3.2.25 "It's Your Call" - Westminster Presbyterian Church, Pasadena, CA

 Luke 9.18-27; Luke 9.28-36

For our LORD, some quiet time … he prays …

Arms behind his back, pacing a bit? …  

does he kneel, his face to the ground? … 

does he sit on a large stone somewhere, his legs stretched out before him, his arms behind him, propping him up? … relaxed … looking out and about … 

are his eyes closed? … 

is he tense? … distressed? … calm?

Jesus prays … 

in the morning as the sun rises? … 

in the evening, as the day draws to a close? … 

or just a quick moment in an otherwise busy day? … 

like we all have now and then, when a meeting is cancelled, and we actually have a genuinely free moment?

Jesus prays … and, then … something occurs to him … he asks the disciples, What’s the scuttlebutt? … what are folks saying about me?

An intimate moment in Luke’s Gospel … this man of ability and love … this sweet man who gives of himself tirelessly … he’s curious … what’s being said about me?

Some folks say you’re John the Baptist come back from the dead, say the disciples … others say you’re Elijah … or one of the ancient prophets … 

Jesus nods … with a wry smile on his face? … maybe a wink? … Ahhh, so that’s what folks think of me? Someone from the past. A hero returned from the dead.

Jesus pauses, I think … takes a deep breath … and asks, Who do you say that I am?

Who is Jesus? 

Google that question, and you’ll be busy for a long, long, time … entire libraries exist on this question … books, books, and more books; authors, agents, publishers … podcasts, Substack, and blogs. 

In our Presbyterian tradition, we have John Calvin and the Calvinists … 

The Lutherans have Luther …

Roman Catholics have the Pope …

The Orthodox have their Archbishops …

Fundamentalists, pentecostals, and liberals … 

megachurch pastors, and storefront preachers … 

Mormon boys on their bicycles, 

and street preachers with a placard,

and folks like me.

All of it helpful … some of it confusing, some of it good, and some of it not.

Somewhere along the road comes the question, What about you? Who do you say I am?

Peter replies, You’re the Messiah, the Anointed One of God … Peter’s not far off the path, but Jesus shuts down the conversation … 

Jesus sternly orders and commands them not to tell anyone!

Why?

The word “messiah” is a dangerous word … many thought of the Messiah as a king, like David of old, a powerful leader, soldiers and chariots, shields and swords … restore the monarchy, rebuild the city, set the people free from Roman domination, make Judah great again.

The quest for power, dreams of glory …

Christianity has more often than not failed the test.

The Inquisition, colonialism, eradication of indigenous peoples, the Salem Witch Hunts, the oppression of women, countless wars … and slavery … all in the name of Christ.

The light of history reveals faith gone wrong all too often … when linked with empire and weapons … it’s not a pretty picture … it’s no wonder some Christians would rather bury the truth rather than tell the truth.

But there’s a flip side to the story - faith rises up and does what’s right … 

faith takes up the cross of Christ, not the sword of Satan … 

faith emancipates the slave, gives women the vote … ends the cruelty of child labor; proclaims the gospel in joy and hope … works for peace, the environment, civil rights … saving souls, and healing bodies … with liberty and justice for all.

When all is said and done, when the books are closed, and the preacher says Amen! … still the question comes to each of us: Who do you say that I am?

Recently, I read a fine biography of Abraham Lincoln.

Again and again, Lincoln turns to the words of Jesus, when tells the story of a house divided against itself.

On the question of slavery … 

Lincoln holds his Bible in one hand, and the Constitution in the other … Lincoln and his wife, Mary, attend New York Avenue Presbyterian Church.

On the other side of the question:

The president of the Confederate States, Jefferson Davis and his wife, Varina, attend St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Richmond, VA, a church ofter referred to as the “Cathedral of the Confederacy.”

Lincoln declares slavery to be an abomination … Davis believes slavery to be a good arrangement.

A house divided.

In a personal note, Lincoln writes:

God cannot be for and against the same thing at the same time.

In Lincoln's Second Inaugural address, he says:

Both [sides] read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes [God’s] aid against the other. …. The prayers of both could not be answered.

A house divided.

The divide remains, I fear … do women have the right to chose for themselves, or does a woman’s body belong to the government when she’s pregnant? … 

Can gay and lesbian persons marry? - or does their right to marry destroy our nation’s morality? 

Those who stormed the Capital on January 6 - are they criminals or patriots?

Are trans-people evil? Are they and their families a threat to America?

I am deeply concerned - about the present moment … a spiritual misalignment of certain forms of Christianity that I believe to be contrary to the cross of Christ, linked with political views I find antithetical to the spirit of our Constitution … all of it underwritten with enormous amounts of money! dark money, well-hidden from view … when this kind of money sets the pace, something is wrong … life cannot be bought and sold, faith cannot be purchased and traded upon … truth is not found on the New York Stock Exchange, or in the commodities market.

Who is Jesus?

You’re the Messiah! … says Peter.

Yes! Jesus IS the Messiah, but of a different order than what Peter expected …  

Peace, not power … salvation, not a sword … truth, not a throne … welcome, not exclusion … forgiveness, not condemnation … generosity, not greed … trust, not fear … the Messiah of God crosses borders and does not create them … the Messiah of God: God’s mercy, God’s goodness, God’s peace … for God so loves the world.

Jesus speaks of suffering …  the powerful reject him …  they crown him with a crown of thorns … they kill him … 

Jesus speaks of self-denial - the bombshell of all ethics … no wonder the powerful despise him …  

Jesus speaks of the cross … the cross for anyone who wants to be a part of a better world … a heavy cross, it is … the weight of the world upon his shoulders, and our shoulders, too.

Jesus speaks of spiritual things - lest we get lost in material things … Jesus draws a firm line in the sand on wealth and spiritual disciplines … where your treasure is, that’s where we find your heart! 

Jesus says pointedly: If you’re ashamed of my kind of love, if you have little interest in my words, my actions, my values … if you reject the cross, and shape the gospel to suit your own interests, you cut yourself off from God.

When all is said and done … when the books are closed, and the preacher says, Amen! … still the question comes to each of us: morning, noon, and night: Who do you say that I am?

Eight days later, the mount of Transfiguration, Elijah and Moses are there … a cloud of glory, bright and beautiful … a voice proclaims, This is my son, my chosen; listen to him.

Amen and Amen!

August 11, 2013, "Ultimate Things"

Zechariah 1.1-6; Luke 10.38-42

Charley, newly retired, had a new job - a greeter at WalMart.

He did fine, but could never get to work on time - 5, 10, 15 minutes late. He was a good worker, neat and tidy in appearance, sharp-minded and a real credit to the company, demonstrating the very best of company policy - “Older Person Friendly.”

One day the manager called him into the office a chat … “Charley, I have to tell you, I like your work ethic, you do a bang-up  job when you finally get here; but your being late so often is quite bothersome."

"Yes, I know boss, and I am working on it."

"Well good, you are a team player. That's what I like to hear. 

“Yes sir, I understand your concern and I will try harder.”

The manager, slightly puzzled, went on to comment, “I know you're  retired from the Armed Forces. What did they say to you there if you showed up in the morning late so often?"

The old man looked down at the floor, smiled, chuckled and then said with a grin:  "They usually saluted and said, Good morning, Admiral, can I get your coffee, sir?”

Things change for us all the time … time moves on … what we were, we are no longer; what we shall be remains to be seen … and in the flow of time:

Moments …

Opportunities …

When kitchen-duty needs to be set aside and we need to sit at the feet of Jesus.

Martha was irritated by Mary’s behavior … 

Martha, a good person, but she failed to recognize the sacred moment … Martha choose the normal pattern - what she always did, and what she was good at - she could prepare a fine meal, and do it quickly, and everyone was satisfied.

Martha ran a clean ship, a good operation - if you’re hungry, go to Martha’s house - she’ll take care of ya … and Mary, her sister, is right there - the two of ‘em set a fine table - their home is open to friend and stranger alike.

And today, Jesus came a-calling … 

Martha defaulted … she did what she always did … she went to the kitchen to prepare a meal for Jesus and those traveling with him … 5 people, 10 people? 

It was a house full, no doubt, and when Martha went to the kitchen, she expected her sister, Mary, to be right there … “Mary, where are you? I need some help.”

Martha relied on Mary … if help was needed, Mary was there … the two of ‘em worked together; they made their house into a home … Martha knew what she was doing in the kitchen, and Mary was always there, ready and able.

But today was different!

Mary didn’t follow Martha into the kitchen … she stayed near to Jesus, and “sat at the LORD’s feet.”

That of itself was slightly unusual, if not controversial … to sit at the feet of Jesus is to declare her status as a disciple, and for Jesus to allow it was unusual, too ... it was very rare for a rabbi to welcome a female disciple, and rarer still for a woman to boldly go where only men are welcome.

Martha steps outta the kitchen and scolds Jesus for letting Mary get away with it, especially when Martha is working so hard.

“I need help in the kitchen - a lot of hungry mouths to feed, and I need Mary to help me. I can always count on her; I need her in the kitchen with me right now.”

“Martha, Martha,” says Jesus … saying her name twice, to get her attention … “you fuss and fret about many things, but today, here and now, there’s only thing that counts, and Mary has made the right choice; it won’t be taken from her.”

Many a sermon has been preached on the different talents we have - some work in the kitchen, others sit and study … true enough, but that’s not what this story is all about. It’s not about talents and ability.

It’s recognizing the sacred moment … something important comes our way … it demands that we step out of the usual pattern, get outta of the kitchen, put aside what we do best, let it go for a few moments … take advantage of the sacred moment … 

History makes these moments clear, in retrospect … the challenge is to see them when they’re happening; not when they’ve passed us by.

I think of Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation … that was the moment to decide - who’s a citizen of this fair land? - just some, or everyone? … a lot of folks told to Lincoln to let it pass by; “Now’s not the time,” they said … but Lincoln saw the sacred moment.

I think of Republican Senator Everett Dirksen, after whom the Senate Building is named … when it came time for Civil Rights Legislation - he walked across the aisle, much to the consternation of his colleagues, and made common cause, as he said, “for an idea whose time had come” … he saw the sacred moment.

What are the sacred moments that stand before this great nation today?

For me, the sacred moment has to do with doors … doors open, not closed … the Emma Lazarus Poem on the Statue of Liberty:

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

As the hymn says, “Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide …”

For Mary and Martha, the moment came when Jesus paid them a visit … yes, they’re all hungry, but now’s the time to sit at the feet of Jesus.

The sacred moment - a time to learn and a time grow … to look up and not down … to look outward, to see what’s happening … break the pattern, do the unusual … don’t be afraid … be brave, take a chance … 

Drive to work another way and pay attention to a world you haven’t seen …

If you’re in the kitchen, try a new recipe, and if it’s not very good, who cares? … but give it a try anyway.

Stretch your wings … fly as high as you can … dream, and dream big … aim for the stars.

The sacred moment ...

When it’s time to sit at the feet of Jesus. Amen and Amen!

May 13, 2012 - Mother's Day - "A Cry for Peace"

1 Samuel 1.21-28 & Luke 1.26-33

This past week, on my Facebook page, I posted the following quote:

 A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.

A FB friend replied:

This describes my mother perfectly. She raised 9 children and while my father recuperated from a helicopter crash (burned on 80% of his body but lived another 50 years) money was EXTREMELY tight. As the 7th child, I remember one day she started making lunch for her and I when she discovered we were out of bologna. She'd already put mustard on two slices so she scraped the last of the peanut butter out onto the non-mustered bread for me and put the two mustard slathered slices together and proclaimed that "mustard sandwiches were her favorite" (but that remains the only time I ever saw her eat one.). Thanks for that memory Tom. I have to call Mom now.

I celebrate with you, Mother’s Day!

Yes, I know.

Not every mother is able to love as she should.

Who knows what kind of pain she’s passing on?

My mother was a tough customer.

A woman of intelligence and a lively sense of humor.

But abusive of her two sons and her husband.

A lasting sorrow in my life.

Why she was the way she was neither my brother nor I have been able to figure out.

Donna and I have talked about it so many times - without answers for any of it.

I learned just how good a mother could be when I met Donna’s Mom … a kind and thoughtful woman … hard-working all of her life to raise to her family … and worked outside the home, as well.

She was a woman of great love, good humor and deep faith - she left behind a ton of good memories.

I further learned about mothers watching Donna … there are not enough words in my vocabulary to tell her story … but I’m ever-grateful, and her children are crazy about her … and that’s about as good as it gets.

Celebrations of mothers and motherhood are found all around the world and throughout history.

In America, Mother’s Day originated with the Jarvis family in Grafton, West Virginia.

Ann Jarvis, a Methodist Sunday School Teacher, conceived of the idea as a Mother’s Friendship Day, and established a committee in 1868 "to reunite families that had been divided during the Civil  War" … she wanted to expand it into an annual memorial for mothers, but she died in 1905 before the celebration became popular.

It was her daughter, Anna Jarvis, who carried the banner after her mother’s death … ultimately leading to the establishment of a formal national day of recognition - in 1914..

In 1870, Julia Ward Howe, wrote “The Mother’s Day Proclamation (see the bulletin),  a protest against war - the carnage of America’s Civil War just ended and the Franco-Prussian War underway. 

Ms. Howe, a social activist, an abolitionist, authored one of the great American Hymns - anyone know?

That’s right … “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” … written after she and her husband visited Washington D.C. and met Abraham Lincoln at the White House, November, 1861.

Though the hymn is sometimes sung as a hymn of war, it’s a hymn of freedom for American slaves - God’s righteous purpose marching on, to liberate the oppressed, break the chains of slavery, set people free.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,

With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:

As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,

While God is marching on.

Mother’s Day originates in the heart of a woman - her prayers for justice and peace … prayers for healing and social righteousness … prayers for her children.

Mother’s Day is a powerful reminder to all us - as Jesus said so pointedly, Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Mother’s Day is a reminder of things that count … the choices we make - the story we live.

Several weeks ago, I shared with you the familiar story of the challenged children running a footrace in a Special Olympics event … you all know the story … 

The starter’s gun goes off and ten children begin to sprint toward the finish line, when suddenly, one of the runners stumbles and falls.

The other runners, turn and laugh at the fallen child, blame the child for her clumsiness, laugh at her sprawled on the ground, scold her for being stupid and lazy, telling her that she deserves to lose the race.

So the rest of runners continue the race, pushing and shoving one another, until only one crosses the finish line, to the wild cheers of the crowd.

The winner dances exultantly, pointing a finger at all the rest, calling them “losers” - because we all know there can only be one winner, and only those who push and shove to the finish line will win the day.

Is that how the story goes?

Is that the story we want to hear?

Of course not!

In the original story, the runners all stop, turn around, and pick up the fallen child, and together, arm-in-arm, they help each other reach the finish line, and all of them cross the finish line together.

As I told the first version, how the runners laugh at the fallen child, how did you feel?

Dear friends, what story are we living?

What race are we running?

What story did Jesus live?

What race did he run?

On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus stops to help the troubled woman at the well in Samaria. 

On his way to Jerusalem, he stops beneath the Jericho tree in which Zacchaeus had climbed.

He stops along the road to Jerusalem to heal blind Bartimaeus.

Yes, he has a place to go.

A race to win.

But he always stops along the way to help.

Again and again, Jesus stops - to help, heal, bless, make life better - for King Herod? For Pilot? For the people of wealth and power? For the privileged and the comfortable?

To whom does Jesus pay special attention?

In the days of Jesus:

The deaf and blind were scolded, as if it were there own fault - when Jesus healed the blind man in the temple - folks argued whether the man or his parents were to blame for the blindness.

The poor were blamed for their poverty, too … they must have done something wrong to merit God’s displeasure. After all, if they were good, if they did it right, then God would bless them, too.

Which is why the disciples were surprised when Jesus said:

It will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astounded. [Matthew 19.23-25]

The disciples thought wealth was a sign of God’s favor.

Yet Jesus is clear in the parable of the Rich Fool - wealth is often the result of graft and greed … the lust for power, the willingness to run the race, and never turn to help anyone who has fallen.

Which story shall we live today?

Our nation is at a crossroads … like we were in the 1850s … trying to figure out what story to live.

Shall we be a nation of slave-holders or a nation wherein all free?

Are we nation bound together by a great vision of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?

Or shall we cease being a nation, with the States pitted against one another, everyone going their separate ways?

We salute Abraham Lincoln because he refused to let America tell a cheap story about itself … and there were some who wanted the cheap story so badly they were willing to fight a war over it.

Jesus tells us: You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

Jesus is LORD and Savior because he refuses to let God’s People tell a cheap story about themselves … and there were some who wanted the cheap story so badly, they were willing to tell lies about Jesus and crucify him.

We have a story to tell.

A story told by Jesus every time he stopped to help someone.

A story told by Ann and Anna Jarvis.

A story told by Julia Ward Howe.

A story told by Abraham Lincoln - we are a nation, bound together by a common vision of liberty and justice for all.

I pray that America will take a deep breath … to celebrate Mother’s Day by celebrating every day our core values, our family families - with a simple recognition - that we all owe to one another a debt of love, because we are all brothers and sisters in God’s great family - what we need to do for one another can only be done collectively - like the children in the race, arm-in-arm, we cross the finish line.

What story shall we live?

For us as Christians, no task more important but to remind our nation, our politicians, remind the wealthy and the powerful to whom much has been given, and to remind ourselves everyday - of our high callings.

The high callings of love and kindness.

The highest of all callings … to provide for the welfare of our children.

Black and Yellow, Red and White … every color of the rainbow, they are precious in his sight … Jesus loves the little children of the world.

And that’s why we celebrate Mother’s Day!

O beautiful for spacious skies,

For amber waves of grain,

For purple mountain majesties

Above the fruited plain!

America! America!

God shed His grace on thee,

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea!

That’s the news from Calvary on the Boulevard.

Where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average.

Happy Mother’s Day Calvary!

Happy Mother’s Day America.

Amen and Amen!