frederick Buechner, Thomas Merton, John Ortberg, William Sloane Coffin, Jr.; writer Ann LaMott, or Jan Karon and her Mittford Series, featuring Fr. Tim – one of the best series ever written capturing the life of a pastor amid the joys and sorrows of a small congregation.
Find some heroes and watch how they live.

More than anything, I’ve long to see Christians well-connected to one another in fellowship … not just socializing together, but linked together with Bible reading and prayer.
Maybe it’s just one friend you have in Christ.
Maybe it’s a small group.
But when you’re together, Christ is there, too.
Wherever two or three are gathered in my name, says Jesus, I am there.
 
Christians sometimes mistakenly substitute socializing for fellowship – socializing is good; I’m all in favor of it – running clubs, card clubs, bowling together, eating together, painting projects, mission trips, but all of that is not yet fellowship.
Fellowship begins when we gather around the Bible, or a spiritual book, and when we pray for one another and lift up the name of Jesus – that’s fellowship!
Watching Jesus with one another … learning about our LORD.

The first disciples spent a lot of time learning …

That’s a lesson for all of us …

Not just at the beginning of our walk with Jesus … but throughout our life … to keep our eyes upon him … to learn more and more about him!

To learn of him who is our LORD.
Take my yoke upon you, says Jesus, and learn from me.

To know Jesus well …
And you know what?
The world will see it in us.
Let your light so shine, says Jesus, so that the world will see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

Dear Christian friends, it’s time to go fishing.
Throw out the net … love, faith and prayer.
Honest, humble living.
We’ll catch a few folks for the kingdom of heaven.

Billy Graham had his millions, but you and I will only have a few … but God has his eye on the sparrow and can number the hairs on our head - God is a God of small numbers.
If we catch only a few in our lifetime, we will go to our rest having honored Jesus with our best!

And we won’t even know we’re doing it!
Spend enough time with Jesus, and it just happens.
Like a glass filled to the brim, we overflow …
Christ within us, through us, to the world.

A friend has been seeing a doctor.
Much to his surprise, the doctor wrote a note, thanking him for sharing his faith. It triggered something in the doctor’s life - some re-thinking about faith and the doctor’s walk with God.
But my friend said, I didn’t share my faith. I just talked about how important God was to me.
My friend went fishing, and didn’t even know it.

That’s the best kind of fishing we can do.
Just living … plain old living, telling folks how important God is to us in the course of simple conversation … we won’t even know we’re doing it.
And maybe, just maybe, as Paul says, We’ll heap coals on someone’s head – we’ll light a fire … stir the conscience; the Holy Spirit will go to work, and a lonely traveler will find her way back home to God!

As we look to the future here at Covenant,
Covenant on the Corner,
I challenge you … I invite you:
Get to know Jesus … and get to know him well.

There’s a lot of fishing to be done. Amen!